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