Edwin Fitzgerald Jr. (February 4, 1905 – July 15, 1983), known professionally as Eddie Foy Jr., was an American stage, film, and television actor.

Early life

Edwin Fitzgerald Jr. was born on February 4, 1905, in

New Rochelle, New York New Rochelle (; older french: La Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state of ...

, the son of

vaudevillian Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic compositio ...

Eddie Foy and his third wife, Madeline Morando. He was one of the "Seven Little Foys" immortalized in the 1955 film of the same name. Of the seven, he had the longest performing career, and the only one in movies (though six Foys appeared in two short films directed by his elder brother

Bryan Foy Bryan Foy (December 8, 1896 – April 20, 1977) was an American film producer and director. He produced more than 200 films between 1924 and 1963. He also directed 41 films between 1923 and 1934. He headed the B picture unit at Warner Bros ...

Career

He made his

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

debut in

Florenz Ziegfeld Florenz Edward Ziegfeld Jr. (; March 21, 1867 – July 22, 1932) was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), inspired by the '' Folies Bergère'' of Paris. He also ...

's 1929 extravaganza ''Show Girl'' alongside

Ruby Keeler Ethel Ruby Keeler (August 25, 1909 – February 28, 1993) was an American actress, dancer, and singer who was paired on-screen with Dick Powell in a string of successful early musicals at Warner Bros., particularly '' 42nd Street'' (1933). From ...

and

Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, vaudevillian, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced songs ...

. He also appeared in '' At Home Abroad'', '' The Cat and the Fiddle'', ''

The Red Mill ''The Red Mill'' is an operetta written by Victor Herbert, with a libretto by Henry Blossom. The farcical story concerns two American vaudevillians who wreak havoc at an inn in Holland, interfering with two marriages; but all ends well. The mus ...

'', ''

The Pajama Game ''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel ''7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. and dances were staged by Bob Fosse in his ch ...

'', ''

Donnybrook! ''Donnybrook!'' is a musical, with music and lyrics by Johnny Burke and book by Robert E. McEnroe. It is based on the 1952 film '' The Quiet Man''. Production ''Donnybrook!'' opened on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre on May 18, 1961 and c ...

'', and '' Rumple'' (1957), for which he received a

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 ...

nomination as Best Actor in a Musical. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Foy appeared in dozens of

B movies A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...

. He closely resembled his father, and portrayed him in four feature films: '' Frontier Marshal'' (1939), ''

Lillian Russell Lillian Russell (born Helen Louise Leonard; December 4, 1860 or 1861 – June 6, 1922), was an American actress and singer. She became one of the most famous actresses and singers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for her beauty ...

'' (1940), ''

Yankee Doodle Dandy ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' is a 1942 American biographical musical film about George M. Cohan, known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway". It stars James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, and Richard Whorf, and features Irene Manning, George Tobias, Ro ...

'' (1942), and ''

Wilson Wilson may refer to: People *Wilson (name) ** List of people with given name Wilson ** List of people with surname Wilson * Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender *Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson Rod ...

'' (1944), and again in a 1964

telefilm A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

about the family's early days in vaudeville. Additional film credits include ''

The Farmer Takes a Wife ''The Farmer Takes a Wife'' is a 1934 play by Frank B. Elser and Marc Connelly based on the 1929 novel ''Rome Haul'' by Walter D. Edmonds. It was well-received upon its opening night on Broadway on October 30, 1934, at the 46th Street Theatre. ...

'', ''

'', '' Bells Are Ringing'', and ''

Gidget Goes Hawaiian ''Gidget Goes Hawaiian'' is a 1961 American romantic comedy musical film starring James Darren, Michael Callan and Deborah Walley. Released by Columbia Pictures, the film is a sequel to the 1959 Sandra Dee beach film vehicle ''Gidget''. Dee w ...

''. Foy found steady work with the advent of television. In addition to a leading role in the first hour-long

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 ...

, '' Fair Exchange'', he made numerous guest appearances on such programs as ''

The Gisele MacKenzie Show ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

'', ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was r ...

'', '' Glynis'', ''

My Living Doll ''My Living Doll'' is an American science-fiction sitcom that aired for 26 episodes on CBS from September 27, 1964, to March 17, 1965. It was produced by Jack Chertok and filmed at Desilu studios by Jack Chertok Television Productions, in ass ...

'', '' Burke's Law'', '' ABC Stage 67'', ''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seasons. ''My Three Sons'' chroni ...

'', and ''

Nanny and the Professor ''Nanny and the Professor'' is an early 1970s American sitcom created by AJ Carothers and Thomas L. Miller for 20th Century-Fox Television that aired on ABC from January 21, 1970 until December 27, 1971. During pre-production, the proposed ti ...

''.

Personal life

In 1933, Foy married Anna Marie McKenney. They had a son,

Eddie Foy III Eddie Foy III (February 10, 1935 – November 3, 2018) was an American casting director and actor. He was director of casting for ABC and vice president of casting for NBC. Foy completed his career as a longstanding independent casting director ...

, and she died in 1952.

Death

Foy died of

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. A number of types of panc ...

in Los Angeles on July 15, 1983 at age 78. He is buried alongside his father and siblings (except his brother Bryan) in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in

Filmography

* ''

The Swell Head ''The Swell Head'' (also known as ''The Swelled Head'' and ''Eddie Foy, Jr., with Bessie Love in The Swelled Head'') is a 1928 American romantic musical short starring Eddie Foy Jr. and Bessie Love, directed by Foy's brother Bryan. ''Variety'' ...

'' (1928) * ''

Queen of the Night Clubs ''Queen of the Night Clubs'' is a 1929 American Pre-Code musical drama film produced and directed by Bryan Foy, distributed by Warner Bros., and starred legendary nightclub hostess Texas Guinan. The picture, which featured appearances by Eddie ...

'' (1929) – Eddie Parr * ''

Leathernecking ''Leathernecking'' is a 1930 American musical comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline, from a screenplay by Alfred Jackson and Jane Murfin, adapted from the Broadway musical comedy '' Present Arms'', by Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart and Herbert F ...

'' (1930) – Chick Evans * ''

Nearly Naked Proximity may refer to: * Distance, a numerical description of how far apart objects are * Proxemics, the study of human spatial requirements and the effects of population density * ''Proximity'' (2000 film), an action/thriller film * ''Proximit ...

'' (1933) – Eddie * '' Broadway Thru a Keyhole'' (1933) – Joan's partner * '' Myrt and Marge'' (1933) – Eddie Hanley * ''

Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Oly ...

'' (1934) – Magician (uncredited) * ''

Wonder Bar ''Wonder Bar'' is a 1934 American pre-Code film adaptation of a Broadway musical of the same name directed by Lloyd Bacon with musical numbers created by Busby Berkeley. It stars Al Jolson, Kay Francis, Dolores del Río, Ricardo Cortez, Dick ...

'' (1934) – Chorus Boy / Angel Measuring Wings (uncredited) * ''

King of Burlesque ''King of Burlesque'' is a 1936 musical film about a former burlesque producer played by Warner Baxter who moves into a legitimate theatre and does very well, until he marries a socialite. Sammy Lee received an Academy Award nomination for the n ...

'' (1936) – Dancer (uncredited) * '' Star for a Night'' (1936) – Dancer (uncredited) * ''

College Holiday ''College Holiday'' is a 1936 Paramount comedy. The film stars Jack Benny, George Burns, Gracie Allen, and Martha Raye. It was directed by Frank Tuttle. Plot A woman hotelier with an interest in eugenics invites some young men to spend the summe ...

'' (1936) – Dancer (uncredited) * '' Turn Off the Moon'' (1937) – Dancer * ''

Secret Service of the Air ''Secret Service of the Air'' (also known as ''Murder Plane'') is a 1939 American adventure film directed by Noel M. Smith and starring Ronald Reagan. This film was the first in Warner Bros.' Secret Service series. The series consisted of four ...

'' (1939) – Gabby Watters (#1 'Secret Service series') * ''

Women in the Wind ''Women in the Wind'' is a 1939 film directed by John Farrow and starring Kay Francis, William Gargan and Victor Jory. The plot concerns women pilots competing in the so-called "Powder Puff Derby", an annual transcontinental air race solely for ...

'' (1939) – Denny Corson * ''

Code of the Secret Service ''Code of the Secret Service'' is a 1939 film directed by Noel M. Smith and starring Ronald Reagan. It is the second of four films in the U.S. Secret Service Agent Brass Bancroft series, having been preceded by '' Secret Service of the Air'' ...

'' (1939) – Gabby (#2 'Secret Service series') * '' Frontier Marshal'' (1939) – Eddie Foy * '' The Cowboy Quarterback'' (1939) – Steve Adams * '' Smashing the Money Ring'' (1939) – Gabby (#3 'Secret Service series') * ''

'' (1940) – Eddie Foy Sr. * '' Murder in the Air'' (1940) – Gabby Watters (#4 'Secret Service series', final) * ''

A Fugitive from Justice ''A Fugitive from Justice'' is a 1940 film starring Roger Pryor, Lucile Fairbanks and Eddie Foy Jr. Plot Fugitive Lee Leslie ( Donald Douglas) is wanted by three groups; the police, the gangsters who fear his testimony in court and the insur ...

'' (1940) – Ziggy * '' Scatterbrain'' (1940) – Eddie MacIntyre * '' The Texas Rangers Ride Again'' (1941) – Mandolin * '' The Case of the Black Parrot'' (1941) – Tripod Daniels * ''

Rookies on Parade ''Rookies on Parade'' is a 1941 Republic Pictures musical–comedy film that was the studios entry into the pre-World War II Army comedy genre. The Army technical advisor was Captain Jack Voglin who performed the same duty on the 1941 films ' ...

'' (1941) – Cliff Dugan * '' Country Fair'' (1941) – Johnny Campbell * '' Puddin' Head'' (1941) – Harold L. Montgomery Jr. * '' Four Jacks and a Jill'' (1942) – Happy McScud * ''

Yokel Boy ''Yokel Boy'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Joseph Santley and written by Isabel Dawn. It is based on the 1939 play ''Yokel Boy'' by Lew Brown. The film stars Albert Dekker, Joan Davis, Eddie Foy Jr., Alan Mowbray, Roscoe Karns and M ...

'' (1942) – Joe Ruddy * ''

'' (1942) – Eddie Foy * '' Powder Town'' (1942) – Mr. Billy Meeker * ''

Moonlight Masquerade ''Moonlight Masquerade'' is a 1942 American film starring Dennis O'Keefe and Jane Frazee. It is also known as ''Moonstruck'' and ''Tahiti Honey''. Plot Two business partners, John Bennett, Sr. and Robert Forrester, are starting to get nervous w ...

'' (1942) – Lord Percy Ticklederry * '' Joan of Ozark'' (1942) – Eddie McCabe * ''

Dixie Dugan ''Dixie Dugan'' is best known as a long-running syndicated newspaper comic strip published from October 21, 1929 to October 8, 1966. The title character was originally modeled after 1920s film actress Louise Brooks and early stories followed Dix ...

'' (1943) – Matt Hogan * ''

Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cove ...

'' (1943) – Mr. Felham * ''

And the Angels Sing ''And the Angels Sing'' is a 1944 musical film directed by George Marshall and starring Dorothy Lamour, Fred MacMurray, and Betty Hutton. Released by Paramount Pictures, it is a classic example of a film written to capitalize on the title of a ...

'' (1944) – Fuzzy Johnson * ''

'' (1944) – Eddie Foy * ''

Honeychile ''Honeychile'' is a 1951 American comedy film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Charles E. Roberts, Jack Townley and Barry Trivers. The film stars Judy Canova, Eddie Foy, Jr., Alan Hale, Jr., Walter Catlett, Claire Carleton and Ka ...

'' (1951) – Eddie Price * ''

'' (1953) – Fortune Friendly * '' Lucky Me'' (1954) – Duke McGee * ''

'' (1957) – Vernon Hines * '' Bells Are Ringing'' (1960) – J. Otto Prantz * ''

'' (1961) – Monty Stewart * ''

Gidget Goes to Rome ''Gidget Goes to Rome'' is a 1963 Columbia Pictures Eastmancolor feature film starring Cindy Carol as the archetypal high school teen surfer girl originally portrayed by Sandra Dee in the 1959 film ''Gidget''. The film is the third of three Gidg ...

'' (1963) – Beachgoer Wanting to Use Phone (uncredited) * ''

30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia ''30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia'' is a 1968 British romantic comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Dudley Moore. Plot London jazz pianist and aspiring composer Rupert Street (Dudley Moore) is looking to have a 30th birthday to ...

'' (1968) – Oscar * ''

Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood ''Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood'' is a 1976 American comedy film directed by Michael Winner, and starring Bruce Dern, Madeline Kahn, Teri Garr and Art Carney. Spoofing the craze surrounding Rin Tin Tin, the film is notable for the larg ...

'' (1976) – Custard Pie Star

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Foy Jr., Eddie American male stage actors American male film actors American male television actors American male child actors American male musical theatre actors Vaudeville performers 1905 births 1983 deaths American people of Irish descent Male actors from New Rochelle, New York 20th-century American male actors Deaths from pancreatic cancer Deaths from cancer in California Burials at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery (New Rochelle, New York) 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers