Charles Laughton
Biography
Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was an English-American stage and film actor, director, producer and screenwriter. Laughton was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play with his future wife Elsa Lanchester, with whom he lived and worked until his death. He played a wide range of classical and modern parts, making an impact in Shakespeare at the Old Vic. His film career took him to Broadway and then Hollywood, but he also collaborated with Alexander Korda on notable British films of the era, including The Private Life of Henry VIII, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the title character. He portrayed everything from monsters and misfits to kings. Among Laughton's biggest film hits were The Barretts of Wimpole Street, Mutiny on the Bounty, Ruggles of Red Gap, Jamaica Inn, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Big Clock. In his later career, he took up stage directing, notably in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, and George Bernard Shaw's Don Juan in Hell, in which he also starred. He directed one film, the thriller The Night of the Hunter. Daniel Day-Lewis cited Laughton as one of his inspirations, saying: "He was probably the greatest film actor who came from that period of time. He had something quite remarkable. His generosity as an actor, he fed himself into that work. As an actor, you cannot take your eyes off him."
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (37)
Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau
as Self (archive footage)
2014
Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film
as Dr. Moreau (archive footage)
2014
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
as Self (archive footage)
2009
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'
as Self (archive footage)
1999
Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld
as Self (archive footage)
1994
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
as actor 'Advise and 'Consent' (archive footage) (uncredited)
1991
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
1988
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1983
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
as (in "The Bribe") (archive footage)
1982
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
as Self (archive footage)
1982
The Horror Show
as (archive footage)
1979
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
as Self (archive footage)
1972
The Epic That Never Was
as Tiberius Claudius (archive footage)
1969
The Life of Galileo
Translator (Crew)
1964
Advise & Consent
as Senator Seabright Cooley
1962
Spartacus
as Sempronius Gracchus
1960
Under Ten Flags
as Admiral Russell
1960
In the Presence of Mine Enemies
as Rabbi Adam Heller
1960
Witness for the Prosecution
as Sir Wilfrid
1957
The Night of the Hunter
Screenplay (Writing)
1955
Hobson's Choice
as Henry Horatio Hobson
1954
Young Bess
as King Henry VIII
1953
Salome
as King Herod
1953
Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd
as Capt. William Kidd
1952
O. Henry's Full House
as Soapy (segment "The Cop and the Anthem")
1952
The Strange Door
as Sire Alain de Maletroit
1951
The Blue Veil
as Fred K. Begley
1951
The Man on the Eiffel Tower
as Inspector Jules Maigret
1949
The Art Director
as Self - from 'The Big Clock' (archive footage) (uncredited)
1949
The Bribe
as J.J. Bealer
1949
The Girl from Manhattan
as The Bishop
1948
The Big Clock
as Earl Janoth
1948
Arch of Triumph
as Ivon Haake
1948
On Our Merry Way
as Reverend
1948
The Paradine Case
as Judge Lord Thomas Horfield
1947
Leben des Galilei
as Galileo Galilei
1947
Because of Him
as John Sheridan
1946
TV Shows (13)
Brecht
as Galileo (voice)
2019
Startime
1959
The Lux Show
as Self
1957
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
as Self
1956
The Steve Allen Show
as Self - Guest
1956
MGM Parade
as Self
1955
The Jimmy Durante Show
as Self
1954
The George Gobel Show
as Self
1954
General Electric Theater
as Edwin Kensington
1953
The Colgate Comedy Hour
as Self
1950
Star Time
as Self
1950
What's My Line?
as Self - Mystery Guest
1950
The Ed Sullivan Show
as Self
1948