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Edward Woods (July 5, 1903, Los Angeles -- October 8, 1989, Salt Lake City) was an American actor best known for his extensive role in The Public Enemy opposite James Cagney. An obituary from the Salt Lake City Tribune, dated October 10, 1989, names Woods' parents as Mary Clark and William B. Woods, and mentions two brothers, Roy C. and William B. After graduating from the University of Southern California, Woods became an actor. He appeared at the old Salt Lake Theatre in "The Copperhead," as Lionel Barrymore's teenage son. In New York City, he appeared in many successful Broadway... MORE

Edward Woods (July 5, 1903, Los Angeles -- October 8, 1989, Salt Lake City) was an American actor best known for his extensive role in The Public Enemy opposite James Cagney. An obituary from the Salt Lake City Tribune, dated October 10, 1989, names Woods' parents as Mary Clark and William B. Woods, and mentions two brothers, Roy C. and William B. After graduating from the University of Southern California, Woods became an actor. He appeared at the old Salt Lake Theatre in "The Copperhead," as Lionel Barrymore's teenage son. In New York City, he appeared in many successful Broadway productions then began a movie career. He worked with Cary Grant, Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, John Barrymore, and Clark Gable. His most famous role was playing "Matt Doyle" opposite James Cagney's "Tom Powers" in The Public Enemy (1931), a seminal and arguably the most widely acclaimed gangster movie. Although initially cast in the lead role as Powers, director William Wellman switched Woods' role with Cagney's after viewing Cagney's electrifying performance in the dailies. In the flashback sequences at the beginning of the film, the children's appearances are reversed because those scenes were filmed LESS