Image of Edward Chapman

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.


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Born:
Oct 13, 1901 In Harrogate, Yorkshire, England, UK
Movie/TV Credits:
75
First Appeared:
In the movie Juno and the Paycock 1929-12-30
Latest Project:
Movie The Man Who Haunted Himself 1970-09-17
Known For
Poster of Someone at the Door
Poster of The Divine Spark
Poster of Blossom Time
Filmography
Movie The Man Who Haunted Himself Barton 1970-09-17
Series Champion House 1967-05-28
Movie Joey Boy Tom Hobson 1965-01-01
Movie The Early Bird Mr. Thomas Grimsdale 1965-11-30
Movie Hide and Seek McPherson 1964-06-21
Movie A Stitch in Time Mr Grimsdale 1963-12-01
Movie Venus fra Vestø 1962-12-21
Movie School for Scoundrels Gloatbridge 1960-03-24
Movie Oscar Wilde Marquis of Queensberry 1960-05-29
Movie The Bulldog Breed Mr. Philpots 1960-12-13
Series No Hiding Place Unknown 1959-09-16
Movie The Young and the Guilty George Connor 1958-01-01
Movie Innocent Sinners Manley 1958-03-25
Movie The Square Peg Mr Grimsdale 1958-12-04
Movie Doctor at Large Wilkins 1957-03-26
Movie Just My Luck Mr. Stoneway 1957-11-14
Movie Lisbon Edgar Selwyn 1956-08-17
Movie Bhowani Junction Thomas Jones 1956-05-01
Movie X the Unknown John Elliott 1956-09-21
Movie A Yank in Ermine Duke of Fontenham 1955-01-01
Movie The Love Match Mr Longworth 1955-02-01
Movie The End of the Road Works Manager 1954-01-01
Movie The Crowded Day Mr. Bunting 1954-10-01
Movie The Intruder Lowden 1953-10-18
Movie A Day to Remember Mr. Robinson 1953-11-10
Movie The Magic Box Father in Family Group 1952-01-01
Movie The Cocktail Party 1952-01-01
Movie His Excellency The Admiral 1952-01-22
Movie Mandy Ackland 1952-07-29
Movie The Card Mr. Duncalf 1952-02-25
Movie Folly to Be Wise Joseph Byres M.P. 1952-12-04
Movie The Ringer Stranger 1952-11-24
Movie Night and the City Hoskins (uncredited) 1950-06-15
Movie Gone to Earth Mr. James 1950-11-06
Movie The History of Mr. Polly Mr. Johnson 1949-02-08
Movie Man on the Run Chief Inspector Mitchell 1949-05-20
Movie The Spider and the Fly Minister for War 1949-12-01
Movie Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill Birkland 1948-09-27
Movie The October Man Mr. Peachy 1947-08-28
Movie It Always Rains on Sunday George Sandigate 1947-11-28
Movie They Flew Alone Mr. Johnson 1942-06-29
Movie Eating Out with Tommy Trinder Mr. Jones 1941-02-21
Movie Inspector Hornleigh Goes to It Mr. Blenkinsop 1941-05-17
Movie Jeannie Mr. Jansen 1941-09-06
Movie Ships with Wings Papadopoulos 1941-11-10
Movie Turned Out Nice Again Uncle Arnold 1941-08-01
Movie Now You're Talking Alf Small 1940-03-01
Movie The Proud Valley Dick Parry 1940-04-06
Movie The Briggs Family Charley Briggs 1940-09-07
Movie Convoy Captain Eckersley 1940-09-28
Movie The Nursemaid Who Disappeared 1939-03-01
Movie The Four Just Men B.J. Burrell 1939-06-01
Movie There Ain't No Justice Sammy Sanders 1939-06-17
Movie Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday Captain Edwin Fraser 1939-12-01
Movie Poison Pen Len Griffin 1939-07-03
Movie Who Killed John Savage? Inspector Chortley 1938-06-05
Movie Premiere Lohrmann 1938-01-20
Movie The Citadel Joe Morgan 1938-10-29
Movie Marigold Mordan 1938-11-03
Movie Things to Come Pippa Passworthy / Raymond Passworthy 1936-03-31
Movie The Man Who Could Work Miracles Major Grigsby 1936-07-23
Movie Someone at the Door Price 1936-09-28
Movie Rembrandt Fabrizius 1936-11-06
Movie The Divine Spark Saverio Mercadante 1935-06-01
Movie Blossom Time Meyerhoffer 1934-01-01
Movie Mister Cinders Mr. Gaunt 1934-01-01
Movie Girls Will Be Boys Grey 1934-10-29
Movie The Church Mouse Mr. 'Pinky' Wormwood 1934-12-10
Movie The Flying Squad Sedeman 1932-07-20
Movie Happy Ever After Colonel 1932-09-23
Movie The Skin Game Dawker 1931-02-26
Movie Tilly of Bloomsbury Percy Welwyn 1931-04-29
Movie Caste Sam Gerridge 1930-09-01
Movie Murder! Ted Markham 1930-07-31
Movie Juno and the Paycock Captain Boyle 1929-12-30