Glynn Edwards
Born
John Glynn Edwards

(1931-02-02)2 February 1931
Penang, Malaya
Died23 May 2018(2018-05-23) (aged 87)
Edinburgh, Scotland
EducationRoyal Central School of Speech and Drama
Theatre Workshop
OccupationActor
Years activeMid 1950s–1994
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1956; div. 1969)​
    Christine Pilgrim
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1969, divorced)​
    • Valerie Edwards
      (m. 198?)
    Children1

    John Glynn Edwards (2 February 1931 – 23 May 2018) was a British television and cinema character actor, who came to national prominence for his portrayal of the barman Dave Harris in the 1970s–1990s British television comedy-drama Minder.[1]

    Early life

    Edwards was born in Penang, Peninsular Malaysia, on 2 February 1931.[2] His father, who spent little time with his son, was a rubber planter at the time of his birth and died in 1946.[3] His mother died shortly after his birth and he was raised first by his grandparents in Southsea, Hampshire, and then by his father and stepmother, who ran a pub in Salisbury, Wiltshire.[2][4]

    He received his early formal education at Clayesmore School in Dorset.[5] In his childhood he read Arthur Ransome's adventure novel Swallows and Amazons, which gave him a life-long passion for river-boating, which began with sailing expeditions along the River Avon in his tenth year.[6]

    As a teenager he was an amateur actor, before going to Trinidad where he worked first as a sugar farmer, but having decided that his father's life of plantation farming wasn't for him, he found employment as assistant stage manager and compere of calypso shows for tourists. After returning to England he spent a year at the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama in London, and was then hired as a stage manager at the King's Theatre in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.[2]

    Career

    Edwards trained professionally as an actor with Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, appearing in its productions of The Good Soldier Švejk and two plays by Brendan Behan, The Quare Fellow and The Hostage, all of which transferred from the Theatre Royal Stratford East to the West End. He also appeared in that company's production of Lionel Bart's musical version of Frank Norman's play Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be, opposite Miriam Karlin and Barbara Windsor.[2] He had been spotted by Littlewood herself, who had been in the audience at one of the performances of a successful play he had produced entitled The Call of the Flesh, which featured Yootha Joyce in an early role.

    In 1964 he appeared in the role of Corporal William Allen, V.C. in Cy Endfield's cinema film Zulu, having opted for the part over another offer of a role in Joan Littlewood's stage show Oh! What a Lovely War. He later said: "I earned 10 times as much money from (later in his career) advertising Bran Flakes as I did from the movie Zulu."[2]

    From the 1970s to the 1990s, he played the role of Dave Harris, the part-owner and barman of the Winchester Club in ten series of the ITV hit drama Minder.[3]

    He also appeared in bit parts in numerous British television shows in the 1970s and '80s, including Callan, The Professionals, Public Eye, Spindoe, Steptoe and Son, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Dixon of Dock Green, Man About the House, Softly, Softly and The Saint.[1]

    He was a regular in two series of the ITV legal drama The Main Chance (1972, 1975).[2][7] He played supporting roles in the cinema films Robbery (1967), and the criminal underworld film Get Carter (1971).[8]

    During his career Edwards played a number of sinister characters, particularly that of 'Mr Dix', a schoolteacher in the early-1970s sitcom Please Sir!, and a menacing gamekeeper in ITV's Thriller (1973),[2] and was often cast either as policemen or criminals.[9]

    In 1985, he appeared in the rock music band Marillion's music video for its single release "Heart of Lothian", in which he played a barman,[10] and starred in a popular TV commercial for McVitie's rich tea biscuits as "Jacko", saying, "Yeah, I'll make a statement. A drink's too wet without one!"[2][11]

    Personal life

    His first wife was the actress Yootha Joyce, who also trained at Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop. They were married from 1956 to 1969.[3] After their divorce, he married the former Benny Hill Show performer Christine Pilgrim,[2] the marriage producing a son, Thomas (b. 1971).[6] From the 1980s, he was married to Valerie Edwards.[3]

    Edwards retained a lifelong interest in river boating, owning several vessels, and during the 1980s and 1990s he resided on a 40 ft-long canal boat converted into a houseboat, named "Winchester" after the fictional private members' bar that he had run in the Minder television series, which was permanently moored on the south bank of the River Thames, at Thames Ditton and Surbiton.[6]

    Edwards retired from acting following the end of Minder in 1994,[4] and in his final years divided his time between living in Spain and Scotland.[12]

    Death

    Edwards died at his home in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 23 May 2018 at the age of 87.[2][5][13]

    Filmography

    Film

    Year Title Role Notes
    1957 The Heart Within 1st Constable[14]
    1962 A Prize of Arms Boone[15][16] Uncredited
    1963 Sparrows Can't Sing Charlie's friend[17] Uncredited
    The Hi-Jackers Bluey[14]
    1964 Zulu Corporal William Allen[17]
    Smokescreen Inspector Wright[14]
    1965 The Ipcress File Police station sergeant[17]
    1967 Robbery Squad chief[17]
    1968 The Blood Beast Terror Sgt. Allan[14]
    The Bofors Gun Sergeant-Major West[17]
    1970 Fragment of Fear CID Superintendent[17]
    1971 Get Carter Albert Swift[17]
    1972 Under Milk Wood Mr Cherry Owen[17]
    Burke & Hare Hare[14]
    All Coppers Are... Jock[18]
    1973 Shaft in Africa Vanden[14]
    1974 11 Harrowhouse First Guard[14] Credited as Glyn Edwards
    1977 The Stick Up First Roadblock Policeman[17]
    1978 The Playbirds Chief Superintendent Holbourne[17]
    1979 Confessions from the David Galaxy Affair Chief Inspector Evans[17]
    1980 Rising Damp Cooper[17]
    1983 Red Monarch Vlasek[17] TV movie
    1987 Out of Order Barman[17]
    1988 The Seventh Sign Newscaster #1[14]

    Television

    Year Title Role Notes
    1963–1976 Dixon of Dock Green Various[2][19] 10 episodes
    1963 The Human Jungle Albert Stokes[1] Episode: The Two Edged Sword
    1964 Z-Cars Mr Cooper / Mr Aldiss[2][19] 2 episodes
    1965–1969 The Newcomers George Harbottle[3][19] many episodes
    1966 King of the River Jack Elliot[1][19] Episode: Foreign Invasion
    1967–1968 The Saint Leander / Igor[2][19] 2 episodes
    1968–1969 Journey to the Unknown Brown[1][19] Episode: Stranger in the Family
    1969 The Avengers Blackie[1][19] Episode: The Interrogators
    1970 Steptoe and Son George[1][19] Episode Steptoe and Son – and Son!
    1971 Public Eye Alf Bain[1][19] Episode: Who Wants To Be Told Bad News?
    1971 Bless This House Motor-cycle Policeman[1][19] Episode: For Whom the Bells Toll
    1971 Please Sir! Mr Dix[19] 2 Episodes
    1972–1978 Crown Court Various[19] 5 episodes
    1975–1976 Man About The House Chrissy's father[19] 2 episodes
    1977–1978 The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin Mr. Pelham[1][19] 3 episodes
    1977–1979 The Paper Lads Jack Crawford[4] 14 episodes
    1977 Target Dyer[19] Episode: Roadrunner
    1978 Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em Mr Lewis[2][19] 3 episodes
    1979 The Professionals Alfred Cole[2][19] Episode: Servant of Two Masters
    1979–1994 Minder Dave Harris[14][19] 95 episodes, (final appearance)
    1982 Legacy of Murder Henchman[19][20]
    1983 Jack of Diamonds Reg[19][21] (comedy thriller with Dick Emery)[22]

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Glynn Edwards". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Jeffries, Stuart. "Glynn Edwards obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Raising a glass to Minder – and endless repeats". The Scotsman. 30 December 2004. Archived from the original on 5 January 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
    4. 1 2 3 Pearce, Tilly. "Minder actor Glynn Edwards dies aged 87". Metro. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
    5. 1 2 "Glynn Edwards, played Dave the barman in 'Minder' – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. London. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
    6. 1 2 3 'Blimey Arthur, Look what Dave's done to the Winchester', article on Glynn Edwards, 'T.V. Times', 25 February – 2 March 1984.
    7. ↑ "BFI Screenonline: Main Chance, The (1969–75) Credits". BFI Screenonline.
    8. ↑ "Glynn Edwards profile". Explore.bfi.org.uk. 2 February 1931. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
    9. ↑ "Getting to Know the Market". Best of British. No. 248. July 2018. p. 15.
    10. ↑ Marillion – Heart of Lothian 1985 Music Video HD. Mark Jennings. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
    11. ↑ Glynn Edwards in Rich Tea advert. Minder.org. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
    12. ↑ Kindon, Frances. "Minder actor Glynn Edward dies aged 87 at his home in Scotland". Daily Record. Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
    13. ↑ Ruby, Jennifer (7 June 2018). "Minder actor Glynn Edwards dies at home in Scotland aged 87". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 24 March 2020.
    14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Glynn Edwards List of Movies and TV Shows". TV Guide. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
    15. ↑ "A Prize of Arms". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
    16. ↑ "A Prize of Arms (1962)". Memorable TV. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
    17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Filmography for Glynn Edwards". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
    18. ↑ "All Coppers Are (1973)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 20 September 2018.
    19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "Glynn Edwards". Memorable TV. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
    20. ↑ "Emery Presents: Legacy of Murder, Episode 4 – Bang, Bang You're Dead". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
    21. ↑ Walker, Craig (21 June 2011). On the Buses: The Complete Story. p. 31. ISBN 9781908382849. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
    22. ↑ "Jack Of Diamonds (BBC-1 1982, Dick Emery, Tony Selby) – Memorable TV". memorabletv.com. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
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