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Edward Underdown

Edward Underdown

Actor · Died December 15, 1989, aged 81 · London, England, UK

A London-born stage and film veteran, actor Edward Underdown was educated at Eton College and began in theatre roles in 1932 with "Words and Music". A former jockey and steeplechase rider, he quickly forged ahead in films making his debut in The Warren Case (1934) and appearing in secondary roles. A tall, officious and good looking gent, he came into his own in post-war film leads and supports with prominent roles in The October Man (1947), Her Panelled Door (1950), The Dark Man (1951), Murder Will Out (1952), The Shadow Man (1953), and John Huston's cult overseas hit Beat the Devil (1953) starring Humphrey Bogart and Jennifer Jones in which he played Jones' prim dullard of a husband. Most of his work was in dismissible "B" level fare as dour, damp, stuffy types. He started moving down the credits list in 1960s horrors and action drama until he was reduced to bit parts. Over the course of his career, he played everything from British lords to archaeologists, but never branched out into a successful international career. Things might have turned out differently had a little more luck come his way. It seems writer Ian Fleming's first choice for the role of James "007" Bond was the handsome but still relatively undistinguished Underdown, but the actor was never even considered by producer Albert R. Broccoli. Of course, Sean Connery soared to stardom in the part and, ironically, Underdown wound up with a very small part in one of the more popular of the film series Thunderball (1965). Underdown died in his native England on December 15, 1989 at age 81.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
December 3, 1908
Died
December 15, 1989 (aged 81)
From
London, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 61 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26Down 4% in 30 days

What are Edward Underdown's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
36%
Bonds
27%
Survival
26%
Self
7%
Power
4%
Survival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 5 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Melancholic
3
Dread
2
Absurd
2
Romantic
1
Other
3

How their films linger

Bittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet5
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Edward Underdown's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Edward Underdown's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

61 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page.

  • Doctor Who: Meglos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Zastor

  • Tarka the Otter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Hibbert

  • The Price of Coal, Part 1: Meet the People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Sir Gordon Horrocks

  • The Duchess of Duke Street(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Adjutant-General

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Days of Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as John Pritchard

  • Survivors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 3 episodes · as Frank

  • The Abdication(1974)

    as Christina's Father

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Colditz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Col. Mansell

  • Running Scared (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Mr. Betancourt

  • The Regiment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Upstairs, Downstairs(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as General Nesfield

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • The Last Valley(1971)

    as Gnarled Peasant

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Sound an Alarm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Duty Controller

  • Doomwatch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 1 episode · as Chairman of Tribunal

  • Hadleigh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Fawcett

  • The Main Chance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Judge

  • The Hand of Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Gunther

  • Dad's Army (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Major General Sir Charles Holland

  • The Great Pony Raid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Snowy

  • Man in a Suitcase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 2 episodes · Actor

  • Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Pollux O'Donnell

  • Triple Cross(1966)

    as Air Marshall

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Khartoum(1966)

    as Colonel William Hicks

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Thunderball(1965)

    as Air Vice Marshall

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Dr. Terror's House of Horrors(1965)

    as Tod (segment 1 "Werewolf")

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Traitor's Gate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Inspector Adams

  • The Winston Affair(1964)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Who(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Zastor

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Espionage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Colonel Shabar

  • Dr. Crippen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as The Governor

  • The Saint (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Jack Laurie

  • Locker Sixty-Nine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Bennett Sanders

  • The Day the Earth Caught Fire(1961)

    as Dick Sanderson (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Information Received (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Drake

  • The Third Alibi(1961)

    as Dr. Peter Murdoch

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Avengers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 2 episodes · as Rupert

  • Danger Man(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Capt. Morgan

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • No Hiding Place (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • One Step Beyond(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Hayes

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • The Two-Headed Spy(1958)

    as Kaltenbrunner

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Camp on Blood Island(1958)

    as Major Dawes

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • The Rainbow Jacket (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Geoffrey Tyler

  • Beat the Devil(1953)

    as Harry Chelm

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Shadow Man(1953)

    as Det. Insp. Johnstone

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Recoil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Michael Conway

  • The Promise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Stephen Harker

  • The Voice of Merrill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Hugh Allen

  • The Woman's Angle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Robert Mansell

  • The Dark Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Detective Inspector Viner

  • The Woman with No Name (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Lake Winter

  • They Were Not Divided (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Philip

  • Man on the Run(1949)

    as Slim Elfey

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Brass Monkey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Max Taylor

  • The Woman in the Hall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Neil Inglefield

  • The October Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Passport Official

  • Inspector Hornleigh Goes to It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Actor

  • Lucky to Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Malden's friend

  • Inspector Hornleigh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Peter Dench

  • Wings of the Morning(1937)

    as Don Diego

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Annie, Leave the Room! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as John Brandon

  • The Warren Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Hugh Waddon

Career shape

Star power in the 82nd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 61 titles from 1934 to 1980; peak year 1966.

Highest rated

The Two-Headed Spy (1958)

Midcredits 76th

Most popular right now

Beat the Devil (1953)

Film career

19341980

Peak 1966 · at the high point of their film career. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting61 of 61: 61 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rd

By decade

1930s5 · acting1940s5 · acting1950s14 · acting1960s23 · acting1970s13 · acting1980s1 · acting

Billing

usually 14th · top billed in 0% of 6 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Edward Underdown's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 67th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 66th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

None of their 20 titles divides audiences: 14 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed1

Most loved · actor

The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)

Midcredits 86th · 75% liked

Reviewers score the acting 67/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Edward Underdown work with?

People who share at least 2 of Edward Underdown's MovieCove titles; Gerard Schurmann shares the most, 2.