Film star who went on to be a steward at Chepstow
DURING the 1980s, one of the stewards at Chepstow Racecourse was a certain CE Underdown, or to give him his full name, Charles Edward Underdown.
Teddy Underdown, as he was known by his friends in his younger days, had ridden on the Flat and over-the-sticks and in 1938 was joint-champion amateur rider on the Flat, a title he shared with that leading amateur jockey John Hislop.
Fairly good-looking, tall and lean, Underdown has been described as “a super gentleman” and in 1955 had ridden the Stanley Wooton-trained Noholme to victory in the Thursby Amateur Riders’ Handicap at Epsom.
The race, later known as the Moet & Chandon Silver Magnum, was recognised as “The Amateur Riders’ Derby”. Those with memories as long as mine will remember Eton College-educated Underdown appearing in many post-war films such as The October Man, The Dark Man and John Huston’s cult 1953 movie Beat The Devil, in which he starred alongside Humphrey Bogart and Jennifer Jones. He also appeared in two films about horse-racing, Wings of the Morning with Henry Fonda, which was the first technicolour film made in the British Isles in 1937, and The Rainbow Jacket in 1954.
Television appearances were many and included Coldtiz, Doctor Who and The Avengers.
It has been said that author Ian Fleming had him in mind for the role of his hero James Bond, as he admired Teddy as a character actor whom he had seen in supporting roles. Unfortunately, however, film producer Albert R Broccoli thought he lacked sex appeal and cast Sean Connery for the part instead.
Sadly, the 1960s saw this Londonborn stage and film actor getting fewer film offers until he was reduced to taking parts in horror films and other films now long gone and best forgotten. Somewhat ironically, he had a very small part to play in one of the more successful Bond films, Thunderball in 1965.
Underdown, who had a distinquished war record serving with the Wiltshire Yeomanry Regiment, died in December 1989.
BRIAN’S BLAST FROM THE PAST
In the Western Mail on June 3, 2003, I reported that: “Mrs Sue Mathias’ eight-year-old mare Sohapara proved her recent win in the mares’ championship final at the Melton Hunt Club meeting at Garthorpe was no fluke when galloping her English rivals into the ground in The Welsh Game Fair intermediate race at the Countryside Alliance meeting at Bonvilston on Sunday.
“Confidently ridden by Dai Jones, Sohapara, whose name is in the reverse of her sire, Arapahos, came home an official distance ahead of the favourite Airoski, ridden by national champion elect Richard Burton, with Persona Pride under former champion rider Julian Pritchard, a further five lengths away in third place. A delighted Jane Mathias from Llancarfan, who works for Barclays Bank and who trains the mare for her mother in her spare time, said, ‘Sohapara is now retired for the season’.
“Welsh ladies’ champion Lucy Rowsell took the young horse maiden on her husband Robert’s six-yearold Foggy Hill, a £250 bargain buy who was once destined for the knacker’s yard. Foggy Hill drew clear five fences from the finish to win unchallenged from Wiston Wizo.
“In the aged maiden, Adam Wadlow, 22, a student at Oxford University, was successful on his father’s My Native Knight, who had 10 lengths to spare over Jolly Jake.
“The mixed open race was won by Catherine Mackness’ Pretoria Dancer who, under Firgel O’Brien, caught the pace-making Moon Tiger in the closing stages to win by eight lengths.
“The Countess Goess-Saurau took the Countryside Alliance Club members’ race with her seven-year-old home-bred King’s Fling who, ridden by national champion Polly Gundry, won by 10 lengths from Adrian Simpson’s Johnny’s Gone. The Countess, who was having her first runner in Wales, was not only impressed with the Bonvilston racecourse, but with the welcome she received from people at the track.
“Angharad Frieze, 18, from Brecon, notched up her first winner in just seven rides when landing the first division of the restricted open on her father’s Millennium Gold.
“Chartered surveyor Tim Vaughan took the second division on Catherine Darley’s Rideaway Rose. John Moore, who trains Rideaway Rose, said, ‘Tim rode a good race, but don’t tell him I said so. I want to keep his feet firmly on the ground’.”
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