Sam George Edwards (May 26, 1915 – July 28, 2004) was an American actor. His most famous role on television was as banker Bill Anderson on ''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books is a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adolescence in the American Midwest (Wisconsin, Kansas, ...

''.D.S.S. Form 1 Military Draft Registration Card completed on October 16, 1940. Name is listed as "Sam George Edwards", Place of Birth is listed as "Macon (Dibbs), Georgia" and Employer's Name and Address is listed as "National Broadcasting Co", "111 Sutter St, San Francisco, Calif"

Biography

Early years

Born into a show business family, his first role was as a baby in his mother's arms. He appeared on radio in the 1930s in the ''Adventures of Sonny and Buddy'' one of the first radio serials ever syndicated, and later in ''The Edwards Family'', a series based on the life of Sam, brother Jack, who was also an actor, sister Florida, and his parents, Edna Park and Jack Edwards Sr. Sam was also an early cast member of one of the first radio soap operas, ''

One Man's Family ''One Man's Family'' is an American radio soap opera, heard for almost three decades, from 1932 to 1959. Created by Carlton E. Morse, it was the longest-running uninterrupted dramatic serial in the history of American radio. Television versions ...

''.

Military service

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Sam was inducted into the Army and ended up serving as part of the morale-building entertainment corps, spending much of the time in the African, European, and India/Burma theater, travelling for a time with

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

and

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

's regiments. He enlisted August 6, 1942 and was discharged November 15, 1945 as a "Buck" Sergeant.

Later years

Edwards spent much of his retirement travelling the world with his wife of 35 years, Beverly, and attending many

Old Time Radio The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the earl ...

conventions where he participated in recreations of original shows from the 1940s and 1950s, as well as newer scripts. He spent his last 24 years based in Durango, Colorado where he died.

Death

On July 28, 2004, Edwards died of a heart attack in Durango, Colorado. He was survived by his wife, Beverly Motley Edwards, stepchildren William, Deborah and Linda Edwards, and several grandchildren.

Career

Radio

Edwards worked on a variety of radio programs. He co-starred in the comedy ''The First Hundred Years'' on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

in 1949 and landed a starring role playing Dexter Franklin opposite

Janet Waldo Janet Waldo (born Jeanette Marie Waldo; February 4, 1919 – June 12, 2016) was an American radio and voice actress. In animation, she voiced Judy Jetson in various Hanna-Barbera media, Nancy in ''Shazzan'', Penelope Pitstop, Princess from '' B ...

in the long-running ''

Meet Corliss Archer ''Meet Corliss Archer'' is an American radio program from radio's Golden Age that ran from January 7, 1943, to September 30, 1956. Although it was CBS's answer to NBC's ''A Date with Judy'', it was also broadcast by NBC in 1948 as a summer repla ...

'' series. He also had recurring or cast member roles in radio on '' Crime Classics'', ''Dr. Paul''; ''

Father Knows Best ''Father Knows Best'' is an American sitcom starring Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin. The series, which began on radio in 1949, aired as a television show for six seasons and 203 episodes. Created by ...

'', '' Guiding Light'', ''

Fort Laramie Fort Laramie (founded as Fort William and known for a while as Fort John) was a significant 19th-century trading-post, diplomatic site, and military installation located at the confluence of the Laramie and the North Platte rivers. They joined ...

''; '' Gunsmoke''; '' Dragnet''; '' Suspense''; ''

Escape Escape or Escaping may refer to: Computing * Escape character, in computing and telecommunication, a character which signifies that what follows takes an alternative interpretation ** Escape sequence, a series of characters used to trigger some so ...

''; '' This Is Your FBI''; ''

The Six Shooter ''The Six Shooter'' is a United States western old-time radio program starring James Stewart as a gunfighter. It was created by Frank Burt (screenwriter), Frank Burt, who also wrote many of the episodes, and lasted only one season of 39 episodes o ...

''; and ''

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar ''Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar'' is a radio drama that aired on CBS Radio from February 18, 1949 to September 30, 1962. The first several seasons imagined protagonist Johnny Dollar as a private investigator drama, with Charles Russell, Edmond O'B ...

''.

Film

Edwards' first major screen role was as Chuck Ramsey in the movie serial version of '' Captain Midnight'' (1942). From 1949 to 1981, he made several film appearances, with significant roles in ''

Twelve O'Clock High ''Twelve O'Clock High'' is a 1949 American war film about aircrews in the United States Army's Eighth Air Force, who flew daylight bombing missions against Germany and Occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II ...

'' (1949), ''

Operation Pacific ''Operation Pacific'' is a 1951 black-and-white World War II submarine war drama from Warner Bros. Pictures, produced by Louis Edelman, and written as well as directed by George Waggner. John Wayne and Patricia Neal star and Ward Bond and Philip ...

'' (1951), ''

Gangbusters ''Gang Busters'' is an American dramatic radio program heralded as "the only national program that brings you authentic police case histories." It premiered on January 15, 1936, and was broadcast over 21 years through November 27, 1957. Histo ...

'' (1954), and supporting roles in '' The Beatniks'' (1960) and '' Suppose They Gave A War and Nobody Came'' (1969). He was also seen in ''

The Absent-Minded Professor ''The Absent-Minded Professor'' is a 1961 American science fiction comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and based on the short story "A Situation of Gravity" by Samuel W. Taylor, originally published in the May 22, 1943 issue of ''Li ...

'' (1961), '' Hello, Dolly!'' (1969) and '' The Postman Always Rings Twice'' (1981). Edwards was also often heard behind animated characters both on film and records. In 1942, he voiced the adult Thumper in the animated classic ''

Bambi ''Bambi'' is a 1942 American animated drama film directed by David Hand (supervising a team of sequence directors), produced by Walt Disney and based on the 1923 book ''Bambi, a Life in the Woods'' by Austrian author and hunter Felix Salten ...

''. Later work for

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

was largely on LP Records, including the voices of the

Cowardly Lion The Cowardly Lion is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is depicted as an African lion, but like all animals in Oz, he can speak. Since lions are supposed to be "The Kings of Beasts," the Cowardl ...

and

Tin Woodman Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman, also known as the Tin Man or—mistakenly—the "Tin Woodsman," is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. Baum's Tin Woodman first appeared in his classic 1900 book '' ...

on their Oz series, and as

Tigger Tigger is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic stuffed tiger. He was originally introduced in the 1928 story collection '' The House at Pooh Corner'', the sequel to the 1926 book ''Winnie-the-Pooh'' by A. A. Milne. Like other Pooh char ...

, and

Owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...

on the

Winnie the Pooh Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear and Pooh, is a fictional Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard. The first collection of stories about the character w ...

records. He voiced the title character of

Rod Rocket ''Rod Rocket'' is the first animated cartoon with production credited to Filmation, debuting in syndication in 1963. The show was produced in five-minute cliffhanger segments, with five segments making a full story. Television stations could broad ...

in an early 1960s educational series, and did some episodes of the cult classic ''

Jonny Quest ''Jonny Quest'' is a science fiction-adventure media franchise that revolves around the titular boy named Jonny Quest, who accompanies his scientist father on extraordinary adventures. The franchise started with a 1964–1965 television serie ...

''. His last work for Disney was as Ollie Owl opposite singer

Burl Ives Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995) was an American musician, actor, and author with a career that spanned more than six decades. Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his own rad ...

as Sam the Eagle on their long-running

America Sings America Sings was an attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, United States, from 1974 to 1988. It featured a cast of audio animatronics animals that entertained the audience by singing songs from various periods in America's musical his ...

attraction at

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney in ...

. There were numerous TV and radio commercials as well, both in front of and behind the camera.

Television

Edwards appeared on many television series starting in the mid-1950s. Most notable of these include many episodes of '' Dragnet'' and '' Gunsmoke'' throughout their long runs. He also appeared on over 60 different series, including ''

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show ''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', sometimes called ''The Burns and Allen Show'', was a half-hour television situation comedy broadcast from 1950 to 1958 on CBS. It starred George Burns and Gracie Allen, one of the most enduring acts in ...

'', '' Straightaway'', ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The ...

'', ''

Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and ...

'', '' Green Acres'', '' Mannix'', '' Mission: Impossible'', ''

The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is a television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the show on its ...

'', '' Adam-12'', ''

The Red Skelton Show ''The Red Skelton Show'' is an American television comedy/variety show that aired from 1951 to 1971. In the decade prior to hosting the show, Richard "Red" Skelton had a successful career as a radio and motion pictures star. Although his televi ...

'', ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most su ...

'', ''

The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy TV series that was aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. It was consistently among the top-rated television serie ...

'', and even '' Days of Our Lives''. In 1969 Edwards appeared as Will Frazee on the TV series '' The Virginian'' in the episode titled "A Woman of Stone."

Selected filmography

*'' High Hat'' (1937) – Performer *''

East Side Kids The East Side Kids were characters in a series of 22 films released by Monogram Pictures from 1940 through 1945. Many of them were originally part of The Dead End Kids and The Little Tough Guys, and several of them later became members of The ...

'' (1940) – Pete *'' Captain Midnight'' (1942) – Chuck Ramsey *'' Rubber Racketeers'' (1942) – Freddy Dale *''

'' (1942) – Adult Thumper (voice) *''

The Street with No Name ''The Street with No Name'' is a 1948 film noir directed by William Keighley. A follow-up to ''The House on 92nd Street'' (1945), it tells the story of an undercover FBI agent, Gene Cordell ( Mark Stevens), who infiltrates a deadly crime gang. Cor ...

'' (1948) – Whitey (uncredited) *''

Larceny Larceny is a crime involving the unlawful taking or theft of the personal property of another person or business. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of Eng ...

'' (1948) – YAA President (uncredited) *'' The Countess of Monte Cristo'' (1948) – Bellhop (uncredited) *''

'' (1949) – Lt. Birdwell *''

The Sun Sets at Dawn ''The Sun Sets at Dawn'' is a 1950 American film noir crime film directed by Paul Sloane and starring Sally Parr and Patrick Waltz. Plot A young man sits in prison on the night before his execution, while his girlfriend waits for the inevitable i ...

'' (1950) – Herald Reporter *''

The Jackpot ''The Jackpot'' is a 1950 American comedy film directed by Walter Lang, with James Stewart and Barbara Hale in the lead roles. It features a young Natalie Wood. The screenplay was based on a John McNulty article, "The Jackpot", in ''The New York ...

'' (1950) – Parking Lot Attendant (uncredited) *''

Flying Leathernecks ''Flying Leathernecks'' is a 1951 American Technicolor action war film directed by Nicholas Ray, produced by Edmund Grainger, (who had produced ''Sands of Iwo Jima'') and starring John Wayne and Robert Ryan. The movie details the exploits an ...

'' (1951) – Junior (uncredited) *''

'' (1951) – Junior *''

Witness to Murder ''Witness to Murder'' is a 1954 American film noir crime drama directed by Roy Rowland and starring Barbara Stanwyck, George Sanders, and Gary Merrill. While the film received moderately positive reviews, it ended up as an also-ran to Alfred ...

'' (1954) – Tommy – Counterman (uncredited) *''

The McConnell Story ''The McConnell Story'' is a 1955 dramatization of the life and career of United States Air Force (USAF) pilot Joseph C. McConnell (1922–1954) directed by Gordon Douglas. McConnell served as a navigator in World War II before becoming the ...

'' (1955) – Radio Man (uncredited) *'' Between Heaven and Hell'' (1956) – Soames (uncredited) *'' The Badlanders'' (1958) – Crazy Convict (uncredited) *''

Torpedo Run ''Torpedo Run'' is a 1958 American war film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Glenn Ford as a World War II submarine commander in the Pacific who is obsessed with sinking a particular Japanese aircraft carrier. The film's working title was '' ...

'' (1958) – Coleman – Sub Radio Operator (uncredited) *''

Revolt in the Big House ''Revolt in the Big House'' is a 1958 American film noir directed by R. G. Springsteen and starring Gene Evans, Robert Blake and Timothy Carey. Portions of the film were shot on location at Folsom State Prison in California. Blacklisted screen ...

'' (1958) – Al Carey *'' The Beatniks'' (1960) – Red *''

The Absent Minded Professor ''The Absent-Minded Professor'' is a 1961 American science fiction comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and based on the short story "A Situation of Gravity" by Samuel W. Taylor, originally published in the May 22, 1943 issue of '' ...

'' (1961) – Military Radio Dispatcher (uncredited) *'' The Prize'' (1963) – Reporter (uncredited) *''

Three Guns for Texas 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 ...

'' (1968) – Sammy (uncredited) *'' The Young Runaways'' (1968) – Bert – Service Station Owner (uncredited) *''

Bullitt ''Bullitt'' is a 1968 American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Peter Yates and produced by Philip D'Antoni. The picture stars Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, and Jacqueline Bisset. The screenplay by Alan R. Trustman and Harry Kleine ...

'' (1968) – (voice) *'' Dragnet 1966'' (1969, TV Series) – Rodman (uncredited) *'' Hello, Dolly!'' (1969) – Laborer (uncredited) *''

The Cheyenne Social Club ''The Cheyenne Social Club'' is a 1970 American Western comedy film written by James Lee Barrett, directed and produced by Gene Kelly, and starring James Stewart, Henry Fonda and Shirley Jones. The film is about an aging cowboy who inherits a b ...

'' (1970) – Barfly Getting Up from Table (uncredited) *'' Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?'' (1970) – Deputy Sam *'' Scandalous John'' (1971) – Deputy Sam *''The Deadly Dream'' (1971, TV Movie) – Man protesting his innocence (uncredited) *'' In Broad Daylight'' (1971, TV Movie) – Cunningham *'' The Death of Me Yet'' (1971, TV Movie) – Jerry *'' The Biscuit Eater'' (1972) – Gun Club Member (uncredited) *''Set This Town on Fire'' (1973, TV Movie) – Motel Manager *''

Chase Chase or CHASE may refer to: Businesses * Chase Bank, a national bank based in New York City, New York * Chase Aircraft (1943–1954), a defunct American aircraft manufacturing company * Chase Coaches, a defunct bus operator in England * Chase Co ...

'' (1973, TV Movie) *''Hog Wild'' (''

Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 to the present. The pr ...

'') (1974, TV Movie) – Farmer *'' Hit Lady'' (1974, TV Movie) – Innkeeper *''Hurricane'' (1974, TV Movie) – Del Travis *''Requiem for a Nun'' (1975, TV Movie) – Governor *''

Escape to Witch Mountain ''Escape to Witch Mountain'' is a science fiction novel written by Alexander Key in 1968. It was adapted for film by Disney as '' Escape to Witch Mountain'' in 1975 which spawned the ''Witch Mountain'' franchise. The novel was illustrated by ...

'' (1975) – Mate *''The Flight of the Grey Wolf'' (1976, TV Movie) – Amsel *''The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe'' (1976, TV Movie) *''

Viva Knievel! ''Viva Knievel!'' is a 1977 American action film directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Evel Knievel (as himself), Gene Kelly and Lauren Hutton, with an ensemble supporting cast including Red Buttons, Leslie Nielsen, Cameron Mitchell, Frank G ...

'' (1977) – Stadium Manager (uncredited) *''Incredible Rocky Mountain Race'' (1977, TV Movie) – Milford Petrie *'' Just Me and You'' (1978, TV Movie) *''Mark Twain: Beneath the Laughter'' (1979, TV Movie) – Bixby *'' The Postman Always Rings Twice'' (1981) – Ticket Clerk

References

External links

* *
A detailed biography from his stepson's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Sam 1915 births 2004 deaths American male radio actors American male voice actors American male television actors American male film actors Actors from Macon, Georgia Male actors from Georgia (U.S. state) United States Army non-commissioned officers United States Army personnel of World War II 20th-century American male actors