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, 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 in World War I and was awarded the Military Cross, 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 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 (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 (1940) – Robert Fenwick The Proud Valley (1940) – Bert Convoy (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 (1941) – Sam Bromley Major Barbara (1941) – Man on Quayside (uncredited) Kipps (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 (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 (1946) – Sam Pecker Piccadilly Incident (1946) – Judd Temptation Harbour (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 (1948) – Waldo Daybreak (1948) – Bill Shackle Noose (1948) – Slush It's Hard to Be Good (1948) – Parkinson All Over the Town (1949) – Grimmett Christopher Columbus (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 – 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 (1950) – The Watchman (uncredited) Into the Blue (1950) – Bill, the Skipper Circle of Danger (1951) – Idwal Llewellyn (final film role)
References
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