James Cardwell (born Albert Paine Cardwell; November 21, 1921 – January 31, 1954) was an American actor who appeared in more than 20 Hollywood films in the 1940s.

Career

Cardwell is probably best known for his debut as George Sullivan in 1944's

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

-nominated ''

The Fighting Sullivans ''The Fighting Sullivans'', originally released as ''The Sullivans'', is a 1944 American biographical war film directed by Lloyd Bacon and written by Edward Doherty, Mary C. McCall Jr., and Jules Schermer. It was nominated for a now-discontinued ...

'', based on the true story of five navy brothers who died in action together when their ship was torpedoed in the

Pacific Theater The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

during World War II. His other significant roles included the

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...

musical ''

Sweet and Low-Down ''Sweet and Low-Down'' is a 1944 film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Benny Goodman and Linda Darnell. The film was a fictionalized version of life with Goodman, his band, and their manager while entertaining at military camps. The song "I ...

'' (1944), the World War II drama '' A Walk in the Sun'' (1945), and the police drama ''

He Walked by Night ''He Walked by Night'' is a 1948 American police procedural film noir directed by Alfred L. Werker and an uncredited Anthony Mann. The film, shot in semidocumentary tone, was loosely based on newspaper accounts of the real-life actions of Erwin ...

'' (1948). Reviewing the 1945

Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan was conceived as an alter ...

mystery ''

The Shanghai Cobra ''The Shanghai Cobra'' is a 1945 mystery film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan.THE SHANGHAI COBRA (Monogram-Pathé) Picture Show; London Vol. 50, Iss. 1294, (Jul 27, 1946): 10. Synopsis When three bank employees ...

'', the ''

Kentucky New Era The ''Kentucky New Era'' is the major daily newspaper in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, in the United States. History The paper was founded in 1869 by John D. Morris and Asher Graham Caruth, as the ''Weekly Kentucky New Era.''Joan Barclay Joan Barclay (born Mary Elizabeth Greear; August 31, 1914 – November 22, 2002) was an American film actress of the 1930s and 1940s, starring mostly in B-movies and cliffhangers, with her career starting during the silent film era. Biography ...

." However, he found himself consigned to

B-movies A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

; 1949's '' Daughter of the Jungle'', in which Cardwell played the male lead opposite

Lois Hall Lois Grace Hall (August 22, 1926 – December 21, 2006) was an American actress. Early years Hall was born on August 22, 1926, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, the daughter of Lois Grace (née Lambert), a teacher, and Ralph Stewart Hall, a businessm ...

, earned the dubious distinction of a listing in the 1978 book ''

The Fifty Worst Films of All Time ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

''. In 1950, Cardwell toured Australia with comedian

Joe E. Brown Joseph Evans Brown (July 28, 1891 – July 6, 1973) was an American actor and comedian, remembered for his friendly screen persona, comic timing, and enormous elastic-mouth smile. He was one of the most popular American comedians in the 19 ...

in a production of the play ''

Harvey Harvey, Harveys or Harvey's may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Harvey'' (play), a 1944 play by Mary Chase about a man befriended by an invisible anthropomorphic rabbit * Harvey Awards ("Harveys"), one of the most important awards ...

''. He then joined the Colleano Troupe, a variety act, with whom he toured Australia, the UK, and the U.S. After returning to the U.S., he made two guest appearances in the Rod Cameron television series ''

City Detective ''City Detective'' is a half-hour syndicated crime drama starring Rod Cameron as Bart Grant, a tough 1950s New York City police lieutenant. The show's title was a bit of a misnomer, as Grant fought crime "from Mexico to the Mojave Desert to New ...

''. However, his movie career had stalled. He made only one additional appearance before his death: a small unbilled role in the 1954 monster film ''

Them! ''Them!'' is a 1954 American black-and-white science fiction film, science fiction monster film from Warner Bros. Pictures, produced by David Weisbart, directed by Gordon Douglas (director), Gordon Douglas, and starring James Whitmore, Edmund ...

Personal life

Cardwell was born Albert Paine Cardwell in Camden, New Jersey, the son of Raymond Cardwell and Bessie McCarroll. He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1940. In 1942, he married Esther Borton. They divorced two years later. In 1951, he became engaged to Australian model June Crocker, but she ended their relationship after she suffered serious burns in a stage accident. According to author Jeffery P. Dennis, Cardwell subsequently "came out" as gay.

Death

Apparently disheartened by his faltering career and financial difficulties, Cardwell fatally shot himself at the age of 32 in Los Angeles, California on January 31, 1954.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1944) as George Thomas Sullivan * ''

'' (1944) as Johnny Birch * ''

'' (1945) as Ned Stewart * ''

Voice of the Whistler ''Voice of the Whistler'' is a 1945 American mystery film noir directed by William Castle and starring Richard Dix, Lynn Merrick, and Rhys Williams. It was the fourth of Columbia Pictures' eight " Whistler" films produced in the 1940s, all based ...

'' (1945) as Fred Graham * '' A Walk in the Sun'' (1945) as Sergeant Hoskins * ''

Fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...

'' (1946) as Ben * '' Behind the Mask'' (1946) as Jeff Mann * ''

Canyon Passage ''Canyon Passage'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by Jacques Tourneur and set in frontier Oregon. It stars Dana Andrews, Susan Hayward and Brian Donlevy. Featuring love triangles and an Indian uprising, the film was adapted from the 1 ...

'' (1946) as Gray Bartlett * ''

The Missing Lady ''The Missing Lady'' is a 1946 American mystery film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Kane Richmond and Barbara Read. It was the third and final in a series of three films released by Monogram in 1946 starring Richmond as The Shadow, the ot ...

'' (1946) as Terry Blake * ''

The Devil on Wheels ''The Devil On Wheels'' is a 1947 American drama film directed by Crane Wilbur and starring Darryl Hickman. In addition to being the first film about street racing youth, it is also notable for being one of the first films to feature actresses ...

'' (1947) as Jeff Clark * ''

It Happened on Fifth Avenue ''It Happened on 5th Avenue'' is a 1947 American comedy film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Victor Moore, Ann Harding, Don DeFore, Charles Ruggles and Gale Storm. Herbert Clyde Lewis and Frederick Stephani were nominated for the Academy Aw ...

'' (1947) as Young man in barracks (uncredited) * '' Robin Hood of Texas'' (1947) as Duke Mantel * ''

The Return of the Whistler ''The Return of the Whistler'' is a 1948 American mystery film noir based on the radio drama ''The Whistler''. Directed by D. Ross Lederman, the production features Michael Duane, Lenore Aubert, and Dick Lane. This is the eighth and final entr ...

'' (1948) as Charlie Barkley * ''

King of the Gamblers ''King of the Gamblers'' is a 1948 American crime film directed by George Blair and starring Janet Martin, William Wright and Thurston Hall.Martin p.470 The film's sets were designed by the art director Frank Hotaling. Cast * Janet Martin a ...

'' (1948) as 'Speed' Lacey * ''

Daredevils of the Clouds ''Daredevils of the Clouds'' (aka ''Daredevils of the Sky'') is a 1948 American drama film directed by George Blair and produced by Republic Pictures. The film stars Robert Livingston, Mae Clarke and James Cardwell. ''Daredevils of the Clouds ...

'' (1948) as Johnny Martin * ''

Harpoon A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument and tool used in fishing, whaling, seal hunting, sealing, and other marine hunting to catch and injure large fish or marine mammals such as seals and whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the t ...

'' (1948) as Red Dorsett Jr. * '' Parole, Inc.'' (1948) as Duke Vigili * ''

'' (1948) as Chuck Jones * ''

Trouble Preferred ''Trouble Preferred'' is a 1948 American thriller film directed by James Tinling, written by Arnold Belgard, and starring Peggy Knudsen, Lynne Roberts, Charles Russell, Paul Langton, Marcia Mae Jones and Mary Bear. It was released on December 3 ...

'' (1948) as Hal 'Tuffy' Tucker * '' Daughter of the Jungle'' (1949) as Paul Cooper * ''

Down Dakota Way '' Down Dakota Way '' is a 1949 American Trucolor Western film directed by William Witney starring Roy Rogers. Plot Roy Rogers is called in to investigate after the murder of a veterinarian by a rancher named McKenzie (Roy Barcroft) who is ill ...

'' (1949) as Saunders * ''

San Antone Ambush ''San Antone Ambush'' is a 1949 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Philip Ford (film director), Philip Ford and written by Norman S. Hall. The film stars Monte Hale, Bette Daniels, Paul Hurst (actor), Paul Hurst, Roy Barcroft, J ...

'' (1949) as Clint Wheeler * '' Tokyo Joe'' (1949) as Military Police Captain (uncredited) * ''

And Baby Makes Three ''And Baby Makes Three'' is a 1949 American romantic comedy film directed by Henry Levin (film director), Henry Levin and starring Robert Young (actor), Robert Young and Barbara Hale. Plot Jackie Walsh, recently divorced from Vernon Walsh, is t ...

'' (1949) as Police officer (uncredited) * ''

The Arizona Cowboy ''The Arizona Cowboy'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by R. G. Springsteen and written by Bradford Ropes. The film stars Rex Allen, Teala Loring, Gordon Jones, Minerva Urecal, James Cardwell, and Roy Barcroft. The film was released ...

'' (1949) as Hugh Davenport * ''

'' (1954) as Officer (uncredited) (final film role)

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cardwell, James 1921 births 1954 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors Male actors from New Jersey Actors from Camden, New Jersey Suicides by firearm in California Woodrow Wilson High School (New Jersey) alumni 1954 suicides American gay actors LGBT people from New Jersey