Eddie Byrne
Encyclopedia
Eddie Byrne was an Irish
actor
. Outside Ireland he is probably best known for his minor role as General Vanden Willard in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
, but fans of cult
sci-fi might also remember him as the skeptical Inspector Mulrooney in The Mummy
and as the kindly Dr. Reginald Landers in Island of Terror
. He also appeared as Inspector O'Neill in the 1959 film Jack the Ripper
. He died of a stroke
in his home town Dublin in 1981.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. Outside Ireland he is probably best known for his minor role as General Vanden Willard in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
, but fans of cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
sci-fi might also remember him as the skeptical Inspector Mulrooney in The Mummy
The Mummy (1959 film)
The Mummy is a 1959 Technicolor British Hammer Horror film starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.Though the title suggests Universal Pictures' 1932 film of the same name, the film actually derives its plot and characters entirely from two later Universal films, The Mummy's Hand and The Mummy's...
and as the kindly Dr. Reginald Landers in Island of Terror
Island of Terror
Island of Terror is a 1966 British horror film released by Planet Film Productions. The film was released in the US by Universal Studios on a double bill with The Projected Man . The idea for the film came when Richard Gordon read the screenplay The Night the Silicates Came from Gerry Fernback. He...
. He also appeared as Inspector O'Neill in the 1959 film Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper (1959 film)
Jack the Ripper was a 1959 film produced and directed by Monty Berman and Robert S. Baker and is loosely based on Leonard Matters' theory that the Ripper was an avenging doctor. The black-and-white film starred Lee Patterson and Eddie Byrne and co-starred Betty McDowall, John Le Mesurier, and...
. He died of a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in his home town Dublin in 1981.
Selected filmography
- Lady Godiva Rides AgainLady Godiva Rides AgainLady Godiva Rides Again is a 1951 British comedy film starring Diana Dors, about a small-town English girl who wins a beauty contest and heads for greater fame. It features Joan Collins in her movie debut as an uncredited beauty contestant...
(1951) - Time Gentlemen, Please!Time Gentlemen, Please!Time Gentlemen, Please! is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Eddie Byrne, Hermione Baddeley, Raymond Lovell and Sid James.-Cast:* Eddie Byrne as Dan Dance* Jane Barrett as Sally* Robert Brown as Bill Jordan...
(1952) - The Gentle GunmanThe Gentle GunmanThe Gentle Gunman is a black-and-white 1952 Ealing Studios drama film, directed by Basil Dearden and starring John Mills and Dirk Bogarde.-Plot:...
(1952) - The Square RingThe Square RingThe Square Ring is a 1953 British film directed by Basil Dearden and made at Ealing Studios. It stars Jack Warner, Robert Beatty and Bill Owen...
(1953) - Albert R.N. (1953)
- Trouble in the GlenTrouble in the GlenTrouble in the Glen is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Margaret Lockwood, Orson Welles and Forrest Tucker...
(1954) - The Divided HeartThe Divided HeartThe Divided Heart is a black-and-white British film directed by Charles Crichton and released in 1954. The film is a drama, based on a true story and written by Jack Whittingham and Richard Hughes. It was produced by Michael Truman and edited by Peter Bezencenet, with cinematography by Otto Heller...
(1954) - Three Cases of MurderThree Cases of MurderThree Cases of Murder is a 1955 British drama film comprising three stories. Though the stories are separate and unrelated, Alan Badel appears in all three....
(1955) - One Way OutOne Way Out (film)One Way Out is a 1955 British crime drama film directed by Francis Searle and starring Jill Adams, Eddie Byrne, Lyndon Brook, John Chandos and Arthur Lowe.-Cast:* Jill Adams as Shirley Harcourt* Eddie Byrne as Superintendent Harcourt...
(1955) - Reach for the Sky (1956)
- It's Great to Be YoungIt's Great To Be YoungIt's Great to Be Young is a 1956 musical comedy film about a school music teacher, starring Cecil Parker and John Mills.-Cast:* John Mills as Mr. Dingle* Cecil Parker as Frome* John Salew as Routledge* Elizabeth Kentish as Mrs...
(1956) - These Dangerous YearsThese Dangerous YearsThese Dangerous Years is a 1957 British comedy musical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring George Baker, Frankie Vaughan, Carole Lesley, Thora Hird, Kenneth Cope, David Lodge and John Le Mesurier....
(1957) - DunkirkDunkirk (film)Dunkirk is a 1958 British war film directed by Leslie Norman and starring John Mills, Richard Attenborough and Bernard Lee. It was based on two novels: Elleston Trevor's The Big Pick-Up and Lt. Col. Ewan Hunter and Maj. J. S...
(1958) - RooneyRooney (film)Rooney is a 1958 British comedy film directed by George Pollock and starring John Gregson, Muriel Pavlow and Barry Fitzgerald. The film depicts the life of James Ignatius Rooney, a Gaelic sportsman at the weekends, and a Dublin rubbish collector during the week...
(1958) - The Bridal PathThe Bridal Path (film)The Bridal Path is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Frank Launder and starring Bill Travers, George Cole and Bernadette O'Farrell. It is based on the 1952 novel of the same name by Nigel Tranter...
(1959) - The Scapegoat (1959)
- JackpotJackpot (1960 film)Japckot is a 1960 British crime film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring William Hartnell, Betty McDowall and Eddie Byrne.-Cast:* William Hartnell as Superintendent Frawley* Betty McDowall as Kay Stock* Eddie Byrne as Sam Hare...
(1960) - The Bulldog BreedThe Bulldog BreedThe Bulldog Breed is a 1960 British comedy film starring Norman Wisdom and directed by Robert Asher.-Plot:Norman Puckle , a well-meaning but clumsy grocer's assistant, can't seem to do anything right. After being rejected by Marlene, the love of his life, he attempts suicide, but can't even do that...
(1960) - The Pot CarriersThe Pot CarriersThe Pot Carriers is a 1962 British comedy drama film directed by Peter Graham Scott and starring Ronald Fraser, Paul Massie, Carole Lesley and Dennis Price...
(1962) - Mutiny on the BountyMutiny on the Bounty (1962 film)Mutiny on the Bounty is a 1962 film starring Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard based on the novel Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall. The film retells the 1789 real-life mutiny aboard HMAV Bounty led by Fletcher Christian against the ship's captain, William Bligh...
(1962) - The Punch and Judy ManThe Punch and Judy ManThe Punch and Judy Man is a British comedy film from 1963 directed by Jeremy Summers. It was Tony Hancock's second film in a starring role, following The Rebel .-Plot:...
(1963) - The CracksmanThe CracksmanThe Cracksman is a 1963 British comedy film directed by Peter Graham Scott.-Plot:Charlie Drake plays an honest locksmith whose problem is that he cannot resist the challenge of a lock. He gets smoothtalked into a safecracking scheme by a couple of ruthless gangsters. He is duped by a debonair con...
(1963) - Guns in the HeatherGuns in the HeatherGuns in the Heather is a 1969 British-American family film directed by Robert Butler. It stars Glenn Corbett and Alfred Burke.-Cast:*Glenn Corbett as Tom*Alfred Burke as Kersner*Kurt Russell as Rich*Patrick Dawson as Sean*Patrick Barr as Lord Boyne...
(1969) - Star Wars (1977)
- The Thief and the CobblerThe Thief and the CobblerThe Thief and the Cobbler is an animated feature film, famous for its animation and its long, troubled history. The film was conceived by Canadian animator Richard Williams, who worked 28 years on the project. Beginning production in 1964, Williams intended The Thief and the Cobbler to be his...
(1993)