Edward Pawley
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Edward Joel Pawley (born March 16, 1901 in Kansas City, Missouri - died January 27, 1988 in Charlottesville, Virginia) is an American actor. At maturity, he was a slender 5'-10" tall and had thick black hair, blue eyes, and a wonderfully rich baritone voice. While in high school, he became interested in both journalism and acting. He took drama classes and acted in numerous high school plays. After moving to New York City in 1920 to pursue a career in the theater, he married (in 1922) his high school sweetheart, Martina Martin (who had also become a professional stage actress). They had one child, a son named Martin Herbert Pawley. Edward and Martina later divorced only to remarry and divorce again. In 1937, he married the then popular Broadway singer, dancer, and actress Helen Shipman of Pennsylvania. They remained married for 47 years until her death on April 13, 1984. (see below for more info re: Edward J. Pawley)
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[edit] Broadway
Edward Pawley began his theatrical career in 1920 and reached the Broadway stage in 1923. He starred in various well-known Broadway plays including Elmer Gantry (1928), Processional (1928), Street Scene (1929), Subway Express (1929), Two Seconds (1931), Life Begins (1932), and The Willow And I (1942). Pawley's rich, baritone voice was hailed by leading journalists of the day, such as Walter Winchell and Heywood Hale Broun. Although he was probably best known for his portrayal of Elmer Gantry in the Broadway play of the same name, it was his portrayal of 'John Allen' in the Broadway play Two Seconds that brought him to the attention of Hollywood by way of Warner Brothers Studio. The famed journalist, Walter Winchell, wrote in one of his columns that Pawley received a standing ovation after his opening-night performance in Two Seconds.
[edit] Hollywood
Not long after the 'talkie' movies came into vogue, Pawley became interested in acting on the silver screen. He left the theater after 1932 and went to Hollywood where he performed in over 50 movies during a 10-year span. He had feature roles in such movies as Hoosier Schoolboy with Mickey Rooney, G-Men with James Cagney,The Oklahoma Kid with James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart, King Solomon of Broadway with Edmund Lowe and Louise Henry, Each Dawn I Die with George Raft and James Cagney, Tom Sawyer, Detective with Janet Waldo and Donald O'Connor, and Romance on the Range with Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes. He played mostly 'bad guy' roles in gangster, horror, comedy, and Western films. He became friends with James Cagney with whom he made 4 movies, Jackie Cooper (4 movies), and Francis Lederer. One of his earliest friends in the entertainment industry was Arthur Hughes who played 'Bill Davidson' on the long-running radio show, Just Plain Bill. Arthur was also Pawley's best man at his wedding (in 1922) to stage actress Martina May Martin (his first wife).
[edit] New York, Radio Days
Pawley became disenchanted with Hollywood during the attempted infiltration by the communists in the late 1930s and early 1940s; consequently, he left in 1942 and returned to New York City where he became a star on radio. Calling upon his prior training/experience in radio (he performed on the Collier Hour in the very early 1930s), Pawley auditioned for and won a leading role on the popular show, Portia Faces Life. He and Lucille Wall were the 'Love Story Boy and Girl' on that show. In 1943, Pawley auditioned for the starring role of 'Steve Wilson' on a reworked version of the popular radio show, Big Town. He won the audition and left Portia Faces Life to become the new "Steve Wilson", replacing Edward G. Robinson who played that role from 1937-1942 (when the show was produced in Hollywood). Edward's 'sidekick' on that show was Fran Carlon who played girl reporter Lorelei Kilbourne. During Pawley's 8-year reign, Big Town achieved the number one rating for reporter-type crime/drama shows on radio. In the January 1948 Nielson Ratings, the show was ranked #12 among all the radio shows of every variety being aired. It was ranked ahead of popular shows such as Suspense, Sam Spade, Mr. District Attorney, The FBI In Peace and War, Blondie, and Mr. and Mrs. North. His audience was estimated anywhere from 10 million to 20 million listeners, which is still a huge following for any radio or TV series in today's 21st century.
[edit] Retirement To Virginia
Edward Pawley left "Big Town" in 1951 and retired to the small village of Amissville in rural Rappahannock County, Virginia. He had fallen in love with the State early during his theatrical career. In retirement, Pawley raised and sold championship goats, wrote poetry, and worked part-time as a radio announcer at a local radio station. He died just two months shy of his 87th birthday as the result of a heart condition while a patient at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. His residence at the time of his death was in the village of Rock Mills, Rappahannock County, Virginia. He fell in love with Virginia while touring with a play titled East Is West in 1920. He played the role of a Chinaman in that stage production, and it was his first professional acting role. Pawley became the quintessential 'Virginia Gentleman' and was loved for his integrity, patriotism, and charm. Also, he was admired for his vocabulary and wonderful speaking voice as well as his status as a former entertainer in three different mediums (i.e., broadway, movies, and radio).
[edit] Siblings
Edward J. Pawley had two younger brothers who were also actors: William M. Pawley (b. ca. 1903) and J. Anthony Pawley (b. ca. 1910). Both brothers acted in Broadway plays as well as in the movies, however, neither achieved as much acclaim as did Edward.
[edit] Movies
| Movie | Year | Character |
| The Desperadoes | 1943 | Blackie (uncredited) |
| Eyes of the Underworld | 1943 | Lance Merlin(gangster) aka Criminals of the Underworld (USA: reissue title) |
| Flight Lieutenant | 1942 | Larsen |
| Romance on the Range | 1942 | Jerome Banning (Roy Rogers' ranch foreman and covert fur thief) |
| True to the Army | 1942 | Junior |
| Treat 'Em Rough | 1942 | Martin |
| Hold That Ghost | 1941 | (uncredited) High Collar (gangster) aka Oh, Charlie |
| Hit the Road | 1941 | Spike, the butcher and mob boss |
| San Francisco Docks | 1940 | Monte March (gangster) |
| The Texas Rangers Ride Again | 1940 | Palo Pete (outlaw) |
| Flowing Gold | 1940 | Collins |
| River's End aka Double Identity(USA: TV title) | 1940 | Frank Crandell |
| Castle on the Hudson aka Years Without Days (UK) | 1940 | Black Jack ('Blackie') |
| Old Hickory | 1939 | Vice President Calhoun (uncredited) |
| The Big Guy aka Warden of the Big House (USA: reissue title) | 1939 | Chuck Buckhart |
| Each Dawn I Die aka Killer Meets Killer | 1939 | Convict named Dale |
| Help Wanted | 1939 | (unknown to wikipedia) |
| Unmarried | 1939 | Swade (gangster) |
| The Lady's from Kentucky (1939)(as Edward J. Pawley).... Spike Cronin (gangster) | ||
| Money to Loan (1939) (uncredited) .... Calumette | ||
| The Oklahoma Kid (1939) .... Ace Doolin (Humphrey Bogart's sidekick) | ||
| Tom Sawyer, Detective (1938) .... Brace Dunlap | ||
| Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) .... Edwards (prison guard) | ||
| Sons of the Legion (1938) .... Gunman Baker | ||
| Smashing the Rackets (1938) .... Chin Martin (gangster) | ||
| Little Tough Guy (1938) (as Ed Pawley) .... Jim Boylan (father of Billy Halop's character) | ||
| Prison Break (1938) .... Joe Fenderson | ||
| Romance of the Limberlost (1938) .... Jed Corson (suitor of Jean Parker's character, Laurie) | ||
| You and Me (1938) (uncredited) .... 'Dutch' | ||
| Gun Law (1938) .... The Raven | ||
| Dangerous to Know (1938) .... John Rance | ||
| White Banners (1938) .... Bill Ellis | ||
| The Last Gangster (1937) (uncredited) .... Brockett | ||
| It Can't Last Forever (1937) .... Cronin | ||
| *Hoosier Schoolboy (1937) .... Captain Fred Carter (father of Mickey Rooney's character, Shockey Carter)
... aka Forgotten Hero ... aka Yesterday's Hero (UK) |
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| Mountain Justice (1937) .... Tod Miller | ||
| Dangerous Number (1937) (uncredited) .... Second Detective | ||
| Sinner Take All (1936) .... Capt. Bill Royce | ||
| Sworn Enemy (1936) .... 'Dutch' McTurk (gangster) | ||
| Tough Guy (1936) .... Tony (gangster) | ||
| King Solomon of Broadway (1935) .... 'Ice' Larson (gangster) | ||
| Dante's Inferno (1935) (uncredited) .... Clinton, the Ship's Officer | ||
| 'G' Men (1935) .... Danny Leggett (gangster - public enemy No. 1) | ||
| Mississippi (1935) .... Joe Patterson, Maj.'s Brother | ||
| Helldorado (1935) (uncredited) .... Miner | ||
| Treasure Island (1934) .... William O'Brien (pirate of the Spanish Main) | ||
| Olsen's Big Moment (1933) (uncredited) .... Joe 'Monk' West
... aka Olsen's Night Out |
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| Tess of the Storm Country (1932) .... Ben Letts | ||
| Thirteen Women (1932) .... 'Burns', Laura's (Irene Dunn) Chauffeur and complicit lover of Ursula (Myrna Loy)
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