Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 20 February 1997 — Page 18

The Muncie Times, February 20, 1997, Page 18

James Edwards 1919 - 1970 p James Edwards was born in Muncie, Indiana. When James was young, his family moved to Hammond, Indiana. He graduated from Anderson High School and was valedictorian of his senior class. James graduated in 1938 from Knoxville College in Tennessee, studying dramatics and psychology. Later he received his masters degree in literature from Northwestern University at Lansing, Michigan. James then entered the Army as a private and was discharged as a full lieutenant in 1948. He travelled to Chicago to study with the Actor’s Guild. While there, he did a number of stage shows, but the one which made him famous was the starring role in “Home of the Brave.” It was featured for ten weeks; Mr. Stanley Kramer saw it and signed him for the movies. In his career, James made 37 movies, including “Patton” starring George C. Scott, who refused the Academy Award given to him because he thought James should have received it. He was also the writer, director, producer and actor in the movie “Color Me Germany,” which was the life story of his brother, Charles. Writer of a number of books, James’ Silent Thunder was used by Desilu Productions and starred John Barrymore. He also helped Sidney Poitier become an actor. James visited Muncie frequently. On one of his last visits, he held a lecture series to assist young black persons here. James had just completed the script “Black Star Falling” for Metromedia Producers Corporation just before he died. He refused to take roles that degraded his race. Ultimately, despite his performances in “Home of the Brave” and “The Caine Mutiny”, he turned to writing and directing. “You can say economics made a writer out of me,” he told a news reporter during one of his visits to Muncie. Sidney Poitier once said of James, “He was an excellent actor and all you Negro actors today owe him a debt of gratitude because it was Jimmy who started the employment situation of Negro actors outside the old stereotypes.” Mr. Edwards died at the age of 51 in San Diego, California.