詹姆斯出生在美国纽约的一个中下阶级家庭，在成名之前他做过各种各样的工作，直到1925年开始在百老汇的舞台剧中担任主角。1926年他开始和华纳兄弟公司签约，1931年因出演《人民公敌》（PUBLIC ENEMY）而成为明星。贫贱的出生使他有一种成名的强烈欲望，他对工作相当的认真，并不断尝试新的...
18岁在音乐剧中扮演配角，1929年登上银幕，30年代末开始走下坡路，大多担任配角，70年代初息影。 代表作：《弗兰肯斯坦》、《滑铁卢大桥》（老版）、《娜娜》等。
Edward S. Brophy was born on February 27, 1895 in New York City and educated at the University of Virginia. He became a bit and small-part in the movies starting in 1919, but switched to behind-the-scenes work for job security, though he continued appearing in small parts. While serving as a property master for Buster Keaton's production unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Brophy appeared in a memorable sequence in Keaton's classic The Cameraman (1928), in which Buster and Brophy both try to undress simultaneously in a tiny wardrobe room. Keaton cast Brophy in larger parts in two of his talkies, and by 1934, Brophy abandoned the production end of the movies altogether and was acting full-time.
