Bruce Edwards (actor)

Edward Lester Smith (October 8, 1911 – September 20, 2002), stage name Bruce Edwards, was an American actor and photographer. He primarily played supporting roles in Hollywood films and film serials of the 1940s and early 1950s. After retiring in 1953, he pursued a photography career. A yachting enthusiast, he was also the owner-director of a summer camp for boys.

Bruce Edwards
Edwards in Prejudice (1949)
Born
Edward Lester Smith

(1911-10-08)October 8, 1911
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedSeptember 20, 2002(2002-09-20) (aged 90)
Thousand Oaks, California
OccupationActor, photographer
Spouse(s)
    Virginia Brand Andrews
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1936⁠–⁠1984)​
    (her death)
      Edith Joyce Birdwell
      ​
      ​
      (m. 1987⁠–⁠2002)​
      (his death)

      Early life and education

      Edward Lester Smith was born on October 8, 1911, in Los Angeles, California.[1] His parents were Clarence F. Smith and Susan Lotta.[1] His father, a captain in the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I, was killed in action in 1918.[2] He was raised by his mother.[3] He graduated from Los Angeles High School and Menlo College.[4]

      Career

      Actor
      Edwards (right) with Jane Withers and Cecil Kellaway in Small Town Deb (1941)

      Using the stage name Bruce Edwards, he made his film debut in an uncredited role in Flight Command (1940). After several more uncredited appearances, he landed the male lead opposite Jane Withers in Small Town Deb (1942).[3] After that he was mainly tapped for supporting roles, with the notable exception of starring as Stephen Colt in Republic Pictures' film serial The Black Widow (1947).[3] Mayer compared the quality of Edwards' repartee with co-star Virginia Lindley to the verbal sparring between Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday (1940).[3] Edwards appeared in two other film serials, including as the villainous Professor Paul Williams in the first six chapters of Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc (1948).[3] At the end of his career he acted in low-budget westerns.[3] He retired from Hollywood in 1953,[5] but continued to make occasional guest appearances in film and television.

      Photographer

      Based in Newport Beach, California, Smith worked as a photographer.[5] He photographed covers and articles for the Los Angeles Times's Home magazine.[4] He and his wife also wrote for the Sea Larking column in the Daily Pilot and Bay Window for the Balboa Bay Club, a private yacht club.[4]

      Personal life

      In March 1936,[6] Smith married Virginia Brand Andrews, who had a daughter from a previous marriage.[7] The couple's only child, Edward Lester Smith Jr., died one day after birth in July 1942 due to a cerebral hemorrhage.[8][9] Virginia was often mentioned in the local press for her social and fundraising activities.[10][11][12] Virginia died in 1984.[7] In March 1987, Smith remarried to Edith Joyce Birdwell,[13] who survived him.[4]

      A long-time resident of Lido Isle, Newport Beach, and La Quinta, California, Smith was a yachting enthusiast. He spent summers with his family aboard his 26 ft (7.9 m) sloop Typee in Cherry Cove, Catalina Island.[4][11] He sold Typee in 1959,[14] and in 1970 purchased a sloop named Sea Spree.[15][16]

      In 1959 he and his first wife opened the Catalina Marineros Camp in Fourth of July Cove, Catalina Island.[17] A 1960 ad for the camp for boys ages 7 to 16 described the activities as "outboarding, sailing and marinero's skills plus riding, swimming, hiking, tennis, baseball and other sports".[18] Smith and his first wife were avid tennis players as well.[19]

      Smith died on September 20, 2002, aged 90, in Thousand Oaks.[4] No funeral services were conducted; he was cremated and his ashes strewn at sea near Cherry Cove.[4][20]

      Filmography
      Film
      Year Title Role Notes
      1941 Marry the Boss's Daughter Jefferson Cole
      Small Town Deb Jack Richards
      Sun Valley Serenade Ski instructor
      1942 The Great Gildersleeve Governor's secretary
      Moontide Man
      1943 Petticoat Larceny Man answering telephone
      Flight for Freedom Flyer
      Hitler – Dead or Alive Johnny Stevens
      The Iron Major Lieutenant Jones
      The Fallen Sparrow Ab Parker
      Seven Miles from Alcatraz Nick
      Bombardier Lieutenant Ellis
      Gangway for Tomorrow Rogan
      The Falcon in Danger Mechanic
      1944 Government Girl FBI agent
      Bride by Mistake Chaplain
      My Pal Wolf Paul Anstey
      1945 A Game of Death Collins
      Betrayal from the East Purdy
      West of the Pecos Clyde Corbin
      Dick Tracy Sergeant
      First Yank into Tokyo Captain Harris
      Sing Your Way Home Chaplain
      1946 Dangerous Money Harold Mayfair
      Below the Deadline Sam Austin
      Bedlam Warden
      So Goes My Love Weldon
      The Bamboo Blonde Lieutenant
      Ding Dong Williams Director
      1947 Queen of the Amazons Greg Jones
      The Black Widow Stephen Colt Film serial
      1948 The Denver Kid Lt. Fletcher "Fletch" Roberts
      Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc Professor Paul Williams Film serial – Chapters 1-6
      1949 Powder River Rustlers Bob Manning
      Prejudice Al Green
      Bruce Gentry – Daredevil of the Skies Film serial
      1950 Sands of Iwo Jima Marine
      The Great Plane Robbery
      1951 Fort Dodge Stampede"" Jeff Bryan
      Lawless Cowboys Bob Rank
      Oklahoma Justice Jimmy Redding
      Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere Agent 34 Film serial – Chapter 4 (uncredited)
      1952 Confidence Girl 1st detective
      Montana Incident Benson
      1953 So This Is Love Minister
      The Story of Three Loves Chorus boy
      1964 The Cool World Warrior
      1986 Youngblood Thunder Bay trainer

      Sources:[5][21]

      Television
      Year Title Role Notes
      1951 Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok Bart York Season 2, episode 10: "Ex-Convict Story"[22]
      1952 Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok Whitey Peters Season 3, episode 15: "The Boy and the Bandit"[23]
      The Death Valley Kid [24]
      1953 The Lone Ranger Episode: "The Devil's Bog"[25]
      1971 Ironside Jury Foreman Episode: "The Riddle in Room Six"[26]

      References
      1. "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994". FamilySearch. 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
      2. "That Liberty Shall Not Perish From the Earth". San Bernardino County Sun. November 16, 1918. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
      3. Mayer 2017, p. 112.
      4. "Edward Lester Smith". Los Angeles Times. October 3, 2002. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
      5. Mayer 2017, pp. 112–3.
      6. "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952". FamilySearch. 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
      7. "Obituaries". The Desert Sun. May 23, 1984. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
      8. "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994". FamilySearch. 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
      9. "Vital Records". Los Angeles Times. July 13, 1942. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
      10. Fox, Christy (April 28, 1939). "Guides Wait for Circus and Dance". Los Angeles Times. p. 33 – via Newspapers.com.
      11. Copp, James (December 11, 1955). "Skylarking". Los Angeles Times. p. 120 – via Newspapers.com.
      12. "Smiths Survive Rigors of Summer Camp". Los Angeles Times. September 27, 1959. p. 166 – via Newspapers.com.
      13. "Marriages: Licenses Issued". The Desert Sun. March 2, 1987. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
      14. Ruskauff, Bob (February 13, 1959). "Couple to Tie Nautical Knot". Los Angeles Times. p. 75 – via Newspapers.com.
      15. Anderson, Pat (April 6, 1970). "Scene Around". The Desert Sun. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
      16. "VIPs at Balboa Bay Club". The Desert Sun. June 29, 1970. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
      17. Ruskauff, Bob (June 5, 1959). "2 Marine Race 'Biggies' Set". Los Angeles Times. p. 89 – via Newspapers.com.
      18. "Catalina Marineros Camp ad". Los Angeles Times. May 13, 1960. p. 92 – via Newspapers.com.
      19. Turner, Lisa Larson, ed. (April 22, 1974). "Lovers of Tennis Laud Living Legend Alice Marble". The Desert Sun. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
      20. "Edward Lester Smith". Daily Pilot. October 3, 2002. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
      21. "Bruce Edwards". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
      22. "Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok: Ex-Convict Story". The Video Detective. 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
      23. "Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok: The Boy and the Bandit". The Video Detective. 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
      24. Library of Congress 1953, p. 11.
      25. Gianakos 1992, p. 567.
      26. "Ironside: Riddle in Room 6 (1971)". AllMovie. 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.

      Sources
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