Mona Washbourne

Acting

Born November 27, 1903, Solihull, Warwickshire, England, UK

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mona Lee Washbourne (27 November 1903 – 15 November 1988) was an English actress of stage, film, and television. Her most critically acclaimed role was in the film Stevie (1978), late in her career, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award. Mona Washbourne was born in Solihull, Warwickshire and began her entertaining career training as a concert pianist. In 1948, after several years acting professionally on stage, and numerous stage musical performances, she began appearing in films. Her film credits include the horror movie The Brides of Dracula (1960), Billy Liar (1963), and The Collector (1965). She is probably best known to American audiences for her role as housekeeper Mrs. Pearce in My Fair Lady (1964). She also appeared as the stern and caustic Mrs. Bramson in the remake of Night Must Fall (also 1964), and the matron in the film If.... (1968). She appeared at both the Royal Court Theatre in London and on Broadway in 1970 in David Storey's Home. She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play. In 1975 she appeared on the West End stage with James Stewart in a revival of Mary Chase's play Harvey, in the role originally taken by Josephine Hull. Washbourne won the 1981 New York Film Critics' Circle Awards for Best Supporting Actress in Stevie (1978). In 1981 Washbourne appeared in Granada Television's TV miniseries adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited as Nanny Hawkins. One of her last television appearances was in Where's the Key? (1983), a BBC play about Alzheimer's disease. Mona Washbourne was married to actor Basil Dignam (1905-1979), whom she wed in 1940. She died in 1988, aged 84, in London.

Filmography

• 1984December Flower — Mary Grey
• 1983Where's the Key? — Mother
• 1982Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story — Queen Mother
• Brideshead Revisited — Nanny Hawkins
• Celebrity Playhouse — Mrs. Pearce
• 1981Pygmalion — Mrs. Pearce
• Shillingbury Tales — Marjorie Cavendish
• Therese Raquin — Madame Raquin
• 1979The London Connection — Aunt Lydia
• 1978Stevie — Aunt
• The Galton & Simpson Playhouse — Ethel Duckworth
• 1976The Blue Bird — Grandmother
• 1975The Old Curiosity Shop — Mrs. Jarley
• 1974Identikit — Mrs. Helen Fiedke
• Centre Play — Hilda
• 1973O Lucky Man! — Neighbour / Usher / Sister Hallett
• 1972Home — Kathleen
• 1972I Spy a Stranger — Mrs. Hudson
• Six Days of Justice — Chairman of the Bench
• 1972What Became of Jack and Jill? — Gran Alice Tallent
• 1970Fragment of Fear — Mrs. Gray
• Play for Today
• 1970Poor Mother — Sister
• 1970The Games — Mrs. Hayes
• 1970The Great Inimitable Mr. Dickens — Mrs. Jarley
• Wicked Women — Mama
• ITV Saturday Night Theatre — Mrs. Fumble
• 1969The Bed Sitting Room — Mother
• 1968Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter — Mrs. Brown
• 1968Number Ten — Julia Pryton
• 1968if.... — Matron
• 1967Casino Royale — Tea Lady (uncredited)
• ITV Playhouse — Julia Pyrton, Mary
• 1967Two a Penny
• 1965Ferry Cross the Mersey — Aunt Lil
• 1965One Way Pendulum — Aunt Mildred
• 1965The Collector — Aunt Annie
• 1965The Third Day — Catherine Parsons
• Thirty-Minute Theatre — Mrs. Hudson
• 1964My Fair Lady — Mrs. Pearce
• 1964Night Must Fall — Mrs. Bramson
• 1963Billy Liar — Alice Fisher
• 1962Operation Stogie — Lady Cormorant
• 1961No Love for Johnnie — Well-wisher at Train Station (uncredited)
• 1960The Brides of Dracula — Helga Lang
• 1959Count Your Blessings — Nanny
• Knight Errant Limited — Miss Mathilda Lawson-Hardy
• 1958A Cry from the Streets — Mrs. Daniels
• 1958Son of a Stranger
• 1957Stranger in Town — Agnes Smith
• 1957The Good Companions — Mrs. Joe
• Armchair Theatre — Harriet
• 1956Circus Friends — Miss Linstead
• 1956It's Great to be Young! — Miss Merrow, a School Mistress
• 1956Loser Takes All — Nurse (uncredited)
• 1956Lost — Librarian
• 1956Yield to the Night — Mrs. Thomas, landlady
• 1955Cast a Dark Shadow — Monica Bare
• 1955John and Julie — Miss Rendlesham
• Matinee Theater
• 1954Adventure in the Hopfields — Mrs. McBain
• 1954Betrayed — Waitress (uncredited)
• 1954Doctor in the House — Midwifery Sister (uncredited)
• 1954Monsieur Ripois — Landlady
• 1954The Million Pound Note — Mum with Pram
• The Wonderful World of Disney — Aunt Lydia
• 1954To Dorothy, a Son — Midwife Appleby
• 1953Johnny on the Run — Mrs MacGregor
• 1952The Gambler and the Lady — Miss Minter
• 1950Dark Interval
• 1950Double Confession — Fussy Mother
• 1950Probation Officer — Mrs. Mead
• 1949Adam and Evelyne — Mrs. Salop, Lady Gambler (uncredited)
• 1949Maytime in Mayfair — Lady Levenson
• 1949Once Upon a Dream — Vicar's Wife
• 1948The Winslow Boy — Miss Barnes