Edward Chapman (actor)

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Edward Chapman
Born
Edward Chapman

(1901-10-13)13 October 1901
Died9 August 1977(1977-08-09) (aged 75)
Years active1930–1972
Spouse(s)Constance Sparks (1931 – ?) (divorced)
Prudence Nesbitt (1968–1977) (his death)
RelativesJohn Chapman (nephew), Paul Chapman (nephew)

Edward Chapman (13 October 1901 – 9 August 1977)

television programmes, but is chiefly remembered as "Mr. William 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.[2]

Life and career

Chapman was born in

During the

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 Norman 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.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12][13] Their final performance together was in The Early Bird in 1965, Wisdom's first film in colour.[14] In all, Chapman appeared alongside Norman Wisdom in five films.[1]

After

Equity.[15] Sir Laurence Olivier reportedly threw Chapman out of his dressing room when he solicited his signature for the petition.[16]

From 1965 Chapman played mostly character 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.[1] Chapman died in August 1977 of a heart attack in Brighton, East Sussex, England at the age of 75.

Selected filmography

Selected stage appearances

References

  1. ^ a b c "Edward Chapman". Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.
  2. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Just My Luck (1957)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  3. ^ "The Times (10/Aug/1977) – Obituary: Edward Chapman – The Alfred Hitchcock Wiki". the.hitchcock.zone.
  4. ^ "Production of The Farmer's Wife – Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  5. ^ "STAGE AND SCREEN The Theatre " 7 Sep 1934 " The Spectator Archive".
  6. ^ "Juno and the Paycock (1930)". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016.
  7. ^ ""Where did you get this old fossil?": Michael Powell's first film Caste rediscovered – Sight & Sound".
  8. ^ "Edward Chapman – Movies and Filmography – AllMovie". AllMovie.
  9. ^ "Edward Chapman – Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos – AllMovie". AllMovie.
  10. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Square Peg, The (1958)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  11. ^ "The Bulldog Breed (1960) – Robert Asher – Cast and Crew – AllMovie". AllMovie.
  12. ^ "VENUS FRA VESTØ (1962)". Archived from the original on 9 February 2018.
  13. ^ "A Stitch in Time (1963) – Robert Asher – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related – AllMovie". AllMovie.
  14. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Early Bird, The (1965)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  15. Independent.co.uk
    . 31 January 2011.
  16. ^ Symons, Mitchell Desert Island Discs: Flotsam & Jetsam: Fascinating facts, figures and miscellany from one of BBC Radio 4’s best-loved programmes, London, Random House, 25 October 2012
  17. ^ Release date for The Magic Box, in IMDb.

External links