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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)

Contents 1 Broadway 2 Hollywood 3 New York, Radio Days 4 Retirement To Virginia 5 Siblings 6 Movies

Edward Pawley began his theatrical career in 1920 and reached the Broadway stage in 1923 in a play titled The Shame Woman. He went on to star 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.

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).

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 leading romantic roles on the Collier Hour in the very early 1930s), Pawley auditioned for and won a leading role on the popular radio 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, which was then being produced in New York City. He won the audition and left Portia Faces Life to become the new "Steve Wilson", replacing actor Edward G. Robinson who played that role from 1937-1942 (when the show was produced in Hollywood). Edward's 'sidekick' on Big Town 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 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, even in today's 21st century.

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(WCVA in Culpeper, VA). 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. That play was later made into a movie. 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). Both Pawley and his 2nd wife, Helen Shipman, were cremated and their ashes scattered at their favorite spot alongside the Rush River which flows through their former estate in the village of Rock Mills in Rappahannock County, Virginia. A raised bronze plaque at that site memorializes their lives and careers in the entertainment medium.

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.

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 and sidekick of Anthony Quinn's character)
Flowing Gold	1940	Collins, oil derrick worker and nemesis of John Garfield's character
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 Burkhart
Each Dawn I Die aka Killer Meets Killer	1939	A fellow convict ('Dale') in prison with James Cagney and George Raft and the one who led a failed prison break attempt.
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, a feature character (in the movie) who was a wealthy but crooked land owner.
Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) .... Edwards (prison guard)
Sons of the Legion (1938) .... A gunman named Baker
Smashing the Rackets (1938) .... Chin Martin (gangster)
Little Tough Guy (1938) (as Ed Pawley) .... Jim Boylan (father of Billy Halop's character and husband of Marjorie Main's character)
Prison Break (1938) .... Joe Fenderson, brother of Glenda Farrell's character.
Romance of the Limberlost (1938) .... Jed Corson (suitor of Jean Parker's character named Laurie Mears)
You and Me (1938) (uncredited) .... 'Dutch'
Gun Law (1938) .... 'The Raven' who attempts to kill George O'Brien's character.
Dangerous to Know (1938) .... John Rance
White Banners (1938) .... Bill Ellis (co-owner of a refrigeration shop along with his real-life brother, William Pawley, who played his brother, Joe 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)
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) who was public enemy No. 1 and chased by James Cagney's character.
Mississippi (1935) .... Joe Patterson, Major Patterson'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
Tess of the Storm Country (1932) .... Ben Letts
Thirteen Women (1932) .... 'Burns', Laura's (Irene Dunn) Chauffeur and complicit lover of Ursula (Myrna Loy)