Ed Begley | |
|---|---|
 Begley in 1958 | |
| Born | Edward James Begley (1901-03-25)March 25, 1901 Hartford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | April 28, 1970(1970-04-28) (aged 69) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | San Fernando Mission Cemetery inLos Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1917–1970 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3, includingEd Jr. |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Battles / wars | World War I |
Edward James Begley Sr. (March 25, 1901 – April 28, 1970) was an American actor of theatre, radio, film, and television.[1] He won anAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the filmSweet Bird of Youth (1962) and appeared in such classics as12 Angry Men (1957),Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) andThe Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). He was nominated for anEmmy Award for his portrayal of Matthew Harrison Brady in a television adaptation ofInherit the Wind. He is the father of the actor and environmental activistEd Begley Jr.
Begley was born inHartford, Connecticut, to two Irish immigrants, Hannah (née Clifford) and Michael Joseph Begley.[2][3][4] After he dropped out of school as a fifth-grader, Begley ran away from home several times, going to work for "carnivals, fairs, and small circuses".[5] Later he sold brushes, delivered milk, and served four years in theUnited States Navy duringWorld War I.[5][6]
Begley began his career as aBroadway and radio actor while in his teens. He appeared in the hit musicalGoing Up on Broadway in 1917 and in London the next year. He later acted in roles as Sgt. O'Hara in the radio showThe Fat Man. His radio work includedStroke of Fate and a period asCharlie Chan, among other roles. He also starred in the 1950s radio programRichard Diamond, Private Detective, playing Lieutenant Walter Levinson, head of homicide at the 5th Precinct, Manhattan. He was elected a member ofThe Lambs in 1943. In the late 1940s, he began appearing regularly in supporting film roles.
In the 1952–1953television season, Begley co-starred withEddie Albert in theCBSsitcomLeave It to Larry. In 1954 Begley starred in theNBC Television showRobert Montgomery Presents in "Big Boy", an episode sponsored byLucky Strike, as Joe Grant, an engineer for theUnion Pacific Railroad living inCheyenne, Wyoming, who worked on the famousUnion Pacific Big Boy steam locomotives. The show is about how Begley's character copes with thetransition fromsteam locomotives todiesel locomotives in the 1950s.
He won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role inSweet Bird of Youth (1962). Some of his other notable films includeDeadline – U.S.A. (1952),12 Angry Men (1957) as juror #10,Odds Against Tomorrow (1959),The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), andWild in the Streets (1968). One notable role Begley played both on television (twice in1955) and in the theatrical film (1956) is William (Bill) Briggs, one of the three primary characters inRod Serling'sPatterns.
In 1956, he appeared in the Broadway production ofInherit the Wind, in the role of Matthew Harrison Brady. For this performance, he won theTony Award forBest Featured Actor in a Play.[7][8] In 1968 he appeared with Clint Eastwood in the classic WesternHang 'Em High.
His other television work included appearances on the 1954 TV seriesJustice,Empire,The Virginian,Bonanza,The Fugitive,The Dick Van Dyke Show,Target: The Corruptors,The Invaders,The Wild Wild West,My Three Sons,Wagon Train andGoing My Way, withGene Kelly. Among his many Broadway credits wereAll My Sons andOur Town.
Begley married his first wife, Amanda Huff, in 1922; they had two children. Huff died in 1957. His second marriage ended in divorce and his third wife, Helen, survived him.[1] Begley is father of actorEd Begley Jr., from his extramarital relationship with Allene Jeanne Sanders.[9] His younger brother,Martin Begley, worked briefly for him as his manager. Both were members ofThe Lambs in New York.
Begley died of aheart attack while attending a party at the home ofJay Bernstein inHollywood, California, on April 28, 1970.[10] He is buried at theSan Fernando Mission Cemetery inMission Hills, California.[11]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Body and Soul | Party leader | Uncredited |
| The Web | Man | Uncredited | |
| Boomerang | Paul Harris | ||
| The Roosevelt Story | Narrator | Documentary | |
| 1948 | Sitting Pretty | Horatio J. Hammond | |
| The Street with No Name | Chief Bernard Harmatz | ||
| Deep Waters | Josh Hovey | ||
| Sorry, Wrong Number | James Cotterell | ||
| 1949 | Tulsa | John J. 'Johnny' Brady | as Edward Begley |
| It Happens Every Spring | Edgar Stone | ||
| The Great Gatsby | Myron Lupus | ||
| 1950 | Backfire | Captain Garcia | |
| Stars in My Crown | Lon Backett | ||
| Convicted | Mackay, Head of Parole Board | ||
| Saddle Tramp | August Hartnagle | ||
| Wyoming Mail | Prison Warden Haynes | ||
| Dark City | Barney | ||
| 1951 | You're in the Navy Now | Port Commander | |
| The Lady from Texas | Dave Blodgett | ||
| On Dangerous Ground | Captain Brawley | ||
| 1952 | Boots Malone | Howard Whitehead | |
| Lone Star | Senator Anthony Demmet | ||
| Deadline – U.S.A. | Frank Allen | ||
| The Turning Point | Neil Eichelberger | ||
| 1954 | Big Boy | Joe Grant | |
| 1955 | Kraft Television Theatre (TV) | Andy Sloane | Episode: "Patterns" Nominated –Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role |
| 1956 | Patterns | William Briggs | |
| 1957 | 12 Angry Men | Juror #10 | |
| 1959 | Odds Against Tomorrow | Dave Burke | |
| 1961 | The Green Helmet | Bartell | |
| 1962 | Sweet Bird of Youth | Tom 'Boss' Finley | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated –Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Nominated –Laurel Award for Top Male Supporting Performance |
| Naked City | Jimmy Fenton | Season 4, Episode 9 | |
| My Three Sons (TV) | Ed Wallace, Carl Storffmann | Season 2, Episode 15 & Season 9, Episode 13 | |
| 1963 | Route 66 (TV) | Kyle Hawkes | Season 3, Episode 21 |
| 1964 | The Unsinkable Molly Brown | Seamus Tobin | Nominated –Laurel Award for Top Male Supporting Performance |
| Rawhide (TV) | Piney Kinney | Season 7, Episode 3 | |
| The Virginian (TV) | Micah Ellis, Mike Tyrone | (2 episodes) Season 2, Episode 15 & Season 4, Episode 19 | |
| 1965 | The Dick Van Dyke Show (TV) | Judge | Season 4, Episode 21 |
| The Fugitive (TV-1963) | Dan Brady | Season 2, Episode 27 | |
| Inherit the Wind (TV) | Matthew Harrison Brady | Nominated –Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama | |
| Gunsmoke (TV) | Jeb Crater | ||
| Bonanza | Dan Tolliver/Clint Watson | 2 episodes | |
| 1966 | The Oscar | Grobard | |
| The Wild Wild West (TV Series) | Season 2, Episode 14 Night of the Infernal Machine | ||
| The Lucy Show (TV Series) | Andrew Bailey | Season 5, Episode 3 | |
| 1967 | Warning Shot | Captain Roy Klodin | |
| The Violent Enemy | Colum O'More | ||
| Billion Dollar Brain | General Midwinter | ||
| Do Not Fold, Staple, Spindle or Mutilate | Scotty Duncan | ||
| 1968 | Firecreek | Preacher Broyles | |
| Wild in the Streets | Senator Allbright | ||
| Hang 'Em High | Captain Wilson, Cooper Hanging Party | ||
| A Time to Sing | Kermit Dodd | ||
| 1969 | The Monitors | President | |
| Secrets of Pirates' Inn | Dennis McCarthy | TV film | |
| 1970 | The Dunwich Horror | Henry Armitage | |
| Neither Are We Enemies | Annas | Hallmark Hall of Fame Easter special | |
| Road to Salina | Warren | Posthumous release (final film role) | |
| Corwin (TV series) | Stan Holindrake | Posthumous release; Season 2, Episode 1 |
| Date | Show | Episode | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944–48 | Charlie Chan | All | Charlie Chan | [12] |
| 1946–1951 | The Fat Man | Various episodes | Sgt. O'Hara | |
| 1947 | Mollé Mystery Theatre | "Goodbye, Darling" | George Lucas | |
| 1947 | The Adventures of Philip Marlowe | "The Friend From Detroit" | ||
| 1948 | The Whistler | "Hired Alibi" | withJack Webb | |
| 1949–53 | Richard Diamond, Private Detective | Various episodes | Lt. Levinson | |
| 1949 | Let George Do It | "The Man Under the Elm Tree" | Darrell | [13] |
| 1951 | Fibber McGee and Molly | "Hitchhiking Bureau" | Tilford C. Crabfish | |
| 1951 | Tales of the Texas Rangers | "Blind Justice" | Unknown | [14] |
| "No Living Witnesses" | ||||
| "Paid in Full" | ||||
| "The Blow Off" | ||||
| 1952 | Tales of the Texas Rangers | "Birds of a Feather" | ||
| "Prelude to Felony" |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Results | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Sweet Bird of Youth | Won | [15] |
| 1962 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Nominated | [16] | |
| 1958 | Grammy Awards | Best Performance, Documentary or Spoken Word | Great American Speeches | Nominated | [17] |
| 1962 | Laurel Awards | Top Male Supporting Performance | Sweet Bird of Youth | Nominated | |
| 1964 | The Unsinkable Molly Brown | Nominated | |||
| 1956 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Kraft Television Theatre(Episode: "Patterns") | Nominated | [18] |
| 1966 | Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama | Inherit the Wind | Nominated | ||
| 1956 | Tony Awards | Best Supporting or Featured Actor in a Play | Inherit the Wind | Won | [19] |
