Athene Seyler

Acting

Born May 31, 1889, Hackney, London, England, UK

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Athene Seyler, CBE (31 May 1889 – 12 September 1990) was an English actress. Although better known as a stage actress - she first appeared on the stage in 1909 - she made her film debut in 1921, and became known for playing slightly dotty old ladies in many British films from the 1930s to the 1960s. Her most memorable stage credits included Mrs. Malaprop in The Rivals, Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest, and a double-act, with her good friend Dame Sybil Thorndike, as the murderous spinster sisters in Arsenic and Old Lace. Her film and television career lasted into the 1960s, and included roles in The Citadel (1938), Night of the Demon (1957), and The Avengers (1964, 1965). She was also a regular cast member in screen adaptations of Charles Dickens' novels. She virtually retired from acting after 1970, but continued making public appearances until well into the 1980s. In 1990, at the age of 101, she appeared at the National Theatre, talking about her long life and career. Athene Seyler was President of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) from 1950, and a member of the Theatrical Ladies' Guild. She also wrote The Craft of Comedy. She was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1959.

Filmography

• 1966Don't Utter a Note — Nellie Pringle
• BBC Play of the Month — Lucy Amorest, Mrs. Whyte, Mrs. Boham
• The World of Wooster — Aunt Isbel
• 1963Nurse on Wheels — Miss Farthingale
• 1963The Invasion — Lady Corm
• 1962I Thank a Fool — Aunt Heather Chandler
• 1962Satan Never Sleeps — Sister Agness
• 1962The Girl on the Boat — Mrs Adelaide Hignett
• 1962Two and Two Make Six — Aunt Phoebe Tonks
• 1961Francis of Assisi — Aunt Buona
• The Avengers
• 1960A French Mistress — Beatrice Peake
• 1960A Woman of No Importance — Lady Hunstanton
• 1960Make Mine Mink — Dame Beatrice Appleby
• 1960Visa to Canton — Mao Tai Tai
• The Third Man
• 1958A Tale of Two Cities — Miss Pross
• 1958Happy Is the Bride — Aunt Harriet
• 1958The Inn of the Sixth Happiness — Jeannie Lawson
• 1957Campbell's Kingdom — Miss Abigail
• 1957Doctor at Large — Lady Hawkins
• 1957How to Murder a Rich Uncle — Grannie (Victoria Clitterbern)
• 1957Night of the Demon — Mrs. Karswell
• Armchair Theatre — Lady Corm, Nellie Pringle
• 1956Yield to the Night — Miss Bligh
• 1955As Long as They're Happy — Mrs. Arbuthnot
• 1954For Better, for Worse — Miss Mainbrace
• 1954The Weak and the Wicked — Millie Williams
• 1953The Beggar's Opera — Mrs. Trapes
• 1952Made in Heaven — Miss Honeycroft
• 1952Secret People — Mrs. Reginald Kellick
• 1952The Pickwick Papers — Miss Witherfield
• 1952Treasure Hunt — Consuelo Howard
• 1951The Franchise Affair — Aunt Lin
• 1951Young Wives' Tale — Nanny Gallop
• 1949The Queen of Spades — Princess Ivashin
• 1948The First Gentleman — Miss Knight
• 1947Jassy
• 1947The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby — Miss La Creevy
• 1943Dear Octopus — Aunt Belle
• 1941Letter from Home — Mrs Ashford
• 1941Quiet Wedding — Aunt Mary
• 1939The Saint in London — Mother Buckley
• 1939Young Man's Fancy — Milliner
• 1938Jane Steps Out — Grandma
• 1938Sailing Along — Victoria Gulliver
• 1938The Citadel — Lady Raebank
• 1938The Ware Case — Mrs Pinto
• 1937Non-Stop New York — Aunt Veronica
• 1937The Lilac Domino — Madame Alary
• 1937The Mill on the Floss — Mrs. Pullet
• 1937The Sky’s the Limit — Miss Prinny
• 1936Irish for Luck — The Duchess
• 1936It's Love Again — Mrs. Durland
• 1936Sensation — Madame Henry
• 1936Southern Roses — Mrs. Rowland
• 1935Drake of England — Queen Elizabeth
• 1935Scrooge — Scrooge's Charwoman
• 1934Blossom Time — Archduchess Maria Victoria
• 1934Moscow Nights — Madame Anna Sabine
• 1934The Private Life of Don Juan — Theresa, the Innkeeper, a Middle Aged Lady of Young Sentiment
• 1933Early to Bed — Frau Waiser
• 1932Tell Me Tonight — Mrs. Pategg
• 1931The Perfect Lady — Lady Westhaven
• 1921The Adventures of Mr. Pickwick — Rachel Wardle