William Arnold Ridley, OBE (7 January 1896 – 12 March 1984) was an English

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

and actor, earlier in his career known for writing the play '' The Ghost Train'' and later in life in the British TV sitcom ''

Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, and originally broadcast on BBC1 from 31 July 1968 to 13 November 1977. It ran fo ...

'' (1968–1977) as the elderly bumbling

Private Godfrey Private Charles Godfrey MM is a fictional Home Guard platoon member, first portrayed by Arnold Ridley in the BBC television sitcom ''Dad's Army''. and in the 1971 ''Dad's Army'' film. He is retired and was previously a tailor for the Civil ...

, as well as in spin-offs including the feature film version and the

stage production Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

. He is the great-uncle of actress

Daisy Ridley Daisy Jazz Isobel Ridley (born 10 April 1992) is an English actress. She rose to prominence for her role as Rey in the ''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy: '' The Force Awakens'' (2015), ''The Last Jedi'' (2017), and '' The Rise of Skywalker'' (2019 ...

Early life

William Arnold Ridley was born in Walcot, Bath, Somerset, England, the son of Rosa Caroline (née Morrish, 1870–1956) and William Robert Ridley (1871–1931). His father was a gymnastics instructor and ran a boot and shoe shop. He attended the Clarendon School and the Bath City Secondary School where he was a keen sportsman. A graduate of the

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

, he studied at the Education Department, and played

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

in a student production. Ridley undertook teaching practice at an Elementary School in Bristol.

Military service

Ridley was a student teacher and had made his theatrical debut in ''Prunella'' at the Theatre Royal, Bristol when he volunteered for service with the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

on the outbreak of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

in August 1914. He was initially rejected because of a

hammer toe A hammer toe or contracted toe is a deformity of the muscles and ligaments of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the second, third, fourth, or fifth toe causing it to be bent, resembling a hammer. In the early stage a flexible hammertoe is ...

.Dad's Army star's First World War heroics
''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'', 26 July 2008 In December 1915, he enlisted as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

with the

Somerset Light Infantry The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army, which served under various titles from 1685 to 1959. In 1959, the regiment was amalgamated with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry to form the Som ...

, British Army. He saw active service in the war, sustaining several wounds in close-quarter battle. His left hand was left virtually useless by wounds sustained on the

Somme __NOTOC__ Somme or The Somme may refer to: Places *Somme (department), a department of France *Somme, Queensland, Australia *Canal de la Somme, a canal in France *Somme (river), a river in France Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Somme'' (book), a ...

; his legs were riddled with shrapnel; he received a bayonet wound in the groin; and the legacy of a blow to the head from a German soldier's rifle butt left him prone to blackouts after the war.Excusing Private Godfrey
BBC Radio 4, 2012-07-06. He was medically discharged from the army with the rank of

lance corporal Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer (NCO), usually equi ...

in May 1917.Ridley's WW1 medal index card at The National Archive, Kew Surrey. Document code
WO 372/17/728
He received the

British War Medal The British War Medal is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom which was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces for service in the First World War. Two versions of the medal were produced. About 6.5 million were struck in ...

and the Victory Medal for his service. Ridley rejoined the army in 1939 following the outbreak of the

Second World War 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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. He was commissioned into the General List on 7 October 1939 as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army unt ...

. He served with the British Expeditionary Force in France during the "

Phoney War The Phoney War (french: Drôle de guerre; german: Sitzkrieg) was an eight-month period at the start of World War II, during which there was only one limited military land operation on the Western Front, when French troops invaded Germa ...

", employed as a "Conducting Officer" tasked with supervising journalists who were visiting the front line. In May 1940,The real-life wars of Dad's Army actor Arnold Ridley.
Bethan Bell,

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadc ...

, 5 February 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2016. Ridley returned to Britain on the overcrowded destroyer HMS ''Vimera'', which was the last British ship to escape from the harbour during the

Battle of Boulogne The Battle of Boulogne in 1940 was the defence of the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer by French, British and Belgian troops in the Battle of France during the Second World War. The battle was fought at the same time as the Siege of Calais, just befo ...

. Shortly afterwards, he was discharged from the Armed Forces on health grounds. He relinquished his commission as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 1 June 1940. He subsequently joined the Home Guard, in his home town of

Caterham Caterham () is a town in the Tandridge District of Surrey, England. The town is administratively divided into two: Caterham on the Hill, and Caterham Valley, which includes the main town centre in the middle of a dry valley but rises to equal ...

, and ENSA, with which he toured the country. He described his wartime experiences on ''

Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a "castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings (usua ...

'' in 1973.

Acting career

After his medical discharge from the army in 1916, Ridley commenced a career as a professional actor. In 1918 he joined the company of the

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...

, staying for two years and playing 40 parts before moving on to

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to ...

, where he took a break from the stage when his war injuries began to trouble him. After being stranded for an evening at Mangotsfield railway station, near Bristol, Ridley was inspired to write the play '' The Ghost Train'' (1923), a tale of passengers stranded at a haunted railway station in

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...

, with one of the characters being an incognito British Government agent trying to catch

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

revolutionaries active in Great Britain. The play was produced on stage, and became a hit, with 665 performances being staged consecutively in London's West End, and two revivals. ''The Ghost Train'' was first filmed in 1931 and again in 1941 when it starred Arthur Askey. Ridley also wrote more than 30 other plays including '' The Wrecker'' (1924), ''Keepers of Youth'' (1929), '' The Flying Fool'' (1929) and ''Recipe for Murder'' (1932). During his time in military service in the Second World War he adapted the

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fiction ...

novel ''Peril at End House'' into a West End play that premiered in 1940. Ridley's post-war play, ''Beggar My Neighbour'', was first performed in 1951 and adapted for the Ealing Comedy film '' Meet Mr. Lucifer'' (1953). Ridley worked regularly as an actor, including an appearance in the British comedy ''

Crooks in Cloisters ''Crooks in Cloisters'' is a 1964 British comedy film directed by Jeremy Summers and starring Ronald Fraser as 'Little Walter', the leader of a gang of forgers, including Barbara Windsor as 'Bikini', Bernard Cribbins as 'Squirts', Melvyn Hayes ...

'' (1964). He also played Doughy Hood, the village baker, in the radio soap opera ''

The Archers ''The Archers'' is a BBC radio drama on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contemporary drama in a rural set ...

'' and the Rev. Guy Atkins in the ATV soap ''

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

'' from the programme's inception in 1964 until 1968. However, he became a household name only after he was cast as

, the gentle platoon medic in the television comedy series ''

'' (1968–1977). He continued to appear into his eighties, and was appointed an OBE in the 1982 Queen's New Year Honours List, for services to the theatre. He was the subject of ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

'' in 1976 when he was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

at London's

Marylebone Station Marylebone station ( ) is a Central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in the Marylebone area of the City of Westminster. On the National Rail network it is also known as London Marylebone and is the southern ter ...

Personal life

Ridley was married three times. His first marriage lasted from January 1926 to 1939, and was followed by a short marriage to Isola Strong, an actress (''

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. ...

''), at

Kensington Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensington Garden ...

in 1939, before his final marriage to actress Althea Parker (1911–2001) on 3 October 1945; they had one son, Nicolas (born 1947). He was a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, and belonged to the Savage Club Lodge in London. The actress

is his great-niece. A keen rugby player in his youth, he was President of Bath Rugby from 1950 to 1952.

Death

Ridley died in hospital in Northwood in 1984 at the age of 88 after falling at his residence in Denville Hall, a home for retired actors. His body was cremated at the

Golders Green Crematorium Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000 (the equivalent of £135,987 in 2021), ...

and an urn holding his ashes was buried in his parents' grave at

Bath Abbey Cemetery The Anglican Bath Abbey Cemetery, officially dedicated as the Cemetery of St Peter and St Paul (the patron saints that Bath Abbey is dedicated to), was laid out by noted cemetery designer and landscape architect John Claudius Loudon (1783–18 ...

. His collection of theatrical memorabilia was left to the University of Bristol and has been made available online.

Works

Plays

*'' The Ghost Train'' (1923) *'' The Wrecker'' (with

Bernard Merivale Bernard Merivale (1882–1939) was a British playwright and screenwriter. Several of his plays were adapted into films including '' Blondie White'', '' The Wrecker'' and ''The Unguarded Hour''.Goble p.323 Selected filmography * '' The Flying Fo ...

, 1924) *''Old Leeds'' (1928) * '' The Flying Fool'' (with Bernard Merivale, 1929) *''Keepers of Youth'' (1929) ( filmed in 1931) *''Third Time Lucky'' (1932) *''Half a Crown'' (1934) *''Recipe for Murder'' (1936) *''

Peril at End House ''Peril at End House'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the US by the Dodd, Mead and Company in February 1932 and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in March of the same year. The US edition ...

'' (1945, from Agatha Christie novel) *''Easy Money'' (1948) *''East of Ludgate Hill'' (1950) *''Murder Happens'' (1951) *''The Return'' (1953) *''Mrs Tredruthan's Son'' (1953) *''Beggar My Neighbour'' (1953) *''Geranium'' (1954) *''Tabitha'' (1956) (written with Mary Cathcart Borer) *''You, My Guests'' (1956) *''Bellamy'' (1960) *''Hercule Poirot Strikes'' (1967, from Agatha Christie novel)from

WorldCat WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions (mostly libraries), in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc. Many of the O ...

Film adaptations (original author)

*'' Ghost Train'', directed by

Géza von Bolváry Géza von Bolváry (born Géza Gyula Mária Bolváry Zahn, german: Géza Maria von Bolváry-Zahn; 26 December 1897 – 10 August 1961) was a Hungarian actor, screenwriter, and film director, who worked principally in Germany and Austria. Biog ...

(1927, based on the play ''The Ghost Train'') *'' The Wrecker'', directed by Géza von Bolváry (1929, based on the play ''The Wrecker'') *'' The Flying Fool'', directed by Walter Summers (1931, based on the play ''The Flying Fool'') *'' Third Time Lucky'', directed by Walter Forde (1931, based on the play ''Third Time Lucky'') *'' The Ghost Train'', directed by Walter Forde (1931, based on the play ''The Ghost Train'') *''

Keepers of Youth ''Keepers of Youth'' is a 1932 British drama film directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Garry Marsh, Ann Todd and Robin Irvine. It was based on the 1929 play ''Keepers of Youth'' by Arnold Ridley, and marked the film debut of Ann Todd. It w ...

'', directed by

Thomas Bentley Thomas Bentley (23 February 1884 – 23 December 1966) was a British film director. He directed 68 films between 1912 and 1941. He directed three films in the early DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process, ''The Man in the Street'' (1926), ' ...

(1931, based on the play ''Keepers of Youth'') *', directed by (Hungary, 1933, based on the play ''The Ghost Train'') *''Trenul fantoma'', directed by Jean Mihail (Romania, 1933, based on the play ''The Ghost Train'') *''

The Warren Case ''The Warren Case'' is a 1934 British crime film directed by Walter Summers and starring Richard Bird, Nancy Burne and Diana Napier. It was made at Welwyn Studios by British International Pictures.Wood p.80 Cast * Richard Bird as Louis Bevan ...

'', directed by Walter Summers (1934, based on the play ''The Last Chance'') *', directed by

René Hervil René Hervil (1881–1960) was a French actor, screenwriter and film director.Goble p.322 Most of his films were made during the silent era. He directed the ''Maud'' series of films between 1912 and 1915 starring the Anglo-French actress Aimée C ...

(France, 1934, based on the play ''The Ghost Train'') *'' Blind Justice'', directed by

Bernard Vorhaus Bernard Vorhaus (December 25, 1904 – November 23, 2000) was an American film director of Austrian descent, born in New York City. His father was born in Krakow, then part of Austria-Hungary. Vorhaus spent many decades living in the UK. Eearly ...

(1934, based on the play ''Recipe for Murder'') *'' Seven Sinners'', directed by

Albert de Courville Albert Pierre de Courville (26 March 1887 – 15 March 1960) (born in Croydon, England) was a writer and director of theatrical revues, many of which featured the actress and singer Shirley Kellogg, whom he married in June 1913. Career In abo ...

(1936) *''

East of Ludgate Hill ''East of Ludgate Hill'' is a 1937 British drama film directed by Manning Haynes and starring Hal Gordon, Aubrey Mallalieu and Nancy O'Neil. It was a quota quickie made at Wembley Studios by the British subsidiary of 20th Century Fox.Wood p.94 ...

'', directed by

Manning Haynes Horace Manning Haynes (born: Lyminster, Sussex – died 3 March 1957, Epsom, England) (often credited as H. Manning Haynes) was a British-born film director and actor. He was married to the screenwriter Lydia Hayward, with whom he frequent ...

(1937, based on the play ''East of Ludgate Hill'') *''

De Spooktrein '' De Spooktrein '' is a 1939 in film, 1939 Netherlands, Dutch film directed by Carl Lamac. It is an adaptation of the popular British play ''The Ghost Train (play), The Ghost Train'' by Arnold Ridley. Cast * Jan Musch as Barendse * as Julia v ...

'', directed by

Karel Lamač Karel Lamač (27 January 1897 – 2 August 1952) was a Czech film director, actor, screenwriter, producer and singer. He directed more than 100 films in Czechoslovakia, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Life Lam ...

(Netherlands, 1939, based on the play ''The Ghost Train'') *''

Shadowed Eyes ''Shadowed Eyes'' is a 1940 British crime film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Basil Sydney, Patricia Hilliard and Stewart Rome. It was produced at Isleworth Studios in London as a quota quickie for distribution by RKO Pictures. Syno ...

'', directed by

Maclean Rogers Maclean Rogers (13 July 1899 – 4 January 1962) was a British film director and screenwriter. Selected filmography Director * '' The Third Eye'' (1929) * '' The Mayor's Nest'' (1932) * '' Up for the Derby'' (1933) * ''The Crime at Blossoms'' ...

(1940) *'' The Ghost Train'', directed by Walter Forde (1941, based on the play ''The Ghost Train'') *'' Easy Money'', directed by Bernard Knowles (1948, based on the play ''Easy Money'') *'' Meet Mr. Lucifer'', directed by

Anthony Pelissier Harry Anthony Compton Pelissier (27 July 1912 – 2 April 1988) was an English actor, screenwriter, producer and director. Biography Pelissier was born in Barnet and came from a theatrical family. His parents were the theatre producer H. G. ...

(1953, based on the play ''Beggar My Neighbour'') *''

Who Killed the Cat? ''Who Killed the Cat?'' is a 1966 British crime film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Mary Merrall, Ellen Pollock and Amy Dalby. It was based on the 1956 play ''Tabitha'' by Arnold Ridley and Mary Cathcart Borer. Plot Three elderly ...

'', directed by Montgomery Tully (1966, based on the play ''Tabitha'')

Screenwriter

*''The Flying Fool'' (dir. Walter Summers, 1931) *''

Royal Eagle ''Royal Eagle'' is a 1936 British crime film directed by George A. Cooper and starring John Garrick, Nancy Burne, Felix Aylmer and Edmund Willard. The screenplay was written by Arnold Ridley. Cast * John Garrick - Jim Hornby * Nancy Burne ...

'' (dir.

George A. Cooper George Alphonsus Cooper (7 March 1925 – 16 November 2018) was an English actor and voice artist. He died in November 2018 at the age of 93. Early life Cooper was born in Leeds, the son of William and Eleanor (née Dobson) Cooper. His father ...

, 1936) *''East of Ludgate Hill'' (dir.

, 1937) *''Shadowed Eyes'' (dir.

, 1940)

Filmography

Films

Television

References

External links

*
Arnold Ridley Collectors’ Guide
at Brenton Film
Arnold Ridley Archive
in the

University of Bristol Theatre Collection The University of Bristol Theatre Collection was founded in 1951 to serve the University of Bristol Department of Drama. It is now one of the world's largest archives of British Theatre History. It is a fully accredited Archive and Museum and home ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridley, Arnold 1896 births 1984 deaths 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English male writers Accidental deaths from falls Alumni of the University of Bristol British Army General List officers British Army personnel of World War I British Army personnel of World War II British Home Guard officers British male comedy actors Burials at Bath Abbey Cemetery English male dramatists and playwrights English male radio actors English male television actors Freemasons of the United Grand Lodge of England Officers of the Order of the British Empire Burials in Somerset Military personnel from Somerset People educated at City of Bath Boys' School People from Bath, Somerset Somerset Light Infantry officers Somerset Light Infantry soldiers