Elsa Lanchester
Known for Acting · 113 credits
- Born
- 1902-10-28
- Died
- 1986-12-26
- Place of birth
- Lewisham, London, England, UK
- Also known as
- Elsa Sullivan Lanchester · Elizabeth Lanchester Sullivan
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).
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Known For
TV Shows (34)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
Golden Globe Awards
1944
as Self - Presenter
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
as Self - Guest
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962
as Aggie McGregor
Mannix
1967
as Portia Penhaven / Edna Barrington
I Love Lucy
1951
as Edna Grundy
Studio One
1948
as Jenny Pratt
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
Burke's Law
1963
as Mrs. Ormsby / Bessie Mopes
Here's Lucy
1968
as Mumsie Westcott
Omnibus
1952
Ben Casey
1961
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1956
as Self
Adventures in Paradise
1959
as Miss Creshaw
Night Gallery
1970
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964
as Dr. Agnes Dabree
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
1957
as Self
Shirley Temple's Storybook
1958
as Mother Goose
Startime
1959
as Self
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Emily / Miss Mabel
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954
as Mrs. Formby
The Ford Television Theatre
1952
as Rosie Bowker
The Bill Cosby Show
1969
as Mrs. Wochuk
Then Came Bronson
1969
as Hattie Calter
Nanny and the Professor
1970
as Aunt Henrietta
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as Red Queen
Follow the Sun
1961
The Ed Wynn Show
1949
as Self
The John Forsythe Show
1965
as Margaret Culver
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Betsey Monk, the Widow
General Electric Theater
1953
as Hanna Winters
Movies (79)
Mary Poppins
1964
as Katie Nanna
Witness for the Prosecution
1957
as Miss Plimsoll
Bride of Frankenstein
1935
as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley / The Monster's Mate
Bell, Book and Candle
1958
as Aunt Queenie Holroyd
Blue Bottles
1928
as Elsa
Murder by Death
1976
as Jessica Marbles
The Secret Garden
1949
as Martha
That Darn Cat!
1965
as Mrs. MacDougall
Me, Natalie
1969
as Miss Dennison
The Spiral Staircase
1946
as Mrs. Oates
Blackbeard's Ghost
1968
as Emily Stowecroft
Androcles and the Lion
1952
as Megaera
The American Nightmare
2000
as Self
The Razor's Edge
1946
as Miss Keith
The Big Clock
1948
as Louise Patterson
Buccaneer's Girl
1950
as Madame Brizar
Les Miserables
1952
as Madame Magloire
Lassie Come Home
1943
as Mrs. Helen Carraclough
Easy Come, Easy Go
1967
as Madame Neherina
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Pajama Party
1964
as Aunt Wendy
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
2018
as Self (archive footage)
Potiphar's Wife
1931
as Thérèse
David Copperfield
1935
as Clickett
Terror in the Wax Museum
1973
as Julia Hawthorn
3 Ring Circus
1954
as The Bearded Lady
Tales of Manhattan
1942
as Mrs. Smith
Rascal
1969
as Mrs. Satterfield
Ladies in Retirement
1941
as Emily Creed
The Stronger Sex
1931
as Thompson
The Glass Slipper
1955
as Widow Sonder
My Dog, the Thief
1969
as Mrs. Formby
The Girls of Pleasure Island
1953
as Thelma
Naughty Marietta
1935
as Madame d'Annard
Willard
1971
as Henrietta Stiles
Forever and a Day
1943
as Mamie
Universal Horror
1998
as (archive footage)
Noah and the Flood
1962
as Noah's wife
In Name Only
1969
as Gertrude Caruso
The Tonic
1928
as Elsa
Charmed Lives: A Family Romance
2028
as Self (archive footage)
The Ghost Goes West
1935
as Miss Shepperton
Arnold
1973
as Hester
Vessel of Wrath
1938
as Martha Jones
Come to the Stable
1949
as Amelia Potts
The Bishop's Wife
1947
as Matilda
Ashes
1930
as Girl
Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake
1942
as Bristol Isabel
The Private Life of Henry VIII
1933
as Anne of Cleves
Die Laughing
1980
as Sophie
Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook
1991
as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley / The Monster's Mate
The Petty Girl
1950
as Dr. Crutcher
The Inspector General
1949
as Maria
Frenchie
1950
as Countess
Honeymoon Hotel
1964
as Chambermaid
Rembrandt
1936
as Hendrickje Stoffels
Northwest Outpost
1947
as Princess 'Tanya' Tatiana
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
1940
as Self
One of the Best
1927
as Kitty
Mondo Hollywood
1967
Commercial Entertainment Product
1992
as The Monster's Bride
Mystery Street
1950
as Mrs. Smerrling
Mr. Smith Wakes Up
1929
as Their Daughter
Alice in Wonderland
1955
as Red Queen
Dreamboat
1952
as Mathilda Coffey
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
1988
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hell's Half Acre
1954
as Lida O'Reilly
Heidi
1955
as Fräulein Rottenmeier
Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman
2007
as Self (archive footage)
Comets
1930
as Herself
Passport to Destiny
1944
as Ella Muggins
The Constant Nymph
1928
as Lady
Thumbs Up
1943
as Emily "Emmy" Ffinch
The Scarlet Woman: An Ecclesiastical Melodrama
1924
as Beatrice de Carolle
Daydreams
1928
as Elsa / Heroine in Dream Sequence
The Officers' Mess
1931
as Cora Melville
Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film
2014
as Mary Shelley / The Monster's Mate (archive footage)
The Love Habit
1931
as Matilde
Turnabout: The Story of the Yale Puppeteers
1993
as Self
About Elsa Lanchester
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). La… With 113 credits spanning from 1924 to 2028, Elsa Lanchester has appeared in 79 films and 34 TV shows.
Fans searching for Elsa Lanchester movies, Elsa Lanchester filmography, or the latest projects starring Elsa Lanchester can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Elsa Lanchester Movies
- Mary Poppins (1964) — as Katie Nanna
- Witness for the Prosecution (1957) — as Miss Plimsoll
- Bride of Frankenstein (1935) — as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley / The Monster's Mate
- Bell, Book and Candle (1958) — as Aunt Queenie Holroyd
- Blue Bottles (1928) — as Elsa
Where to Watch Elsa Lanchester Films
Most Elsa Lanchester movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Elsa Lanchester, check our movies catalogue and browse page.