Edward Andrews (October 9, 1914 – March 8, 1985) was an American actor, one of the most recognizable
character actorA character actor is one who predominantly plays a particular type of role rather than leading ones. Character actor roles can range from bit parts to secondary leads...
s on
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
and motion pictures between the 1950s and the 1980s. His stark white hair, portly build and
horn-rimmed glassesHorn-rimmed glasses are a type of eyeglasses with frames made of horn, tortoise shell, or plastic that simulates either material. The name horn-rimmed glasses refer to their original material, which was horn or shell. These glasses began to be popular in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s,...
added to the type of roles he received, as he was often cast as an ornery boss, a cagey businessman, or a strict disciplinarian of some type.
He was born in
Griffin, GeorgiaGriffin is a city in Spalding County, Georgia, United States. The population was 23,451 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Spalding County...
, the son of an
EpiscopalianThe Episcopal Church , also known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America , is the Province of the Anglican Communion in the United States, Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
minister, and grew up in
Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh is a city in and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and the second largest city in the state. Its population was 334,563 at the 2000 census; by 2006, it was estimated to have fallen to 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is...
,
Cleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately 60 miles west of the Pennsylvania border...
and
Wheeling, West VirginiaWheeling is the city and the seat of Ohio County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Most of the city lies in Ohio County, though annexations have also included portions of Marshall County. Wheeling is considered part of the Pittsburgh Tri-State area and is the principal city of the Wheeling...
.
Edward Andrews (October 9, 1914 – March 8, 1985) was an American actor, one of the most recognizable
character actorA character actor is one who predominantly plays a particular type of role rather than leading ones. Character actor roles can range from bit parts to secondary leads...
s on
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
and motion pictures between the 1950s and the 1980s. His stark white hair, portly build and
horn-rimmed glassesHorn-rimmed glasses are a type of eyeglasses with frames made of horn, tortoise shell, or plastic that simulates either material. The name horn-rimmed glasses refer to their original material, which was horn or shell. These glasses began to be popular in the United States in the 1910s and 1920s,...
added to the type of roles he received, as he was often cast as an ornery boss, a cagey businessman, or a strict disciplinarian of some type.
He was born in
Griffin, GeorgiaGriffin is a city in Spalding County, Georgia, United States. The population was 23,451 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Spalding County...
, the son of an
EpiscopalianThe Episcopal Church , also known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America , is the Province of the Anglican Communion in the United States, Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
minister, and grew up in
Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh is a city in and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and the second largest city in the state. Its population was 334,563 at the 2000 census; by 2006, it was estimated to have fallen to 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is...
,
Cleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately 60 miles west of the Pennsylvania border...
and
Wheeling, West VirginiaWheeling is the city and the seat of Ohio County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Most of the city lies in Ohio County, though annexations have also included portions of Marshall County. Wheeling is considered part of the Pittsburgh Tri-State area and is the principal city of the Wheeling...
. As a child he attended Pittsburgh's Nixon Theatre and would nab a balcony seat so as to catch a good view of the 'headliners.' At age 12 he did a walk-on in a stock theatre production which featured
James GleasonJames Gleason was an American actor born in New York City. He was also a playwright and screenwriter.-Career:...
and he was 'hooked' on an acting career.
He attended the
University of VirginiaThe University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
and at age 21 made his stage debut in 1926, progressing to
BroadwayBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
by 1935. In 1936, Andrews debuted in the movie
Rushin' Art. It was not until 1955, however, that he appeared in his second movie. He was cast as the subversive and corrupt character of Rhett Tanner, head of a knock-them-off political machine, in
The Phenix City StoryThe Phenix City Story is a film noir directed by Phil Karlson and written by Daniel Mainwaring and Crane Wilbur. The drama features John McIntire, Richard Kiley, among others.-Plot:...
.
While Andrews' film acting career began in earnest in his forties, he was consistently typecast as a grandfatherly type, and thus he is most strongly associated with these roles in later movies. Among his roles are those that are soft and friendly though Andrews was equally adept at portraying sleazy businessman types or sinister bureaucrats and officials.
Well-known films in which Andrews acted include
Send Me No FlowersSend Me No Flowers: a 1964 American comedy film, directed by Norman Jewison and starring Rock Hudson, Doris Day, and Tony Randall.The screenplay by Julius J...
, with
Doris DayDoris Mary Anne von Kappelhoff , known by her stage name Doris Day, is an American singer and actress.With the versatility to sing, dance, and play comedy and dramatic roles, she became one of America's biggest box-office stars. Day has 39 movies to her credit, even though she retired from films in...
and
Rock HudsonRock Hudson was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1960s and 1970s, most notably in several romantic comedies with his most famous co-star, Doris Day...
,
Advise and ConsentAdvise and Consent is a 1959 political novel written by Allen Drury which explores the reactions of those in and around the United States Senate to the controversial nomination of Robert Leffingwell, a former Communist Party member, to be United States Secretary of State...
,
The Harder They FallThe Harder They Fall is a film noir directed by Mark Robson. It features Humphrey Bogart in his final movie role. The character Eddie Willis is based on the career of boxing writer and event promoter Harold Conrad...
,
The Young SavagesThe Young Savages is a 1961 crime drama film directed by John Frankenheimer, and screenplay written by Edward Anhalt. It was based on a novel by Evan Hunter-Synopsis:...
,
Elmer GantryElmer Gantry is a drama film about a con man and a female evangelist selling religion to small town America. Adapted by director Richard Brooks, the film is based on the 1927 novel by Sinclair Lewis and stars Burt Lancaster and Jean Simmons...
, in which he was memorable as
George F. BabbittBabbitt, first published in 1922, is a novel by Sinclair Lewis. Largely a satire of American culture, society, and behavior, its main theme focuses on the power of conformity, and the vacuity of middle-class American life....
,
The Absent-Minded ProfessorThe Absent-Minded Professor is a 1961 Walt Disney Pictures film based on the short story "A Situation of Gravity", by Samuel W. Taylor. The film was reissued to theaters in 1967 and 1975, and released to video in 1981, 1986, and 1992...
and
Son of FlubberSon of Flubber is the 1963 sequel to the Walt Disney children's movie comedy The Absent Minded Professor , also starring Fred MacMurray as a scientist who has perfected a high-bouncing substance that can levitate an automobile and cause athletes to bounce into the sky. The film co-stars Nancy...
, in both of which he played the Defense Secretary, and
Avanti!Avanti! is a 1972 American/Italian comedy film produced and directed by Billy Wilder. The screenplay by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond is based on the 1968 play of the same title by Samuel Taylor.-Plot:...
, in which he was a very convincing agent of the State Department. Among his other film credits are:
SummertimeSummertime is a 1955 American/British drama film directed by David Lean. The screenplay by Lean and H. E. Bates is based on the play The Time of the Cuckoo by Arthur Laurents.-Plot:...
(1955) with
Katharine HepburnKatharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, television and stage.Hepburn holds the record for the most Best Actress Oscar wins with four, from 12 nominations. Hepburn won an Emmy Award in 1976 for her lead role in Love Among the Ruins, and was nominated for four other Emmys, two...
;
Tension at Table Rock (1956);
The Harder They FallThe Harder They Fall is a film noir directed by Mark Robson. It features Humphrey Bogart in his final movie role. The character Eddie Willis is based on the career of boxing writer and event promoter Harold Conrad...
(1956) with
Humphrey BogartHumphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor.After trying various jobs, Bogart began acting in 1921 and became a regular in Broadway productions in the 1920s and 1930s. When the stock market crash of 1929 reduced the demand for plays, Bogart turned to film...
;
Tea and SympathyTea and Sympathy is a 1953 stage play in three acts by Robert Anderson.-Broadway premiere:It received its premiere on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on September 30, 1953 in a production by The Playwrights' Company, directed by Elia Kazan and designed by Jo Mielziner. The play starred...
(1956);
Three Brave Men (1957);
The Young DoctorsThe Young Doctors is a 1961 film starring Ben Gazzara, Fredric March, Dick Clark, Ina Balin, Eddie Albert, Phyllis Love, Aline MacMahon, George Segal and Dolph Sweet. It was directed by Phil Karlson, from a novel by Arthur Hailey. Ronald Reagan was the narrator in the film.- Plot :David Coleman ...
(1961);
Youngblood HawkeYoungblood Hawke is a novel by American writer Herman Wouk about the rise and fall of a young writer. It is based on the life of Thomas Wolfe.-Plot summary:...
(1964);
Good Neighbor SamGood Neighbor Sam is a 1964 farce film co-written and directed by David Swift and starring Jack Lemmon. It was based on the novel by Jack Finney. Other writers included James Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum.-Plot:...
(1964);
The Glass Bottom BoatThe Glass Bottom Boat, also known as The Spy in Lace Panties, is a 1966 romantic comedy film that is also considered a film musical. The film stars Doris Day and Rod Taylor.- Plot :...
(1966);
Tora! Tora! Tora!Tora! Tora! Tora! is a 1970 American-Japanese film that dramatizes the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, to the extent these facts were known at the time of production....
(1970) as Admiral Harold R. Stark;
How to Frame a FiggHow to Frame a Figg is a 1971 Universal comedy about a bungling bookkeeper's assistant, Hollis Alexander Figg in the Dalton city hall, who finds himself framed for embezzlement...
(1971);
Charley and the AngelCharley and the Angel is a 1973 Walt Disney family/comedy film set in an unidentified small city in the 1930s Depression-era Midwestern United States and starring Fred MacMurray in one of his final film appearances...
(1973); and
The SeniorsFour college seniors open a bogus sex clinic, which unexpectedly mushrooms into a multi-million dollar business. Featuring a young Dennis Quaid in one of his earliest roles and Alan Reed in his final film appearance....
(1978). In 1984, he played the character of Howard Baker in
John HughesJohn Wilden Hughes, Jr. was an American film director, producer and writer. He scripted some of the most successful films of the 1980s and 1990s, including National Lampoon's Vacation; Ferris Bueller's Day Off; Weird Science; The Breakfast Club; Some Kind of Wonderful; Sixteen Candles; Pretty in...
'
Sixteen CandlesSixteen Candles is a 1984 coming-of-age film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. The film was written and directed by John Hughes.- Plot :...
. He also appeared in
GremlinsGremlins is an American comedy horror film directed by Joe Dante and released in 1984 by Warner Bros. It is about a young man who receives a strange creature named Gizmo as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. This story was continued with...
, filmed later the same year, which would be his final movie.
He also guested on many television series including:
Goodyear Television PlayhouseThe Goodyear Television Playhouse is a live television anthology series sponsored by Goodyear and produced from 1951 to 1957, during the "Golden Age of Television". The series aired on NBC on Sundays from 9:00 to 10:00 P.M.-Overview:...
;
The United States Steel HourThe United States Steel Hour is an anthology series which brought hour-long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation.-Radio:...
;
Cheyenne;
The Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
;
The Eleventh HourThe Eleventh Hour is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer medical drama about psychiatry starring Wendell Corey, Jack Ging, and Ralph Bellamy, which aired sixty-two new episodes plus selected rebroadcasts on NBC from October 3, 1962, to September 9, 1964....
,
Naked CityNaked City is a police drama series which aired from 1958 to 1963 on the ABC television network. It was inspired by the 1948 motion picture of the same name, and mimics its dramatic "semi-documentary" format.-Synopsis:...
;
GunsmokeGunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
;
RawhideRawhide is an American Western series that aired for eight seasons on the CBS network on Friday nights, from January 9, 1959 to January 4, 1966, with a total of 217 black-and-white episodes...
;
BonanzaBonanza is an American television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons, it is among the longest running Western television series and continues to air in syndication....
;
The F.B.I.;
The Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly Hillbillies is an American television sitcom. It ranked among the top 12 most watched series on television for seven of its nine seasons, twice ranking as the #1 series of the year, with a number of episodes that remain among the most-watched television episodes of all time...
;
The InvadersThe Invaders, a Quinn Martin Production , is an ABC science fiction television program created by Larry Cohen that ran in the United States for two seasons, from January 10, 1967 to March 26, 1968...
;
BewitchedBewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York , Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead and David White. It is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban housewife...
;
Charlie's AngelsCharlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men. The series was broadcast in the USA on the ABC Television Network from 1976 to 1981 and was one of the most...
and
The Bob Newhart ShowThe Bob Newhart Show is the name of two different television series, both starring comedian Bob Newhart. The better-known is a situation comedy produced by MTM Enterprises, which aired on CBS from September 16, to April 1,...
. He was a regular on the series:
BroadsideBroadside is an American sitcom that aired on ABC during the 1964-1965 TV season. The series starred Dick Sargent, Sheila James , Kathleen Nolan , Joan Staley, Edward Andrews, George Furth, Arnold Stang, and Jimmy Boyd.According to television nostalgia website TV Party, Broadside was from...
(1964-1965) as Commander Rogers Adrian. He played the character of Charley in the 1966 dramatization of
Death of a SalesmanDeath of a Salesman is a 1949 play by American playwright Arthur Miller and is a classic of American theater. The play ran for 742 performances, winning both the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize for drama. The original production was directed by Elia Kazan with Lee J...
, and constantly acted throughout the 1970s as Elton Dykstra on
The Intruders, Ernest W. Stanley on
The Man Who Came to DinnerThe Man Who Came to Dinner is a comedy in three acts by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. It debuted on October 16, 1939 at the Music Box Theatre in New York City. It then enjoyed a number of New York and London revivals....
, Mayor Chrisholm alongside
Don KnottsJesse Donald "Don" Knotts was an American comedic actor best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on the 1960s television sitcom The Andy Griffith Show, a role which earned him five Emmy Awards...
in the 1971 film
How to Frame a Figg, and Mayor Massey on
The Whiz Kid and the Mystery at Riverton. In 1968, he played a safecracker in a 4-part episode of
I Dream of JeannieI Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2000-year-old female genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
. He played Conductor Harry Flood on the short-lived series
SupertrainSupertrain is an American television drama/adventure series that ran on NBC from February 7 to May 5, 1979. Nine episodes were made, including a 2-hour pilot episode.-Overview:...
. He played
Jack TripperJack Tripper is a fictional character on the sitcoms Three's Company and Three's a Crowd, based upon the character, Robin Tripp, of Man About the House and Robin's Nest. Jack was played by John Ritter.-Introduction:...
's grandfather in an episode of
Three's CompanyThree's Company is an American sitcom that aired from 1977 to 1984 on ABC. It is a remake of the British sitcom Man About the House....
.
He and his wife Emily had three children, 2 daughters and a son. He was an avid yachtsman and loved sailing. He died of a heart attack in
Santa Monica, CaliforniaSanta Monica is a city in western Los Angeles County, California, USA. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and Venice on the...
, at the age of seventy.