Athene Seyler
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Female
Birthday
1889-05-31
Day of Death
1990-09-12 (101 years old)
Place of Birth
Hackney, London, England, UK
Athene Seyler
Biography
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.
Known For
Acting
(1966)
Don't Utter a Note
as Nellie Pringle
(1963)
Nurse on Wheels
as Miss Farthingale
(1963)
The Invasion
as Lady Corm
(1962)
Satan Never Sleeps
as Sister Agness
(1962)
I Thank a Fool
as Aunt Heather Chandler
(1962)
The Girl on the Boat
as Mrs Adelaide Hignett
(1962)
Two and Two Make Six
as Aunt Phoebe Tonks
(1961)
Francis of Assisi
as Aunt Buona
(1960)
Make Mine Mink
as Dame Beatrice Appleby
(1960)
Visa to Canton
as Mao Tai Tai
(1960)
A French Mistress
as Beatrice Peake
(1958)
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
as Jeannie Lawson
(1958)
A Tale of Two Cities
as Miss Pross
(1958)
Happy Is the Bride
as Aunt Harriet
(1957)
Night of the Demon
as Mrs. Karswell
(1957)
Campbell's Kingdom
as Miss Abigail
(1957)
How to Murder a Rich Uncle
as Grannie (Victoria Clitterbern)
(1957)
Doctor at Large
as Lady Hawkins
(1956)
Yield to the Night
as Miss Bligh
(1955)
As Long as They're Happy
as Mrs. Arbuthnot
(1954)
For Better, for Worse
as Miss Mainbrace
(1954)
The Weak and the Wicked
as Millie Williams
(1953)
The Beggar's Opera
as Mrs. Trapes
(1952)
Secret People
as Mrs. Reginald Kellick
(1952)
The Pickwick Papers
as Miss Witherfield
(1952)
Treasure Hunt
as Consuelo Howard
(1952)
Made in Heaven
as Miss Honeycroft
(1951)
Young Wives' Tale
as Nanny Gallop
(1951)
The Franchise Affair
as Aunt Lin
(1949)
The Queen of Spades
as Princess Ivashin
(1948)
The First Gentleman
as Miss Knight
(1947)
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
as Miss La Creevy
(1947)
(1943)
Dear Octopus
as Aunt Belle
(1941)
Quiet Wedding
as Aunt Mary
(1941)
Letter from Home
as Mrs Ashford
(1939)
The Saint in London
as Mother Buckley
(1939)
Young Man's Fancy
as Milliner
(1938)
The Citadel
as Lady Raebank
(1938)
The Ware Case
as Mrs Pinto
(1938)
Sailing Along
as Victoria Gulliver
(1938)
Jane Steps Out
as Grandma
(1937)
The Mill on the Floss
as Mrs. Pullet
(1937)
The Lilac Domino
as Madame Alary
(1937)
Non-Stop New York
as Aunt Veronica
(1937)
The Sky’s the Limit
as Miss Prinny
(1936)
Southern Roses
as Mrs. Rowland
(1936)
Sensation
as Madame Henry
(1936)
It's Love Again
as Mrs. Durland
(1935)
Drake of England
as Queen Elizabeth
(1935)
Scrooge
as Scrooge's Charwoman
(1934)
Blossom Time
as Archduchess Maria Victoria
(1934)
The Private Life of Don Juan
as Theresa, the Innkeeper, a Middle Aged Lady of Young Sentiment
(1934)
Moscow Nights
as Madame Anna Sabine
(1933)
Early to Bed
as Frau Waiser
(1932)
Tell Me Tonight
as Mrs. Pategg
(1931)
The Perfect Lady
as Lady Westhaven
(1921)
The Adventures of Mr. Pickwick
as Rachel Wardle