Elsa Sullivan Lanchester (28 October 1902 – 26 December 1986) was a British-American actress with a long career in theatre, film and television.Obituary ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', 31 December 1986. Lanchester studied dance as a child and after the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

began performing in theatre and cabaret, where she established her career over the following decade. She met the actor Charles Laughton in 1927, and they were married two years later. She began playing small roles in British films, including the role of

Anne of Cleves Anne of Cleves (german: Anna von Kleve; 1515 – 16 July 1557) was Queen of England from 6 January to 12 July 1540 as the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. Not much is known about Anne before 1527, when she became betrothed to Francis, Duke o ...

with Laughton in ''

The Private Life of Henry VIII ''The Private Life of Henry VIII'' is a 1933 British film directed and co-produced by Alexander Korda and starring Charles Laughton, Robert Donat, Merle Oberon and Elsa Lanchester. It was written by Lajos Bíró and Arthur Wimperis for London F ...

'' (1933). Her success in American films resulted in the couple moving to Hollywood, where Lanchester played small film roles. Her role as the title character in ''

Bride of Frankenstein ''Bride of Frankenstein'' is a 1935 American science fiction horror film, and the first sequel to Universal Pictures' 1931 film ''Frankenstein''. As with the first film, ''Bride of Frankenstein'' was directed by James Whale starring Boris Kar ...

'' (1935) brought her recognition. She played supporting roles through the 1940s and 1950s. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for ''

Come to the Stable ''Come to the Stable'' is a 1949 American comedy drama film that tells the story of two French religious sisters who come to a small New England town and involve the townsfolk in helping them to build a children's hospital. It stars Loretta Young ...

'' (1949) and ''

Witness for the Prosecution In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...

'' (1957), the last of twelve films in which she appeared with Laughton. Following Laughton's death in 1962, Lanchester resumed her career with appearances in such

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

films as ''

Mary Poppins It may refer to: * ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character. * Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers. * ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film sta ...

'' (1964), ''

That Darn Cat! ''That Darn Cat!'' is a 1965 American thriller comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and starring Hayley Mills and Dean Jones in a story about bank robbers, a kidnapping and a mischievous cat; produced by Walt Disney Productions. The fi ...

'' (1965) and ''

Blackbeard's Ghost ''Blackbeard's Ghost'' is a 1968 American fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and starring Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, and Suzanne Pleshette. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions and Bill Walsh. It is based upon the 1965 nove ...

'' (1968). The horror film '' Willard'' (1971) was highly successful, and one of her last roles was in ''

Murder by Death ''Murder by Death'' is a 1976 American comedy mystery film directed by Robert Moore and written by Neil Simon. The film stars Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Elsa Lanchester, David Niven, Peter Sellers, M ...

'' (1976).

Early life

Elsa Sullivan Lanchester was born in

Lewisham Lewisham () is an area of southeast London, England, south of Charing Cross. It is the principal area of the London Borough of Lewisham, and was within the historic county of Kent until 1889. It is identified in the London Plan as one of ...

, London. Her parents, James "

Séamus () is an Irish and Scottish male given name, of Hebrew origin via Latin. It is the Irish equivalent of the name James. The name James is the English New Testament variant for the Hebrew name Jacob. It entered the Irish and Scottish Gaelic lan ...

" Sullivan (1872–1945) and Edith "Biddy" Lanchester (1871–1966), were

Bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Beer * National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst * Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...

s, and refused to marry in a religious or legal way as a rebellion against

Edwardian era The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victor ...

society. Sullivan and Lanchester were both

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

s, according to Lanchester's 1970 interview with Dick Cavett. Elsa's older brother, Waldo Sullivan Lanchester, born five years earlier, was a puppeteer, with his own

marionette A marionette (; french: marionnette, ) is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a marionettist. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed ...

company based in Malvern,

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...

and later in Stratford-upon-Avon. Elsa studied dance in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

under

Isadora Duncan Angela Isadora Duncan (May 26, 1877 or May 27, 1878 – September 14, 1927) was an American dancer and choreographer, who was a pioneer of modern contemporary dance, who performed to great acclaim throughout Europe and the US. Born and raised in ...

, whom she disliked. When the school was discontinued due to outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, she returned to the UK. At that point (she was about twelve years of age) she began teaching dance in the Duncan style and gave classes to children in her South London district, through which she earned some welcome extra income for her household.

Career

After World War I, Lanchester started the Children's Theatre, and later the Cave of Harmony, a nightclub at which modern plays and cabaret turns were performed. She revived old Victorian songs and ballads, many of which she retained for her performances in another revue entitled ''Riverside Nights''. Her first film performance came in 1924 in the amateur production ''The Scarlet Woman'', which was written by

Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires '' Decl ...

who also appeared in two roles himself. She became sufficiently famous for Columbia to invite her into the recording studio to make 78 rpm discs of four of the numbers she sang in these revues: "Please Sell No More Drink to My Father" and "He Didn't Oughter" were on one disc (recorded in 1926) and "Don't Tell My Mother I'm Living in Sin" and "The Ladies Bar" were on the other (recorded 1930).Maltin 1994, p. 494. Her cabaret and nightclub appearances led to more serious stage work and it was in a play by

Arnold Bennett Enoch Arnold Bennett (27 May 1867 – 27 March 1931) was an English author, best known as a novelist. He wrote prolifically: between the 1890s and the 1930s he completed 34 novels, seven volumes of short stories, 13 plays (some in collaboratio ...

called ''Mr Prohack'' (1927) that Lanchester first met another member of the cast, Charles Laughton. They were married two years later and continued to act together from time to time, both on stage and screen. She played his daughter in the stage play ''

Payment Deferred ''Payment Deferred'' is a crime novel by C.S. Forester, first published in 1926. William Marble is a bank clerk living in south London with a wife, Annie, and two teenage children, Winifred ('Winnie') and John, desperately worried about money an ...

'' (1931) though not in the subsequent Hollywood film version. Lanchester and Laughton appeared in the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...

season of 1933–34, playing Shakespeare, Chekhov and Wilde, and in 1936 she was

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...

to Laughton's Captain Hook in

J. M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succ ...

's play at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 a ...

. Their last stage appearance together was in Jane Arden's '' The Party'' (1958) at the New Theatre, London. Bride gip

Bride of Frankenstein (1935 pictorial snipe)

Lanchester made her film debut in ''The Scarlet Woman'' (1925) and in 1928 appeared in three silent shorts written for her by

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

Ivor Montagu Ivor Goldsmid Samuel Montagu (23 April 1904, in Kensington, London – 5 November 1984, in Watford) was an English filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, film critic, writer, table tennis player, and Communist activist in the 1930s. He helped to de ...

: ''Blue Bottles'', ''Daydreams'' and ''The Tonic''. Laughton made brief appearances in all of them. They also appeared together in a 1930 film revue entitled ''Comets'', featuring British stage, musical and variety acts, in which they sang in duet " The Ballad of Frankie and Johnnie". Lanchester appeared in several other early British talkies, including ''

Potiphar's Wife Potiphar's wife is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. She was the wife of Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard in the time of Jacob and his twelve sons. According to the Book of Genesis, she falsely accused Joseph of attempted r ...

'' (1931), a film starring Laurence Olivier. She appeared opposite Laughton again as

in ''

'' (1933), with Laughton in the title role. Laughton was by now making films in Hollywood, so Lanchester joined him there, making minor appearances in ''

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield'' Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from inf ...

'' (1935) and '' Naughty Marietta'' (1935). These and her appearances in British films helped her gain the

title role The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...

in ''

'' (1935), arguably the role with which she remains most identified. She and Laughton returned to Britain to appear together again in '' Rembrandt'' (1936) and later in '' Vessel of Wrath'' (US: ''The Beachcomber''. 1938). They both returned to Hollywood, where he made ''

The Hunchback of Notre Dame ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story ...

'' (1939) although Lanchester didn't appear in another film until '' Ladies in Retirement'' (1941). She and Laughton played husband and wife (their characters were named Charles and Elsa Smith) in ''

Tales of Manhattan ''Tales of Manhattan'' is a 1942 American anthology film directed by Julien Duvivier. Thirteen writers, including Ben Hecht, Alan Campbell, Ferenc Molnár, Samuel Hoffenstein, and Donald Ogden Stewart, worked on the six stories in this film. Ba ...

'' (1942) and they both appeared again in the all-star, mostly British cast of '' Forever and a Day'' (1943). She received top billing in '' Passport to Destiny'' (1944) for the only time in her Hollywood career.Jewell and Harbin 1982, p. 193. ELSA-L

Lanchester played supporting roles in '' The Spiral Staircase'' and '' The Razor's Edge'' (both 1946). She appeared as the housekeeper in ''

The Bishop's Wife ''The Bishop's Wife'' (also known as ''Cary and the Bishop's Wife'') is a 1947 American romantic comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. The plot is about an angel who helps a bishop with his ...

'' (1947) with

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in '' Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other roles ...

playing the bishop,

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the fil ...

his wife, and

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

an angel. Lanchester played a comical role as an artist in the thriller, '' The Big Clock'' (1948), in which Laughton starred as a megalomaniacal press tycoon. She had a part as a painter specialising in nativity scenes in ''

'' (1949), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (1949). During the late 1940s and 1950s she appeared in small but highly varied supporting roles in a number of films while simultaneously appearing on stage at the '' Turnabout Theatre'' in Hollywood. Here she performed her solo vaudeville act in conjunction with a marionette show, singing somewhat off-colour songs which she later recorded for a couple of LPs. Onscreen, she appeared alongside Danny Kaye in '' The Inspector General'' (1949), played a blackmailing landlady in ''

Mystery Street ''Mystery Street'' is a 1950 black-and-white film noir featuring Ricardo Montalbán, Sally Forrest, Bruce Bennett, Elsa Lanchester, and Marshall Thompson. Produced by MGM, it was directed by John Sturges with cinematography by John Alton. The ...

'' (1950), and was

Shelley Winters Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American actress whose career spanned seven decades. She appeared in numerous films. She won Academy Awards for ''The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959) and ''A Patch o ...

's travelling companion in '' Frenchie'' (1950). More supporting roles followed in the early 1950s, including a 2-minute cameo as the Bearded Lady in ''

3 Ring Circus ''3 Ring Circus'' is a 1954 American comedy film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The picture was shot from February 17 to March 31, 1954, and released on December 25 by Paramount Pictures. The supporting cast ...

'' (1954), about to be shaved by Jerry Lewis. She had another substantial and memorable part when she appeared again with her husband in ''

'' (1957) a screen version of Agatha Christie's 1953 play for which both received

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nominations – she for the second time as Best Supporting Actress, and Laughton for the third time for Best Actor. Neither won. However she did win the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for the film. Lanchester played the role of Aunt Queenie, a witch in ''

Bell, Book and Candle ''Bell, Book and Candle'' is a 1958 American fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Richard Quine from a screenplay by Daniel Taradash, based on the 1950 Broadway play of the same title by John Van Druten. It stars Kim Novak as a witch who c ...

'' (1958), and appeared in such films as ''

'' (1964), in which her husband's goddaughter

Karen Dotrice Karen Dotrice ( ; born 9 November 1955) is a British actress. She is known primarily for her role as Jane Banks in Walt Disney's '' Mary Poppins'', the feature film adaptation of the '' Mary Poppins'' book series. Dotrice was born in Guernsey i ...

also starred, ''

'' (1965), and ''

'' (1968). She appeared on 9 April 1959, on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

's ''

The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford ''The Ford Show'' (also known as ''The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford'' and ''The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show'') is an American variety program, starring singer and folk humorist Tennessee Ernie Ford, which aired on NBC on Thursday eveni ...

''. She performed in two episodes of NBC's ''

The Wonderful World of Disney The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 to the present. The pr ...

''. Additionally, she had memorable guest roles in an episode of ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along wit ...

'' in 1956 and in episodes of NBC's '' The Eleventh Hour'' (1964) and ''

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...

'' (1965).Favell, Jack
"A Fan Tribute to Elsa Lanchester"
Turner Classic Movies; retrieved 19 May 2013. Lanchester continued to make occasional film appearances, singing a duet with

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

in '' Easy Come, Easy Go'' (1967), and playing the mother in the original version of '' Willard'' (1971), alongside

Bruce Davison Bruce Allen Davison (born June 28, 1946) is an American actor and director. Davison is well known for his starring role as Willard Stiles in the cult horror film '' Willard'' (1971) and his Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning perfor ...

and

Ernest Borgnine Ernest Borgnine (; born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular perfor ...

, which scored well at the box office. She was Jessica Marbles, a sleuth based on Agatha Christie's Jane Marple, in the 1976 murder mystery spoof ''

'', and she made her last film in 1980 as Sophie in '' Die Laughing''. She released three LP albums in the 1950s. Two (referred to above) were entitled "Songs for a Shuttered Parlour" and "Songs for a Smoke-Filled Room", and were vaguely lewd and danced around their true purpose, such as the song about her husband's "clock" not working. Laughton provided the spoken introductions to each number and even joined Lanchester in the singing of " She Was Poor but She Was Honest". Her third LP was entitled "Cockney London", a selection of old London songs for which Laughton wrote the sleeve-notes.

Personal life

Lanchester married Charles Laughton in 1929. She published a book about her relationship with Laughton, ''Charles Laughton and I''. In March 1983, she released an autobiography, titled ''Elsa Lanchester Herself''. In the book, she alleges that she and Laughton never had children because he was homosexual. However, Laughton's friend and co-star Maureen O'Hara denied this was the reason for the couple's childlessness. She claimed Laughton had told her that the reason he and his wife never had children was because of a botched abortion Lanchester had early in her career when performing burlesque. Lanchester admitted in her autobiography that she had two abortions in her youth (one being Laughton's), but it is not clear if the second left her incapable of becoming pregnant again. According to her biographer, Charles Higham, the reason she did not have children was that she did not want any. Lanchester was an atheist. She was a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

and she and Laughton were supportive of Adlai Stevenson's campaign during the 1952 presidential election. Shortly after the release of her autobiography, Lanchester's health took a turn for the worse. Within 30 months, she suffered two strokes, becoming totally incapacitated. She required constant care and was confined to bedrest. In March 1986, the

Motion Picture and Television Fund The Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) is a charitable organization that offers assistance and care to those in the motion picture and television industries and their families with limited or no resources, including services such as temp ...

filed to become conservator of Lanchester and her estate which was valued at $900,000. Lanchester died in

Woodland Hills, California Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Geography Woodland Hills is in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, which is located east of Ca ...

on 26 December 1986, aged 84, at the Motion Picture Hospital from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

. Her body was cremated on 5 January 1987, at the Chapel of the Pines in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

and her ashes scattered over the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...

.Mank 1999, p. 316.

Filmography

Film roles

* ''The Scarlet Woman: An Ecclesiastical Melodrama'' (1925 short) as Beatrice de Carolle * '' One of the Best'' (1927) as Kitty * '' The Constant Nymph'' (1928) as Lady * ''The Tonic'' (1928, Short) as Elsa * ''Daydreams'' (1928, Short) as Elsa / Heroine in Dream Sequence * ''Blue Bottles'' (1928, Short) as Elsa * ''Mr. Smith Wakes Up'' (1929, Short) * ''Comets'' (1930) as Herself * ''Ashes'' (1930, Short) as Girl * '' The Love Habit'' (1931) as Mathilde * ''

The Officers' Mess ''The Officers' Mess'' is a 1931 British comedy film directed by Manning Haynes and starring Richard Cooper, Harold French and Elsa Lanchester. It was made at Walton Studios.Wood p.72 It was released as a quota quickie by Paramount Pictures. ...

'' (1931) as Cora Melville * ''

The Stronger Sex ''The Stronger Sex'' is a 1931 British drama film directed by Gareth Gundrey and starring Colin Clive, Adrianne Allen and Gordon Harker. It was made by Gainsborough Pictures and shot at the company's Islington Studios in London.Wood p.70 Synops ...

'' (1931) as Thompson * ''

'' (1931) as Therese * ''

'' (1933) as Anne of Cleves, the Fourth Wife * ''

'' (1935) as Clickett * '' Naughty Marietta'' (1935) as Madame d'Annard * ''

'' (1935) as

Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an early example of science fiction. She also ...

/The Monster's Mate * ''

The Ghost Goes West ''The Ghost Goes West'' is a 1935 British romantic comedy/fantasy film starring Robert Donat, Jean Parker, and Eugene Pallette, and directed by René Clair, his first English-language film. The film shows an Old World ghost dealing with American ...

'' (1935) as Miss Shepperton * '' Rembrandt'' (1936) as Hendrickje Stoffels * ''Miss Bracegirdle Does Her Duty'' (1936 unreleased short) as Millicent Bracegirdle * '' Vessel of Wrath'' (1938) as Martha Jones * '' Ladies in Retirement'' (1941) as Emily Creed * '' Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake'' (1942) as Bristol Isabel * ''

'' (1942) as Elsa (Mrs Charles) Smith * '' Forever and a Day'' (1943) as Mamie * '' Thumbs Up'' (1943) as Emma Finch * ''

Lassie Come Home ''Lassie Come Home'' is a 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Technicolor feature film starring Roddy McDowall and canine actor Pal, in a story about the profound bond between Yorkshire boy Joe Carraclough and his rough collie, Lassie. The film was dire ...

'' (1943) as Mrs. Carraclough * '' Passport to Destiny'' (1944) as Ella Muggins * '' The Spiral Staircase'' (1945) as Mrs. Oates * '' The Razor's Edge'' (1946) as Miss Keith * ''

Northwest Outpost ''Northwest Outpost'' (also known as ''End of the Rainbow'') is a 1947 American Musical Western film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Nelson Eddy and Ilona Massey. The film was Eddy's last, and is an operetta film like his previous starring r ...

'' (1947) as Princess "Tanya" Tatiana * ''

'' (1947) as Matilda * '' The Big Clock'' (1948) as Louise Patterson * ''

The Secret Garden ''The Secret Garden'' is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in book form in 1911, after serialisation in '' The American Magazine'' (November 1910 – August 1911). Set in England, it is one of Burnett's most popular novels an ...

'' (1949) as Martha * ''

'' (1949) as Amelia Potts * '' The Inspector General'' (1949) as Maria * '' Buccaneer's Girl'' (1949) as Mme. Brizar * ''

'' (1950) as Mrs. Smerrling * '' The Petty Girl'' (1950) as Dr. Crutcher * '' Frenchie'' (1950) as Countess * ''

Dreamboat "Dreamboat" is a popular music song, the words and music to which were written by Jack Hoffman, (sometimes incorrectly attributed to Al Hoffman). A version produced by Walter Ridley, and performed by Alma Cogan, reached number 1 in the UK Sing ...

'' (1952) as Dr. Mathilda Coffey * ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...

'' (1952) as Madame Magloire * '' Androcles and the Lion'' (1952) as Megaera * ''

The Girls of Pleasure Island ''The Girls of Pleasure Island'' is a 1953 Technicolor comedy film directed by Alvin Ganzer and F. Hugh Herbert. The screenplay by F. Hugh Herbert is based on the novel ''Pleasure Island'' by former Marine William Maier. The original music score ...

'' (1953) as Thelma * '' Hell's Half Acre'' (1954) as Lida O'Reilly * ''

'' (1954) as the Bearded Lady * '' The Glass Slipper'' (1955) as Widow Sonder * ''Alice in Wonderland'' (1955 TV movie) as the Red Queen * ''

'' (1957) as Miss Plimsoll * ''

'' (1958) as Aunt Queenie Holroyd * ''The Flood'' (1962 TV movie) as Noah's Wife (voice) * '' Honeymoon Hotel'' (1964) as Chambermaid * ''

'' (1964) as Katie Nanna * '' Pajama Party'' (1964) as Aunt Wendy * ''

'' (1965) as Mrs. MacDougall * '' Easy Come, Easy Go'' (1967) as Madame Neherina * ''

'' (1968) as Emily Stowecroft * '' Rascal'' (1969) as Mrs. Satterfield * ''

Me, Natalie ''Me, Natalie'' is a 1969 American comedy-drama film directed by Fred Coe about a homely young woman from Brooklyn who moves to Greenwich Village and finds romance with an aspiring painter. The screenplay by A. Martin Zweiback is based on an orig ...

'' (1969) as Miss Dennison * ''In Name Only'' (1969, TV Movie) as Gertrude Caruso * '' Willard'' (1971) as Henrietta Stiles * '' Terror in the Wax Museum'' (1973) as Julia Hawthorn * '' Arnold'' (1973) as Hester * ''

'' (1976) as Jessica Marbles * ''Where's Poppa?'' (1979, TV Movie) as Momma Hocheiser * '' Die Laughing'' (1980) as Sophie (final film role)

Partial television credits

* ''

'' (1956) as Mrs Edna Grundy, episode "Off to Florida" * ''Alfred Hitchcock Hour'' (1964) "The McGregor Affair" * ''

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...

'' (1965) as Dr. Agnes Dabree, episode "The Brain-Killer Affair" * ''

Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 to the present. The pr ...

'' (1969) as Mrs. Formby, episodes "My Dog, the Thief", parts 1 and 2 * ''

The Bill Cosby Show ''The Bill Cosby Show'' is an American sitcom television series, that aired for two seasons on NBC's Sunday night schedule from 1969 until 1971, under the sponsorship of Procter & Gamble. There were 52 episodes made in the series. It marked Bill ...

'' (1970) as Mrs. Wochuk, episode "The Elevator Doesn't Stop Here Anymore" * ''

Nanny and the Professor ''Nanny and the Professor'' is an early 1970s American sitcom created by AJ Carothers and Thomas L. Miller for 20th Century-Fox Television that aired on ABC from January 21, 1970 until December 27, 1971. During pre-production, the proposed t ...

'' (1971) as Aunt Henrietta (3 episodes) * ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone ...

'' (1972) as Lydia Bowen, episode "

Green Fingers ''Green Fingers'' is a 1947 British drama film directed by John Harlow and starring Robert Beatty, Carol Raye and Nova Pilbeam. The film title does not use the term green fingers in its normal context, alluding to an untaught and natural skil ...

" * '' Here's Lucy'' (1973) as Mumsie Westcott, episode "Lucy Goes to Prison" * '' Mannix'' (1973) as Portia Penhaven, episode "A Matter of Principle"

References

Bibliography

* Callow, Simon. ''Charles Laughton: A Difficult Actor''. Mt Prospect, Illinois: Fromm International, 1987. . * Higham, Charles. ''Charles Laughton: An Intimate Biography'' New York: Doubleday, 1976. . * Jewell, Richard and Vernon Harbin. ''The RKO Story''. New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1982. . * Lanchester, Elsa. ''Charles Laughton and I''. San Diego, California: Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, 1938. . * Lanchester, Elsa. ''Elsa Lanchester Herself.'' New York: St. Martin's Press, 1984. . * Maltin, Leonard. "Elsa Lanchester". ''Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia.'' New York: Dutton, 1994. . * Mank, Gregory William. ''Women in Horror Films, 1930s''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 1999. . * Singer, Kurt. ''The Charles Laughton Story''. London: R. Hale, 1952. * Singer, Kurt. ''The Laughton story; An Intimate Story of Charles Laughton.'' Philadelphia: Winston, 1954.

External links

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Cult Sirens: Elsa Lanchester

Elsa Lanchester
at Virtual History {{DEFAULTSORT:Lanchester, Elsa 1902 births 1986 deaths 20th-century English actresses Actresses from London American film actresses American television actresses American atheists English atheists English emigrants to the United States English film actresses English silent film actresses Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Deaths from pneumonia in California People from Lewisham Actresses from Kent People with acquired American citizenship California Democrats 20th-century American actresses