James Cardwell, known as Jimmy, was born on November 21, 1921, in Camden, New Jersey, to Raymond and Bessie (McCarroll) Cardwell. He was christened Albert Paine Cardwell after his grandfather, a Philadelphia publishing editor.
Raised in Camden, James attended Alfred Cramer Junior High School and later transferred to Woodrow Wilson High School, where he developed a passion for acting and served as president of the school's drama club. He also showed athletic prowess on the football field and in track and field.
After graduating in 1940, James worked odd jobs while continuing to pursue his interest in acting by joining the Camden Drama Guild and later the Hedgerow Theater Group in Pennsylvania. During this time, he met and married Esther Borton in June 1942.
In the summer of 1943, James was spotted by agents while in New York, leading to a role in the war drama The Fighting Sullivans (1944). He played the role of George Sullivan, one of five heroic war brothers who served and died together during WWII.
James' film career did not advance as expected, and he appeared in a string of "B" level dramas, working throughout the post-war era of the 1940s. Despite his capabilities, he did not move to top lead status and many of the films he appeared in were dismissed by critics.
As his career faltered, James turned to television, appearing in a few guest roles on a Rod Cameron crime series and an uncredited role in the horror film Them! (1954). In the late 1940s and early 1950s, he also toured Australia with Joe E. Brown and joined a circus comedy acrobatic act called the Coleano Troupe.
Despite his efforts, James struggled to find work and was overcome with depression. On January 31, 1954, at the age of 32, he took his own life in a parking lot near his West Los Angeles bungalow. He was survived by his parents and buried in his native Camden.
