Born in Brooklyn, NY. The son of a bill collector, he worked briefly at a number of white collar jobs after leaving high school but quickly became bored with the routine and turned to acting in 1924. He made it to Broadway the following year, and after scoring a personal triumph in The Animal Kingdom (1932), he began a long and prolific career in Hollywood films. He played energetic, often gregarious leads in many B productions of the 30s and second leads in a number of major films, then gradually moved into character roles. He was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WANTED (1940). In the late 50s he starred in TV's "Martin Kane" detective series. In 1960 he was forced into retirement by an operation for cancer of the larynx, during which his voice box was removed. He recounted the experience in a 1969 book, Why Me?, and returned to public view campaigning against smoking for the American Cancer Society, speaking through an artificial voice box. His brother, Edward Gargan (1902-64), played minor character roles in scores of films of the 1930s and 40s.    Nominated for Supporting Actor 1940: THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WANTED 1 nomination