Edward Woods

For other people named Edward Woods, see Edward Woods (disambiguation).

Edward Woods
Born	(1903-07-05)July 5, 1903 Menominee, Michigan, U.S.
Died	August 10, 1989(1989-08-10) (aged 86) Van Nuys, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Southern California
Years active	1923-1942
Spouse(s)	Gabrielle Margery Morris (19??-1989; his death); 1 daughter
Children	Robin Woods

Edward Woods (July 5, 1903 – October 8, 1989) was an American actor. He is probably best known for his extensive role as Matt Doyle in The Public Enemy opposite James Cagney.

Life and career

James Cagney and Edward Woods in The Public Enemy (1931)

Woods' parents were Mary Clark and William B. Woods, and he had two brothers, Roy C. and William B. Woods. After graduating from the University of Southern California, Woods became an actor. He appeared at the old Salt Lake Theatre in The Copperhead, as Lionel Barrymore's teenage son. In New York City, he appeared in many successful Broadway productions then began a movie career. He worked with Cary Grant, Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, John Barrymore, and Clark Gable.

His most famous role was playing "Matt Doyle" opposite James Cagney's "Tom Powers" in The Public Enemy (1931). Although he initially cast Woods in the lead role as Powers, director William Wellman switched Woods' role with Cagney's after viewing Cagney's performance in the dailies. In the sequences at the beginning of the film, the children's appearances are reversed because those scenes were filmed before the switch and the studio opted not to pay to refilm them, which has confused viewers ever since. The studio had promised to make the role switch up to him with later parts but reneged and dropped him when his contract expired.

Woods' acting credits on Broadway included Tortilla Flat (1938), One Good Year (1935), Houseparty (1929), Zeppelin (1929), Trapped (1928), and Speak Easy (1927). He was the producer of Buttrio Square (1952) on Broadway.

After his film acting career ended, Woods went into producing, directing, and theatrical management, working with the Schubert Organization and 20th Century Fox. During World War II, he worked with Warner Bros. star Ronald Reagan making training films for the U.S. Army.

Family

He retired in 1975, and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. Woods married Gabrielle Margery Morris, and the couple had a daughter, Robin.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1930	Mothers Cry	Daniel 'Danny' Williams
1931	The Public Enemy	Matt Doyle
1931	Local Boy Makes Good	Spike Hoyt
1932	They Never Come Back	Ralph Landon
1932	Hot Saturday	Conny Billop
1933	Reckless Decision		(archive footage)
1933	Bondage	Earl Crawford
1933	Tarzan the Fearless	Bob Hall
1933	Dinner at Eight	Eddie
1933	Marriage on Approval	Billy McGee
1935	Fighting Lady	Jimmie Hanford
1937	Navy Blues	Julian Everett
1938	Shadows Over Shanghai	Peter Roma	(final film role)

Broadway Appearances

• Tortilla Flat, Jan 12, 1938 - Jan 1938
• One Good Year, Nov 27, 1935 - Jun 1936
• Houseparty, Sep 9, 1929 - Feb 1930
• Zeppelin, Jan 14, 1929 - Mar 1929
• Trapped, Sep 11, 1928 - Sep 1928
• Speak Easy, Sep 26, 1927 - Nov 1927

External links

• Edward Woods at IMDb
• Edward Woods at the Internet Broadway Database