Eddie Byrne

A mainstay of Dublin's Abbey Theatre, Irish actor Eddie Byrne made his film bow in Odd Man Out (1946), a drama which took place during the Irish rebellion. Good-looking enough for leading roles, Byrne managed to star in Time Gentlemen Please (1952) and one or two other British films of the 1950s, but for the most part was utilized in supporting parts. He was particularly busy in the years 1954 through 1958, a time in which, as historian David Quinlan put it, Byrne "seemed to be turning up in every third British film." American moviegoers could see Byrne in such internationally released pictures as Abandon Ship (1957), The Mummy (1959) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1962). Eddie Byrne returned to live and work in Ireland in the mid 1960s, though he'd occasionally surface in British-filmed productions like Star Wars (1977), in which he played General Willard. The actor should not be confused with American TV star Ed "Kookie" Byrnes - if indeed such confusion is possible.

~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide