Edward Byrne Breitenberger (July 30, 1932 – January 8, 2020), known professionally as Edd Byrnes, was an American actor, best known for his starring role in the television series '' 77 Sunset Strip.'' He also was featured in the 1978 film '' Grease'' as television teen-dance show host Vince Fontaine, and was a charting recording artist with "

Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb) "Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)" is a song written by Irving Taylor and performed by Edward Byrnes and Connie Stevens. The single was produced by Karl Engemann and arranged by Don Ralke, and was featured on Byrnes' 1959 album, ''Kookie S ...

" (with

Connie Stevens Connie Stevens (born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingolia; August 8, 1938) is an American actress and singer. Born in Brooklyn, New York City to musician parents, Stevens was raised there until age 12, when she was sent to live with family friends in r ...

Early life

Byrnes was born in New York City, the son of Mary (Byrne) and Augustus "Gus" Breitenberger. He had two siblings, Vincent and Jo-Ann. After his abusive alcoholic father died when Edd was 13, he dropped his last name in favor of Byrnes, based on the name of his maternal grandfather Edward Byrne. Byrnes developed the urge to act in high school but did not seriously consider pursuing it until after he had tried a number of other jobs, such as driving an ambulance, roofing and selling flowers. At age 17, he found work as a photographer's model.

Career

Early acting career

In 1956, Byrnes got an unpaid job in a summer stock theatre company in Connecticut, the Litchfield Community Playhouse. He soon began appearing in the company's plays as an actor; he also tried to get roles in

Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''T ...

productions, but had no luck. Also that year, he was cast in an episode of the ''

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

'' TV program. Byrnes also appeared in episodes of the late-1950s series '' Wire Service'' and ''

Navy Log ''Navy Log'' is an American drama anthology series created by Samuel Gallu that presented stories from the history of the United States Navy. This series ran on CBS from September 20, 1955, until September 25, 1956.On October 17, 1956, it moved ...

''. After a year, Byrnes moved to Hollywood. He appeared in a stage production of '' Tea and Sympathy''. Byrnes also appeared in episodes of '' The Adventures of Jim Bowie'', and '' Telephone Time'' and in the film '' Fear Strikes Out'' (1957). Byrnes was third-billed in the low budget film ''

Reform School Girl ''Reform School Girl'' is a 1957 film starring Gloria Castillo as a teenage girl who is sent to a reformatory. The film was directed by Edward Bernds and was produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff. ''Reform School Girl'' was one of many sexploitation fi ...

'' (1957) for American International Pictures, co-starring Sally Kellerman; the same year, he had a supporting role in the Warner Bros. film '' Johnny Trouble''. In 1957, Byrnes signed a three-year contract with John Carroll of Clarion Pictures. Byrnes tested for roles in the films '' Bernardine'' and '' Until They Sail'' but was unsuccessful. He did, however, guest star on an episode of ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...

'' made by

Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

., and a contemporary report described him as "a Tab Hunter type.". The studio liked Byrnes' work and signed him to a long-term contract in May 1957.

Warner Bros.

Warners started off Byrnes' contract by assigning him to a comic role in the war drama ''

The Deep Six ''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 ...

'' (1958). He also appeared in episodes of ''

'', '' The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna'' and '' Colt .45''. In 1958 he appeared (credited as Edward Byrnes) as Benji Danton on ''

'' in the episode titled "The Last Comanchero." When Tab Hunter refused a role in the war film ''

Darby's Rangers ''Darby's Rangers'' (released in the UK as ''The Young Invaders'') is a 1958 war film directed by William Wellman and starring James Garner as William Orlando Darby, who organizes and leads the first units of United States Army Rangers during Wor ...

'' (1958), Byrnes stepped in instead. He was wanted for ''

Baby Face Nelson Lester Joseph Gillis (December 6, 1908 – November 27, 1934), also known as George Nelson and Baby Face Nelson, was an American bank robber who became a criminal partner of John Dillinger, when he helped Dillinger escape from prison, in Crown P ...

'' (1957), but Warners would not loan him out. Byrnes also appeared in the romantic drama '' Marjorie Morningstar'' (1958) and '' Life Begins at 17'' (1958). He appeared as a guest star in ''

Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Bure ...

'', '' The Deputy'', and '' Sugarfoot'', in the latter with John Russell, Rodolfo Hoyos Jr., and Will Wright in the 1958 season-premiere episode "Ring of Sand." He was in another war film titled '' Up Periscope'' (1959).

''77 Sunset Strip''

Byrnes was cast in '' Girl on the Run'', a pilot for a detective show starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Byrnes played contract killer Kenneth ("Kookie") Smiley, who continually combed his hair – Byrnes said this was an idea of his which the director liked and kept in. Around this time Byrnes decided to change his acting name from "Edward" to "Edd". "I just dreamed it up one day", he said. "Edward is too formal and there are lots of Eddies." The show aired in October 1958 and was so popular Warners decided to turn it into a TV series: '' 77 Sunset Strip''. Byrnes' character became an immediate national teen sensation, prompting the producers to make Byrnes a regular cast member. They transformed Kookie from a hitman into a

parking valet Valet parking is a parking service offered by some restaurants, stores, and other businesses. In contrast to "self-parking", where customers find a parking space on their own, customers' vehicles are parked for them by a person called a ''valet' ...

at Dino's Lodge who helped as a

private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

. Zimbalist Jr. explained the situation to the audience: Kookie's recurring character—a different, exciting look that teens of the day related to—was the valet-parking attendant who constantly combed his piled-high, greasy-styled teen hair, often in a

windbreaker A windbreaker, or a windcheater, is a thin fabric jacket designed to resist wind chill and light rain, making it a lighter version of the jacket. It is usually of lightweight construction and characteristically made of a synthetic material. ...

jacket, and who worked part-time at the so-called

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

's Dino's Lodge restaurant, next door to a private-investigator agency at 77

Sunset Strip The Sunset Strip is the stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through the city of West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane to its western border with Beverl ...

West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages ...

. Kookie frequently acted as an unlicensed, protégé detective who helped the private eyes (Zimbalist and Roger Smith) on their cases, based upon "the word" heard from Kookie's street informants. Kookie called everybody "Dad" (as in "Sure thing . . . Dad") and was television's homage to the "

Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian an ...

" style of cult- hipster of the late 1950s. Edd Byrnes Kookie Sue Randall 77 Sunset Strip 1964

The show became the most popular one in the country. To the thrill of teen viewers, Kookie spoke a jive-talk "code" to everyone, whether you understood him or not, and Kookie knew, better than others, "the word on the street." Although the Kookie character was at least several years older than Jim Stark,

James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, '' Rebel Without a Caus ...

's character in the film '' Rebel Without a Cause'', Byrnes exuded a similar sense of cool. Kookie was also the progenitor of

Henry Winkler Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE (born October 30, 1945), is an American actor, comedian, author, executive producer, and director. After rising to fame as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the American television series '' Happy Days'', Winkler has ...

's The Fonz character of the '' Happy Days'' series (switch hot rod for motorcycle; same hair and comb). By April 1959, Byrnes was among the most popular young actors in the country. "I was a nobody", said Byrnes. "Now I'm dragging in over 400 letters a week and I'm a name." Kookie's constant onscreen tending of his ducktail haircut led to many jokes among comedians of the time, and it resulted in the 1959-charted (13 weeks) 'rap' style recording, "

", recorded with actress and recording artist

, and which reached #4 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

. The song also appeared on the Edd Byrnes album, entitled (what else) ''Kookie''. He and Stevens appeared together on ABC's '' The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom.'' During the run of ''77 Sunset Strip'', Byrnes, as the "Kookie" character, was a popular celebrity, and Byrnes received fan-mail that reached 15,000 letters a week, according to ''Picture Magazine'' in 1961; this rivalled most early rock recording-stars of the day.

Clashes with Warners

Warners put him in the second lead of a Western, ''

Yellowstone Kelly ''Yellowstone Kelly'' is a 1959 American Western film based upon a novel by Heck Allen (using his pen name Clay Fisher, which shows in the film credits) with a screenplay by Burt Kennedy starring Clint Walker as Luther Sage "Yellowstone" Kelly ...

'' (1959), supporting Clint Walker, star of another Warners show, ''

''; it was a minor success at the box office. "I'm not studying", said Byrnes at the time. "Why should I? I get all my experience in front of the camera. You get in front of the camera every day and you've got to learn." Byrnes walked off the show in the second season, demanding a bigger part and higher pay. In November 1959, Warners put him on suspension. They eventually offered $750 a week but he refused. In April 1960, they came to terms and Byrnes went back to work. Owing to restrictions in his

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

television contract, Byrnes was forced to turn down film roles in ''

Ocean's Eleven ''Ocean's Eleven'' is a 2001 American heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh from a screenplay by Ted Griffin. The first installment in the ''Ocean's'' film trilogy, it is a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film of the same name. The ...

'' (1960); '' Rio Bravo'' (1959); '' North to Alaska'' (1960) and '' The Longest Day'' (1962). He tested for the role of John F. Kennedy in '' PT 109'', but President Kennedy preferred Cliff Robertson.; instead of making that movie, he guest starred on '' Lawman''. Byrnes made a cameo as Kookie in ''

Surfside Six ''Surfside 6'' is an American Broadcasting Company, ABC television series which aired from 1960 to 1962. The show centered on a Miami Beach, Florida, Miami Beach detective agency set on a houseboat and featured Troy Donahue as Sandy Winfield II ...

'' and ''

Hawaiian Eye ''Hawaiian Eye'' is an American detective television series that ran from October 1959 to April 1963 on the ABC television network. Premise Private investigator Tracy Steele ( Anthony Eisley) and his half-Hawaiian partner, Tom Lopaka ( Robert ...

'', a ''77 Sunset Strip''

spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...

. He bought a story for Warners, ''Make Mine Vanilla'', but it was not made. He threatened to punch a photographer who was trying to take a photo of him getting a marriage license. He did some summer stock in 1962 with his wife. Although Byrnes was a popular celebrity, typecasting led him to ultimately buy out his television contract with Warner Brothers to clear his way for films—but it was too late for Byrnes to capitalize on feature-length cinema projects based upon his established television-series fame.

Post-Warner Bros.

In August 1963 Byrnes bought up the remaining ten months of his contract with Warner Bros. and left ''Sunset Strip''. "No more hipster image for me", said Byrnes. "From now on I'd like to establish myself as a movie star." Byrnes appeared in episodes of '' The Alfred Hitchcock Hour''; '' Burke's Law'' and '' Kraft Suspense Theatre''. He travelled to Yugoslavia where he was one of several names in Roger Corman's ensemble war film '' The Secret Invasion'' (1964). While in Europe he signed to do a TV show in Munich. Back in the United States, he made a pilot for a TV series, ''Kissin' Cousins'', based on the

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

film '' Kissin' Cousins'' (1964), with Byrnes taking the part of the lieutenant played by Presley in the film; it did not go to series. Byrnes starred in a beach party movie financed by Corman, '' Beach Ball'' (1965). While working on ''Beach Ball'' with Byrnes,

Chris Noel Chris Noel (Sandra Louise Noel, born July 2, 1941) is a retired American actress and entertainer. Noel is best known for her appearances in beach party movies in the 1960s, and for her work on the Armed Forces Radio And Television Servic ...

complained about his behavior. He was in episodes of '' Mister Roberts''; '' Honey West'' and ''

Theatre of Stars ''Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'' is an American anthology series, sponsored by Chrysler Corporation, which ran on NBC from 1963 through 1967. The show was hosted by Bob Hope, but it had a variety of formats, including musical, dramatic ...

'', and did ''Picnic''; ''Bus Stop''; ''Sunday in New York''; ''Sweet Bird of Youth'' and ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' on stage in stock. The shadow of Kookie hung over him. "People think that's the only role you can play", he said in 1966. "Producers and directors still think of me as the kid I played on the Strip. I've been offered other series but they've still wanted to cast me as the same kid." Byrnes returned to Europe for several

Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

s, which included the 1967 films '' Renegade Riders''; ''

Any Gun Can Play ''Any Gun Can Play'' ( it, Vado... l'ammazzo e torno) is a 1967 spaghetti Western starring Gilbert Roland, Edd Byrnes Edward Byrne Breitenberger (July 30, 1932 – January 8, 2020), known professionally as Edd Byrnes, was an American actor, be ...

'' and '' Red Blood, Yellow Gold''. In 1969 he said he made more money in the preceding year than in his entire time at Warner Bros. Back in the US he worked mostly in TV; this included episodes of ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that ran from 1967 to 1975 on CBS. It was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller. The title character, Joe Mannix, is a private in ...

''; ''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...

''; '' The Virginian''; ''

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the st ...

'' and '' Pathfinders''. He was also in the TV movies ''The Silent Gun'' (1969), starring Lloyd Bridges, and ''The Gift of Terror'' (1973), starring Denise Alexander and

Will Geer Will Geer (born William Aughe Ghere; March 9, 1902 – April 22, 1978) was an American actor, musician, and social activist, who was active in labor organizing and other movements in New York and Southern California in the 1930s and 1940s. In C ...

. Byrnes had a supporting role in the '' Duo-Vision'' horror film '' Wicked, Wicked'' in 1973, starring

Tiffany Bolling Tiffany Bolling (born Tiffany Royce Kral) is a retired American actress, model and singer, best known for her appearances in cult movies. Early years Bolling was born in Santa Monica, California. Her father was singer/pianist Roy Kral and h ...

, and played a TV interviewer in the David Essex film ''

Stardust Stardust may refer to: * A type of cosmic dust, composed of particles in space Entertainment Songs * “Stardust” (1927 song), by Hoagy Carmichael * “Stardust” (David Essex song), 1974 * “Stardust” (Lena Meyer-Landrut song), 2012 * ...

'' (1974). In 1974, Byrnes hosted the pilot of ''

Wheel of Fortune The Wheel of Fortune or '' Rota Fortunae'' has been a concept and metaphor since ancient times referring to the capricious nature of Fate. Wheel of Fortune may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Art * ''The Wheel of Fortune'' (Burne-J ...

'', but NBC chose Chuck Woolery instead. He was a guest star in '' Marcus Welby, MD''; ''

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

''; '' Police Story''; '' Police Woman'' and '' Sword of Justice''; and was also in the TV movies ''Mobile Two'' (1975) and ''Telethon'' (1977).

''Grease''

Byrnes played a small but memorable role of the

Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American radio and television personality, television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting '' American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 19 ...

-like dance-show host Vince Fontaine, host of ''National Bandstand'', in the 1978 movie '' Grease''. The box office success of the film led to Byrnes becoming the only regular cast member of the NBC comedy-drama

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a dif ...

'' $weepstake$'' in early 1979, but it only lasted nine episodes. He went back to guest starring in shows like '' CHiPs'', '' B.J. and the Bear'', '' House Calls'', ''

Charlie's Angels ''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by ...

'', '' Vega$'', '' The Love Boat'', ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tatto ...

'', ''

Quincy M.E. ''Quincy, M.E.'' (also called ''Quincy'') is an American mystery medical drama television series from Universal Studios that aired on NBC from October 3, 1976, to May 11, 1983. Jack Klugman starred in the title role as a Los Angeles County medi ...

'', '' The Master'', '' Simon & Simon'', and '' Crazy Like a Fox''.

Later career

Byrnes had a small role in the Erin Moran TV film ''Twirl'' (1981) and the lead in ''Erotic Images'' (1983) with Britt Ekland. Byrnes also appeared in ''

Mankillers ''Mankillers'', also known as ''12 Wild Women'', is a 1987 action film written and directed by David A. Prior. Filmed in 1986 in and around Riverside, California, United States, it was shot back to back with ''Deadly Prey'' as part of the newly ...

'' (1987); '' Back to the Beach'' (1987); '' Party Line'' (1988) and '' Troop Beverly Hills'' (1989). Later appearances included parts in: ''

Throb ''Throb'' is an American sitcom that aired in syndication from September 6, 1986, to May 21, 1988. The series, created by Fredi Towbin, was produced by Procter & Gamble Productions in association with Taft Entertainment Television, and was dist ...

''; '' Unhappily Ever After''; '' Rags to Riches''; ''

Mr. Belvedere ''Mr. Belvedere'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on ABC from March 15, 1985, to July 8, 1990. The series is based on the Lynn Aloysius Belvedere character created by Gwen Davenport for her 1947 novel ''Belvedere'', which was later ...

''; '' Empty Nest''; '' Burke's Law'' (the revival); ''

'', '' Kung Fu: The Legend Continues'' and ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The seri ...

''. In 1992, he played a fictionalized version of himself on ''Married with Children'', being a celebrity endorser for a

time share A timeshare (sometimes called vacation ownership) is a property with a divided form of ownership or use rights. These properties are typically resort condominium units, in which multiple parties hold rights to use the property, and each own ...

and having the thrash metal band

Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis''. It can occur in four forms: skin, lungs, intestinal, and injection. Symptom onset occurs between one day and more than two months after the infection is contracted. The s ...

singing the trademark "Kookie" song. One of his final TV roles was a small role in the mini-series '' Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story'' (1999).

Personal life and death

Byrnes’s son by Asa Maynor is Logan Byrnes, a television news anchor for KUSI-TV News in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, since 2018, after performing the same duty at KTTV in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

. Before 2016 he was at Fox Connecticut from 2008. Byrnes died of natural causes on January 8, 2020, at his Santa Monica home. He was 87 years old. His body was cremated after his death.

Legacy

As a tribute to his enduring celebrity and his iconic "Kookie" character, Byrnes has ranked #5 in ''TV Guide's'' list of "TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols" (23 January 2005). In 1996, he wrote an autobiography with

Marshall Terrill Marshall Terrill (born December 17, 1963, in Texarkana, Texas) is an American author and journalist. He is noted for biographies on Steve McQueen, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Billy Graham and Pete Maravich. Early years: 1963-1982 Terrill is ...

titled ''Kookie No More''. Byrnes appeared during the Memphis Film Festival in June 2014; he was reunited with his former ''Yellowstone Kelly'' co-star Clint Walker.

Filmography

*'' Fear Strikes Out'' (1957) as Boy in Car Assisting Jimmy Up Stairway (uncredited) *''

'' (1957) as Vince *'' Johnny Trouble'' (1957) as Elliott *''

'' (1957–1960, TV Series) as Stableboy / Wes Fallon in the episode: "Stage West"/ The Kid *''

'' (1957–1958, TV Series) as Clay Rafferty / Benji Danton (as Edward Byrnes) *'' Sugarfoot' (Warner Bros. Studios) as Borden in "Ring of Sand" *''

'' (1958) as Rescue Seaman (voice, uncredited) *''

'' (1958) as Lt. Arnold Dittman *'' Marjorie Morningstar'' (1958) as Sandy Lamm *'' Life Begins at 17'' (1958) as Jim Barker *'' Girl on the Run'' (1958) as Kenneth Smiley *'' Up Periscope'' (1959) as Pharmacist Mate Ash *''

'' (1959) as Anse Harper *'' The Secret Invasion'' (1964) as Simon Fell *'' Beach Ball'' (1965) as Dick Martin *''

'' (1967) as Clayton – the Banker *'' Red Blood, Yellow Gold'' (1967) as 'Chattanooga Jim' *'' Renegade Riders'' (1967) as 'Stuart' *''The Silent Gun'' (1969, TV Movie) as Joe Henning *'' Wicked, Wicked'' (1973) as Henry Peter 'Hank' Lassiter *'' Adam 12'' (1973, TV Series) as Skinner *''

'' (1974) as TV Interviewer *'' Grease'' (1978) as Vince Fontaine *'' $weepstake$'' (TV series) as The $weepstake$ M.C. (9 episodes) *''Erotic Images'' (1983) as Logan Roberts *'' Back to the Beach'' (1987) as Valet *''

'' (1987) as Jack Marra *'' Party Line'' (1988) as Maitre d' *'' Troop Beverly Hills'' (1989) as Ross Coleman *'' Married... with Children'' (1992) as a prospective neighbor to Al and Peg *'' Murder She Wrote'' (1993) as Producer Moguel Freddy in a murder mystery Season 9 Episode 10 "The Sound of Murder" *'' Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story'' (1999, TV Movie) as Bobby Icovella (final film role)

References

Citations

Sources

* * * * *

External links

* * *
Roy Huggins' Archive of American Television Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Byrnes, Edd 1932 births 2020 deaths American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from Los Angeles Male actors from New York City Male Spaghetti Western actors 20th-century American male actors Warner Bros. contract players