Robert Leadam Eddison,

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(10 June 1908 – 14 December 1991) was an English actor, who despite his lengthy career as a classical stage actor, is probably most widely remembered in the role of the Grail Knight in '' Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade''. He also played

Merlin Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...

in the BBC television series '' The Legend of King Arthur'', and the tragic ferryman in '' The Storyteller'' episode "The Luck Child". Eddison was an award-winning actor, known for his mellifluously resonant, baritone voice and long, lean 6' 3" figure. Throughout his 60-year career he was constantly in demand as an actor and worked with many of Britain's greatest stage actors, often during the early formative years of their careers including

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural ...

Derek Jacobi Sir Derek George Jacobi (; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. He has appeared in various stage productions of William Shakespeare such as ''Hamlet'', ''Much Ado About Nothing'', ''Macbeth'', ''Twelfth Night'', '' The Tempest'', ''King ...

and Maggie Smith.

Early life

Eddison was born in

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of ...

, Japan, to Edwin Eddison and Hilda Muriel Leadham. He had a twin brother, Talbot Leadam Eddison, who later became a Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy and received the Distinguished Service Cross and The Most Honourable Order of the Bath. Another brother became a director of an engineering company, while the youngest brother was Roger Eddison. From the age of five, Eddison knew that he wanted to be an actor. Both of his parents were members of the Yokohama Dramatic Club, where he often saw them both perform on stage. He recalls in his later memoir how "As they bent down to kiss me goodnight...the smell of the make-up and powder totally bewitched me. My father's make-up box had the same smell of spirit-gum and its effect on me was very potent". His father was a civil engineer and died in 1917. Consequently, his mother decided to return to England with her four sons by way of

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

, Canada. It was here that Eddison along with his twin brother went to boarding school in Victoria for the next few years. After the Armistice in 1919, the family arrived back in England. Although his mother's family originally came from

Leeds Leeds () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the thi ...

, she settled in

Haywards Heath Haywards Heath is a town in West Sussex, England, south of London, north of Brighton, south of Gatwick Airport and northeast of the county town, Chichester. Nearby towns include Burgess Hill to the southwest, Horsham to the northwest, Crawl ...

, Sussex.

Education

Eddison, aged 14, along with his three other brothers, were all educated at

Charterhouse School (God having given, I gave) , established = , closed = , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , president ...

. He was extremely disappointed to discover that there was no dramatic society, especially considering that its past alumni included such theatre luminaries as Johnston Forbes-Robertson,

Cyril Maude Cyril Francis Maude (24 April 1862 — 20 February 1951) was an English actor-manager. Biography Maude was born in London and educated at Wixenford and Charterhouse School. In 1881, he was sent to Adelaide, South Australia, on the clipper ship ...

, Richard Goolden and

Max Beerbohm Sir Henry Maximilian Beerbohm (24 August 1872 – 20 May 1956) was an English essayist, Parody, parodist and Caricature, caricaturist under the signature Max. He first became known in the 1890s as a dandy and a humorist. He was the drama critic ...

. It was anticipated that he would follow in the footsteps of his maternal grandfather and paternal uncle and become a doctor, consequently yet uncertain, Eddison later studied at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

where he read medicine. During his time there he developed his passion for acting and the theatre. He was a member of the ADC and of The Marlowe Society and from 1929 to 1930 served as President of the Cambridge Amateur Dramatics Club. As President, he later recalled how he shamefully blackballed

Alastair Cooke Alistair Cooke (born Alfred Cooke; 20 November 1908 – 30 March 2004) was a British-American writer whose work as a journalist, television personality and radio broadcaster was done primarily in the United States.George Rylands in Coriolanus and as Beatrice opposite Michael Redgrave as Florindo in Goldoni's

A Servant of Two Masters ''The Servant of Two Masters'' ( it, Il servitore di due padroni, links=no) is a comedy by the Italian playwright Carlo Goldoni written in 1746. Goldoni originally wrote the play at the request of actor Antonio Sacco, one of the great Harlequins ...

. It was whilst at Cambridge that Eddison made his professional debut at the Festival Theatre, Cambridge in 'Lady Audley's Secret' on 23 June 1930 opposite

Flora Robson Dame Flora McKenzie Robson (28 March 19027 July 1984) was an English actress and star of the theatrical stage and cinema, particularly renowned for her performances in plays demanding dramatic and emotional intensity. Her range extended from q ...

as Lady Audley. Eddison later said he viewed this as his first professional credit, however "In fact, I drew no salary, but a silver cigarette-case at the end of the ten weeks." As a result of his passions evidently remaining elsewhere, Eddison later revealed that he "came down" without a degree, but "didn't think it mattered at all, but had my chosen profession failed me, I would probably not have felt in any way light-hearted."

Early career

In his early career, he spent a year at the Westminster Theatre, making his London debut in The Anatomist again with Flora Robson and Henry Ainley and directed by

Tyrone Guthrie Sir William Tyrone Guthrie (2 July 1900 – 15 May 1971) was an English theatrical director instrumental in the founding of the Stratford Festival of Canada, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at his ...

. He later spent a long period in weekly rep in Croydon. In 1934 he caught the attention of Ben Greet and until 1939 appeared in several productions, over the course of three seasons, at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park. He was seen and noted by

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combina ...

whilst performing in a comedy titled 'Yes and No' and later invited by Val Gielgud to appear in radio productions at the BBC. During his varied career he played six seasons with the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, M ...

. One of his first was taking over the roles of Le Beau and William from

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including '' Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (1 ...

with Edith Evans as Rosalind. In 1938, and with war imminent, he "joined up" but soon temporarily postponed', in order to appear in as many plays as possible until he was truly needed. Consequently, in 1939, he was able to appear as Pericles and Oberon in Regent's Park. He was also free to accept an engagement from

H.M. Tennent Henry Moncrieff Tennent (18 February 1879 – 10 June 1941), was a British theatrical producer, impresario and songwriter. From 1929 to 1933, he mentored Binkie Beaumont, having previously worked with him in Cardiff. When Tennent, already the g ...

to appear alongside and in

's This Happy Breed and his semi-autobiographical stage play

Present Laughter ''Present Laughter'' is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1939 but not produced until 1942 because the Second World War began while it was in rehearsal, and the British theatres closed. The title is drawn from a song in Shakespeare's ''T ...

in the part of Roland Maule. Eddison later recalled how "Sometimes in an actor's life there crops up a part that seems to be his own. Not often with me, but Roland Maule in Present Laughter was one of them (and I think Noël meant it to be)". However the imminent productions were halted mid-rehearsal by the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and to his regret he was not able to "create" Roland, this honour was given to

James Donald James Donald (18 May 1917 – 3 August 1993) was a Scottish actor. Tall and thin, he specialised in playing authority figures, particularly military doctors. Early life Donald was born in Aberdeen, the fourth son of a Scottish Presbyterian m ...

. He did later appear in a revival in 1947, but in his own words "Some of the gilt was off the gingerbread." One of his last productions prior to leaving was Shakespeare's

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

in 1940, where he played Romeo opposite Pamela Brown's Juliet. The War really exasperated him, as he had been due to appear in two sure-fire Coward hits in the West End, with a Broadway transfer expected. In 1940 he was called up to the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

, but officially became an enlisted man on 5 May 1941 and was trained at a naval establishment in Fareham, later moving barracks to Portsmouth. It was during a medical X-ray that they discovered that Eddison's heart was on the wrong side of his chest, but it was the view that if it hadn't caused any trouble before that was no reason it should do now. He was on drafted to HMS King George V at Rosyth. He soon rose through the ranks, and was sent to the King Alfred regiment which was a training depot for officers. As a result, he was now able to wear the uniform of an officer (he enjoyed the fact that it was tailor-made by Gieves). One part of his officer training was to attend a knife and fork course in Greenwich where, as an officer, he would be taught, literally, how to use the utensils. He was then appointed to the aircraft carrier HMS ''Illustrious'' as a Temporary Lieutenant. Upon arriving on board he was greeted by another Officer,

Michael Hordern Sir Michael Murray Hordern CBE (3 October 19112 May 1995)Morley, Sheridan"Hordern, Michael Murray (1911–1995)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, online edition, May 2009, accessed 22 July 2015 was ...

, who later also became an acclaimed actor. During his time there the ship was attacked by Kamikazi aircraft on Easter Day 1945. Eddison eventually spent three years aboard Illustrious, feeling very much "the man the admiralty forgot" as appointments were usually only for two years. Ian McKellen later recalled one anecdote of Eddison's wartime experience when he was performing the

Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End Theatre, West End of London and on Broadway theatre, Broadway in New York. ...

part in an officers performance of Coward's Red Peppers and Fumed Oak: “After the show, the Petty Officer breathed heavily, what Robert always considered the best notice he ever had: “You know, Eddison, I never knew you were so f*****g lovely!” Eddison was finally demobbed in March 1946. Not long after he spent two further seasons at the

Bristol Old Vic Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a f ...

where he played Iago and was noted for his

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depi ...

, opposite Jane Wenham as

Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama '' Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet, who, due to Hamlet's actions, ends u ...

which later transferred to the

St James' Theatre The St James's Theatre was in King Street, St James's, London. It opened in 1835 and was demolished in 1957. The theatre was conceived by and built for a popular singer, John Braham; it lost money and after three seasons he retired. A succ ...

in 1948. Eddison eventually got to play the parts he'd hope to create opposite Coward in the revival of Coward's double bill which had been interrupted by the war. In 1950 he was invited to join the prestigious Old Vic Company and was part of the company who reopened London's

Old Vic Theatre The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, not-for-profit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal V ...

after it had been severely damaged during the war. The opening production was

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins V ...

with Peggy Ashcroft as Viola and Paul Rogers as

Malvolio Malvolio is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's comedy '' Twelfth Night, or What You Will''. His name means "ill will" in Italian, referencing his disagreeable nature. He is the vain, pompous, authoritarian steward of Olivia's househo ...

, the production later toured Italy. Throughout his career, Eddison had a steady stream of work and performed in

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

and other classics, later playing the comic roles of Feste and Sir Andrew Aguecheek in ''

'', and

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane a ...

on the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

stage. He was also a familiar figure in plays by

Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

, Chekhov, and

Sophocles Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or c ...

, and played Canon Chasuble in

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

's ''

The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...

'' again alongside Flora Robson as Miss Prism. In April 1958 he became an active committee member of The Society for Theatre Research and often gave lectures, later becoming its Chairman and Vice-President. In 1960, he played Polonius to Jeremy Brett's Hamlet at the Strand Theatre. He was later to play Captain Hook in Peter Pan, as

Alastair Sim Alastair George Bell Sim, CBE (9 October 1900 – 19 August 1976) was a Scottish character actor who began his theatrical career at the age of thirty and quickly became established as a popular West End performer, remaining so until his d ...

refused to play twice daily.

Later career

In 1967 he was engaged to play The Player in Tom Stoppard's

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' is an absurdist, existential tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare's ''Haml ...

in New York. The play opened in Washington, with Variety saying he was "superb", but after five performances he was replaced, an experience which left him feeling very wounded. "It seemed that the trouble was that I wasn't

Graham Crowden Clement Graham Crowden (30 November 1922 – 19 October 2010) was a Scottish actor. He was best known for his many appearances in television comedy dramas and films, often playing eccentric "offbeat" scientist, teacher and doctor characters. Ea ...

" he would later remember. In 1969, he developed a lifelong friendship with

whom he first met when they appeared in the since legendary double bill Prospect Theatre Company productions of Shakespeare's

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father d ...

and Marlowe's

Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to ...

, with McKellen playing both leading parts on alternate nights and Eddison playing Lightborn and the Duke of York respectively. Eddison won the 1970 Clarence Derwent Award for 'Best male in a supporting role' for his performance of Lightborn He later recalled that "I was ashamed at how much I enjoyed playing Lightborn in Edward II (surely one of the best small parts in dramaturgy!)" When being interviewed by McKellen's biographer he reminisced that “It was a wonderful time… At the

Piccadilly Theatre The Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at 16 Denman Street, behind Piccadilly Circus and adjacent to the Regent Palace Hotel, in the City of Westminster, London, England. Early years Built by Bertie Crewe and Edward A. Stone ...

there were always queues at the Box Office and the younger members of the cast got very excited and I thought, poor things, they have been deprived”. Eddison loved being in the company and had “the greatest admiration and affection for Ian. The Duke of York was a dull part, really, but I loved playing it - and

Richard Cottrell Richard Cottrell (born 15 August 1936) is an English theatre director. He has been the Director of the Cambridge Theatre Company and the Bristol Old Vic in England, and of the Nimrod Theatre in Sydney, Australia. He has also directed for the ...

exercised his considerable persuasive powers

s director S, or s, is the nineteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ess'' (pronounced ), plural ''esses''. History ...

on me to do this and Lightborn. I was quite happy to do that as I thought it was the only possible part for me - I couldn’t really see myself as one of those Lancastrian barons.” In 1974, he was invited to join McKellen and

Edward Petherbridge Edward Petherbridge (born 3 August 1936) is an English actor, writer and artist. Among his many roles, he portrayed Lord Peter Wimsey in the 1987 BBC television adaptations of Dorothy L. Sayers' novels, and Guildenstern in Tom Stoppard's '' ...

’s democratically run Actor's Company. The aim of the Company, through majority decisions, meant that the collective company of actors would all choose the plays on a democratic basis and to alternate between leading and supporting parts. Eddison later stated “I was very touched when I was asked to join the company. I was so much older than all the others. But it was all the greatest fun, huge fun, though I did find the meetings endless and ghastly. I never knew what to say!” During the season he played the title role in

, a part he played to great acclaim. Upon being offered the part Eddison later remembered “I was very touched to be asked to play Lear. I had been to do a play at Colchester and on my return I found this note from the rest of the company offering me the part. I wept, amazingly, for I had always wanted to do the part.” During this period he performed in both the UK and America. McKellen later recalled how when performing Chekhov's 'The Wood Demon' at the

Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a performing arts venue in Brooklyn, New York City, known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performance. It presented its first performance in 1861 and began operations in its present location in ...

they shared the stage-level dressing-room where Enrico Caruso reputedly died. He was part of the company at the National Theatre during its final performance at the Old Vic. On 4 October 1976 he delivered the first speech in the Olivier Theatre at the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

as the Prologue in Christopher Marlowe’s Tamburlaine the Great. Eddison was quite proud to be able to say that he was the only actor in the world and forever will be, who opened both the South Bank and (six years later)

The Barbican Barbican is a type of fortified building. Barbican may also refer to: * Barbican (drink), a brand of malt beverage in Saudi Arabia and the UAE * Barbican Estate The Barbican Estate, or Barbican, is a residential complex of around 2,000 fl ...

. In 1978, he also won the Society of West End Theatre Award (now

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

) for 'Best Actor in a Supporting Role' for his performances in

of Andrew Aguecheek / Feste, a part he had last played in 1950. In 1985, he was later asked by his friend McKellen to join the new McKellen/Petherbridge Company at the

, which sadly he was unable to join, but was again “touched to be asked”. Eddison also made his mark in radio, in countless BBC dramas through the decades, with some of his last roles including

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

in '' The Canterbury Tales'' and parts in an adaptation of Japanese Noh plays. His television work included a bravura performance as Uncle Silas in a 1968 production for the

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...

series Mystery and Imagination. His film career was limited, but included a supporting role in Peter Ustinov's 1948 comedy ''

Vice Versa References Additional references * * {{Latin phrases V ca:Locució llatina#V da:Latinske ord og vendinger#V fr:Liste de locutions latines#V id:Daftar frasa Latin#V it:Locuzioni latine#V nl:Lijst van Latijnse spreekwoorden en ui ...

'', the electrical 'Nick' in '' The Boy Who Turned Yellow'' (1972) and the college president in '' American Friends'' (1991). However, Eddison's most notable, albeit small, role was in '' Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' as the ancient Grail Knight. The part was briefly considered to be played by

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage o ...

, but he was too ill. Eddison was 81 at the time of filming. His line "He chose poorly" is one of the film's most famously quoted lines.

Julian Glover Julian Wyatt Glover (born 27 March 1935) is an English classical actor with many stage, television, and film roles since commencing his career in the 1950s. He is a recipient of the Laurence Olivier Award and has performed many times for the ...

, who played villain Walter Donovan, recalled Eddison was excited and nervous for his return to film, often asking if he had performed correctly. Recalling working with Eddison later on Glover said:

"He was such a wonderful actor, Robert. Fantastic voice too, a wonderful rolling voice. He came in and I thought he lent a tremendous gravitas to that part, but at the same time, he was able to take that wonderful line "He chose poorly" in such a dry way, that it was really funny. When I saw it, it got an absolute belly laugh"

His final production with McKellen was in Martin Sherman's ''

Bent Bent may refer to: Places * Bent, Iran, a city in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran * Bent District, an administrative subdivision of Iran * Bent, Netherlands, a village in the municipality of Rijnwoude, the Netherlands * Bent County, Colo ...

'' as Uncle Freddie in 1990, the same part McKellen was later to play in the 1997 film. Eddison was awarded the OBE in the 1988 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to drama.

Death

A lifelong smoker, and despite annually giving up smoking for

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and L ...

, Eddison died of bronchial pneumonia at a London hospital in 1991, aged 83. Throughout his lengthy career, Eddison amassed an extensive personal collection of theatrical material. The collection included ceramics, architectural plans and drawings, and watercolours, prints, rare books and wax figures. The majority of the collection was built up following World War II, with acquisitions from well-known London dealers and from country outlets visited while on tour. It was regarded as "One of the finest collections of Georgian theatrical material in private hands, with a high proportion of the material being rare or unique and of national importance". Upon his death, the collection was later acquired by the Theatre Museum from the Executors of his estate as an acceptance in lieu of Inheritance Tax. His collection is now curated by the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and ...

. He was later discovered to have written the beginnings of a memoir titled ''Majestic Service: An Autobiographical Memoir''. The 22 pages were later published by the Society for Theatre Research in 1992. Eddison was the great uncle of the television presenter Dallas Campbell. Campbell later said "I remember sitting in the cinema as a ten-year-old in 1981 watching Harrison Ford in the first Indiana Jones film and immediately getting interested in archaeology. I was in my late teens when Uncle Bob was in the third film, ''The Last Crusade'', and I was so proud of him. I remember going to the cinema and telling people he was my uncle, but nobody believed me."

Filmography

References

*Benedick, Adam. "Obituary: Robert Eddison." ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publishe ...

''. December 16, 1991. Hanson, Norman. Carrier Pilot utobiography

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Eddison, Robert 1908 births 1991 deaths English male film actors 20th-century English male actors Officers of the Order of the British Empire English people of American descent Royal Navy personnel of World War II Deaths from pneumonia in England English twins