Arnold Ridley

Infobox Person
name = Arnold Ridley


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birth_name = William Arnold Ridley
birth_date = birth date|1896|01|7|df=yes
birth_place = Bath, Somerset, England [GRO Register of Births: MAR 1896 5c 543 BATH - William Arnold Ridley]
death_date = death date and age|1984|03|12|1896|01|07|df=yes
death_place = Hillingdon, London, England [GRO Register of Deaths: JUN 1984 13 934 HILLINGDON, MIDDLESEX - William Arnold Ridley, DoB = 7 Jan 1896 aged 88]
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nationality = British
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occupation = Playwright, Actor
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spouse = Althea Parker
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children = one child
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Major William Arnold Ridley, OBE (7 January 1896 — 12 March 1984) was an English playwright and actor, first notable as the author of the play "The Ghost Train" and later in life for portraying the elderly Private Charles Godfrey in the popular British sitcom "Dad's Army" (1968-77).

Early life

Ridley was born in Bath, England, and attended the Beechen Cliff School. Afterwards, he attended and graduated from the University of Bristol.

Career

He saw active service in the First World War, sustaining several serious injuries: his left arm was left virtually useless by injuries sustained on the Somme ["Godfrey's secret war horror" p13 of Sunday Telegraph (Isssue 2,459- dated 27 July 2008)] , his legs were riddled with shrapnel and the legacy of a blow to the head by a German soldier's rifle butt left him prone to blackouts. After the war Ridley went into acting. He first became well known as the author of the play, "The Ghost Train" (1923) (later a film with Arthur Askey). He also wrote over 30 other plays including "The Wrecker" (1927), "Keepers of Youth" (1929) and "The Flying Fool" (1929). [ "The Times", obituary, 14 March 1984]

Having unsuccessfully attempted to establish a film company between the wars, Ridley rejoined the army in 1939 with the rank of Major and again saw active service with the British Expeditionary Force in France during the Second World War, but was discharged on health grounds. He worked regularly as an actor, including an appearance in the 1964 British comedy "Crooks in Cloisters". He was also known for playing Doughy Hood in the radio soap "The Archers" in the 1960s. However he only became a household name during the 1970s when he was offered the role of Private Charles Godfrey, the gentle platoon medic in one of the UK's most successful sitcoms of all time: "Dad's Army". He continued to appear into his eighties. He was awarded an OBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours List of 1982, for services to the theatre.

He married actress Althea Parker (1911–2001) in 1946; they had one child. Arnold Ridley died in hospital in Northwood in 1984 [ "The Times", death announcement, 13 March 1984] and was cremated at the Golders Green Crematorium.

His collection of theatrical memorabilia was left to the University of Bristol and has been made available online. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7173762.stm BBC News 6th January 2008] ] [ [http://www.bris.ac.uk/theatrecollection/ridley.html University of Bristol Theatre Collection Arnold Ridley Archive] ]

References

Television Roles

External links

*imdb name|0725965
*Find A Grave|id=7599165
* [http://www.bris.ac.uk/theatrecollection/ridley.html Arnold Ridley archive at the University of Bristol Theatre Collection] , University of Bristol
* [http://www.bris.ac.uk/theatrecollection/search/people_sub_plays_all?forename=Arnold&surname=RIDLEY&job=Actor&pid=16633&image_view=Yesamp;x=19amp;y=17 performances by Arnold Ridley listed in Theatre Archive, University of Bristol]

Persondata
NAME = Ridley, Arnold
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Playwright, Actor
DATE OF BIRTH = 1896-01-07
PLACE OF BIRTH = Bath, England
DATE OF DEATH = 1984-03-12
PLACE OF DEATH = Hillingdon, London