AllMovie

Looking for all the world like a jolly, Irish neighborhood cop, Edward McNamara had once been exactly that in his hometown of Paterson, NJ. His lilting Irish tenor, however, brought him in contact with famed opera diva Ernestine Schumann-Heink who reportedly offered coaching for free. A hit in both vaudeville and on the legitimate stage, McNamara, with his Irish brogue and robust physique, was almost immediately typed for cop roles and would later play policemen onscreen as well in scores of films from 1929 on. McNamara succumbed to a fatal heart attack on a train near Boston, MA. The veteran performer had reportedly been engaged in a lively conversation with longtime friend James Cagney when stricken.