Clifton Avon "Cliff" Edwards (June 14, 1895 – July 17, 1971), nicknamed "Ukulele Ike", was an American pop singer, musician and actor. He enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop standards and novelty tunes, including a number one hit with "

Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds, and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell, Rita Moreno a ...

" in 1929. Later in his career, he appeared in films and did voices for

animated cartoon Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...

s, and is well-remembered as the voice of

Jiminy Cricket Jiminy Cricket is the Disney version of the Talking Cricket, a fictional character created by Italian writer Carlo Collodi for his 1883 children's book ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'', which Walt Disney adapted into the animated film '' Pinoc ...

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

's ''

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel, ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a poor man named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...

'' (1940) (introducing the standard '' When You Wish Upon a Star'') and ''

Fun and Fancy Free ''Fun and Fancy Free'' is a 1947 American animated musical fantasy anthology film produced by Walt Disney and Ben Sharpsteen and released on September 27, 1947, by RKO Radio Pictures. The film is a compilation of two stories: ''Bongo'', narrate ...

'' (1947), and Dandy Crow in Walt Disney's ''

Dumbo ''Dumbo'' is a 1941 American Animated film, animated Musical film, musical Fantasy film, fantasy Comedy drama, comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film i ...

'' (1941).

Early life and musical career

Edwards was born in

Hannibal, Missouri Hannibal is a city along the Mississippi River in Marion County, Missouri, Marion and Ralls County, Missouri, Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 17,108, ...

. He left school at age 14 and soon moved to

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

, and Saint Charles, Missouri, where he entertained as a singer in saloons. As many places had

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

s in bad shape or none at all, Edwards taught himself to play

ukulele The ukulele ( ; ); also called a uke (informally), is a member of the lute (ancient guitar) family of instruments. The ukulele is of Portuguese origin and was popularized in Hawaii. The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and con ...

to serve as his own accompanist (choosing it because it was the cheapest instrument in the music shop). He was nicknamed "Ukulele Ike" by a club owner who could never remember his name. He got his first break in 1918 at the Arsonia Cafe in

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, where he performed a song called " Ja-Da", written by the club's

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

, Bob Carleton. Edwards and Carleton made it a hit on the

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 ...

circuit. Vaudeville headliner

Joe Frisco Joe Frisco (born Louis Wilson Joseph; November 4, 1889 – February 18, 1958) was an American vaudeville performer who first made his name on stage as a jazz dancer, but later incorporated his stuttering voice to his act and became a popular ...

hired Edwards as part of his act, which was featured at

the Palace ''The Palace'' is a British drama television series that aired on ITV (TV network), ITV in 2008. Produced by Company Pictures for the ITV network, it was created by Tom Grieves and follows a fictional British Royal Family in the aftermath of t ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

—the most prestigious vaudeville theater—and later in the

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' were a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934, 1936, 1943, and 1957. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as '' The Ziegfeld Foll ...

. Edwards made his first

phonograph records A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English) or a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The g ...

in 1919. He recorded early examples of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

scat singing Originating in vocal jazz, scat singing or scatting is vocal Musical improvisation, improvisation with Non-lexical vocables in music, wordless vocables, Pseudoword#Nonsense syllables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. In scat singing, t ...

in 1922. The following year he signed a contract with

Pathé Records Pathé Records was an international record company and label and producer of phonographs, based in France, and active from the 1890s through the 1930s. Early years The Pathé record business was founded by brothers Charles and Émile Pathé, ...

. He became one of the most popular singers of the 1920s, appearing in several Broadway shows. He recorded many of the pop and novelty hits of the day, including " California, Here I Come", " Hard Hearted Hannah", " Yes Sir, That's My Baby", and " I'll See You in My Dreams". Some of the labels of Edwards' early recordings identify him as "Ukelele Ike," a then common misspelling of "ukulele." In 1924, Edwards performed as the headliner at the Palace, the pinnacle of his vaudeville success. That year he also featured in George and

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the ...

's first Broadway musical '' Lady Be Good'', alongside

Fred Fred or FRED may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Fred ...

and

Adele Astaire Adele Astaire Douglass (born Adele Marie Austerlitz, later known as Lady Charles Cavendish; September 10, 1896 – January 25, 1981) was an American dancer, stage actress, and singer. After beginning work as a dancer and vaudeville performe ...

. As a recording artist, his hits included "Paddlin’ Madeleine Home" (1925), " I Can't Give You Anything but Love" (1928), and the classic "

" (1929), which he introduced. Edwards's own compositions included "(I'm Cryin' 'Cause I Know I'm) Losing You", "You're So Cute (Mama o' Mine)", "Little Somebody of Mine", and "I Want to Call You 'Sweet Mama'". He also recorded a few "off-color" novelty songs for under-the-counter sales, including "I'm a Bear in a Lady's Boudoir", "Mr. Insurance Man", and "Give It to Mary with Love". Edwards, more than any other performer, was responsible for the soaring popularity of the ukulele. Millions of ukuleles were sold during the decade, and

Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley was a collection of History of music publishing, music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the American popular music, popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally ...

publishers added ukulele chords to standard

sheet music Sheet music is a handwritten or printed form of musical notation that uses musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chords of a song or instrumental musical piece. Like its analogs – printed Book, books or Pamphlet, pamphlets ...

. Edwards always played American

Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...

ukuleles, favoring the small soprano model in his early career. In his later years, he moved to the larger tenor ukulele, which was becoming popular in the 1930s. Edwards continued to record until shortly before his death in 1971. His last record album, ''Ukulele Ike'', was released posthumously on the independent Glendale label. He reprised many of his 1920s hits; his failing health was however evident in the recordings.

Film, radio, and television

In 1929, Cliff Edwards was playing at the Orpheum Theater in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

where he caught the attention of

movie A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

producer-director

Irving Thalberg Irving Grant Thalberg (May 30, 1899 – September 14, 1936) was an American film producer during the early years of motion pictures. He was called "The Boy Wonder" for his youth and ability to select scripts, choose actors, gather productio ...

. His film company

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

hired Edwards to appear in early sound movies. After performing in some short films, Edwards was one of the stars in the feature '' The Hollywood Revue of 1929'', doing some comic bits and singing some numbers, including the film debut of his hit "Singin' in the Rain". He appeared in a total of 33 films for MGM through 1933. He had a small role as Mike, playing a ukulele very briefly at the beginning of the 1931 movie ''

Laughing Sinners ''Laughing Sinners'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature film starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable in a story about a cafe entertainer who experiences spiritual redemption. The dialogue by Martin Flavin was based upon the ...

'' (1931), starring

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, 190? was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion-picture cont ...

. Edwards had a friendly working relationship with MGM's comedy star

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

, who featured Edwards in three of his films. Keaton, himself a former vaudevillian, enjoyed singing and harmonized with Edwards between takes. One of these casual jam sessions was captured on film, in '' Doughboys'' (1930), in which Keaton and Edwards scat-sing their way through "You Never Did That Before". Edwards was also an occasional supporting player in feature films and short subjects at

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

and

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...

. He played a wisecracking sidekick to Western star George O'Brien, and he filled in for

Allen Jenkins Allen Curtis Jenkins (born Alfred McGonegal; April 9, 1900 – July 20, 1974) was an American character actor, voice actor and singer who worked on stage, film, and television. He may be best known to some audiences as the voice of Officer Charl ...

as "Goldie" opposite

Tom Conway Tom Conway (born Thomas Charles Sanders; 15 September 1904 – 22 April 1967) was a British film, television, and radio actor. He is remembered for playing suave adventurer The Falcon in a series of 1940s films; and his appearances in three h ...

in ''The Falcon Strikes Back''. In a 1940 short, he led a cowboy chorus in ''Cliff Edwards and His Buckaroos''. Throughout the 1940s he appeared in a number of "B" Westerns playing the comic, singing sidekick to the hero, seven times with Charles Starrett and six with Tim Holt. Edwards appeared in the darkly sardonic

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

comedy '' The Bad Man of Brimstone'' (1937), and he played the character "Endicott" in the

screwball comedy Screwball comedy is a film subgenre of the romantic comedy genre that became popular during the Great Depression, beginning in the early 1930s and thriving until the early 1950s, that satirizes the traditional love story. It has secondary charact ...

film ''

His Girl Friday ''His Girl Friday'' is a 1940 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell and featuring Ralph Bellamy and Gene Lockhart. It was released by Columbia Pictures. The plot centers on a newspaper ...

'' (1940). In 1939, he voiced the off-screen wounded

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

soldier in ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind ...

'' in a hospital scene with

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; born Vivian Mary Hartley; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. After completing her drama school education, Leigh appeared in small roles in four films in 1935 and progress ...

and

Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British and American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her tim ...

. His most famous voice role was as

's ''

'' (1940), where he sings '' Give a Little Whistle'' and '' When You Wish Upon a Star''. Edwards's rendition of " When You Wish Upon a Star" is probably his most familiar recorded legacy. He voiced the head crow in Disney's ''

'' (1941) and sang "When I See an Elephant Fly". In 1932, Edwards had his first national radio show on CBS Radio. He continued hosting

network Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematics ...

radio shows through 1946. In the early 1930s, however, Edwards' popularity faded as public taste shifted to

crooner A crooner is a singer who performs with a smooth, intimate style that originated in the 1920s. The crooning style was made possible by better microphones that picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to acce ...

s such as

Russ Columbo Ruggiero Eugenio di Rodolfo Colombo (January 14, 1908 – September 2, 1934), known as Russ Columbo, was an American baritone, songwriter, violinist, and actor. He is famous for romantic ballads such as his signature tune "You Call It Madne ...

Rudy Vallee Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch poli ...

, and

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

. Arthur Godfrey's use of the ukulele spurred a surge in its popularity and those that played it, including Edwards. Like many vaudeville stars, Edwards was an early arrival on

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

. In the 1949 season, he starred in ''The Cliff Edwards Show'', a three-days-a-week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings) TV variety show on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

. In the 1950s and early 1960s, he made appearances on ''

The Mickey Mouse Club ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and briefly returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first te ...

'', in addition to performing his Jiminy Cricket voice for various Disney shorts and the Disney Christmas spectacular, '' From All of Us to All of You''.

Personal life

Edwards was careless with the money he made in the 1920s, always trying to sustain his expensive habits and lifestyle. He continued working during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, but never again enjoyed his former prosperity. Most of his income went to

alimony Alimony, also called aliment (Scotland), maintenance (England, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Canada, New Zealand), spousal support (U.S., Canada) and spouse maintenance (Australia), is a legal obligation on a person to provide ...

for his three former wives, and paying debts, and he declared

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

four times during the 1930s and early 1940s. Edwards married his first wife Gertrude (Benson) Ryrholm in 1917. Their marriage ended in divorce four years later. He married Irene Wylie in 1923; they divorced in 1931. In 1932, he married his third and final wife, actress Judith Barrett. They divorced in 1936. As well as being a lifelong heavy tobacco smoker, Edwards also was an

alcoholic Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...

, a drug addict and a

gambler Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three ele ...

for much of his career. Cliff Edwards Grave

Later years and death

In his final years, Edwards lived in a home for

indigent Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse

actors and often spent his time at the Walt Disney Studios to be available any time he could get voice work. He was sometimes taken to lunch by animators whom he befriended and told stories of his days in vaudeville. Edwards died on July 17, 1971, at the age of 76 from a

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...

brought on by

arteriosclerosis Arteriosclerosis, literally meaning "hardening of the arteries", is an umbrella term for a vascular disorder characterized by abnormal thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the walls of arteries; this process gradually restricts th ...

. At the time of his death, Edwards was a penniless charity patient at the Virgil Convalescent Hospital in

Hollywood, California Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...

. His body was unclaimed and was donated to the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

medical school. When

Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...

, which had been quietly paying many of his medical expenses, discovered this, they offered to purchase his remains and pay for the burial. Instead, it was done by the

Actors' Fund of America The Entertainment Community Fund, formerly The Actors Fund, is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports performers and behind-the-scenes workers in performing arts and Show business, entertainment, helping more than 17,000 people directl ...

(which had also aided Edwards) and the Motion Picture and Television Relief Fund. Disney paid for his grave marker.

Honors

In 2000, Edwards was awarded as a Disney Legend for voice-acting. In 2002, Edwards' 1940 recording on Victor, Victor 26477, "When You Wish Upon a Star", was inducted into the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

Compilation Discography

* ''Ukulele Ike Sings Again'' (Disneyland, 1956) * ''A Day at Disneyland with Walt Disney and Jiminy Cricket'' (Disneyland, 1957) * ''The Story of Walt Disney's Cinderella'' (Disneyland, 1957) * ''Songs, Games & Fun'' (RCA Victor, 1958) * ''I'm a Bear in a Lady's Boudoir'' (Yazoo, 1975) * ''Ukulele Ike'' (Glendale, 1978) * ''Cliff Edwards and His Hot Combination 1925–1926'' (Retrieval, 1978) * ''The Vintage Recordings of Cliff Edwards (Ukulele Ike)'' (Take Two, 1979) * ''The Musical Score of The Wizard of Oz/The Song Hits from Walt Disney's Pinocchio'' (MCA, 1980) * ''Ukulele Ike 1930's Radio Transcriptions: Live June 1947'' (Collectors' Choice, 1996) * ''I Did it With My Little Ukulele'' (Upbeat Jazz, 2013)

Partial filmography

* ''

Marianne Marianne () has been the national personification of the French Republic since the French Revolution, as a personification of liberty, equality, fraternity and reason, as well as a portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty. Marianne is displayed i ...

'' (1929) as Soapy * '' So This Is College'' (1929) as Windy * '' The Hollywood Revue of 1929'' (1929) as Himself * '' They Learned About Women'' (1930) as Singer in Harlem Madness number (uncredited) * '' Lord Byron of Broadway'' (1930) as Joe * ''Crazy House'' (1930, Short) as Writer * '' Doughboys'' (1930) as Nescopeck * '' Montana Moon'' (1930) as Froggy * '' Children of Pleasure'' (1930) as Cliff - Radio Performer (uncredited) * '' Way Out West'' (1930) as Trilby * '' Good News'' (1930) as Kearney * '' Those Three French Girls'' (1930) as Owly * ''

Remote Control A remote control, also known colloquially as a remote or clicker, is an consumer electronics, electronic device used to operate another device from a distance, usually wirelessly. In consumer electronics, a remote control can be used to operat ...

'' (1930) as Hog Caller (uncredited) * ''

Dance, Fools, Dance ''Dance, Fools, Dance'' is a 1931 pre-Code Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer drama film starring Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, and Lester Vail in a story about a reporter investigating the murder of a colleague. Story and dialogue were created by Aurania Rou ...

'' (1931) as Bert Scranton * '' The Prodigal'' (1931) as Snipe, a Tramp * '' Parlor, Bedroom and Bath'' (1931) as Bell Hop * '' Stepping Out'' (1931) as Paul Perkins * '' Shipmates'' (1931) as Bilge * ''

'' (1931) as Mike * '' The Great Lover'' (1931) as Finny * '' Sidewalks of New York'' (1931) as Poggle * ''

The Sin of Madelon Claudet ''The Sin of Madelon Claudet'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by Edgar Selwyn and starring Helen Hayes. The screenplay by Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht was adapted from the play ''The Lullaby'' by Edward Knoblock. It tells t ...

'' (1931) as Victor Lebeau * '' Hell Divers'' (1931) as "Baldy" * ''

Young Bride ''Young Bride'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by William A. Seiter and written by Garrett Fort, Ralph Murphy and Jane Murfin. The film stars Helen Twelvetrees, Eric Linden, Arline Judge, Roscoe Ates and Polly Walters. The ...

'' (1932) as Pete * '' Fast Life'' (1932) as Bumpy * ''

Flying Devils ''Flying Devils'' (a.k.a. ''The Flying Circus'' or ''Flying Circus'') is a 1933 American Pre-Code action film dealing with aviation. The film was directed by former Hollywood agent Russell Birdwell and photographed by film noir cinematographer ...

'' (1933) as 'Screwy' Edwards * '' Take a Chance'' (1933) as Louie Webb * ''

George White's Scandals ''George White's Scandals'' were a long-running string of Broadway revues produced by George White that ran from 1919–1939, modeled after the ''Ziegfeld Follies''. The "Scandals" launched the careers of many entertainers, including W. C. ...

'' (1934) as Stew Hart * ''

George White's 1935 Scandals ''George White's 1935 Scandals'' is an American musical film, written by Jack Yellen, directed by George White and Harry Lachman, and produced in 1935 by Fox Film Corporation. It was a follow-up to (but not a sequel to) the 1934 release, ' ...

'' (1935) as Dude * '' Red Salute'' (1935) as P.J. Rooney * '' The Man I Marry'' (1936) as Jerry Ridgeway * '' They Gave Him a Gun'' (1937) as Laro * '' Between Two Women'' (1937) as Snoopy * '' Saratoga'' (1937) as Tip * '' Bad Guy'' (1937) as 'Hi-Line' * ''

The Women Men Marry ''The Women Men Marry'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Errol Taggart and starring George Murphy, Josephine Hutchinson, Claire Dodd and Toby Wing. The film's script is credited to Donald Henderson Clarke. Plot Cast * George Murphy as ...

'' (1937) as Jerry Little * '' The Bad Man of Brimstone'' (1937) as 'Buzz' McCreedy * '' Big City'' (1937) * '' The Girl of the Golden West'' (1938) as Minstrel Joe * '' The Little Adventuress'' (1938) as Handy * '' Maisie'' (1939) as 'Shorty' Miller * '' Smuggled Cargo'' (1939) as Professor * ''

'' (1939) as Reminiscent Soldier * ''

'' (1940) as Reporter Endicott * ''

High School A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

'' (1940) as Jeff Jefferson * ''

'' (1940) as

(voice, uncredited) * '' Millionaires in Prison'' (1940) as Happy * '' Flowing Gold'' (1940) as 'Hot Rocks' Harris * ''Cliff Edwards and His Buckaroos'' (1940) as "Mr. Cliff" (Western short) * '' Friendly Neighbors'' (1940) as Notes * '' She Couldn't Say No'' (1940) as Banjo Page * ''

The Monster and the Girl ''The Monster and the Girl'' is a 1941 American black-and-white horror film directed by Stuart Heisler and released by Paramount Pictures. Plot The film revolves around a small-town church organist named Scott Webster ( Philip Terry) attemptin ...

'' (1941) as Leon Beecher 'Tips' Stokes * ''

Knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...

'' (1941) as Pinky (credits) / Sleepy * '' Power Dive'' (1941) as Squid Watkins * '' International Squadron'' (1941) as Omaha McGrath * ''

'' (1941) as Dandy Crow (voice, uncredited) * '' West of Tombstone'' (1942) as Harmony Haines * '' Sundown Jim'' (1942) as Stable proprietor * '' Bandit Ranger'' (1942) as Ike * '' Red River Robin Hood'' (1942) as Ike * '' Seven Miles from Alcatraz'' (1942) as Stormy * '' Pirates of the Prairie'' (1942) as Ike * '' American Empire'' (1942) as Runty * ''

Der Fuehrer's Face ''Der Fuehrer's Face'' (originally titled ''Donald Duck in Nutziland'' or ''A Nightmare in Nutziland'') is an American animated anti-Nazi propaganda short film produced by Walt Disney Productions, created in 1942 and released on January 1, 1943 ...

'' (1943) as

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

lead singer * '' Fighting Frontier'' (1943) as Ike * '' Salute for Three'' (1943) as Foggy * '' The Falcon Strikes Back'' (1943) as Goldie Locke * '' Sagebrush Law'' (1943) as Ike * '' The Avenging Rider'' (1943) as Ike * ''

'' (1947) as Jiminy Cricket (voice) * ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the late 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was bo ...

'' (1959) as AJ Mulvaney - Town Undertaker * '' Platinum High School'' (1960) as Frank (uncredited) * '' The Man from Button Willow'' (1965) as Doc / The Whip (voice, uncredited) * '' Once Upon a Studio'' (2023) as Jiminy Cricket (voice, archive audio)

References

External links

* *
Cliff Edwards
extensive fan site by David Garrick
Clifton Avon "Cliff" Edwards
bio on ragtimepiano.com

on RedHotJazz.com, with .ram files of his vintage recordings. {{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Cliff 1895 births 1971 deaths American street performers American crooners American male pop singers American male voice actors American ukulele players American vaudeville performers Disney Legends People from Hannibal, Missouri Male actors from St. Louis RCA Victor artists Scat singers Burials at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male singers Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players American whistlers