Edward Chapman (actor)


Edward Chapman was an English actor who starred in many films and 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.

Life and career

Chapman was born in Harrogate, West Riding of Yorkshire, and was the uncle of actor/screenwriter John Chapman and actor Paul Chapman. On leaving school he became a bank clerk, but later began his stage career with the Ben Greet Players in June 1924 at the Nottingham Repertory Theatre, 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. 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 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. 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, Chapman appeared alongside Norman Wisdom in five films.
After Sir John Gielgud was arrested in October 1953 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 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. Chapman died in August 1977 of a heart attack in Brighton, East Sussex, England at the age of 75.

Selected filmography

Juno and the Paycock – Captain BoyleMurder! – Ted MarkhamCaste – Sam GerridgeThe Skin Game – DawkerTilly of Bloomsbury – Percy WelwynThe Flying Squad – SedemanHappy Ever After – ColonelThe Queen's Affair – SoldierGuest of Honour – Montague TidmarshThe Church Mouse – Mr. 'Pinky' WormwoodBlossom Time – MeyerhofferGirls Will Be Boys – GreyRoyal Cavalcade – Narrator The Divine Spark – Saverio MercadanteThings to Come – Pippa Passworthy / Raymond PassworthySomeone at the Door – PriceThe Man Who Could Work Miracles – Major GrigsbyRembrandt – FabriziusLove and How to Cure It Who Killed John Savage? – Inspector ChortleyPremiere – LohrmannI've Got a Horse – GeorgeThe Citadel – Joe MorganMarigold – MordanThe Nursemaid Who Disappeared – JenksThe Four Just Men – 'B. J'There Ain't No Justice – Sammy SandersPoison Pen – Len GriffinInspector Hornleigh on Holiday – Captain Edwin FraserThe Proud Valley – Dick ParryConvoy – Captain EckersleyLaw and Disorder – Detective Inspector BrayThe Briggs Family – Charley BriggsInspector Hornleigh Goes To It – Mr. BlenkinsopTurned Out Nice Again – Uncle ArnoldJeannie – Mr. JansenShips with Wings – PapadopoulosThey Flew Alone – Mr. JohnsonThe October Man – Mr. PeachyIt Always Rains on Sunday – George SandigateMr. Perrin and Mr. Traill – BirklandThe History of Mr. Polly – Mr. JohnsonMan on the Run – Chief Inspector MitchellThe Spider and the Fly – Minister for WarMadeleine – Dr. ThompsonNight and the City – Hoskins Gone to Earth – Mr. JamesThe Magic Box – Father in Family GroupHis Excellency – The AdmiralThe Card – Herbert DuncalfMandy – AcklandThe Ringer – StrangerFolly to Be Wise – Joseph Byres M.P.The Intruder – LowdenA Day to Remember – Mr. RobinsonThe End of the Road – Works ManagerThe Crowded Day – Mr. BuntingThe Love Match – Mr. LongworthA Yank in Ermine – Duke of FontenhamBhowani Junction – Thomas JonesLisbon – Edgar SelwynX the Unknown – John ElliottDoctor at Large – WilkinsJust My Luck – Mr. StonewayInnocent Sinners – ManleyThe Square Peg – Mr. GrimsdaleThe Young and the Guilty – George ConnorThe Rough and the Smooth – Willy CatchSchool for Scoundrels – GloatbridgeOscar Wilde – Marquis of QueensberryThe Bulldog Breed – Mr. PhilpotsVenus fra Vestø – EnglænderA Stitch in Time – Mr. GrimsdaleHide and Seek – McPhersonJoey Boy – Tom HobsonThe Early Bird – Mr. GrimsdaleThe Man Who Haunted Himself – Barton

Selected stage appearances

Blue Comet by Eden Phillpotts The Combined Maze by Frank Vosper Leave It to Psmith by Ian Hay and P.G. Wodehouse The Good Companions by J.B. Priestley Chase the Ace by Anthony Kimmins As You Are by Hugh Mills