Edwin Fitzgerald Jr. (February 4, 1905 – July 15, 1983), known professionally as Eddie Foy Jr., was an American stage, film and television actor. His career spanned six decades, beginning as part of the vaudeville act Eddie Foy and the Seven Little Foys. Sevenlittlefoys-Jan22-1916

Career

Foy made his Broadway debut in

Florenz Ziegfeld Florenz Edward Ziegfeld Jr. (; March 21, 1867 – July 22, 1932) was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), inspired by the '' Folies Bergère'' of Paris. He al ...

's 1929 extravaganza ''Show Girl'' alongside Ruby Keeler and

Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side New York accent, accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced son ...

. He also appeared in '' At Home Abroad'', '' The Cat and the Fiddle'', '' The Red Mill'', ''

The Pajama Game ''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel '' 7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Dances were staged by Bob Fosse in his chor ...

'', '' Donnybrook!'' and '' Rumple'' (1957), for which he received a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

nomination as Best Actor in a Musical. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Foy appeared in many B movies. He closely resembled his father and portrayed him in four feature films: '' Frontier Marshal'' (1939), ''

Lillian Russell Lillian Russell (born Helen Louise Leonard; December 4, 1860 or 1861 – June 6, 1922) was an American actress and singer. She became one of the most famous actresses and singers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, praised for her beaut ...

'' (1940), ''

Yankee Doodle Dandy ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' is a 1942 American biographical musical drama film about George M. Cohan, known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway". It stars James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, and Richard Whorf, and features Irene Manning, Geo ...

'' (1942) and '' Wilson'' (1944). He also portrayed his father in a 1964 telefilm about the family's early days in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

. Among Foy's other film credits are those for '' The Farmer Takes a Wife'', ''

'', '' Bells Are Ringing'' and '' Gidget Goes Hawaiian''. Foy found steady work with the advent of television. In addition to starring in the first hour-long

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

, '' Fair Exchange'', he made numerous guest appearances on programs such as '' The Gisele MacKenzie Show'', ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'', '' Glynis'', '' My Living Doll'', '' Burke's Law'', '' ABC Stage 67'', ''

My Three Sons ''My Three Sons'' is an American television sitcom that aired from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972. The series was filmed in black-and-white and broadcast on ABC during its first five seasons, before moving to CBS for the remaining seve ...

'' and '' Nanny and the Professor''.

Personal life

Foy was married to Anna Marie McKenney from 1933 until her death in 1952. They had a son, Eddie Foy III,

Death

Foy died of

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...

in Los Angeles on July 15, 1983, at age 78.

Filmography

* '' The Swell Head'' (1928) * '' Queen of the Night Clubs'' (1929) – Eddie Parr * '' Leathernecking'' (1930) – Chick Evans * '' Nearly Naked'' (1933) – Eddie * '' Broadway Thru a Keyhole'' (1933) – Joan's partner * '' Myrt and Marge'' (1933) – Eddie Hanley * ''

Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Olympia (Par ...

'' (1934) – Magician (uncredited) * ''

Wonder Bar ''Wonder Bar'' is a 1934 American film adaptation of a Broadway musical of the same name directed by Lloyd Bacon with musical numbers created by Busby Berkeley. It stars Al Jolson, Kay Francis, Dolores del Río, Ricardo Cortez, Dick Pow ...

'' (1934) – Chorus Boy / Angel Measuring Wings (uncredited) * '' King of Burlesque'' (1936) – Dancer (uncredited) * '' Star for a Night'' (1936) – Dancer (uncredited) * '' College Holiday'' (1936) – Dancer (uncredited) * '' Turn Off the Moon'' (1937) – Dancer * ''

Secret Service of the Air ''Secret Service of the Air'' (also known as ''Murder Plane'') is a 1939 American adventure film directed by Noel M. Smith and starring Ronald Reagan. This film was the first in Warner Bros.' Secret Service series. The series consisted of four ...

'' (1939) – Gabby Watters (#1 'Secret Service series') * ''

Women in the Wind ''Women in the Wind'' is a 1939 film directed by John Farrow and starring Kay Francis, William Gargan and Victor Jory. The plot concerns women pilots competing in the so-called " Powder Puff Derby", an annual transcontinental air race solely ...

'' (1939) – Denny Corson * ''

Code of the Secret Service ''Code of the Secret Service'' is a 1939 film directed by Noel M. Smith and starring Ronald Reagan. It is the second of four films in the U.S. Secret Service Agent Brass Bancroft series, having been preceded by '' Secret Service of the Air'' ( ...

'' (1939) – Gabby (#2 'Secret Service series') * '' Frontier Marshal'' (1939) –

Eddie Foy Edwin Fitzgerald (March 9, 1856 – February 16, 1928Cullen, Frank; Hackman, Florence; and McNeilly, Donald. ''Vaudeville, Old and New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America''. Routledge Press, September 2006, . pp. 406–410), ...

* '' The Cowboy Quarterback'' (1939) – Steve Adams * '' Smashing the Money Ring'' (1939) – Gabby (#3 'Secret Service series') * ''

'' (1940) – Eddie Foy Sr. * '' Murder in the Air'' (1940) – Gabby Watters (#4 'Secret Service series', final) * '' A Fugitive from Justice'' (1940) – Ziggy * '' Scatterbrain'' (1940) – Eddie MacIntyre * '' The Texas Rangers Ride Again'' (1941) – Mandolin * '' The Case of the Black Parrot'' (1941) – Tripod Daniels * '' Rookies on Parade'' (1941) – Cliff Dugan * '' Country Fair'' (1941) – Johnny Campbell * '' Puddin' Head'' (1941) – Harold L. Montgomery Jr. * ''

Four Jacks and a Jill Four Jacks and a Jill is a South African folk rock ensemble. Career They originally formed in 1964 without a "Jill" under the name "The Nevadas". Subsequently, they became the first group in South Africa to wear their hair long and they changed ...

'' (1942) – Happy McScud * '' Yokel Boy'' (1942) – Joe Ruddy * ''

'' (1942) – Eddie Foy * '' Powder Town'' (1942) – Mr. Billy Meeker * '' Moonlight Masquerade'' (1942) – Lord Percy Ticklederry * '' Joan of Ozark'' (1942) – Eddie McCabe * '' Dixie Dugan'' (1943) – Matt Hogan * ''

Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas have shifted over the years), or the extent of the area i ...

'' (1943) – Mr. Felham * '' And the Angels Sing'' (1944) – Fuzzy Johnson * '' Wilson'' (1944) – Eddie Foy * '' Honeychile'' (1951) – Eddie Price * '' The Farmer Takes a Wife'' (1953) – Fortune Friendly * '' Lucky Me'' (1954) – Duke McGee * ''

'' (1957) – Vernon Hines * ''

'' (1959) (Season 4 Episode 22: "The Right Price") – "The Cat" * '' Bells Are Ringing'' (1960) – J. Otto Prantz * '' Gidget Goes Hawaiian'' (1961) – Monty Stewart * '' Gidget Goes to Rome'' (1963) – Beachgoer Wanting to Use Phone (uncredited) * '' 30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia'' (1968) – Oscar * ''

Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood ''Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood'' is a 1976 American comedy film directed by Michael Winner, and starring Bruce Dern, Madeline Kahn, Teri Garr and Art Carney. Spoofing the craze surrounding Rin Tin Tin, the film is notable for the larg ...

'' (1976) – Custard Pie Star

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Foy Jr., Eddie American male stage actors American male film actors American male television actors American male child actors American male musical theatre actors American vaudeville performers 1905 births 1983 deaths Male actors from New Rochelle, New York 20th-century American male actors Deaths from pancreatic cancer in California 20th-century American male singers