Edward Gargan was born of Irish parents in Brooklyn, New York in 1902. He was the elder brother of actor William Gargan whose July 17 birthday he shared.
Edward Gargan started as a musical comedy actor on Broadway. He sang in "Good News", "Rose-Marie", and other hit musicals of the 1920s, and also in opera. One of his early shows was "Polly of Hollywood" in 1927. He portrayed Patrolman Mulligan, one of the principals of "Strictly Dishonorable", in 1930.
He went to Hollywood in 1932 and the next year was in the cast of the film "David Harum". For the next 19 years he appeared in a variety of movies. Gargan was one of the most prolific bit players in the history of the movies, specializing in dumb policemen and dense sidekicks. He appeared in nearly 300 feature films over a three-decade span between 1921 and 1952, and television work from 1951 to 1953.
Gargan died in New York City in 1964.
Known For
Bringing Up Baby
(1938)
Zoo Official (uncredited)
Father of the Bride
(1950)
Moving Man with Door (uncredited)
My Man Godfrey
(1936)
Detective (uncredited)
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
(1936)
Bodyguard (uncredited)
It Happened on Fifth Avenue
(1947)
Policeman in Park (uncredited)
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man
(1951)
Milt (uncredited)
Queen Christina
(1933)
Drinker Betting on 9 (uncredited)
Bombshell
(1933)
Second Immigration Officer (uncredited)
Wonder Man
(1945)
Policeman in Prospect Park
Another Thin Man
(1939)
Detective Quinn (uncredited)
Road to Singapore
(1940)
Bill - Sailor (uncredited)
In Old Oklahoma
(1943)
Kelsey, Palace Hotel Waiter
Triple Trouble
(1950)
Officer Murphy
Go West
(1940)
Railroad Ticket Seller (uncredited)
Bedtime for Bonzo
(1951)
Policeman (as Ed Gargan)
Carefree
(1938)
Policeman (uncredited)
Full Filmography
Acting
It's All Over
(1930)
Jerry
The Door Knocker
(1931)
Man
The African Dodger
(1931)
Tarnished Lady
(1931)
Al - Man in Bar
The Girl Habit
(1931)
Detective
Two A.M.
(1931)
Via Express
(1931)
Mary Stevens, M.D.
(1933)
'Captain' the Policeman (uncredited)
Ace of Aces
(1933)
Whitaker (uncredited)
Queen Christina
(1933)
Drinker Betting on 9 (uncredited)
Gambling Ship
(1933)
Deputy (uncredited)
The Girl in 419
(1933)
Lt. 'Babs' Riley
Bombshell
(1933)
Second Immigration Officer (uncredited)
Wild Gold
(1934)
Eddie Sparks
Belle of the Nineties
(1934)
Stogie (Ruby's agent)
Radio Dough
(1934)
Gang Leader (uncredited)
Port of Lost Dreams
(1934)
Porky the Freda's 'Crew'
She Had to Choose
(1934)
Higgins
Registered Nurse
(1934)
Officer Pat O'Brien
The Bands Plays On
(1934)
Lumberjack
We Live Again
(1934)
Warden's assistant
The Gilded Lily
(1935)
Subway Guard
Man on the Flying Trapeze
(1935)
Patrolman
Behind the Green Lights
(1935)
Moran - a Cop
False Pretenses
(1935)
Mike O'Reilly
We're in the Money
(1935)
Clancy O'Rourke
The Bride Comes Home
(1935)
Cab Driver
One New York Night
(1935)
Trench
Hands Across the Table
(1935)
Pinky Kelly (uncredited)
A Notorious Gentleman
(1935)
Anything Goes
(1936)
Detective
Grand Jury
(1936)
Policeman Burke
Stage Struck
(1936)
Rordan
Sutter's Gold
(1936)
Wagon Driver
Valiant Is the Word for Carrie
(1936)
Boulder Dam
(1936)
Pa's Guest (uncredited)
Great Guy
(1936)
Henchman Al
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
(1936)
Bodyguard (uncredited)
Ceiling Zero
(1936)
Doc Wilson
The Walking Dead
(1936)
Guard Sitting Outside Warden's Office (uncredited)
Roaming Lady
(1936)
Andy
Dangerous Waters
(1936)
Bosun
My Man Godfrey
(1936)
Detective (uncredited)
Under Your Spell
(1936)
Detective (uncredited)
Jim Hanvey, Detective
(1937)
O. R.Smith
Wallaby Jim of the Islands
(1937)
[scenes deleted]
Danger Patrol
(1937)
John Donovan
High, Wide and Handsome
(1937)
Foreman
Madame X
(1937)
Mate of Dorcas
The Man Who Found Himself
(1937)
Policeman in Park
You Can't Buy Luck
(1937)
Butch (uncredited)
The Great O'Malley
(1937)
Policeman Driving Radio Car (uncredited)
A Girl with Ideas
(1937)
Eddie
Back in Circulation
(1937)
Policeman at Train Wreck (uncredited)
We're on the Jury
(1937)
Officer Clark
The Go-Getter
(1937)
Police officer Riley (uncredited)
Bringing Up Baby
(1938)
Zoo Official (uncredited)
Carefree
(1938)
Policeman (uncredited)
The Rage of Paris
(1938)
Truck Driver (uncredited)
Crime School
(1938)
Officer Hogan
While New York Sleeps
(1938)
Sgt. White
Thanks for the Memory
(1938)
Flanahan
Give Me a Sailor
(1938)
Chief Petty Officer (uncredited)
Spring Madness
(1938)
Jim - a Policeman
Love on a Budget
(1938)
Big Furniture Mover
Gateway
(1938)
Guard
Straight, Place and Show
(1938)
Detective Globe
Up the River
(1938)
Tiny
Annabel Takes a Tour
(1938)
Longshoreman at dance
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
(1938)
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
The Saint Strikes Back
(1939)
Pinky Budd
Lucky Night
(1939)
Policeman
They All Come Out
(1939)
George "Bugs" Jacklin
The Flying Irishman
(1939)
J.R. Robinson
Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence
(1939)
Truck Driver
Honolulu
(1939)
Second Detective
Cafe Society
(1939)
Cop
Boy Trouble
(1939)
Cop
The Family Next Door
(1939)
Cop
On Your Toes
(1939)
First Policeman
Blondie Meets the Boss
(1939)
Garden Café Doorman (uncredited)
A Child Is Born
(1939)
Officer Riley - Police Guard (uncredited)
Another Thin Man
(1939)
Detective Quinn (uncredited)
The Spellbinder
(1939)
Tom, Taxi Driver (Uncredited)
Fixer Dugan
(1939)
Jake
Pack Up Your Troubles
(1939)
Sentry
20,000 Men a Year
(1939)
Dunk
Yes, My Darling Daughter
(1939)
Police Officer
$1,000 a Touchdown
(1939)
Ironmansky (uncredited)
Night Work
(1939)
Police Officer Flannigan
Go West
(1940)
Railroad Ticket Seller (uncredited)
Wolf of New York
(1940)
W. Thornton Upshaw
Spring Parade
(1940)
Inga - the Fortune Teller
San Francisco Docks
(1940)
Hank
The Villain Still Pursued Her
(1940)
Bartender (uncredited)
The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date
(1940)
Chimp
Two Girls on Broadway
(1940)
Policeman Guarding Courtroom (uncredited)
Brother Rat and a Baby
(1940)
Cab Driver
The Saint's Double Trouble
(1940)
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Charlie Chan in Panama
(1940)
Plant Workman
Street of Memories
(1940)
Mike Sullivan
Buck Benny Rides Again
(1940)
Policeman
Northwest Passage
(1940)
Capt. Butterfield
The Doctor Takes a Wife
(1940)
George - Doorman
Susan and God
(1940)
Cabbie (uncredited)
Castle on the Hudson
(1940)
Death Row Guard (uncredited)
It All Came True
(1940)
Police Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
Road to Singapore
(1940)
Bill - Sailor (uncredited)
Johnny Apollo
(1940)
Detective (uncredited)
This Thing Called Love
(1940)
Police Officer
An Angel from Texas
(1940)
New York Policeman
City for Conquest
(1940)
Joe - Foreman (uncredited)
Adventure in Diamonds
(1940)
Lou
Girl from God's Country
(1940)
Poker Player
Queen of the Mob
(1940)
Bank Guard
Three Sons o' Guns
(1941)
Sylvester
Thieves Fall Out
(1941)
Dudley Kane
Four Mothers
(1941)
Harry (uncredited)
Niagara Falls
(1941)
Chuck
Ice-Capades
(1941)
Joe, the Bouncer
Flight from Destiny
(1941)
Hotel Doorman
Here Comes Happiness
(1941)
Joe
Tillie the Toiler
(1941)
Policeman
Blondie for Victory
(1942)
Sergeant
My Sister Eileen
(1942)
Murphy - Policeman (uncredited)
A-Haunting We Will Go
(1942)
Police Lt. Foster
The Falcon's Brother
(1942)
Detective Bates
My Favorite Blonde
(1942)
Mulrooney
Flying with Music
(1942)
Joe
Fly-By-Night
(1942)
Officer Charlie Prescott
Meet the Stewarts
(1942)
Moving Man
Lady in a Jam
(1942)
Deputy
What's Cookin'?
(1942)
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Between Us Girls
(1942)
Cabbie
Ten Gentlemen from West Point
(1942)
Bombardier (uncredited)
A Date with the Falcon
(1942)
Detective Bates (uncredited)
Over My Dead Body
(1942)
Police Sergeant
Miss Annie Rooney
(1942)
Policeman
Dr. Kildare's Victory
(1942)
Willie Brooks
My Heart Belongs to Daddy
(1942)
Mr. Johnson - Detective
The Falcon Takes Over
(1942)
Detective Bates (Uncredited)
The Falcon Strikes Back
(1943)
Detective Bates
The Falcon in Danger
(1943)
Det. Bates
The Falcon and the Co-Eds
(1943)
Detective Bates
My Kingdom for a Cook
(1943)
Duke
Tahiti Honey
(1943)
George, the Bartender
The West Side Kid
(1943)
Donovan
In Old Oklahoma
(1943)
Kelsey, Palace Hotel Waiter
Princess O'Rourke
(1943)
Slugged Pedestrian (uncredited)
Something to Shout About
(1943)
Detective Stone
Hit the Ice
(1943)
Bank Policeman (uncredited)
The Falcon Out West
(1944)
Homicide Detective Bates
Detective Kitty O'Day
(1944)
Mike Storm
The Great Alaskan Mystery
(1944)
Kurtz
San Fernando Valley
(1944)
Keno
Life with Blondie
(1945)
Hundefänger (uncredited)
She Wouldn't Say Yes
(1945)
Cab Driver (uncredited)
Sing Your Way Home
(1945)
Jailer
Twice Blessed
(1945)
Outraged Baseball Fan (uncredited)
High Powered
(1945)
Cal Williams
Earl Carroll Vanities
(1945)
Policeman
Wonder Man
(1945)
Policeman in Prospect Park
Follow That Woman
(1945)
Butch
The Naughty Nineties
(1945)
Baxter - Saloon Bartender (uncredited)
Her Highness and the Bellboy
(1945)
1st Cop
A Sporting Chance
(1945)
Mike Ryan
The Inner Circle
(1946)
Parking Ticket Cop
Behind the Mask
(1946)
Detective Dixon
Cinderella Jones
(1946)
Riley
The Dark Horse
(1946)
Eustace Kelly
Gay Blades
(1946)
Bartender
Blonde Alibi
(1946)
Police Sergeant (Uncredited)
Little Giant
(1946)
Policeman (uncredited)
Crack-Up
(1946)
Cop in Arcade (Uncredited)
Deadline at Dawn
(1946)
Bouncer (uncredited)
The Ghost Goes Wild
(1947)
Newsstand man
It Happened on Fifth Avenue
(1947)
Policeman in Park (uncredited)
Exposed
(1947)
Big Mac
Web of Danger
(1947)
Dolan, Restaurant Owner
Saddle Pals
(1947)
Jailer
Little Miss Broadway
(1947)
Uncle George
The Brasher Doubloon
(1947)
Truck Driver (uncredited)
So You're Going to Be a Father
(1947)
Pie Truck Driver (uncredited)
That's My Gal
(1947)
Mike
Linda, Be Good
(1947)
Frankie
Adventures of Gallant Bess
(1948)
Deputy Sheriff
Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!
(1948)
Ted (uncredited)
Strike It Rich
(1948)
Mack
Campus Honeymoon
(1948)
Motorcycle Cop
You Gotta Stay Happy
(1948)
Detective (Uncredited)
Daredevils of the Clouds
(1948)
Tap-It Bowers
Hold That Baby!
(1949)
Policeman Burton
Key to the City
(1950)
S.F. Cop - Fire Escape (uncredited)
Spooky Wooky
(1950)
Father of the Bride
(1950)
Moving Man with Door (uncredited)
Belle of Old Mexico
(1950)
Sam
Hit Parade of 1951
(1950)
Garrity
So You Want a Raise
(1950)
So You Want to Move
(1950)
Triple Trouble
(1950)
Officer Murphy
Bedtime for Bonzo
(1951)
Policeman (as Ed Gargan)
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man
(1951)
Milt (uncredited)
I Was a Burlesque Queen
(1953)
Frankie