Erik Chitty (8 July 1907 in

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

– 22 July 1977 Brent,

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbourin ...

), was an English stage, film and television actor.

Early life

Chitty was the son of a flour miller, Frederick Walter Chitty and his wife Ethel Elsie Assistance née Franklin; they married in 1902. He attended

Dover College , motto_translation = I cannot refuse the task , established = , closed = , type = Public SchoolIndependent day and boarding , religion = Church of England , headmaster = Simon Fisher , r_head_label = , r_head ...

and

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's full name is The College of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and the glorious Virgin Saint Radegund, near Cambridge. Its common name comes f ...

, where he was one of the founders of the Cambridge University Mummers, before training at

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sena ...

and becoming a professional actor. He then ran his own

repertory A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawi ...

company in

Frinton-on-Sea Frinton-on-Sea is a seaside town and (as just Frinton) a former civil parish, now in the parish of Frinton and Walton, in the Tendring district of Essex, England. In 2018 it had an estimated population of 4,837. In 1931 the parish had a popul ...

Personal life

Chitty and former actress Hester Bevan married 1936, and they had two daughters and one son. He was also a keen

genealogist Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kins ...

Television career

Early television (1936–1939)

Chitty was an early player in the fledgling BBC television output, which started in November 1936 until it was closed at the beginning of

WWII 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 ...

. * ''Pyramus And Thisbe'', 23 July 1937, Snout *''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern'', 2 March 1938, Guildenstern *''Henry IV'' 22 March 1938, "Valet" *''The White Chateau'', 11 November 1938, Trooper of Uhlans/Orderly/Linesman *'' Ednas Fruit Hat'', 27 January 1939, Cousin Sid * ''The Tempest'', 5 February 1939, Boatswain *'' The Unquiet Spirit'', 7 March 1939 "Hall Porter" * ''Katharine and Petruchio'', 12 April 1939, "A Tailor" *''Annajanska, The Bolsjevik Empress'' 2 May 1939, "Stammfest" *''The Day is Gone'', 4 August 1939, Radio announcer's voice *''The Advantages of Paternity'' 12 May 1939, "Brunov"

Television postwar (1946 onwards)

His television credits included a major role as the aged "Mr Smith" in '' Please Sir!'', and multiple appearances in '' Dads Army'', '' Raffles'', '' Doctor Who'', ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again b ...

'', ''

Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created by ...

'', '' Man About the House'' and ''

The Goodies The Goodies were a trio of British comedians: Tim Brooke-Taylor (17 July 1940–12 April 2020), Graeme Garden (b. 18 February 1943) and Bill Oddie (b. 7 July 1941). The trio created, wrote for and performed in their The Goodies (TV series), ep ...

''. He appeared in the TV musical '' Pickwick'' for the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

in 1969.

Filmography

* ''

Contraband Contraband (from Medieval French ''contrebande'' "smuggling") refers to any item that, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold. It is used for goods that by their nature are considered too dangerous or offensive in the eyes o ...

'' (1940) – Cloakroom attendant (uncredited) * ''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...

'' (1948) – Workhouse Board member (uncredited) * '' Forbidden'' (1949) – Schofield * ''

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 based on the 1947 novel by R. F. Delderfield. Premise After serving in the RAF during the S ...

'' (1949) – Frobisher * '' Your Witness'' (1950) – Judge's clerk * '' Chance of a Lifetime'' (1950) – Silas Pike * '' Circle of Danger'' (1951) - Box-office clerk (uncredited) * '' John Wesley'' (1954) – Trustee of Georgia * '' Time Is My Enemy'' (1954) – Ballistics expert * ''

Raising a Riot ''Raising a Riot'' is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Wendy Toye and starring Kenneth More, Shelagh Fraser and Mandy Miller about a naval officer who attempts to look after his three children in his wife's absence. It was shot at She ...

'' (1955) – Mr Buttons (uncredited) * '' Footsteps in the Fog'' (1955) – Hedges * ''

Windfall Windfall or Windfalls may refer to: Arts and media Film and television * ''Windfall'' (1935 film), adaptation of R. C. Sherriff's 1933 play, directed by Frederick Hayward and George King * ''Windfall'' (1955 film), a British comedy film by Jo ...

'' (1955) – (uncredited) * '' After the Ball'' (1957) – Waiter * '' Zoo Baby'' (1957) – Vulture man * ''

Left Right and Centre ''Left Right and Centre'' is a 1959 British satirical comedy film directed by Sidney Gilliat and starring Ian Carmichael, Patricia Bredin, Richard Wattis, Eric Barker and Alastair Sim. It was produced by Frank Launder. A political comedy, it fol ...

'' (1959) – Deputy returning officer * '' The Devil's Disciple'' (1959) – Uncle Titus * '' The Day They Robbed the Bank of England'' (1960) – Gudgeon (uncredited) * ''Not a Hope in Hell'' (1960) – Joe * '' Raising the Wind'' (1961) – Elderly Man at concert * '' Follow That Man'' (1961) – Doctor * '' First Men in the Moon'' (1964) – Gibbs, Cavor's hired man (uncredited) * ''

The Horror of It All ''The Horror of It All'' is a 1964 British horror comedy film directed by Terence Fisher and with a screenplay by Ray Russell. It stars Pat Boone and Erica Rogers. Plot American encyclopedia salesman Jack Robinson arrives at a dilapidated ma ...

'' (1964) – Grandpa Marley * '' Doctor Zhivago'' (1965) – Old Soldier * '' Casino Royale'' (1967) – Sir James Bond's butler (uncredited) * '' Bedazzled'' (1967) – Seed – Sir Stanley Moon's butler (uncredited) * ''

Anne of the Thousand Days ''Anne of the Thousand Days'' is a 1969 British period historical drama film based on the life of Anne Boleyn, directed by Charles Jarrott and produced by Hal B. Wallis. The screenplay by Bridget Boland and John Hale is an adaptation of the ...

'' (1969) – Priest (uncredited) * '' Arthur? Arthur!'' (1969) – Uncle Ratty * '' A Nice Girl Like Me'' (1969) – Vicar * '' Twinky'' (1969) – Lawyer's elderly client * '' Song of Norway'' (1970) – Helsted * ''

The Railway Children ''The Railway Children'' is a children's book by Edith Nesbit, originally serialised in ''The London Magazine'' during 1905 and published in book form in the same year. It has been adapted for the screen several times, of which the 1970 fil ...

'' (1970) – Photographer * ''

Lust for a Vampire ''Lust for a Vampire'', also known as ''Love for a Vampire'' or ''To Love a Vampire'' (the latter title was the one used on American television), is a 1971 British Hammer Horror film directed by Jimmy Sangster, starring Ralph Bates, Barbara Je ...

'' (1971) – Professor Herz * '' The Statue'' (1971) – Mouser * '' Please Sir!'' (1971) – Mr Smith * '' The Amazing Mr. Blunden'' (1972) – Mr Claverton * '' The Vault of Horror'' (1973) – Old waiter (segment 1 "Midnight Mess") * ''Op de Hollandse toer'' (1973) – Mr Molenaar * ''The Flying Sorcerer'' (1973) – Sir Roger * ''

Fall of Eagles ''Fall of Eagles'' is a 13-part British television drama aired by the BBC in 1974. The series was created by John Elliot and produced by Stuart Burge. The series portrays historical events from 1848 to 1918, dealing with the ruling dynasties of ...

'' (1974) - Hertling, German Chancellor * '' One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing'' (1975) – Museum guard * ''

The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones ''The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones'' is a 1976 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Nicky Henson, Trevor Howard and Terry-Thomas. It is an adaptation of the 1749 novel ''Tom Jones'' by Henry Fielding, which follows the m ...

'' (1976) – Sam (uncredited) * '' The Seven-Per-Cent Solution'' (1976) – The butler * ''

Jabberwocky "Jabberwocky" is a nonsense poem written by Lewis Carroll about the killing of a creature named "the Jabberwock". It was included in his 1871 novel '' Through the Looking-Glass'', the sequel to ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865). The ...

'' (1977) – Second door-opener / Servant (uncredited) * '' A Bridge Too Far'' (1977) – Organist

Notes

References

External links

*
Erik Chitty
– BBC Guide to Comedy
Erik Chitty
– Movies.com website {{DEFAULTSORT:Chitty, Erik 1907 births 1977 deaths 20th-century English male actors 20th-century English historians Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art English genealogists English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors Male actors from Kent People educated at Dover College People from Dover, Kent