Gifted character actress, often in eccentric yet wistful parts, in the US from 1934. Perhaps best remembered for her dual roles in "The Bride of Frankenstein" (1935), as both the monster's mate and his "creator," author Mary Shelley, Lanchester also brought her slightly dizzy, perennially scene-stealing charm to films as diverse as "Rembrandt" (1937), "Mystery Street" (1950), "Bell, Book and Candle" (1958) and "Murder by Death" (1976). Lanchester was married to actor Charles Laughton from 1929 until his death in 1962; besides working memorably together with him in "Rembrandt" she also played the nurse who endlessly fidgets over his misbehaving barrister (both of them received Oscar nominations) in Billy Wilder's delightful "Witness for the Prosecution" (1957).
- Also Credited As:
Elizabeth Sullivan Lanchester
- Born:
October 28, 1902 in Lewisham, England, United Kingdom
- Died:
December 26, 1986.
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Job Titles:
Actor, Dancer
Family
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Brother: Waldo Sullivan Lanchester. born in 1897
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Father: James Sullivan. never married Lanchester s mother
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Mother: Edith Lanchester. never married Lanchester s father; home-schooled Lanchester
Education
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Morris School of Dance and Drama, London, England
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Isadora Duncan s Bellevue School, Paris, France
Milestones
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1919 At age 16, organized the Children s Theatre (date approximate)
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1923 Stage acting debut alongside John Gielgud in The Insect Play
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1926 Appeared in the musical revue Riverside Nights
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1927 Acted on stage opposite Laughton in Mr. Prohack
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1927 Made screen acting debut in the silents One of the Best and The Constant Nymph
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1928 Starred in three short films written by H G Wells, Bluebottles , The Tonic and Daydreams
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1931 Played Laughton s 12-year-old daughter in the London stage play Payment Deferred ; made Broadway debut in the role, although neither production was successful
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1932 Appeared as Anne of Cleves to Laughton s Tudor king in The Private Life of Henry VIII
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1933 Acted in several plays with Laughton at the Old Vic in London
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1933 Offered courtesy contract by MGM
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1934 Immigrated to USA
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1934 Played the maid Clickett in David Copperfield ; Laughton had originally been offered role of Mr. Micawber but withdrew and was replaced by W C Fields
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1935 Portrayed author Mary Shelley and the titular The Bride of Frankenstein ; film reunited her with James Whale who directed; role eventually became her best known
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1936 Starred with Laughton in Rembrandt
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1938 Had what she felt was her best her screen role in The Beachcomber/Vessel of Wrath , playing a spinster missionary
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1941 Acted on Broadway in They Walk Alone
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1944 Played leading role in the RKO film Passport to Destiny
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1946 Appeared as a spinster secretary opposite Tyrone Power in The Razor s Edge
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1946 Cast the cook in the thriller The Spiral Staircase
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1947 Played a maid in The Bishop s Wife , starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven
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1949 Received first Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Come to the Stable ; played an artista who allows a group of nuns to use her stable as a dispensary
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1954 Cast a circus bearded lady in the Martin & Lewis vehicle Three-Ring Circus
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1955 Acted in a TV musical version of Heidi (NBC)
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1955 Played the stepmother in The Glass Slipper , a musical retelling of the Cinderella story; Estelle Winwood also in cast
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1957 Earned second Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for Witness for the Prosecution ; Laughton also nominated as Best Actor
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1958 Returned to the stage opposite Laughton in The Party
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1958 Supported Kim Novak and James Stewart in Bell, Book and Candle
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1959 Debuted one-woman show Elsa Lanchester in Person , staged by Laughton
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1964 Appeared in the Disney feature Mary Poppins
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1964 Returned to acting after Laughton s 1962 death with guest appearance on the TV show Burke s Law
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1967 Dueted with Elvis Presley in Easy Come, Easy Go
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1971 Played Bruce Davison s nagging mother in Willard
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1976 Reteamed with Estelle Winwood in the Neil Simon-penned spoof of detective fiction Murder By Death ; played Dame Jessie Marbles
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1980 Final film, Die Laughing
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1983 Suffered a stroke that left her incapacitated
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1998 Portrayed by Rosalind Ayres in Bill Condon s award-winning fictional biography of James Whale, Gods and Monsters
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Founded The Cave of Harmony, a theatrical group whose members included James Whale, H G Wells and Charles Laughton
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Had recurring role as the school principal on the NBC sitcom The John Forsythe Show
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Had recurring role on the ABC sitcom Nanny and the Professor
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Worked with the L.A. theater company The Turnabout