Photos

Edward Chapman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Edward Chapman (13 October 1901 - 9 August 1977) was an English actor who starred in many films and television programmes, but is chiefly remembered as "Mr. Wilfred Grimsdale", the officious superior and comic foil to Norman Wisdom's character of Pitkin in many of his films from the late 1950s and 1960s. Chapman was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England. On leaving school he became a bank clerk but later began his stage career with Ben Greet's Company in June 1924 at the Repertory Theatre, Nottingham, playing Gecko in George du Maurier's Trilby. He made his first London stage appearance at the Court Theatre in August 1925 playing the Rev Septimus Tudor in The Farmer's Wife. Among dozens of stage roles that followed, he played Bonaparte to Margaret Rawlings's Josephine in Napoleon at the Embassy Theatre in September 1934. In 1928 he attracted the attention of Alfred Hitchcock, who gave him the role of "The Paycock" in the 1930 film, Juno and the Paycock. In the same year he also made an appearance in Caste (of which no prints are known to exist). He had a role in The Citadel in 1938 and appeared alongside George Formby in the Ealing Studios comedy Turned Out Nice Again in 1941. During the Second World War he took a break from acting and joined the Royal Air Force. After training he was posted to 129 (Mysore) Squadron as an intelligence officer. This Spitfire squadron was based at Westhampnett and Debden. The squadron was heavily engaged in combat during this period and many of Chapman's fellow squadron mates were killed in action. Chapman first starred alongside Wisdom in 1957's Just My Luck in the role of Mr. Stoneway, but the next year in The Square Peg he appeared as Mr. Grimsdale for the first time opposite Wisdom's character of Norman Pitkin. In 1960 he and Wisdom acted together again in The Bulldog Breed, playing the roles of Mr. Philpots and Norman Puckle - Mr. Grimsdale and Pitkin in all but name. Wisdom appeared alone as Norman Pitkin in On the Beat in 1962, while Chapman branched out, starring in the Danish folktale Venus fra Vestø, but Grimsdale and Pitkin were reunited for 1963's A Stitch in Time. Their final performance together was in The Early Bird in 1965, Wisdom's first film in colour. In all, he appeared alongside Norman Wisdom in five films. After Sir John Gielgud was arrested for "persistently importuning male persons for immoral purposes", Chapman started a petition to force him to resign from Equity. Sir Laurence Olivier reportedly threw Chapman out of his dressing room when he solicited his signature for the petition. From 1965 Chapman played mostly characters roles on television. His final role was as Mr. Callon for nine episodes of the BBC's seafaring melodrama The Onedin Line between 1971 and 1972. Chapman died of a heart attack in Brighton, East Sussex, England at the age of 75. Description above from the Wikipedia article Edward Chapman, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

  • Known ForActing
  • Born13 October 1901 (age 124)
  • Place of BirthHarrogate, Yorkshire, England, UK

Edward Chapman

Photos
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Edward Chapman (13 October 1901 - 9 August 1977) was an English actor who starred in many films and television programmes, but is chiefly remembered as "Mr. Wilfred Grimsdale", the officious superior and comic foil to Norman Wisdom's character of Pitkin in many of his films from the late 1950s and 1960s. Chapman was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England. On leaving school he became a bank clerk but later began his stage career with Ben Greet's Company in June 1924 at the Repertory Theatre, Nottingham, playing Gecko in George du Maurier's Trilby. He made his first London stage appearance at the Court Theatre in August 1925 playing the Rev Septimus Tudor in The Farmer's Wife. Among dozens of stage roles that followed, he played Bonaparte to Margaret Rawlings's Josephine in Napoleon at the Embassy Theatre in September 1934. In 1928 he attracted the attention of Alfred Hitchcock, who gave him the role of "The Paycock" in the 1930 film, Juno and the Paycock. In the same year he also made an appearance in Caste (of which no prints are known to exist). He had a role in The Citadel in 1938 and appeared alongside George Formby in the Ealing Studios comedy Turned Out Nice Again in 1941. During the Second World War he took a break from acting and joined the Royal Air Force. After training he was posted to 129 (Mysore) Squadron as an intelligence officer. This Spitfire squadron was based at Westhampnett and Debden. The squadron was heavily engaged in combat during this period and many of Chapman's fellow squadron mates were killed in action. Chapman first starred alongside Wisdom in 1957's Just My Luck in the role of Mr. Stoneway, but the next year in The Square Peg he appeared as Mr. Grimsdale for the first time opposite Wisdom's character of Norman Pitkin. In 1960 he and Wisdom acted together again in The Bulldog Breed, playing the roles of Mr. Philpots and Norman Puckle - Mr. Grimsdale and Pitkin in all but name. Wisdom appeared alone as Norman Pitkin in On the Beat in 1962, while Chapman branched out, starring in the Danish folktale Venus fra Vestø, but Grimsdale and Pitkin were reunited for 1963's A Stitch in Time. Their final performance together was in The Early Bird in 1965, Wisdom's first film in colour. In all, he appeared alongside Norman Wisdom in five films. After Sir John Gielgud was arrested for "persistently importuning male persons for immoral purposes", Chapman started a petition to force him to resign from Equity. Sir Laurence Olivier reportedly threw Chapman out of his dressing room when he solicited his signature for the petition. From 1965 Chapman played mostly characters roles on television. His final role was as Mr. Callon for nine episodes of the BBC's seafaring melodrama The Onedin Line between 1971 and 1972. Chapman died of a heart attack in Brighton, East Sussex, England at the age of 75. Description above from the Wikipedia article Edward Chapman, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

  • Known ForActing
  • Born13 October 1901 (age 124)
  • Place of BirthHarrogate, Yorkshire, England, UK
KNOWN FOR
PHOTOS
CREDITS
Poster
The Man Who Haunted Himself
star
6.1
1970
Poster
The Early Bird
star
7.6
1965
Poster
Joey Boy
star
5.8
1965
Poster
Hide and Seek
star
6.0
1964
Poster
A Stitch in Time
star
7.4
1963
Poster
Venus fra Vestø
star
5.6
1962
Poster
The Big Deal
star
-
1961
Poster
School for Scoundrels
star
6.9
1960
Poster
The Bulldog Breed
star
5.7
1960
Poster
Oscar Wilde
star
5.3
1960
Poster
The Square Peg
star
6.4
1958
Poster
The Young and the Guilty
star
5.5
1958
Poster
Innocent Sinners
star
7.0
1958
Poster
Just My Luck
star
6.0
1957
Poster
Doctor at Large
star
5.6
1957
Poster
X the Unknown
star
6.1
1956
Poster
Bhowani Junction
star
5.8
1956
Poster
Lisbon
star
6.4
1956
Poster
The Love Match
star
7.8
1955
Poster
A Yank in Ermine
star
4.0
1955
Poster
The Crowded Day
star
5.4
1954
Poster
The End of the Road
star
6.0
1954
Poster
A Day to Remember
star
7.1
1953
Poster
The Intruder
star
7.2
1953
Poster
The Card
star
6.9
1952
Poster
The Magic Box
star
6.3
1952
Poster
The Cocktail Party
star
-
1952
Poster
His Excellency
star
6.0
1952
Poster
The Ringer
star
5.8
1952
Poster
Mandy
star
6.9
1952
Poster
Folly to Be Wise
star
6.7
1952
Poster
Gone to Earth
star
6.2
1950
Poster
Night and the City
star
7.5
1950
Poster
The History of Mr. Polly
star
7.4
1949
Poster
The Spider and the Fly
star
6.8
1949
Poster
Man on the Run
star
6.6
1949
Poster
Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill
star
7.7
1948
Poster
It Always Rains on Sunday
star
6.6
1947
Poster
The October Man
star
6.2
1947
Poster
They Flew Alone
star
6.0
1942
Poster
Turned Out Nice Again
star
6.5
1941
Poster
Inspector Hornleigh Goes to It
star
6.9
1941
Poster
Jeannie
star
6.5
1941
Poster
Ships with Wings
star
4.0
1941
Poster
Eating Out with Tommy Trinder
star
6.0
1941
Poster
The Proud Valley
star
6.2
1940
Poster
Convoy
star
5.4
1940
Poster
The Briggs Family
star
-
1940
Poster
Now You're Talking
star
-
1940
Poster
Law and Disorder
star
5.5
1940
Poster
There Ain't No Justice
star
6.0
1939
Poster
Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday
star
7.4
1939
Poster
The Nursemaid Who Disappeared
star
-
1939
Poster
The Four Just Men
star
6.2
1939
Poster
Poison Pen
star
6.5
1939
Poster
The Citadel
star
6.31
1938
Poster
Marigold
star
-
1938
Poster
Who Killed John Savage?
star
-
1938
Poster
Premiere
star
5.0
1938
Poster
Things to Come
star
6.47
1936
Poster
The Man Who Could Work Miracles
star
5.685
1936
Poster
Rembrandt
star
6.8
1936
Poster
Someone at the Door
star
-
1936
Poster
Mister Cinders
star
-
1935
Poster
The Divine Spark
star
-
1935
Poster
The Queen's Affair
star
-
1934
Poster
The Church Mouse
star
4.7
1934
Poster
Blossom Time
star
4.8
1934
Poster
Girls Will Be Boys
star
4.3
1934
Poster
The Flying Squad
star
-
1932
Poster
Happy Ever After
star
-
1932
Poster
The Skin Game
star
5.348
1931
Poster
Tilly of Bloomsbury
star
-
1931
Poster
Murder!
star
5.967
1930
Poster
Juno and the Paycock
star
4.686
1930
Poster
Caste
star
-
1930