Elsa Lanchester

Acting

Elsa Lanchester

Born October 28, 1902Lewisham, London, England, UK112 credits

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

Known For

Filmography

Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film
2014Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film
as Mary Shelley / The Monster's Mate (archive footage)Movie
Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman
2007Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman
as Self (archive footage)Movie
Universal Horror
1998Universal Horror
as (archive footage)Movie
Commercial Entertainment Product
1992Commercial Entertainment Product
as The Monster's BrideMovie
F
1991Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook
as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley / The Monster's MateMovie
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)Movie
Die Laughing
1980Die Laughing
as SophieMovie
Murder by Death
1976Murder by Death
as Jessica MarblesMovie
Arnold
1973Arnold
as HesterMovie
Terror in the Wax Museum
1973Terror in the Wax Museum
as Julia HawthornMovie
Willard
1971Willard
as Henrietta StilesMovie
Nanny and the Professor
1970Nanny and the Professor
as Aunt HenriettaTV
In Name Only
1969In Name Only
as Gertrude CarusoMovie
My Dog, the Thief
1969My Dog, the Thief
as Mrs. FormbyMovie
Then Came Bronson
1969Then Came Bronson
as Hattie CalterTV
The Bill Cosby Show
1969The Bill Cosby Show
as Mrs. WochukTV
Me, Natalie
1969Me, Natalie
as Miss DennisonMovie
Rascal
1969Rascal
as Mrs. SatterfieldMovie
Here's Lucy
1968Here's Lucy
as Mumsie WestcottTV
The Dick Cavett Show
1968The Dick Cavett Show
as Self - GuestTV
Blackbeard's Ghost
1968Blackbeard's Ghost
as Emily StowecroftMovie
Mannix
1967Mannix
as Portia PenhavenTV
Easy Come, Easy Go
1967Easy Come, Easy Go
as Madame NeherinaMovie
That Darn Cat!
1965That Darn Cat!
as Mrs. MacDougallMovie
T
1965The John Forsythe Show
as Margaret CulverTV
Mary Poppins
1964Mary Poppins
as Katie NannaMovie
Pajama Party
1964Pajama Party
as Aunt WendyMovie
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
as Dr. Agnes DabreeTV
Honeymoon Hotel
1964Honeymoon Hotel
as ChambermaidMovie
Burke's Law
1963Burke's Law
as Mrs. OrmsbyTV
Noah and the Flood
1962Noah and the Flood
as Noah's wifeMovie
Bell, Book and Candle
1958Bell, Book and Candle
as Aunt Queenie HolroydMovie
Witness for the Prosecution
1957Witness for the Prosecution
as Miss PlimsollMovie
Alice in Wonderland
1955Alice in Wonderland
as Red QueenMovie
Heidi
1955Heidi
as Fräulein RottenmeierMovie
The Glass Slipper
1955The Glass Slipper
as Widow SonderMovie
3 Ring Circus
19543 Ring Circus
as The Bearded LadyMovie
Hell's Half Acre
1954Hell's Half Acre
as Lida O'ReillyMovie
Les Miserables
1952Les Miserables
as Madame MagloireMovie
Dreamboat
1952Dreamboat
as Mathilda CoffeyMovie
I Love Lucy
1951I Love Lucy
as Edna GrundyTV
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
as Betsey Monk, the WidowTV
Frenchie
1950Frenchie
as CountessMovie
The Petty Girl
1950The Petty Girl
as Dr. CrutcherMovie
Mystery Street
1950Mystery Street
as Mrs. SmerrlingMovie
Buccaneer's Girl
1950Buccaneer's Girl
as Madame BrizarMovie
Come to the Stable
1949Come to the Stable
as Amelia PottsMovie
The Secret Garden
1949The Secret Garden
as MarthaMovie
Studio One
1948Studio One
as Jenny PrattTV
The Big Clock
1948The Big Clock
as Louise PattersonMovie
The Bishop's Wife
1947The Bishop's Wife
as MatildaMovie
Northwest Outpost
1947Northwest Outpost
as Princess 'Tanya' TatianaMovie
The Razor's Edge
1946The Razor's Edge
as Miss KeithMovie
The Spiral Staircase
1946The Spiral Staircase
as Mrs. OatesMovie
Passport to Destiny
1944Passport to Destiny
as Ella MugginsMovie
Golden Globe Awards
1944Golden Globe Awards
as Self - PresenterTV
Lassie Come Home
1943Lassie Come Home
as Mrs. Helen CarracloughMovie
Thumbs Up
1943Thumbs Up
as Emily "Emmy" FfinchMovie
Tales of Manhattan
1942Tales of Manhattan
as Mrs. SmithMovie
Ladies in Retirement
1941Ladies in Retirement
as Emily CreedMovie
Vessel of Wrath
1938Vessel of Wrath
as Martha JonesMovie
Rembrandt
1936Rembrandt
as Hendrickje StoffelsMovie
The Ghost Goes West
1935The Ghost Goes West
as Miss SheppertonMovie
Bride of Frankenstein
1935Bride of Frankenstein
as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley / The Monster's MateMovie
Naughty Marietta
1935Naughty Marietta
as Madame d'AnnardMovie
David Copperfield
1935David Copperfield
as ClickettMovie
T
1931The Officers' Mess
as Cora MelvilleMovie
Potiphar's Wife
1931Potiphar's Wife
as ThérèseMovie
The Stronger Sex
1931The Stronger Sex
as ThompsonMovie
The Love Habit
1931The Love Habit
as MatildeMovie
A
1930Ashes
as GirlMovie
Comets
1930Comets
as HerselfMovie
Blue Bottles
1928Blue Bottles
as ElsaMovie
Daydreams
1928Daydreams
as Elsa / Heroine in Dream SequenceMovie
The Tonic
1928The Tonic
as ElsaMovie