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Vince Edwards Biography (1928-)

Born Vincente Edwardo Zoino, July 7, 1928, in Brooklyn, NY; son of Vincente and Julia Zoino; married Kathy Kersh, June 13, 1965 (divorced, October 1965);married Linda Ann Foster, 1967 (marriage ended); married wife, Cassandra (anactress), 1980; children: one daughter (first marriage). Addresses: AGENT--Lillian Micelli, Diamond Artists, Ltd., 9200 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 909, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Born Vincente Eduardo Zoino, July 7 (some sources say July 9), 1928, in Brooklyn, NY; died of pancreatic cancer, March 11, 1996, in Los Angeles, CA. Actor, singer, director, author. Edwards rose to celebrity status when he was castto appear in the title role of the 1960s television series Ben Casey. His portrayal as an idealistic surgeon who had no patience for bureaucratic red tape is said to have inspired depictions of similar doctors in shows like ER. Edwards and his siblings, including his twin brother, Anthony, grew up in New York City. He pursued sports, eventually training for the Olympics, but switched to acting after an appendectomy. He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and found work in stage productions such as High Button Shoes. He then signed on with Paramount and was featured in gangster and other tough-guyroles. Among his film credits are The Hired Gun, Murder By Contract, City ofFear, I Am a Camera, and Three Faces of Eve. After appearing on Ben Casey anddirecting several episodes, he continued to make film appearances and triedanother television series in the 1970s called Matt Lincoln. In 1979 he filmedMission Galactica: The Cylon Attack, which he coscripted and directed. He also wrote the script for the 1973 television movie Maneater, which he directed. During his career, Edwards directed episodes of shows such as The Hardy Boys Mysteries, David Cassidy--Man Undercover, B. J. and the Bear, Battlestar Galactica, Police Story, and Fantasy Island. An accomplished singer, he recorded six albums and appeared at clubs in Las Vegas, New York, and elsewhere.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Birth Details

July 7, 1928

Brooklyn, New York, United States

Famous Works

• Credits
• BROADWAY DEBUT--Chorus, High Button Shoes, Century Theatre.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL STAGE APPEARANCES
• Appeared with the Honolulu Community Theater and the University of HawaiiPlayers.
• Credits; MAJOR TOURS
• Come Back Little Sheba, U.S. cities.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL FILM APPEARANCES
• Tommy Tomkins, Mr. Universe, Eagle-Lion, 1951.
• Blayden, Sailor Beware, Paramount, 1951.
• title role, Hiawatha, Monogram, 1952.
• Langley, Rogue Cop, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), 1954.
• Hamilton, Cell 2455, Death Row, Columbia, 1955.
• Victor Gosset, The Night Holds Terror, Columbia, 1955.
• Val Cannon, The Killing, United Artists, 1956.
• Marco Roselli, Serenade, Warner Brothers, 1956.
• Kell Beldon, The Hired Gun, MGM, 1957.
• Frank, Hit and Run, United Artists, 1957.
• Little Wolf, Ride Out for Revenge, United Artists, 1957.
• Mike, Island Women (also known as Island Woman), United Artists, 1958.
• Claude, Murder by Contract, Columbia, 1958.
• Vince Ryker, City of Fear, Columbia, 1959.
• Stuart Allison, The Scavengers (also known as City of Sin), Valiant/Roach, 1959.
• George, The Outsider, Universal, 1962.
• Tommy, Too Late Blues, Paramount, 1962.
• Baker, The Victors, Columbia, 1963.
• Major Cliff Bricker, The Devil's Brigade, United Artists, 1968.
• Charles Hood, Hammerhead, Columbia, 1969.
• David Galt, The Desperados, Columbia, 1968.
• Geronimo Minneli, The Mad Bomber (also known as Police Connection and Detective Geronimo), Cinemation, 1973.
• Maxwell, The Seduction, AVCO-Embassy, 1982.
• Frank Stryker, Deal of the Century, Warner Brothers, 1983.
• Hawk, Space Raiders (also known as Star Child), New World, 1983.
• Frank Lane, The Fix (also known as The Agitators), Reverie, 1985.
• Steve King, Sno-Line (also known as Texas Sno-Line), Vandom, 1986.
• Richard Birnbaum, Return to Horror High, Balcor, 1987.
• Meshelski, Cellar Dweller, Empire, 1988.
• Also appeared in I Am a Camera, Directors Corporation of America, 1955; Three Faces of Eve, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1957; and in Las Vegas, Los Angeles.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL FILM WORK
• Director, Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack, Universal, 1979.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL TELEVISION APPEARANCES; SERIES
• Title role, Ben Casey, ABC, 1961-66.
• title role, Matt Lincoln, ABC, 1970-71.
• voice characterization, Punky Brewster (animated), NBC, 1985.
• voice characterization, The Centurions--PowerXtreme! (animated), syndicated, 1986.
• MINI-SERIES General Swanson, The Rhinemann Exchanage, NBC, 1977.
• Credits; PILOTS
• David Leopold, Dial Hot Line, ABC, 1970.
• Spike Ryerson, Firehouse, ABC, 1973.
• Bradner, Cover Girls, NBC, 1977.
• Colonel Joe Agajanian, The Courage and the Passion, NBC, 1978.
• Inspector Frank Walker, The Return of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, CBS,1986.
• Also Knight Rider.
• Credits; EPISODIC
• Undercurrent, CBS.
• Fireside Theatre, NBC.
• The Untouchables, ABC.
• General Electric Theatre, CBS.
• Philco Television Playhouse, NBC.
• The Deputy, NBC.
• Studio One, CBS.
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
• Credits; MOVIES
• Major Michael Devlin, Sole Survivor, CBS, 1970.
• Mal Weston, Do Not Fold, Spindle, or Mutilate, ABC, 1971.
• Jack Trahey, Death Stalk, NBC, 1975.
• Bret Easton, Evening in Byzantium, syndicated, 1978.
• title role, The Return of Ben Casey, syndicated, 1988.
• Also The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission, NBC, 1987.
• Credits; SPECIALS
• Sheriff, Saga of Sonora, NBC, 1973.
• ABC's Silver Anniversary Celebration, ABC, 1978.
• Circus of the Stars, CBS, 1979.
• National Off-the-Wall People's Poll, NBC, 1984.
• Detective Lieutenant Philip Lombardo, You Are the Jury, NBC, 1986.
• "Surviving a Heart Attack," Lifetime Informathon, Lifetime, 1988.
• PRINCIPAL TELEVISION WORK; ALL AS DIRECTOR,UNLESS INDICATEDPILOTS Executive producer (with David Gerber) and creator, The Courage and the Passion, NBC, 1978.
• Credits; EPISODIC
• The Hardy Boys Mysteries, ABC, 1977-79.
• David Cassidy--Man Undercover, NBC, 1978-79.
• B.J. and the Bear, NBC, 1979-80.
• Battlestar Galactica, ABC, 1978-79.
• Galactica 1980, ABC, 1980.
• Also Police Story, NBC; Ben Casey, ABC.
• Credits; MOVIES
• Maneater, ABC, 1973.
• Credits; ALBUMS
• Vince Edwards Sings.
• Writings;FILM
• (With Christian I. Nyby II) Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack, Universal, 1979.
• Writings;TELEVISION; MOVIES
• (With Marcus Demian) Maneater, ABC, 1973.

Further Reference

Books:

• Who's Who in Hollywood, Facts on File, 1992.

Periodicals:

• Chicago Tribune, March 13, 1996, section 3, p. 14.
• New York Times, March 13, 1996, p. B9.
• Times (London), March 14, 1996, p. 23.
• Washington Post, March 13, 1996, p. B4.