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Elsa Lanchester

Acting 84 (deceased) years old Lewisham, London, England, UK ★ 1.3
Born: October 28, 1902
Died: December 26, 1986

Biography

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

Lanchester studied dance as a child and after the First World War 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 with Laughton in The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933). Laughton's success in American films resulted in the couple moving to Hollywood, where Lanchester played small film roles.

Her role as the bride in Bride of Frankenstein (1935), brought her recognition, and came to be one of the roles most closely associated with her throughout her life. Lanchester played supporting roles through the 1940s and 1950s. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Come to the Stable (1949) and Witness for the Prosecution (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 films as Mary Poppins (1964), That Darn Cat! (1965) and Blackbeard's Ghost (1968). The horror film, Willard, (1971) was highly successful and one of her last roles was in Murder By Death (1976).

Description above from the Wikipedia article Elsa Lanchester, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

The Ghost Goes West
The Ghost Goes West Miss Shepperton 1935
Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins Katie Nanna 1964
Witness for the Prosecution
Witness for the Prosecution Miss Plimsoll 1957
Bride of Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley / The Monster's Mate 1935
Pajama Party
Pajama Party Aunt Wendy 1964

Filmography

Acting Credits (114)

Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies
Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies Self - (archive footage) 2025
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood Self (archive footage) 2018
Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film
Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film Mary Shelley / The Monster's Mate (archive footage) 2014
Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman
Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman Self (archive footage) 2007
The American Nightmare
The American Nightmare Self 2000
Universal Horror
Universal Horror (archive footage) 1998
Turnabout: The Story of the Yale Puppeteers
Turnabout: The Story of the Yale Puppeteers Self 1993
Commercial Entertainment Product
Commercial Entertainment Product The Monster's Bride 1992
Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook
Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley / The Monster's Mate 1991
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies 1988
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1983
Die Laughing
Die Laughing Sophie 1980
Murder by Death
Murder by Death Jessica Marbles 1976
Arnold
Arnold Hester 1973
Terror in the Wax Museum
Terror in the Wax Museum Julia Hawthorn 1973
Willard
Willard Henrietta Stiles 1971
Night Gallery
Night Gallery 1970
Nanny and the Professor
Nanny and the Professor Aunt Henrietta 1970
In Name Only
In Name Only Gertrude Caruso 1969
My Dog, the Thief
My Dog, the Thief Mrs. Formby 1969
Then Came Bronson
Then Came Bronson Hattie Calter 1969
The Bill Cosby Show
The Bill Cosby Show Mrs. Wochuk 1969
Me, Natalie
Me, Natalie Miss Dennison 1969
Rascal
Rascal Mrs. Satterfield 1969
Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy Mumsie Westcott 1968
The Dick Cavett Show
The Dick Cavett Show Self - Guest 1968
Blackbeard's Ghost
Blackbeard's Ghost Emily Stowecroft 1968
Mannix
Mannix Portia Penhaven 1967
Mannix
Mannix Edna Barrington 1967
Mondo Hollywood
Mondo Hollywood 1967
Easy Come, Easy Go
Easy Come, Easy Go Madame Neherina 1967
That Darn Cat!
That Darn Cat! Mrs. MacDougall 1965
The John Forsythe Show
The John Forsythe Show Margaret Culver 1965
Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins Katie Nanna 1964
Pajama Party
Pajama Party Aunt Wendy 1964
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Dr. Agnes Dabree 1964
Honeymoon Hotel
Honeymoon Hotel Chambermaid 1964
Burke's Law
Burke's Law Mrs. Ormsby 1963
Burke's Law
Burke's Law Bessie Mopes 1963
The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show Self 1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Self 1962
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Aggie McGregor 1962
Noah and the Flood
Noah and the Flood Noah's wife 1962
Ben Casey
Ben Casey 1961
Follow the Sun
Follow the Sun 1961
Adventures in Paradise
Adventures in Paradise Miss Creshaw 1959
Bell, Book and Candle
Bell, Book and Candle Aunt Queenie Holroyd 1958
Shirley Temple's Storybook
Shirley Temple's Storybook Mother Goose 1958
Witness for the Prosecution
Witness for the Prosecution Miss Plimsoll 1957
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Tonight Starring Jack Paar Self 1957
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show Self 1956
Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland Red Queen 1955
The 20th Century Fox Hour
The 20th Century Fox Hour 1955
Heidi
Heidi Fräulein Rottenmeier 1955
The Glass Slipper
The Glass Slipper Widow Sonder 1955
3 Ring Circus
3 Ring Circus The Bearded Lady 1954
The Wonderful World of Disney
The Wonderful World of Disney Mrs. Formby 1954
Hell's Half Acre
Hell's Half Acre Lida O'Reilly 1954
The Girls of Pleasure Island
The Girls of Pleasure Island Thelma 1953
General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater Hanna Winters 1953
Androcles and the Lion
Androcles and the Lion Megaera 1952
The Ford Television Theatre
The Ford Television Theatre Rosie Bowker 1952
Les Miserables
Les Miserables Madame Magloire 1952
Dreamboat
Dreamboat Mathilda Coffey 1952
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame Red Queen 1951
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy Edna Grundy 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Betsey Monk, the Widow 1951
Frenchie
Frenchie Countess 1950
Lux Video Theatre
Lux Video Theatre Emily 1950
Lux Video Theatre
Lux Video Theatre Miss Mabel 1950
Star Time
Star Time Self 1950
The Petty Girl
The Petty Girl Dr. Crutcher 1950
Mystery Street
Mystery Street Mrs. Smerrling 1950
Buccaneer's Girl
Buccaneer's Girl Madame Brizar 1950
Robert Montgomery Presents
Robert Montgomery Presents 1950
The Inspector General
The Inspector General Maria 1949
The Ed Wynn Show
The Ed Wynn Show Self 1949
Come to the Stable
Come to the Stable Amelia Potts 1949
The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden Martha 1949
Studio One
Studio One Jenny Pratt 1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show Self 1948
The Big Clock
The Big Clock Louise Patterson 1948
The Bishop's Wife
The Bishop's Wife Matilda 1947
Northwest Outpost
Northwest Outpost Princess 'Tanya' Tatiana 1947
The Razor's Edge
The Razor's Edge Miss Keith 1946
The Spiral Staircase
The Spiral Staircase Mrs. Oates 1946
Passport to Destiny
Passport to Destiny Ella Muggins 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self - Presenter 1944
Lassie Come Home
Lassie Come Home Mrs. Helen Carraclough 1943
Thumbs Up
Thumbs Up Emily "Emmy" Ffinch 1943
Forever and a Day
Forever and a Day Mamie 1943
Tales of Manhattan
Tales of Manhattan Mrs. Smith 1942
Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake
Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake Bristol Isabel 1942
Ladies in Retirement
Ladies in Retirement Emily Creed 1941
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards Self 1940
Vessel of Wrath
Vessel of Wrath Martha Jones 1938
Rembrandt
Rembrandt Hendrickje Stoffels 1936
The Ghost Goes West
The Ghost Goes West Miss Shepperton 1935
Bride of Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley / The Monster's Mate 1935
Naughty Marietta
Naughty Marietta Madame d'Annard 1935
David Copperfield
David Copperfield Clickett 1935
The Private Life of Henry VIII
The Private Life of Henry VIII Anne of Cleves 1933
The Officers' Mess
The Officers' Mess Cora Melville 1931
Potiphar's Wife
Potiphar's Wife Thérèse 1931
The Stronger Sex
The Stronger Sex Thompson 1931
The Love Habit
The Love Habit Matilde 1931
Ashes
Ashes Girl 1930
Comets
Comets Herself 1930
Blue Bottles
Blue Bottles Elsa 1928
Daydreams
Daydreams Elsa / Heroine in Dream Sequence 1928
The Tonic
The Tonic Elsa 1928
The Constant Nymph
The Constant Nymph Lady 1928
One of the Best
One of the Best Kitty 1927
The Scarlet Woman: An Ecclesiastical Melodrama
The Scarlet Woman: An Ecclesiastical Melodrama Beatrice de Carolle 1924

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