Edward Santree Brophy (February 27, 1895 – May 27, 1960) was an American

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

and

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

, as well as an

assistant director The role of an assistant director (AD) on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have ...

and

second unit A second unit is a discrete team of filmmakers tasked with filming shots or sequences of a production, separate from the main or "first" unit. The second unit will often shoot simultaneously with the other unit or units, allowing the filming s ...

director during the 1920s. Small of build, balding, and raucous-voiced, he frequently portrayed dumb cops and gangsters, both serious and comic. He is best remembered as the sidekick to The Falcon in the

Tom Conway Tom Conway (born Thomas Charles Sanders; 15 September 1904 – 22 April 1967) was a British film, television, and radio actor. He is remembered for playing suave adventurer The Falcon in a series of 1940s films; and his appearances in three h ...

film series of the 1940s, and for voicing Timothy Q. Mouse in

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

's ''

Dumbo ''Dumbo'' is a 1941 American Animated film, animated Musical film, musical Fantasy film, fantasy Comedy drama, comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film i ...

'' (1941).

Early life

Edward Santree Brophy was born on February 27, 1895, in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and attended the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

.Katz, Ephraim (1979). ''The Film Encyclopedia: The Most Comprehensive Encyclopedia of World Cinema in a Single Volume''. Perigee Books. . P.171.

Career

His screen debut was in '' Yes or No?'' (1920). In 1928, with only a few minor film roles to his credit, Brophy was working as a production manager for

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

when he was on location with

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

for the feature film ''

The Cameraman ''The Cameraman'' is a 1928 American silent film, silent Romantic comedy, romantic comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick and an uncredited Buster Keaton. The picture stars Keaton and Marceline Day. It was Keaton's first film under contract to ...

''. An actor failed to show up, and rather than having to wait for the studio to send a substitute, Keaton recruited Brophy on the spot to take the actor's place. As two occupants of a bath-house, Brophy and Keaton attempt to undress and put on bathing suits while sharing a single tiny changing room. Each time Keaton attempts to hang his clothes on one hook, Brophy removes the clothes and hands them back to Keaton and gestures to the other hook. He manhandles the smaller, more slender Keaton, at one point picking him up by the feet and dumping him out of his trousers. Appearing only in this one brief scene, Brophy attracted enough attention to receive more and better roles. Keaton used Brophy again in his military comedy '' Doughboys'' (1930), with Brophy as a loud-mouthed drill sergeant. This defined Brophy's screen persona as a Brooklyn-accented, streetwise character. His subsequent films for MGM cast him in the same vein: comic foils in four more Keaton features; the loyal fight manager in '' The Champ'' (1931); a circus proprietor in '' Freaks'' (1932); and as a hired gun in ''

The Thin Man ''The Thin Man'' (1934) is a detective novel by Dashiell Hammett, originally published in a condensed version in the December 1933 issue of '' Redbook''. It appeared in book form the following month. A film series followed, featuring the main ...

'' (1934). By 1940 Brophy was so identified as a Runyonesque character with a Brooklynese speech pattern that he was cast as the voice of Timothy Q. Mouse in ''

'', even though he was uncredited for this role. Brophy worked steadily through the 1950s, in both featured roles and uncredited bits, almost always in light film fare. Very rarely was he called upon to display dramatic ability, as in the police procedural ''Arson, Inc.'' (1949), in which he played a potentially dangerous firebug. He also made several appearances in the films of director

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...

, notably as "Ditto" Boland in '' The Last Hurrah'' (1958), Brophy's last film. Critic

Leslie Halliwell Robert James Leslie Halliwell (23 February 1929 – 21 January 1989) was a British film critic, encyclopaedist and television rights buyer for ITV, the British commercial network, and Channel 4. He is best known for his reference guides, '' Fi ...

described him thus, "American character actor, often a gangster or a very odd kind of valet; a rotund, cigar-chewing little man in a bowler hat, oddly likeable despite his pretence of toughness." Brophy was the model for comic-book character Doiby Dickles, the cab-driving sidekick to

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...

in the 1940s.

Death

Brophy died on May 27, 1960, during the production of Ford's ''

Two Rode Together ''Two Rode Together'' is a 1961 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring James Stewart, Richard Widmark, and Shirley Jones. The supporting cast includes Linda Cristal, Andy Devine, and John McIntire. The film was based upon ...

''. (One source says Brophy "died while watching a prizefight on television.") He was 65.

Filmography

* '' Yes or No?'' (1920) as Tom Martin * '' The Sign on the Door'' (1921) as Newspaper Photographer (uncredited) * '' Spring Fever'' (1927) as Golf Game Spectator (uncredited) * ''

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

'' (1927) as Team Manager (uncredited) * ''

'' (1928) as Man in Bath-House (uncredited) * '' Free and Easy'' (1930) as Benny - The Stage Manager (uncredited) * '' Estrellados'' (1930) as assistant director (uncredited) * '' Our Blushing Brides'' (1930) as Joe Munsey * '' Doughboys'' (1930) as Sergeant Brophy * '' Those Three French Girls'' (1930) as Yank * ''

Remote Control A remote control, also known colloquially as a remote or clicker, is an consumer electronics, electronic device used to operate another device from a distance, usually wirelessly. In consumer electronics, a remote control can be used to operat ...

'' (1930) as Al * '' Paid'' (1930) as Burglar (uncredited) * '' Parlor, Bedroom and Bath'' (1931) as Detective * '' A Free Soul'' (1931) as Slouch (uncredited) * '' Sporting Blood'' (1931) as Newsreel Cameraman (uncredited) * '' A Dangerous Affair'' (1931) as Nelson * '' The Champ'' (1931) as Tim * '' The Big Shot'' (1931) as Minor Role (scenes deleted) * ''

The Passionate Plumber ''The Passionate Plumber'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick, and starring Buster Keaton, Jimmy Durante, and Irene Purcell. The screenplay by Laurence E. Johnson and Ralph Spence is based on the 1926 play ''Da ...

'' (1932) as Man Outside Beauty Parlor (uncredited) * '' Freaks'' (1932) as Rollo Brother * ''

The Beast of the City ''The Beast of the City'' is a 1932 American pre-Code gangster film featuring cops as vigilantes and known for its singularly vicious ending. Written by W.R. Burnett, Ben Hecht (uncredited), and John Lee Mahin, and directed by Charles Brabi ...

'' (1932) as Police Dispatcher (uncredited) * ''

Skyscraper Souls ''Skyscraper Souls'' is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic drama film starring Warren William, Anita Page, Maureen O'Sullivan, Gregory Ratoff, and Verree Teasdale. Directed by Edgar Selwyn, it is based on the 1931 novel ''Skyscraper'' by Fait ...

'' (1932) as Man in Elevator (uncredited) * '' Speak Easily'' (1932) as Reno * ''

Prosperity Prosperity is the flourishing, thriving, good fortune and successful social status. Prosperity often produces profuse wealth including other factors which can be profusely wealthy in all degrees, such as happiness and health. Competing notions ...

'' (1932) as Ice Cream Salesman (uncredited) * ''

Flesh Flesh is any aggregation of soft tissues of an organism. Various multicellular organisms have soft tissues that may be called "flesh". In mammals, including humans, ''flesh'' encompasses muscles, fats and other loose connective tissues, ...

'' (1932) as Dolan - a Referee * '' What! No Beer?'' (1933) as Spike Moran * '' Beer and Pretzels'' (1933, Short) as Theater Manager (uncredited) * '' Broadway to Hollywood'' (1933) as Joe Mannion (uncredited) * '' Hello Pop!'' (1933, Short) as Brophy (uncredited) * ''

The Poor Rich ''The Poor Rich'' is a 1934 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick and written by Ebba Havez and Dale Van Every. The film stars Edward Everett Horton, Edna May Oliver, Andy Devine, Leila Hyams, Grant Mitchell and Thelma Tod ...

'' (1934) as Flannigan * ''

'' (1934) as Morelli * '' Paris Interlude'' (1934) as Ham * '' Hide-Out'' (1934) as Detective Britt * '' Have a Heart'' (1934) as Mac (uncredited) * ''

Death on the Diamond ''Death on the Diamond'' is a 1934 comedy-mystery film starring Robert Young (actor), Robert Young. It was based on the novel ''Death on the Diamond: A Baseball Mystery Story'' by Cortland Fitzsimmons, directed by Edward Sedgwick and produced and ...

'' (1934) as Grogan * '' Evelyn Prentice'' (1934) as Eddie Delaney * '' I'll Fix It'' (1934) as Tilly Tilson * '' Sequoia'' (1934) as Forest Ranger Pete (uncredited) * '' Forsaking All Others'' (1934) (scenes deleted) * ''

Devil Dogs of the Air ''Devil Dogs of the Air'' (a.k.a. ''Flying Marines'') is a 1935 Warner Bros. film, directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring James Cagney and Pat O'Brien, playing similar roles as close friends after making their debut as a "buddy team" in '' Here Co ...

'' (1935) as Minor Role (scenes deleted) * '' Shadow of Doubt'' (1935) as Fred Wilcox * '' The Whole Town's Talking'' (1935) as 'Slugs' Martin * '' Naughty Marietta'' (1935) as Zeke * ''

People Will Talk ''People Will Talk'' is a 1951 American romantic comedy/drama film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck from a screenplay by Mankiewicz, based on the German play by Curt Goetz, which was made into a movie in Germa ...

'' (1935) as Pete Ranse * ''

Mad Love __NOTOC__ Mad Love may refer to: Books *''Mad Love'' (French ''L'amour fou''), collection of poems by André Breton *'' The Batman Adventures: Mad Love'', an Eisner and Harvey award-winning comic by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm * Mad Love (publisher), ...

'' (1935) as Rollo * '' She Gets Her Man'' (1935) as Flash * ''

China Seas The China Seas consist of a series of marginal seas in the Western Pacific Ocean, around China. They are the major components signifying the transition from the continent of Asia to the Pacific Ocean.Pinxian Wang, Qianyu Li, Chun-Feng Li, ''Geol ...

'' (1935) as Wilbur Timmons * ''

I Live My Life ''I Live My Life'' is a 1935 American comedy-drama film starring Joan Crawford, Brian Aherne and Frank Morgan. It is based on the story "Claustrophobia" by A. Carter Goodloe. Plot Bored socialite Kay Bentley travels to Greece on her wealthy f ...

'' (1935) as Pete (uncredited) * '' 1,000 Dollars a Minute'' (1935) as Benny Dolan * '' Remember Last Night?'' (1935) as Maxie * '' Show Them No Mercy!'' (1935) as Buzz * '' Strike Me Pink'' (1936) as Killer * '' Here Comes Trouble'' (1936) as Crowley * '' Woman Trap'' (1936) as George Meade * '' The Case Against Mrs. Ames'' (1936) as Sid * '' Kelly the Second'' (1936) as Ike Arnold * ''

Spendthrift A spendthrift (also profligate or prodigal) is someone who is extravagant and recklessly wasteful with money, often to a point where the spending climbs well beyond their means. ''Spendthrift'' derives from an obsolete sense of the word ''thrift'' ...

'' (1936) as Bill McGuire * '' Wedding Present'' (1936) as Squinty * '' All American Chump'' (1936) as Pudgy Murphy * '' Mr. Cinderella'' (1936) as Detective McNutt * '' Hideaway Girl'' (1936) as Bugs Murphy * ''

Career Woman A career woman is a term which describes a woman whose main goal in life is to create a career for herself. At the time that the term was first used in the 1930s American context, it was specifically used to differentiate between women who either ...

'' (1936) as Doc Curley * ''

Great Guy ''Great Guy'' is a 1936 American crime film noir directed by John G. Blystone and starring James Cagney. In the film, an honest inspector for the New York Department of Weights and Measures takes on corrupt merchants and politicians. Plot After ...

'' (1936) as Pete Reilly * ''

Oh, Doctor ''Oh, Doctor'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Ray McCarey and written by Harry Clork and Brown Holmes. It is based on the 1923 novel ''Oh, Doctor!'' by Harry Leon Wilson. The film stars Edward Everett Horton, Donrue Leighton, Willi ...

'' (1937) as Meg Smith * '' Jim Hanvey, Detective'' (1937) as Romo * '' The Soldier and the Lady'' (1937) as Packer * '' The Hit Parade'' (1937) as Mulrooney * '' The Great Gambini'' (1937) as 'Butch' * ''

Varsity Show The Varsity Show is one of the oldest traditions at Columbia University. Founded in 1893 as a fundraiser for the university's fledgling athletic teams, the Varsity Show now draws together the entire Columbia undergraduate community for a series of ...

'' (1937) as Mike Barclay * '' Trapped by G-Men'' (1937) as Lefty * '' The Girl Said No'' (1937) as Pick * '' The Last Gangster'' (1937) as 'Fats' Garvey * '' Blossoms on Broadway'' (1937) as Mr. Prussic * '' A Slight Case of Murder'' (1938) as Lefty * '' Romance on the Run'' (1938) as Whitey Whitehouse * '' Hold That Kiss'' (1938) as Al * '' Gold Diggers in Paris'' (1938) as Mike Coogan * '' Passport Husband'' (1938) as Spike * '' Come On, Leathernecks!'' (1938) as Max 'Curly' Maxwell * '' Vacation from Love'' (1938) as Barney Keenan, Band Leader * ''

Gambling Ship A gambling ship is the term for a ship stationed offshore in or transiting to international waters to evade local anti-gambling laws that is dedicated to games of chance. This applies both to ships which are permanently moored somewhere outside ...

'' (1938) as Cuthbert Innocent * ''

You Can't Cheat an Honest Man ''You Can't Cheat an Honest Man'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by George Marshall and Edward F. Cline and starring W. C. Fields. Fields also wrote the story on which the film is based under the name Charles Bogle. Plot Circus pro ...

'' (1939) as Corbett * '' Pardon Our Nerve'' (1939) as Nosey Nelson * '' Society Lawyer'' (1939) as Max * '' For Love or Money'' (1939) as Sleeper * '' The Kid from Kokomo'' (1939) as Eddie Black * '' Golden Boy'' (1939) as Roxy Lewis * ''

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' is a 1939 American political comedy-drama film directed by Frank Capra, starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart, and featuring Claude Rains and Edward Arnold. The film is about a naive, newly appointed United ...

'' (1939) as Newspaper employee (uncredited) * '' Kid Nightingale'' (1939) as Mike Jordon * '' The Amazing Mr. Williams'' (1939) as Buck Moseby * ''

The Big Guy ''The Big Guy'' is a 1939 American drama crime film directed by Arthur Lubin starring Victor McLaglen and Jackie Cooper. Plot A prison warden ( Victor McLaglen) can either keep loot for his family or save an innocent youth ( Jackie Cooper) con ...

'' (1939) as Dippy * '' Calling Philo Vance'' (1940) as Ryan * '' Alias the Deacon'' (1940) as Stuffy * ''

Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves of America is an organization that promotes annual competitions of amateur boxing in the United States, in which winners are awarded a belt and a ring, and the title of national champion. The organization currently owns 30 fr ...

'' (1940) as Potsy Brill * '' The Great Profile'' (1940) as Sylvester * ''

Dance, Girl, Dance ''Dance, Girl, Dance'' is a 1940 American comedy-drama film directed by Dorothy Arzner and starring Maureen O'Hara, Louis Hayward, Lucille Ball, and Ralph Bellamy. The film follows two dancers who strive to preserve their own integrity while ...

'' (1940) as Dwarfie Humblewinger * '' Sandy Gets Her Man'' (1940) as Fireman Junior * ''

The Invisible Woman The Invisible Woman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), The Fantastic Four'' #1 (November 1961). Susan St ...

'' (1940) as Bill * '' Sleepers West'' (1941) as George Trautwein * '' Thieves Fall Out'' (1941) as Rork * '' The Bride Came C.O.D.'' (1941) as Hinkle * '' A Dangerous Game'' (1941) as Bugsy (misspelled Bugs in on-screen credits) * '' Nine Lives Are Not Enough'' (1941) as Officer Slattery * '' Buy Me That Town'' (1941) as Ziggy * ''

'' (1941) as Timothy Q. Mouse (voice, uncredited) * ''

The Gay Falcon ''The Gay Falcon'' is a 1941 American mystery thriller film directed by Irving Reis and starring George Sanders, Wendy Barrie and Allen Jenkins. A B film produced and distributed by RKO Pictures, it the first in a series of sixteen films about ...

'' (1941) as Detective Bates * '' Steel Against the Sky'' (1941) as Pete Evans * '' All Through the Night'' (1942) as Joe Denning * ''

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 Stre ...

'' (1942) as Porky * '' Larceny, Inc.'' (1942) as Weepy Davis * '' Madame Spy'' (1942) as Mike Reese * '' Lady Bodyguard'' (1943) as Harry Gargan * ''

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

'' (1943) as Marine Sgt. J.J. Callahan * ''

Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

'' (1943) as Casey * '' A Scream in the Dark'' (1943) as Eddie Tough * ''

Cover Girl A cover girl is a woman whose photograph is used for the front cover of magazines. She may be a model, celebrity or entertainer. The term would generally not be used to describe a person making a single, casual appearance on the cover of a magaz ...

'' (1944) as Joe - Cafe Owner (uncredited) * '' It Happened Tomorrow'' (1944) as Jake Shomberg * '' A Night of Adventure'' (1944) as Steve * ''

The Thin Man Goes Home ''The Thin Man Goes Home'' is a 1944 American comedy mystery film directed by Richard Thorpe. It is the fifth of the six '' Thin Man'' films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Dashiell Hammett's dapper ex-private detective Nick Charles a ...

'' (1944) as Brogan * '' See My Lawyer'' (1945) as Otis Fillmore * '' I'll Remember April'' (1945) as Shadow * ''

Wonder Man Wonder Man (Simon Williams) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in '' The Avengers'' #9 (October 1964). The character, wh ...

'' (1945) as Torso * '' Penthouse Rhythm'' (1945) as Bailey * '' The Falcon in San Francisco'' (1945) as Goldie Locke * '' Girl on the Spot'' (1946) as Fingers Foley * '' Swing Parade of 1946'' (1946) as Moose * '' Sweetheart of Sigma Chi'' (1946) as Arty * '' The Falcon's Adventure'' (1946) as Goldie Locke * ''

Renegade Girl ''Renegade Girl'' is a 1946 American Western (genre), western film directed by William Berke and starring Ann Savage (actress), Ann Savage, Alan Curtis (American actor), Alan Curtis and Edward Brophy. It was one of a few movies made by the shor ...

'' (1946) as Bob Crandall * '' It Happened on 5th Avenue'' (1947) as Cecil Felton * '' Arson, Inc.'' (1949) as Pete Purdy * '' Danger Zone'' (1951) as Prof. Frederick Simpson Schicker * '' Roaring City'' (1951) as 'Professor' Frederick Simpson Schicker * '' Pier 23'' (1951) as Prof. Shicker * '' Bundle of Joy'' (1956) as Dance Contest Judge * '' The Last Hurrah'' (1958) as 'Ditto' Boland * ''The Slowest Gun in the West'' (1960, TV Movie) as The Bartender *''

'' (1961) as Minor Role (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

* *
1920 passport photo for Edward Brophy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brophy, Edward 1895 births 1960 deaths University of Virginia alumni Male actors from New York City American male film actors American male voice actors 20th-century American male actors Burials at Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery, Santa Monica Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players Comedians from New York City