Edward Pawley

Edward Joel Pawley was a native of Kansas City, Missouri, and attended Manuel Training High School. He took drama classes in high school, and after graduation he worked for six months in his half-brother's traveling stage show (under canvas). He went to New York in 1920 to seek his fame and fortune. He acted in various shows both on and off Broadway before getting his first starring role on Broadway (in 1928) as "Elmer Gantry" in the popular and controversial show of the same name. While still performing on Broadway in the early 1930s, he became interested in movies and obtained some small parts in a couple of films. He also supplemented his income from the theater by performing, on radio, skits from some of his Broadway shows.