Edward Andrews

Over time his stark white hair, imposing build and horn-rimmed glasses influenced the roles he received, as he was often cast as an ornery boss, a cagey businessman or other officious types.

• Name — Edward Andrews • Born — 9 October 1914 • Birthplace — Griffin, Georgia, U.S. • Died — 8 March 1985 • Place of death — Santa Monica, California, U.S. • Education — University of Virginia • Occupation — Actor • Other Names — Eddy Andrews, Ed Andrews, Eddie Andrews • Years Active — 1936–1985 • Children — 3 • Illustration — Edward Andrews and Paul Newman from The Kaiser Aluminum Hour presentation of "Army Game".

Andrews was born in Griffin, Georgia, the son of an Episcopal priest, and was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Cleveland, Ohio, and Wheeling, West Virginia. At the age of 12, he won a walk-on role in a stock theater production featuring James Gleason. He later attended the University of Virginia.

Andrews made his stage debut at age 21 in 1935, progressing to Broadway that same year. During this period, Andrews starred in the short-lived but well-received military drama So Proudly We Hail in the lead role opposite Richard Cromwell. In 1936, Andrews debuted in the film Rushin' Art. In 1949 he made a brief, uncredited appearance as a neighbor to David Wayne's character in Adam's Rib. His next film appearance came in 1955 as the subversive and corrupt Rhett Tanner, head of a violent political machine, in The Phenix City Story. This was soon followed by roles in other films such as The Harder They Fall (1956), These Wilder Years (1956), Tea and Sympathy (1956), Tension at Table Rock (1956), The Unguarded Moment (1956), Hot Summer Night (1957), The Tattered Dress (1957), The Fiend Who Walked the West (1958) and Night of the Quarter Moon (1959).

Andrews guest-starred on many television series including Mama, Thriller, Goodyear Television Playhouse, Hands of Mystery, The United States Steel Hour, Justice (1954 series), Cheyenne, The Twilight Zone (in the episodes "Third From the Sun" and "You Drive"), The Real McCoys, The Eleventh Hour, Route 66, Naked City, Gunsmoke, Rawhide, The Untouchables, Bonanza, Alias Smith and Jones, The Wild Wild West, Ironside, The F.B.I., The Beverly Hillbillies, Mr. Novak, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, Love American Style, Ellery Queen, The Invaders, Bewitched, Hawaii Five-O, Charlie's Angels, The Rookies, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Storefront Lawyers, The Love Boat, The Andy Griffith Show, Fantasy Island, Three's Company, The Bob Newhart Show and Quincy, M.E.. Television producer Edward Montagne remembered "Eddie Andrews" from his appearances in the military sitcom The Phil Silvers Show (Sergeant Bilko) and cast him as a co-star on the ABC series Broadside (1964–1965) as the rarefied Commander Roger Adrian. "The amusing thing is that Ed Montagne first offered me the Captain Binghamton role in his McHale's Navy and I turned him down," said Andrews in 1965. "After seeing what a wonderful job Joe Flynn is doing with the role, I keep kicking myself for what was apparently a stupid decision. [Broadside] is roughly a distaff version of McHale's Navy. One reason I grabbed onto this series is that finally, I hope, I'll get an identity with exposure every week in the same role." Andrews had previously filmed the pilot for the popular series Hazel in the role of George Baxter. His was the only role recast when the pilot became a series; he was replaced by movie actor Don DeFore. Andrews played the character of Charley in the 1966 dramatization of Death of a Salesman, and was active in television productions throughout the early 1980s. He played Elton Dykstra on The Intruders, Ernest W. Stanley in The Man Who Came to Dinner, Mayor Robert Chisholm alongside Don Knotts in the film How to Frame a Figg (1971), and Mayor Massey on the television film The Whiz Kid and the Mystery at Riverton. In 1968, he played a safecracker in a four-part episode of I Dream of Jeannie and in early 1969, he appeared as a drug-dealing mortician on Mod Squad. He also had the lead role as Harry Flood in the NBC short-lived 1979 series Supertrain. In 1982, he appeared in an episode of ABC's Three's Company. Edward Andrews was also a familiar face in television commercials, advertising various products. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he appeared in a series of popular commercials for Bell Telephone as an overbearing executive.

Andrews's Broadway career was interrupted by military service during World War II. He served as the captain and commanding officer of Battery C within the 751st Field Artillery Battalion of the U.S. Army and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal in September 1945. Andrews married Emily Barnes in 1955. They had two daughters, Abigail and Tabitha, and a son, Edward III. Andrews was an avid yachtsman. Bewitched star Elizabeth Montgomery selected Tabitha as the name for her character's daughter after Andrews' daughter. She said: "The name was my idea. I loved it, because it was so old-fashioned. I got it from one of the daughters of Edward Andrews, the actor. The two Andrews girls are named Tabitha and Abigail."

On March 8, 1985, Andrews suffered a heart attack at his home in Pacific Palisades. He was transported to Santa Monica Hospital where he died later that day at the age of 70. A memorial service was held at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Pacific Palisades on March 11. Andrews was later cremated.

• The Phenix City Story (1955) – Rhett Tanner • The Harder They Fall (1956) – Jim Weyerhause • These Wilder Years (1956) – Leland G. Spottsford • Tea and Sympathy (1956) – Herb Lee • Tension at Table Rock (1956) – Kirk • Friendly Persuasion (1956) – Soldier (uncredited) • The Unguarded Moment (1956) – Mr. Bennett • Three Brave Men (1956) – Mayor Henry L. Jensen • Hot Summer Night (1957) – Deputy Lou Follett • The Tattered Dress (1957) – Lester Rawlings • Trooper Hook (1957) – Charlie Travers • The Fiend Who Walked the West (1958) – Judge Parker • Night of the Quarter Moon (1959) – Clinton Page • Elmer Gantry (1960) – George F. Babbitt • The Absent Minded Professor (1961) – Defense Secretary • The Young Savages (1961) – R. Daniel Cole • Love in a Goldfish Bowl (1961) – Sen. Clyde Holloway • The Young Doctors (1961) – Jim Bannister • Rawhide (1961) – Ben Andrews in S4:E1, "Incident at Rio Salado" • Rawhide (1962) – Lije Crowning in S5:E12, "Incident of the Querencias" • Advise & Consent (1962) – Senator Orrin Knox • 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962) – Herman • Son of Flubber (1963) – Defense Secretary • Bonanza (1963) – T4E16 "Song in the Dark" • The Thrill of It All (1963) – Gardiner Fraleigh • The Man from Galveston (1963) – Alonzo Hyde • The Twilight Zone (1964) – S5:E14 "You Drive" - Oliver Pope • A Tiger Walks (1964) – Governor Robbins • The Brass Bottle (1964) – Prof. Kenton • Good Neighbor Sam (1964) – Mr. Burke • Kisses for My President (1964) – Sen. Walsh • Send Me No Flowers (1964) – Dr. Ralph Morrissey • Youngblood Hawke (1964) – Quentin Judd • Fluffy (1965) – Griswald • The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) – Gen. Wallace Bleecker • Birds Do It (1966) – Gen. Smithburn • The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk (1967) – Dr. Montrose • The Trouble with Girls (1969) – Johnny • Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) – Admiral Harold R. Stark • The Doris Day Show (1970) – Colonel Fairburn in S2:E16, "Today's World Catches the Measles" • The Doris Day Show (1970) – Colonel Fairburn in S2:E26, "Colonel Fairburn Takes Over" • The Doris Day Show (1970) – Colonel Fairburn in S3:E16, "Doris vs. Pollution" • How to Frame a Figg (1971) – Mayor Robert Chisholm • The Million Dollar Duck (1971) – Morgan • The Doris Day Show (1971) – Colonel Fairburn in S3:E21, "Colonel Fairburn Jr." • The Doris Day Show (1972) – Colonel Fairburn in S5:E13, "The New Boss" • Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972) – Mr. Sampson • Avanti! (1972) – J.J. Blodgett • Charley and the Angel (1973) – Ernie, Banker • Wilbur and Orville: The First to Fly (1973) • The Photographer (1974) – Sgt. Sid Collins • The Seniors (1978) – The Banker • Sixteen Candles (1984) – Howard Baker • Gremlins (1984) – Mr. Roland Corben (final film role)