Edwin Maxwell (9 February 1886 – 13 August 1948) was an Irish character actor in Hollywood movies of the 1930s and 1940s, frequently cast as businessmen and shysters, though often ones with a pompous or dignified bearing. Prior to that, he was an actor on the Broadway stage and a director of plays.

Early life

Maxwell was a native of Dublin.

Career

In the late 1920s, Maxwell directed and acted in plays with the New York Theater Guild Repertory Company. From 1939 to 1942, Maxwell served as the dialogue director for the films of epic director Cecil B. DeMille. He was often uncredited for many of his film appearances. Maxwell appeared in four Academy Award-winning Best Pictures: All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), Grand Hotel (1932), The Great Ziegfeld (1936) and You Can't Take It with You (1938).

Personal life

Maxwell married actress Betty Alden. Maxwell died following a stroke.

Filmography