Edward Underdown

Edward Underdown (3 December 1908–15 December 1989) was an English theatre, cinema and television actor. He was born in London and educated at Eton College in Berkshire.

Early theatre credits include: Words and Music, Nymph Errant, Stop Press and Streamline (revue).

His film credits include: They Were Not Divided, Beat the Devil, Wings of the Morning, The Rainbow Jacket, The Woman's Angle, Her Panelled Door, The Camp on Blood Island, Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, Thunderball, Khartoum, The Magic Christian and Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World.

Television appearances include: Danger Man, The Saint, The Avengers, The Rat Catchers, Weavers Green, Man in a Suitcase, Doomwatch, The Regiment, Colditz, Upstairs, Downstairs, Survivors, The Duchess of Duke Street and Doctor Who (in the serial Meglos).

Both Wings of the Morning and The Rainbow Jacket were set in his beloved racing world, the former being set on Epsom Downs. Wings of the Morning, starring Henry Fonda, was Britain's first technicolour movie.

Edward Underdown was also a gentleman jockey and rode with great aplomb both on the flat and over sticks (see references to his riding career in John Hislop's books).

Personal Life

Edward Underdown, full name Charles Edward Underdown, was born on 3 December 1908 in London. He was educated at Eton College in Berkshire.

Charles Edward Underdown married Hon. Rosemary Sybella Violet Grimston, daughter of Robert Villiers Grimston, 1st Baron Grimston of Westbury and Sybil Rose Neumann, on 10 February 1953. He is the son of Harry Charles Baillie Underdown.

He died on 15 December 1989.

Early Theatre Appearances

• Words and Music, Adelphi Theatre, London (1932-1933). The production was authored and directed by Noël Coward.
• Nymph Errant, Adelphi Theatre, London (1933-1934)
• Stop Press, Adelphi Theatre, London (1934-1935)
• Streamline (revue), Palace Theatre, London (1932-1933)

Filmography

• The Warren Case (1934)
• Girls, Please! (1934)
• Annie, Leave the Room! (1935)
• Wings of the Morning (1937)
• The Drum (1938)
• Inspector Hornleigh (1939)
• Lucky to Me (1939)
• Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It (1941)
• The October Man (1947)
• The Woman in the Hall (1947)
• Brass Monkey (1948)
• Man on the Run (1949)
• They Were Not Divided (1950)
• The Woman with No Name (1950)
• The Dark Man (1951)
• The Promise (1952)
• The Woman's Angle (1952)
• The Voice of Merrill (1952)
• Street of Shadows (1953)
• Recoil (1953)
• Beat the Devil (1953)
• The Rainbow Jacket (1954)
• The Camp on Blood Island (1958)
• The Two-Headed Spy (1958)
• Information Received (1961)
• The Third Alibi (1961)
• The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)
• Locker 69 (1962)
• Dr. Crippen (1962)
• The Bay of St. Michel (1963)
• Man in the Middle (1963)
• Das Verrätertor (1964)
• Woman of Straw (1964)
• Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965)
• Thunderball (1965)
• Khartoum (1966)
• Triple Cross (1966)
• The Great Pony Raid (1968)
• The Hand of Night (1968)
• The Magic Christian (1969)
• The Last Valley (1970)
• Running Scared (1972)
• Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World (1973)
• The Abdication (1974)
• Tarka the Otter (1979)

Love of Horses

Edward Underdown's father owned a Norfolk estate in the Stamford Battle area. It was here that Edward learnt and developed his riding.

Before his career as an actor Edward was a gentleman jockey and rode with great aplomb both on the flat and over sticks (see references to his riding career in John Hislop's books).

The Norfolk estate is mentioned in Bill Pertwee's book about the making of Dad's Army. One of the Dad's army episodes was by co-incidence filmed at the estate. By this time the estate was owned by the War Department and nothing was left except for the verandah and stables. As soon as John Le Meusier arrived he realised it was familiar to him from weekend parties Edward's father had invited him to in the 1930's. So it was that Edward found himself working in a television series that featured part of his old home..

The films Wings of the Morning and The Rainbow Jacket were set in his beloved racing world, the former being set on Epsom Downs.

Finally, after his acting career he worked as a steward at Newbury Racecourse. This was described by Bill Pertwee as "fitting for a man who not only loved horses but was also an expert rider." (ibit, page 86).

External links

• Edward Underdown at the Internet Movie Database