Edward Norris(1911-2002)
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Although a veteran of over 70 feature films including many grade A
classics, Norris was best known as the star of many Bs, thanks to his
appearances in innumerable second features during the 1930s and 1940s.
The son of a prominent gynecologist, Dr. Richard Cooper Norris, he grew up
in Philadelphia. At 16 he dropped out of the Culver Military Academy to
marry a socially prominent physician's daughter, and took a job as a
reporter. When the marriage ended two years later, Edward spent time on
the west coast where a chance meeting with famed director, William A. Wellman
netted him his first film work, as a double for actor Buddy Rogers in the
World War I classic, Wings (1927). Taking Wellman's advice, Norris headed
back east in 1928 to gain acting experience in stage productions and
traveling shows. By 1933 he was back in Hollywood where he soon won a
small role in Rouben Mamoulian's Queen Christina (1933), starring Greta Garbo.
His film debut landed him a long-term contract with MGM who intended to
groom him as a romantic leading man. Unfortunately Louis B. Mayer soon
abandoned plans for Norris after signing another handsome youngster,
Robert Taylor who quickly became a studio favorite. Unfortunately, only three
times during his Metro contract was Norris given opportunities
commensurate with his abilities: on loan out to Fox as a kidnapping
victim in the thriller Show Them No Mercy! (1935), as a young criminal attempting to save
his adolescent brother in the Oscar winning drama Boys Town (1938), and notably,
as a young teacher falsely accused of murdering one of his pupils in
Warners' wrenching social drama They Won't Forget (1937). The latter, Norris' favorite
role, won him wide acclaim and additional offers of employment from
other studios which MGM nixed.
Increasingly disgruntled, Norris became temporarily lost in a sea of
self-pity and booze, and in the process acquired a reputation for being
rebellious and unreliable. In 1938 he left MGM and signed with Fox who
also utilized him poorly. Although his first rate performance as a
reformed criminal in Fox's crime drama The Escape (1939) earned accolades, the
film was a second feature which garnered little attention. Sadly his
other Fox films including Frontier Marshal (1939), The Gorilla (1939), and Here I Am a Stranger (1939) gave him little
to do.
By 1941 Norris had conquered his demons and become a freelance actor
while serving as a pilot instructor for the U.S. Army Air Force.
Stationed in southern California, he continued to make movies,
appearing in 26 mostly low budget features from 1941 to 1945. In 1946
Norris film career reached its zenith with his starring role as a
bloodthirsty killer in Monogram's acclaimed noir classic Decoy (1946).
During the following decade he also earned good reviews for memorable
performances in over a dozen other features. His last screen appearance
came in 1955 in the United Artists western, The Kentuckian (1955).
After he ceased making films, Norris made several guest appearances on
television before retiring from acting in the early 1960s. A wealthy
man, thanks to shrewd investments, he devoted the remainder of his life
to managing his real estate and pursuing his innumerable hobbies
including antique car and gun collections as well as raising horses.
In 1978 Norris made headlines when a firestorm destroyed his Malibu
home. In 1997 he moved to Fort Bragg, a small town two hours north of
San Francisco, where he died on December 18, 2002. He was 91 years
old.
classics, Norris was best known as the star of many Bs, thanks to his
appearances in innumerable second features during the 1930s and 1940s.
The son of a prominent gynecologist, Dr. Richard Cooper Norris, he grew up
in Philadelphia. At 16 he dropped out of the Culver Military Academy to
marry a socially prominent physician's daughter, and took a job as a
reporter. When the marriage ended two years later, Edward spent time on
the west coast where a chance meeting with famed director, William A. Wellman
netted him his first film work, as a double for actor Buddy Rogers in the
World War I classic, Wings (1927). Taking Wellman's advice, Norris headed
back east in 1928 to gain acting experience in stage productions and
traveling shows. By 1933 he was back in Hollywood where he soon won a
small role in Rouben Mamoulian's Queen Christina (1933), starring Greta Garbo.
His film debut landed him a long-term contract with MGM who intended to
groom him as a romantic leading man. Unfortunately Louis B. Mayer soon
abandoned plans for Norris after signing another handsome youngster,
Robert Taylor who quickly became a studio favorite. Unfortunately, only three
times during his Metro contract was Norris given opportunities
commensurate with his abilities: on loan out to Fox as a kidnapping
victim in the thriller Show Them No Mercy! (1935), as a young criminal attempting to save
his adolescent brother in the Oscar winning drama Boys Town (1938), and notably,
as a young teacher falsely accused of murdering one of his pupils in
Warners' wrenching social drama They Won't Forget (1937). The latter, Norris' favorite
role, won him wide acclaim and additional offers of employment from
other studios which MGM nixed.
Increasingly disgruntled, Norris became temporarily lost in a sea of
self-pity and booze, and in the process acquired a reputation for being
rebellious and unreliable. In 1938 he left MGM and signed with Fox who
also utilized him poorly. Although his first rate performance as a
reformed criminal in Fox's crime drama The Escape (1939) earned accolades, the
film was a second feature which garnered little attention. Sadly his
other Fox films including Frontier Marshal (1939), The Gorilla (1939), and Here I Am a Stranger (1939) gave him little
to do.
By 1941 Norris had conquered his demons and become a freelance actor
while serving as a pilot instructor for the U.S. Army Air Force.
Stationed in southern California, he continued to make movies,
appearing in 26 mostly low budget features from 1941 to 1945. In 1946
Norris film career reached its zenith with his starring role as a
bloodthirsty killer in Monogram's acclaimed noir classic Decoy (1946).
During the following decade he also earned good reviews for memorable
performances in over a dozen other features. His last screen appearance
came in 1955 in the United Artists western, The Kentuckian (1955).
After he ceased making films, Norris made several guest appearances on
television before retiring from acting in the early 1960s. A wealthy
man, thanks to shrewd investments, he devoted the remainder of his life
to managing his real estate and pursuing his innumerable hobbies
including antique car and gun collections as well as raising horses.
In 1978 Norris made headlines when a firestorm destroyed his Malibu
home. In 1997 he moved to Fort Bragg, a small town two hours north of
San Francisco, where he died on December 18, 2002. He was 91 years
old.