Martita Edith Hunt (30 January 190013 June 1969) was an Argentine-born British theatre and film actress. She had a dominant stage presence and played a wide range of powerful characters. She is best remembered for her performance as Miss Havisham in

David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor, widely considered one of the most important figures of Cinema of the United Kingdom, British cinema. He directed the large-scale epi ...

's '' Great Expectations'' (1946).

Early life

Hunt was born in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

on 30 January 1900 to English parents Alfred and Marta (née Burnett) Hunt. Aged ten, she travelled with her parents to the United Kingdom, where she attended Queenwood Ladies' College in

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. It is also a non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, bor ...

, and then trained as an actress.

Career

Early theatrical career

Hunt began her acting career in repertory theatre in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

before moving to London. She first appeared there in the Stage Society's production of Ernst Toller's ''The Machine Wreckers'' at the Kingsway Theatre in May 1923. From 1923 to 1929, she appeared as the Principessa della Cercola in W. Somerset Maugham's '' Our Betters'' (

Globe A globe is a spherical Earth, spherical Model#Physical model, model of Earth, of some other astronomical object, celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but, unlike maps, they do not distort the surface ...

, 1924) and as Mrs. Linde in Ibsen's ''

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' (Danish language, Danish and ; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act Play (theatre), play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 De ...

'' ( Playhouse, 1925) in the West End, along with engagements at club theatres such as the Q Theatre and the Arts Theatre and a short 1926 Chekhov season at the small Barnes Theatre under Theodore Komisarjevsky (playing Charlotta Ivanovna, in ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' () is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg, via A.F. Marks Pu ...

'' and Olga in '' Three Sisters''). In September 1929, she joined 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, Mai ...

company, then led by Harcourt Williams, and, during the following eight months played Béline in

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...

's '' The Imaginary Invalid'', Queen Elizabeth in

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

's '' The Dark Lady of the Sonnets'', and Lavinia in Shaw's '' Androcles and the Lion''. However, her time there was more noted for a succession of Shakespearean roles: the

Nurse Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...

in ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'', Portia in '' The Merchant of Venice'', the Queen in '' Richard II'', Helena in ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

'', Portia in ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

''), Rosalind in ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wil ...

'', Lady Macbeth in ''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

'', and Gertrude in ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

''). The latter three were with John Gielgud. In Hunt's entry in the ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...

'', Donald Roy wrote:

"With an arresting appearance and a dominant stage presence, she proved most effective as strong, tragic characters, her Gertrude in ''Hamlet'' being accounted by some critics the finest they had seen."

She then returned to the West End (briefly returning to the Old Vic to play Emilia in the 1938 '' Othello''), notably playing Edith Gunter in Dodie Smith's ''Autumn Crocus'' ( Lyric, 1931), the Countess of Rousillon in '' All's Well That Ends Well'' (Arts, 1932), Lady Strawholme in

Ivor Novello Ivor Novello (born David Ivor Davies; 15 January 1893 – 6 March 1951) was a Welsh actor, dramatist, singer and composer who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. He was born into a musical ...

's ''Fresh Fields'' ( Criterion, 1933), Liz Frobisher in

John Van Druten John William Van Druten (1 June 190119 December 1957) was an English playwright and theatre director. He began his career in London, and later moved to America, becoming a U.S. citizen. He was known for his plays of witty and urbane observations ...

's ''The Distaff Side'' (

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

, 1933), Barbara Dawe in Clemence Dane's ''Moonlight Is Silver'' ( Queen's, 1934), Theodora in Elmer Rice's '' Not for Children'' ( Fortune, 1935), Masha in Chekhov's ''

The Seagull ''The Seagull'' () is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 in literature, 1895 and first produced in 1896 in literature#Drama, 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramati ...

'' ( New Theatre, 1936), the Mother in an English-language version of García Lorca's '' Bodas de sangre'' ("Marriage of Blood";

Savoy Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...

, 1939), Léonie in

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...

's '' Les Parents Terribles'' (

Gate A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word is derived from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*gatan'', meaning an opening or passageway. Synonyms include yett (which comes from the same root w ...

, 1940), Mrs Cheveley in

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

's '' An Ideal Husband'' (

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

, 1943), and Cornelia in John Webster's '' The White Devil'' ( Duchess, 1947).

Early film career

Hunt also appeared in many supporting roles in several popular British films, such as '' Good Morning, Boys'' (1937), '' Trouble Brewing'' (1939), and '' The Man in Grey'' (1943). '' The Wicked Lady'' (1945) was an international success, but her next film role in

's '' Great Expectations'' (1946) would be her most famous and most lauded. As Miss Havisham, she reprised her role from the 1939 stage adaptation by

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In the BFI, British Film Institute listing of 1999 of BFI Top 100 British films, the 100 most important British films of the 20th century ...

, which provided the inspiration and template for Lean's film. Her performance met with significant acclaim, and

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...

later wrote in 1999 that she "dominate the ilm'searly scenes, playing Miss Havisham as a beak-nosed, shabby figure, bedecked in crumbling lace and linen, not undernourished despite her long exile."

Later career

Hunt acted in '' The Sleeping Prince'' in 1953 at the Phoenix Theatre. From this time on, she divided her time between British and American films, as well as the stage. She won a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

in 1949 for her Broadway début as Countess Aurelia in the English-speaking première of Giraudoux's '' The Madwoman of Chaillot'' (though she had relatively less impact on the production's 1952 tour). Her last stage role was as Angélique Boniface in '' Hotel Paradiso'', an adaptation from Feydeau, again with Guinness at the Winter Garden Theatre in May 1956. Other films in which she appeared included '' Anna Karenina'' (1948), '' The Fan'' (1949), ''

Anastasia Anastasia (from ) is a feminine given name of Greek and Slavic origin, derived from the Greek word (), meaning "resurrection". It is a popular name in Eastern Europe. Origin The name Anastasia originated during the Early Christianity, early d ...

'' (1956), '' Three Men in a Boat'' (1956), ''

The Admirable Crichton ''The Admirable Crichton'' is a comic stage play written in 1902 by J. M. Barrie. Origins Barrie took the title from the sobriquet of a fellow Scotland, Scot, the polymath James Crichton, a 16th-century genius and athlete. The epigram-loving E ...

'' (1957), '' The Brides of Dracula'' (1960), ''

The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm ''The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm'' is a 1962 American Biographical film, biographical fantasy film directed by Henry Levin (film director), Henry Levin and George Pal. The latter was the producer and also in charge of the stop motion a ...

'' (1962), '' Becket'' (1964), '' The Unsinkable Molly Brown'' (1964) and '' Bunny Lake Is Missing'' (1965). She also appeared on television as Lady Bastable in several adaptations of the Saki stories (1962).

Death

Martita Hunt died of bronchial asthma at her home in

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

, London, aged 69, on 13 June 1969. Her estate was valued at £5,390. She never married. She was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium on 19 June. Her ashes lie in the Ivor Novello Rose Bed.

Selected filmography

* '' A Rank Outsider'' (1920) * '' Service for Ladies'' (1932) as Aline – Countess Ricardi's M=maid (uncredited) * '' Love on Wheels'' (1932) as piano demonstrator * '' I Was a Spy'' (1933) as Aunt Lucille * '' Friday the Thirteenth'' (1933) as Agnes Lightfoot * '' Too Many Millions'' (1934) as Mrs Pilcher * '' Mr. What's-His-Name?'' (1935) as Mrs Davies * '' The Case of Gabriel Perry'' (1935) as Mrs Read * '' Man of the Moment'' (1935) as roulette player * '' First a Girl'' (1935) as Seraphina * ''King of the Damned'' (1935) as woman on plane (uncredited) * '' When Knights Were Bold'' (1936) as Aunt Esther * '' Pot Luck'' (1936) as Mrs Cream * '' Tudor Rose'' (1936) as Jane's mother * '' The Interrupted Honeymoon'' (1936) as Nora Briggs * '' The Beloved Vagabond'' (1936) as Lady with lorgnettes (uncredited) * ''

Sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, government, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, demoralization (warfare), demoralization, destabilization, divide and rule, division, social disruption, disrupti ...

'' (1936) as Miss Chatham – the Professor's daughter (uncredited) * '' The Mill on the Floss'' (1936) as Mrs Glegg * '' Good Morning, Boys'' (1937) as Lady Bogshott * '' Farewell Again'' (1937) as Adela Swayle * '' Paradise for Two'' (1937) as Mme Bernard (uncredited) * '' Second Best Bed'' (1938) as Mrs Mather * '' Strange Boarders'' (1938) as Miss Pitter * '' Prison Without Bars'' (1938) as Mme Appel * '' Everything Happens to Me'' (1938) * '' Trouble Brewing'' (1939) as Mme Berdi * '' The Nursemaid Who Disappeared'' (1939) as Lady Alice Ballister * '' A Girl Must Live'' (1939) as Mme Dupont, assistant * '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'' (1939) as British tourist on bicycle (uncredited) * '' Young Man's Fancy'' (1939) as Duchess of Beaumont * '' Old Mother Riley Joins Up'' (1939) as Commandant * '' At the Villa Rose'' (1940) as Helen Vaquier * '' The Middle Watch'' (1940) as Lady Elizabeth Hewett * '' The Good Old Days'' (1940) as Sara Macaulay * '' Tilly of Bloomsbury'' (1940) as Lady Marion Mainwaring * '' Freedom Radio'' (1941) as Frau Lehmann the concierge * '' Quiet Wedding'' (1941) as Mme Mirelle * '' East of Piccadilly'' (1941) as Ma * '' The Seventh Survivor'' (1942) as Mrs Lindley * '' They Flew Alone'' (1942) as Miss Bland * '' Lady from Lisbon'' (1942) as Susan Wellington-Smythe * '' Sabotage at Sea'' (1942) as Daphne Faber * ''Talk About Jacqueline'' (1942) as Colonel's wife (uncredited) * ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' (1943) as Lady Bracknell * '' The Man in Grey'' (1943) as Miss Patchett * '' Welcome, Mr. Washington'' (1944) as Miss Finch * '' The Wicked Lady'' (1945) as Cousin Agatha * '' Great Expectations'' (1946) as Miss Havisham * '' The Ghosts of Berkeley Square'' (1947) as Lady Mary * '' The Little Ballerina'' (1947) as Miss Crichton * '' Anna Karenina'' (1948) as Princess Betty Tversky * '' So Evil My Love'' (1948) as Mrs Courtney * '' My Sister and I'' (1948) as Mrs Camelot * '' The Fan'' (1949) as Duchess of Berwick * '' The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men'' (1952) as Queen Eleanor * '' Treasure Hunt'' (1952) as Aunt Anna Rose * '' Meet Me Tonight'' (1952) as Mabel Grace * '' It Started in Paradise'' (1952) as Mme Alice * '' Folly to Be Wise'' (1953) as Lady Dodd * ''Melba'' (1955) as Mme Marchesi * '' King's Rhapsody'' (1955) as Queen Mother * '' The March Hare'' (1956) as Lady Anne * ''

'' (1956) as Baroness Elena von Livenbaum * '' Three Men in a Boat'' (1956) as Mrs Willis * ''

'' (1957) as Lady Brocklehurst * ''

Les Espions ''Les Espions'' ("The Spies") is a 1957 French-Italian noir mystery film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot and starring Curd Jürgens, Peter Ustinov O. E. Hasse, Sam Jaffe, Paul Carpenter, Véra Clouzot, Martita Hunt and Gérard Séty. ...

'' (1957) as Connie Harper * '' Dangerous Exile'' (1957) as Lady Lydia Fell * '' Bonjour tristesse'' (1958) as Philippe's mother * '' Me and the Colonel'' (1958) as Mother Superior * ''La prima notte'' (1959) as Lisa Bradwell * '' Bottoms Up'' (1960) as Lady Gore-Willoughby * '' The Brides of Dracula'' (1960) as Baroness Meinster * '' Song Without End'' (1960) as Grand Duchess * '' Mr. Topaze'' (1961) as Baroness * ''

'' (1962) as Anna Richter (story teller) * '' Becket'' (1964) as Empress Matilda * '' The Unsinkable Molly Brown'' (1964) as Grand Duchess Elise Lupavinova * '' Bunny Lake Is Missing'' (1965) as Ada Ford * '' The Best House in London'' (1969) as Headmistress (final film role)

References

Sources

* ''Who Was Who in the Theatre'', 1912–1976, 2 (1978), pp. 1241–2 * W. Rigdon, ''The Biographical Encyclopedia'' (1966), p. 556 * D. Quinlan, ''The Illustrated Directory of Film Character Actors'' (1985), p. 152 * S. D'Amico, ed., ''Enciclopedia dello spettacolo'', 11 vols. (Rome, 1954–68) * P. Hartnoll, ed., ''The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre'' (1972), p. 259 * ''The Times'' (14 June 1969), pp. 1, 10 * J. Willis, ed., ''Theatre World'', 26 (1970), pp. 268–9 * F. Gaye, ed., ''Who's Who in the Theatre'', 14th edn (1967), pp. 769–70 * E. M. Truitt, ''Who Was Who on Screen'', 3rd edn (1983), 360 * ''The Guardian'' (14 June 1969), p. 5 * R. May, ''A Companion to the Theatre'' (1973), p. 110 * J.-L. Passek, ed., ''Dictionnaire du cinéma'' (1991), p. 334

External links

* *
Donald Roy profile of Martita Hunt
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' *
Martita Hunt Collection
is held by the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

Theatre and Performance Department
Reference Number(s): THM/132/3
Dates of Creation c. 1910s – 1960s
Physical Description: 11 folders. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt, Martita 1900 births 1969 deaths Argentine people of English descent Donaldson Award winners English film actresses English stage actresses English television actresses Actors from the London Borough of Camden English Shakespearean actresses Tony Award winners Deaths from asthma People educated at Queenwood Ladies' College Actresses from Buenos Aires 20th-century English actresses British expatriates in Argentina British expatriate actresses in the United States People from Hampstead Actresses from London