Biography
Edwin Maxwell (9 February 1886 – 13 August 1948) was an Irish character actor who worked primarily in Hollywood films of the 1930s and 1940s. Born in Dublin, he appeared in numerous supporting roles, often as businessmen or authority figures, many of them uncredited.
He began his career on the Broadway stage, performing and directing plays between 1918 and 1928. Maxwell later moved to screen acting and served as dialogue director on several Cecil B. DeMille films from 1939 to 1942. He was married to actress Betty Alden.
Maxwell appeared in four Academy Award-winning Best Picture films: All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), Grand Hotel (1932), The Great Ziegfeld (1936) and You Can't Take It with You (1938). Among his credited roles were Mercier in Ninotchka (1939), Dr. Egelhoffer in His Girl Friday (1940) and the Doctor in The Shop Around the Corner (1940).
