Erik Chitty

Erik Chitty (8 July 1907 in Dover, Kent[1] – 22 July 1977 Brent, Middlesex[2]), was an English stage, film and television actor.[3][4][5]

Erik Chitty
Born(1907-07-08)8 July 1907
Dover, Kent, UK
Died22 July 1977(1977-07-22) (aged 70)
Alma materRADA
OccupationActor
Years active1937-1977
Spouse(s)Hester Bevan
Children
  • Ann
  • Hilary
  • Richard

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 and Jesus College, Cambridge where he was one of the founders of the Cambridge University Mummers, before training at RADA and becoming a professional actor.[6] He then ran his own repertory company in Frinton-on-Sea.

Personal life

Chitty and former actress Hester Bevan married 1936, and they had two daughters and one son. He was also a keen genealogist.[7]

Television career

Early television (1936–1939)

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

Pyramus And Thisbe (23 Jul 1937) [8]
A most lamentable comedy contained in "A Midsummer Night's Dream", by William Shakespeare.
Author William Shakespeare
Producer Jan Bussell
Bottom Wilfrid Walter
Quince Charles Lefeaux
Flute Don Gemmell
Snout Erik Chitty
Snug Herbert Lees
Starveling Hubert Leslie
Theseus John Rudling
Philostrate Kenneth Villiers
Hippolyta Jillian Sandilands
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (2 Mar 1938) [9]
Author W. S. Gilbert
Producer Jan Bussell
Guildenstern Erik Chitty
Rosencrantz Leonard Sachs
Hamlet Peter Ridgeway
Ophelia Alexis France
King Claudius Graham Clifford
Queen Gertrude Madge Brindley
First Player Connaught Stanleigh
Second Player Ethne Wall
Henry IV (22 Mar 1938) [10]
by Luigi Pirandello.
translated by Edward Storer.
Author Luigi Pirandello
Translator Edward Storer
Producer Dallas Bower
Henry IV Ernest Milton
Marchioness Matilda Spina Cecilie Burne
Frida, her daughter Valerie Hobson
The Marquis Charles di Nolli Denis Blakelock
The Baron Tito Belcredi Anthony Ireland
Dr. Dionysius Genoni Bromley Davenport
Harold Douglas Matthews
Landolph Patrick Ludlow
Ordulph Jack Lambert
Berthold Basil Langton
John Harding Steerman
Valets
 
Erik Chitty
Stuart Latham
The White Chateau (11 Nov 1938) [upper-alpha 1][11]
by Reginald Berkeley.
With Antoinette Cellier, A.R. Whatmore, Edward Lexy, Harold Scott, William Hutchison, Bernard Miles, Eric Powley, Ivor Barnard, George Woodbridge, Ben Wright, Erik Chitty, Richard George, Peter Ashmore, Claude Bailey, George Bishop, Hans Wengraf, Peter Scott, Frank Thornton-Bassett, Alex McCrindle, Jean Winstanley, Mary Hinton, Yvonne Sinclair, and Ivan Samson.
And with the co-operation of members of 53rd (London) Medium Brigade, R.A., T.A., and 7th Bn. the Middlesex Regiment, T.A.

Music from Sibelius's Second Symphony, verse from the works of Cecil Day Lewis, Wilfred Owen, T.S. Eliot, W. H. Auden, and Ezra Pound.
Author Reginald Berkeley
Production Royston Morley
Diane van Eysen Antoinette Cellier
Deputy Chief-of-Staff A. R. Whatmore
Sergeant Major Lewis
Gun Sergeant
Edward Lexy
The Chancellor Harold Scott
Captain Luttrell William Hutchison
Commander-in-Chief Bernard Miles
Charles van Eysen Eric Powley
Private Waters
Private Cossington
Ivor Barnard
Trooper of Uhlans
Sergeant Harvey
George Woodbridge
Jacques van Eysen
Private Mason
A British Soldier
Ben Wright
Trooper of Uhlans
Orderly
Linesman
Erik Chitty
Chief-of-Staff
Stretcher-Bearer
A British Soldier
Richard George
Trooper of Uhlans
Lieutenant Barrington
Lewis Gunner
Peter Ashmore
Captain Braithwaite
A British Soldier
Claude Bailey
Staff Colonel
Artillery Liaison Officer Williams
George Bishop
Officer of Uhlans Hans Wengraf
Aide-de-Camp
Second Lieutenant Matheson
Peter Scott
American Doctor Frank Thornton-Bassett
Sentry
A British Soldier
Alex McCrindle
Violet Cording Jean Winstanley
Madame van Eysen Mary Hinton
Kitchen Maid
Army Nursing Sister
Yvonne Sinclair
The Voice Ivan Samson
And with the co-operation of members of the 53rd (London) Medium Brigade, R.A., T.A., and the 7th Bn. the Middlesex Regiment, T.A.
Music from : Sibelius's
Second Symphony
Verse from the works of : Cecil Day Lewis
Wilfred Owen
T. S. Eliot
W. H. Auden
Ezra Pound
Scene
1 : The dining-room of the White Chateau, August, 1914
2 : The same, December, 1914
3 : A trench in the grounds of the White Chateau, 1917
4 : The ruins of the White Chateau, 1918
5 : A hospital, 1918
6 : The garden of the White Chateau, 1919
Edna's Fruit Hat (27 Jan 1939) [12]
A romance by John Pudney
Writer John Pudney
Production Royston Morley
Edna Josephine Wilson
George Maurice Denham
Fanny Agnes Lauchlan
Clara Dorothy Black
Ruth Lucy Sibley
Cousin Sid Erik Chitty
Mrs Gussett Dora Gregory
The Lawyer Charles Maunsell
The Announcer Stuart Latham
Neighbours
 
Kathleen Edwardes
Phyllis Morris
The Tempest (5 Feb 1939) [13]
by William Shakespeare.

Members of the London Ballet, directed by Antony Tudor.
The BBC Television Orchestra
leader Boris Pecker
conductor Hyam Greenbaum
Author William Shakespeare
Incidental Music
Arranged by
Jean Sibelius
Hyam Greenbaum
Decor Malcolm Baker
Dancers Members of the London Ballet
Dancers directed by Antony Tudor
Musicians
Leader
Conductor
BBC Television Orchestra
Boris Pecker
Hyam Greenbaum
Production Dallas Bower
Alonso Alan Wheatley
Sebastian Oliver Burt
Prospero John Abbott
Antonio Basil C. Langton
Ferdinand Richard Ainley
Gonzalo John Turnbull
Adrian Stuart Latham
Francisco Graham Payn
Caliban George Devine
Trinculo Richard Goolden
Stephano Charles Farrell
Ship's Master Dennis Price
Boatswain Erik Chitty
Miranda Peggy Ashcroft
Ariel Stephen Haggard
Iris Vera Lindsay
The Unquiet Spirit (7 Mar 1939) [14]
by Jean-Jacques Bernard,
translated from the French by J. Leslie Frith.
[Starring] Catherine Lacey and Percy Marmont
Author Jean-Jacques Bernard
Translator from French J. Leslie Frith
Producer Royston Morley
Decor Malcolm Baker-Smith
Music Sibelius
Marceline Catherine Lacey
Philip Percy Marmont
Antoine Stafford Byrne
Robert Andrew Osborn
Lemesle Peter Scott
Emile Reginald Beckwith
Hall Porter Erik Chitty
Ida Miriam Adams
Fanny Nina Evans
Katharine and Petruchio (12 Apr 1939) [15]
Being the acting version of Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew', prepared for his own use by David Garrick in 1754
Writer William Shakespeare
Incidental Music James Hartley
Costumes Elizabeth Haffenden
Production Dallas Bower
Petruchio Austin Trevor
Hortensio Alan Wheatley
Grumio Ivor Barnard
Katharine Margaretta Scott
Baptista Ben Webster
Bianca Vera Lindsay
Biondello Stuart Latham
Curtis David Keir
Nathaniel Will Leighton
Joseph Frank Parkington
Nicholas Cyprian Bridge
Philip William Dickinson
A Tailor Erik Chitty
Annajanska, The Bolsjevik Empress (2 May 1939) [16]
A revolutionary romancelet by G. Bernard Shaw
Writer G. Bernard Shaw
Production Dallas Bower
Stammfest Erik Chitty
Schneidekind Alan Wheatley
Annajanska Vera Lindsay
Two soldiers
Cyprian Bridge
William Dickinson
The Advantages of Paternity (12 May 1939) [17]
A comedy by Horton Giddy.
Author Horton Giddy
Producer Denis Johnston
General Yagunin Brefni O'Rorke
Colonel Ilyitch Frank Thornton-Bassett
Brunov Erik Chitty
Orderly Stuart Latham
The Day is Gone (4 Aug 1939) [18]
Author W. Chetham-Strode
Production Royston Morley
Ernest Webb Torin Thatcher
Mabel Thatcher Olga Lindo
Stanley Thatcher Raymond Huntley
Rosie Spiller Valerie Tudor
Major Warminside Arthur Wontner
Miss Tuttle Lucy Sibley
Florrie Eileen Way
Radio announcer's voice Erik Chitty
Television post-war (1946 onwards)

His television credits included a major role as the aged "Mr Smith" in Please Sir!, and multiple appearances in Dad's Army, Raffles, Doctor Who, Danger Man, Maigret, Man About the House and The Goodies.[19][4] He appeared in the TV musical Pickwick for the BBC in 1969.[20]

Filmography

Notes

  1. Armistice Day, 20th anniversary

References

  1. GRO Register of Births: SEP 1907 2a 1113 / 1713 DOVER - Erik Chitty
  2. GRO Register of Deaths: SEP 1977 11 0672 BRENT - Erik Chitty, born 8 July 1907
  3. "Erik Chitty - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  4. "Erik Chitty". Archived from the original on 15 Jan 2009.
  5. "Erik Chitty". www.aveleyman.com.
  6. Fabrique. "Eric Chitty — RADA". www.rada.ac.uk.
  7. "Chitty of London: genealogy and family history". chittyoflondon.awardspace.co.uk.
  8. Radio Times (23 Jul 1937), Pyramus And Thisbe, 56, BBC Television, p. 46
  9. Radio Times (2 Mar 1938), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, 58, BBC Television, p. 18
  10. Radio Times (22 Mar 1938), Henry IV, 58, BBC Television, p. 17
  11. Radio Times (11 Nov 1938), The White Chateau, 61, BBC Television, p. 18
  12. Radio Times (27 Jan 1939), Edna's Fruit Hat, 62, BBC Television, p. 17
  13. Radio Times (5 Feb 1939), The Tempest, 62, BBC Television, p. 12
  14. Radio Times (7 Mar 1939), The Unquiet Spirit, 62, BBC Television, p. 16
  15. Radio Times (12 Apr 1939), Katharine and Petruchio, 63, BBC Television, p. 17
  16. Radio Times (2 May 1939), Annajanska, The Bolsjevik Empress, 63, BBC Television, p. 15
  17. Radio Times (12 May 1939), The Advantages of Paternity, 63, BBC Television, p. 15
  18. Radio Times (4 Aug 1939), The Day is Gone, 64, BBC Television, p. 17
  19. McFarlane, Brian (2016). The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition. OUP.
  20. "Pickwick (1969)".
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.