Edward Joel Pawley was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and attended Manuel Training High School, where he took drama classes. After graduation, he worked for six months in his half-brother's traveling stage show. In 1920, he moved to New York to pursue his dream of becoming a famous actor.
Pawley acted in various shows on and off Broadway before landing his first starring role as "Elmer Gantry" in the popular and controversial show of the same name in 1928. He continued to perform on Broadway in the early 1930s, supplementing his income by performing on radio with skits from his Broadway shows.
In 1933, Pawley left Broadway and moved to Hollywood, where he found work in over 50 films over a ten-year period. He was a versatile character actor, appearing in films with stars like James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Mickey Rooney, Rita Hayworth, and John Garfield.
However, Pawley became disenchanted with Hollywood in the early 1940s due to what he saw as attempted Communist infiltration of the movie industry. After making a speech against those in the industry who he believed had joined the Communist party, he found himself unable to obtain work due to "blackballing" by several producers and directors.
Consequently, Pawley left Hollywood in 1942 and returned to the New York stage, where he also worked on the popular radio series "Portia Faces Life". He played the role of the Love Story Boy on the show, alongside Lucille Wall.
In 1943, Pawley auditioned for the leading role in the popular drama series "Big Town", and won the part. He played Steve Wilson, the idealistic managing editor of the Illustrated Press, until 1952.
Pawley retired to Rappahannock County, Virginia, where he lived a domesticated existence, raising and selling championship goats, writing poetry, and working part-time as a radio announcer. He married his high school sweetheart, Martina May Martin, and later remarried Helen Shipman, a famous Broadway musical star.
Throughout his life, Pawley was known for his integrity, charm, eloquence, modesty, and patriotism, as well as his ability to perform successfully in three different entertainment mediums: stage, movies, and radio.
