Edward James Begley Sr. (March 25, 1901 – April 28, 1970) was an American actor of theatre, radio, film, and television. He won an

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while work ...

for his performance in the film '' Sweet Bird of Youth'' (1962) and appeared in such classics as '' 12 Angry Men'' (1957) and '' The Unsinkable Molly Brown'' (1964). He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Matthew Harrison Brady in a television adaptation of '' Inherit the Wind''. He is the father of actor and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr.

Early life

Begley was born in Hartford, Connecticut, to two Irish immigrants, Hannah (née Clifford) and Michael Joseph Begley. 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". Later he sold brushes, delivered milk, and served four years in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

Career

Begley began his career as a Broadway and radio actor while in his teens. He appeared in the hit musical '' Going Up'' on Broadway in 1917 and in London the next year. He later acted in roles as Sgt. O'Hara in the radio show '' The Fat Man''. His radio work included ''

Stroke of Fate ''Stroke of Fate'' was an American radio drama, originally aired in 1953. This NBC Radio alternate history series aired 13 episodes from October 4 to December 27, 1953, featuring actors such as Ed Begley, Alexander Scourby, Hal Studer, and Sa ...

'' and a period as Charlie Chan, among other roles. He also starred in the 1950s radio program '' Richard Diamond, Private Detective'', playing Lieutenant Walter Levinson, head of homicide at the 5th Precinct, Manhattan. He was elected a member of The Lambs in 1943. In the late 1940s, he began appearing regularly in supporting film roles. Monte Markham Ed Begley 1969

In the 1952–1953

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...

season, Begley co-starred with Eddie Albert in the CBS

sitcom A sitcom, a Portmanteau, portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troup ...

'' Leave It to Larry''. In 1954 Begley starred in the NBC Television show '' Robert Montgomery Presents'' in "Big Boy", an episode sponsored by

Lucky Strike Lucky Strike is an American brand of cigarettes owned by the British American Tobacco group. Individual cigarettes of the brand are often referred to colloquially as "Luckies." Throughout their 150 year history, Lucky Strike has had fluctuatin ...

, as Joe Grant, an engineer for the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pac ...

living in Cheyenne, Wyoming, who worked on the famous Union Pacific Big Boy steam locomotives. The show is about how Begley's character copes with the transition from

steam locomotives A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomo ...

to diesel locomotives in the 1950s. He won the

for his role in '' Sweet Bird of Youth'' (1962). Some of his other notable films include ''

Deadline – U.S.A. ''Deadline – U.S.A.'' is a 1952 American film noir crime film and starring Humphrey Bogart, Ethel Barrymore and Kim Hunter, written and directed by Richard Brooks. It is the story of a crusading newspaper editor who exposes a gangster's cri ...

'' (1952), '' 12 Angry Men'' (1957) as juror #10, '' The Unsinkable Molly Brown'' (1964), and '' Wild in the Streets'' (1968). One notable role Begley played both on television (twice in 1955) and in the theatrical film (1956) is William (Bill) Briggs, one of the three primary characters in Rod Serling's '' Patterns''. In 1956, he appeared in the Broadway production of '' Inherit the Wind'', in the role of Matthew Harrison Brady. For this performance, he won the

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

for Best Featured Actor in a Play. In 1968 he appeared with Clint Eastwood in the classic western '' Hang 'Em High''. His other television work included appearances on the 1954 TV series ''Justice'', ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'', '' The Virginian'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'', '' The Fugitive'', ''

The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Prod ...

'', '' Target: The Corruptors'', '' The Invaders'', '' The Wild Wild West'', '' My Three Sons'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

'' and '' Going My Way'', with Gene Kelly. Among his many Broadway credits were ''

All My Sons ''All My Sons'' is a three-act play written in 1946 by Arthur Miller. It opened on Broadway at the Coronet Theatre in New York City on January 29, 1947, closed on November 8, 1949, and ran for 328 performances. It was directed by Elia Kazan (t ...

'' and '' Our Town''.

Personal life

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. Begley is father of actor Ed Begley Jr, from his relationship with Allene Jeanne Sanders. Begley died of a heart attack while attending a party at the home of Jay Bernstein in

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a metonymy, shorthand reference for the Cinema of the United States, U.S. film industry and the people associated with i ...

, on April 28, 1970. He is buried at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in

Mission Hills, California Mission Hills, California may refer to: * Mission Hills, Santa Barbara County, California, a census-designated place * Mission Hills, Los Angeles, a suburban neighborhood * Mission Hills, San Diego, an old subdivision and upscale affluent neighbo ...

Filmography

Radio

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Begley, Ed 1901 births 1970 deaths Male actors from Hartford, Connecticut American male film actors American male radio actors American male stage actors American male television actors American people of Irish descent Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners Donaldson Award winners Tony Award winners Burials at San Fernando Mission Cemetery United States Navy sailors 20th-century American male actors