Edward Coke MC (5 February 1879 – 5 April 1951), known professionally as Edward Rigby, was a British character actor.

Early life

Rigby was born at

Ashford, Kent Ashford is a town in the Borough of Ashford, Ashford district, in the county of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Great Stour at the southern or Escarpment, scarp edge of the North Downs, about by road southeast of centr ...

, England, the second son of Dr William Harriott Coke and his wife, Mary Elizabeth.Who's Who in the Theatre, ed. John Parker, Pitman, 1952, p. 1226 He was educated at Haileybury, and Wye Agricultural College. Under his real name, Edward Coke (Rigby was his mother's maiden name), he served in the Artists' Rifles and the

Royal Field Artillery The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It was created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of the regiment, the ...

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

, cited on 17 September 1917 "for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as artillery liaison officer. At a time when all communication with his artillery group was severed, he made repeated attempts to restore the connection, and personally crossed a river under heavy fire in his efforts to mend the cable and to lay fresh ones. He showed the greatest gallantry and disregard of danger throughout the operation, and only desisted from his efforts on receiving the direct order from his headquarters to do so." In 1912, Rigby married Phyllis Muriel Mary Austin, a novelist (1888–1979). Their son, Cyril Edward Rigby Coke, a television director, married Muriel Young (1923–2001), an ITV announcer and TV presenter.

Stage and screen career

He made his first stage appearance in 1900 at the Grand Theatre in

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...

and later toured Australia, United States and Canada. He followed his first film appearance, the 1910 silent '' The Blue Bird'', with roles in more than 150 films from 1933 to 1951.

Death

He collapsed after a heart attack in the street at Richmond upon Thames and when taken to Richmond upon Thames Hospital was found to be dead. He was cremated at Mortlake Crematorium on 11 April 1951.

Selected filmography

* '' The Blue Bird'' (1910, Short) – Bread * '' Lorna Doone'' (1934) – Reuben 'Uncle Ben' Huckaback * '' Windfall'' (1935) – Sam Spooner * '' No Limit'' (1935) – Grandfather * '' Gay Old Dog'' (1935) – Tom Bliss * '' Queen of Hearts'' (1936) – Perkins * '' This Green Hell'' (1936) – Dan Foyle * '' Land Without Music'' (1936) – The Maestro * '' Crime Over London'' (1936) – (uncredited) * '' The Heirloom Mystery'' (1936) – Charles Marriott * '' Accused'' (1936) – Alphonse de la Riveire * '' Irish for Luck'' (1936) – Hon. Denis Maguire * '' Jump for Glory'' (1937) – Sanders * '' The Show Goes On'' (1937) – Mr. Scowcroft, Sally's Father * '' The Fatal Hour'' (1937) – Cready * '' Under a Cloud'' (1937) – Jimmy Forbes * '' Mr. Smith Carries On'' (1937) – Mr. Smith * '' Young and Innocent'' (1937) – Old Will * ''

A Yank at Oxford ''A Yank at Oxford'' is a 1938 comedy-drama film directed by Jack Conway and starring Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan, Vivien Leigh and Edmund Gwenn. The screenplay was written by John Monk Saunders and Leon Gordon. ...

'' (1938) – Scatters * '' Kicking the Moon Around'' (1938) – Prof. Scattlebury * '' Yellow Sands'' (1938) – Tom Major * '' The Ware Case'' (1938) – Tommy Bold * '' Keep Smiling'' (1938) – Silas Gray * '' The Four Just Men'' (1939) – (uncredited) * '' There Ain't No Justice'' (1939) – Pa Mutch * '' Poison Pen'' (1939) – Badham * '' Young Man's Fancy'' (1939) – Gray * ''

The Stars Look Down ''The Stars Look Down'' is a 1935 novel by A. J. Cronin which chronicles various injustices in an English coal mining community. A film version was released in 1940, and television adaptations include both Italian (1971) and British (1975) v ...

'' (1940) – Robert Fenwick * '' The Proud Valley'' (1940) – Bert * ''

Convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

'' (1940) – Mr. Matthews * '' Girl in the News'' (1940) – Hospital Secretary (uncredited) * '' Sailors Don't Care'' (1940) – Joe Clark * '' The Farmer's Wife'' (1941) – Tom Gurney * ''

Fingers A finger is a prominent digit on the forelimbs of most tetrapod vertebrate animals, especially those with prehensile extremities (i.e. hands) such as humans and other primates. Most tetrapods have five digits (pentadactyly), Chambers 1998 p. 60 ...

'' (1941) – Sam Bromley * ''

Major Barbara ''Major Barbara'' is a three-act English play by George Bernard Shaw, written and premiered in 1905 and first published in 1907. The story concerns an idealistic young woman, Barbara Undershaft, who is engaged in helping the poor as a Major in ...

'' (1941) – Man on Quayside (uncredited) * ''

Kipps ''Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul'' is a novel by H. G. Wells, first published in 1905. It was reportedly Wells's own favourite among his works, and it has been adapted for stage, cinema and television productions, including the musical '' ...

'' (1941) – Buggins * '' The Common Touch'' (1941) – 'Tich' * '' Penn of Pennsylvania'' (1941) – Bushell * '' Flying Fortress'' (1942) – Dan Billings (uncredited) * '' Let the People Sing'' (1942) – Timmy Tiverton * '' Salute John Citizen'' (1942) – Mr. Bunting * '' Went the Day Well?'' (1942) – Bill Purvis * '' Get Cracking'' (1943) – Sam Elliott * ''

They Met in the Dark ''They Met in the Dark'' (also known as ''Dark End'' and ''Spionagering M'' ) is a 1943 British comedy thriller film directed by Karel Lamač and starring James Mason, Joyce Howard and Edward Rigby. The screenplay concerns a cashiered Royal N ...

'' (1943) – Mansel * '' A Canterbury Tale'' (1944) – Jim Horton * '' Don't Take It to Heart'' (1944) – Butler * '' I Live in Grosvenor Square'' (1945) – Innkeeper * '' The Agitator'' (1945) – Charlie Branfield * '' Perfect Strangers'' (1945) – Charlie * '' Murder in Reverse?'' (1945) – Spike * '' The Years Between'' (1946) – Postman * ''

Quiet Weekend ''Quiet Weekend'' is a 1946 British comedy film directed by Harold French and starring Derek Farr, Frank Cellier, Marjorie Fielding, George Thorpe and Barbara White. A family try to relax during a weekend holiday in the country.

'' (1946) – Sam Pecker * '' Piccadilly Incident'' (1946) – Judd * ''

Temptation Harbour ''Temptation Harbour'' is a 1947 British black and white crime/drama film, directed by Lance Comfort and starring Robert Newton, Simone Simon and William Hartnell. It was adapted by Rodney Ackland and Frederick Gotfurt from ''Newhaven-Diepp ...

'' (1947) – Tatem * '' The Courtneys of Curzon Street'' (1947) – Mr. R (Stock Exchange Sweeper / Cleaner) (uncredited) * '' Green Fingers'' (1947) – Albert Goodman * '' The Loves of Joanna Godden'' (1947) – Stuppeny * '' Easy Money'' (1948) – Teddy (segment The Teddy Ball Story) * ''

The Three Weird Sisters ''The Three Weird Sisters'' is a 1948 British melodrama film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Nancy Price, Mary Clare, Mary Merrall, Nova Pilbeam and Raymond Lovell. The film has Gothic influences. The screenplay was adapted by Dylan Th ...

'' (1948) – Waldo * '' Daybreak'' (1948) – Bill Shackle * ''

Noose A noose is a loop at the end of a rope in which the knot tightens under load and can be loosened without untying the knot. The knot can be used to secure a rope to a post, pole, or animal but only where the end is in a position that the loop can ...

'' (1948) – Slush * ''

It's Hard to Be Good ''It's Hard to Be Good'' is a 1948 British comedy film directed by Jeffrey Dell and starring Jimmy Hanley, Anne Crawford and Raymond Huntley. In the film, an ex-army officer finds his altruistic attempts to improve the world are unsuccessful. ...

'' (1948) – Parkinson * ''

All Over the Town ''All Over the Town'' is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Derek N. Twist and starring Norman Wooland, Sarah Churchill and Cyril Cusack. It was written by Michael Gordon and Twist based on the 1947 novel by R. F. Delderfield. Plot ...

'' (1949) – Grimmett * ''

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...

'' (1949) – Pedro * '' Don't Ever Leave Me'' (1949) – Harry Denton * '' A Run for Your Money'' (1949) – Beefeater * ''Rover and Me'' (1949) – Mr. Maggott * ''

Poet's Pub ''Poet's Pub'' is a 1949 British second feature ('B') comedy film directed by Frederick Wilson and starring Derek Bond, Rona Anderson and James Robertson Justice. It was written by Diana Morgan based on the 1929 novel of the same title ...

'' – Pageant watching villager (uncredited) * '' The Happiest Days of Your Life'' (1950) – Rainbow * '' Double Confession'' (1950) – The Fisherman * '' Tony Draws a Horse'' (1950) – Grandpa * '' What the Butler Saw'' (1950) – The Earl * ''

The Mudlark ''The Mudlark'' is a 1950 film made in United Kingdom, Britain by 20th Century Fox. It is a fictional account of how Queen Victoria was eventually brought out of her mourning for her dead husband, Albert, Prince Consort, Prince Albert. It was di ...

'' (1950) – The Watchman (uncredited) * '' Into the Blue'' (1950) – Bill, the Skipper * ''

Circle of Danger ''Circle of Danger'' (also known as ''White Heather'') is a 1951 British thriller film directed by Jacques Tourneur starring Ray Milland, Patricia Roc, Marius Goring, Hugh Sinclair and Naunton Wayne. The screenplay was by Philip MacDonald ...

'' (1951) – Idwal Llewellyn (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rigby, Edward 1879 births 1951 deaths 20th-century English male actors Alumni of Wye College Artists' Rifles officers British Army personnel of World War I English male film actors Male actors from Kent People educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College Actors from Ashford, Kent Recipients of the Military Cross Royal Field Artillery officers Military personnel from Kent