Edward Everett Horton (1886–1970), a stage-trained American actor and undisputed master of the double-take, made his mark in the escapist films of the 1930s and '40s with his nuanced portrayals of flustered, nervous-nelly types. Movie buffs treasure his performances in such timeless classics as Trouble in Paradise (1932), Top Hat (1935), Lost Horizon (1937), Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). Baby Boomers fondly recall his familiar voice as the narrator of "Fractured Fairy Tales" on television's The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show and as Chief Roaring Chicken on F Troop. A discreet gentleman in his private life, Edward Everett never commented publicly on his rumored relationship with an actor fifteen years his junior. Authors Lon and Debra Davis proudly offer this career record and biography of one of the theatre's most memorable—and most comical—troupers.
About the Authors
LON & DEBRA DAVIS have been collaborating on writing projects since 1978, the year they met in college. Film buffs since childhood, they continue to share their mutual love of vintage entertainment by researching and writing books on the subject, including Silent Lives: 100 Biographies of the Silent Film Era (2008); Stooges Among Us (2008); King of the Movies: Francis X. Bushman (2009); Flirtation Act: The Story of a Boy, a Girl, and Vaudeville (2016); CHASE! A Tribute to the Keystone Cops (2020); Ma and Pa Kettle on Film (2020); and Stumbling into Film History (2024). They have also co-edited more than two hundred academic books on the performing arts, American history, and literature. Lon & Debra and their Bengal cat, Willoughby, reside in the Pacific Northwest.