Charles Laughton (1899–1962)

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Charles Laughton was born in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England, to Eliza (Conlon) and Robert Laughton, hotel keepers of Irish and English descent, respectively. He was educated at Stonyhurst (a highly esteemed Jesuit college in England) and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (received gold medal). His first appearance on stage was in 1926. ... See full bio »

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Won 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 5 nominations. See more awards »

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1337 photos | 19 videos »

Known For

Witness for the Prosecution
Witness for the Prosecution Sir Wilfrid Robarts
(1957)
Mutiny on the Bounty
Mutiny on the Bounty Captain Bligh
(1935)
The Private Life of Henry VIII
The Private Life of Henry VIII Henry VIII
(1933)
Spartacus
Spartacus Gracchus
(1960)
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Filmography

Hide Hide Show Show Actor (64 credits)
 1962 Advise & Consent
Sen. Seabright Cooley
 1961 Checkmate (TV Series)
Reverend Wister
- Terror from the East (1961) ... Reverend Wister
 1960 Wagon Train (TV Series)
Colonel Albert Farnsworth
- The Albert Farnsworth Story (1960) ... Colonel Albert Farnsworth
 1960 Spartacus
Gracchus
 1960 Under Ten Flags
Admiral Russell
 1960 Playhouse 90 (TV Series)
Rabbi Adam Heller
- In the Presence of Mine Enemies (1960) ... Rabbi Adam Heller
 1959 A Midsummer Night's Dream (TV Movie)
Nick Bottom
 1959 The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial (TV Series)
- Eleanor (1959)
 1957-1959 General Electric Theater (TV Series)
M. Hamel / Henry Denry / Edwin Kensington
- The Last Lesson (1959) ... M. Hamel
- A New York Knight (1958) ... Henry Denry
- Mr. Kensington's Finest Hour (1957) ... Edwin Kensington
 1958 Studio 57 (TV Series)
Charles Claxton
- Stopover in Bombay (1958) ... Charles Claxton
 1957 Witness for the Prosecution
Sir Wilfrid Robarts
 1956 Ford Star Jubilee (TV Series)
Narrator
- The Day Lincoln Was Shot (1956) ... Narrator
 1954 Hobson's Choice
Henry Hobson
 1953 Young Bess
King Henry VIII
 1953 Salome
King Herod
 1952 Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd
Capt. William Kidd
 1952 O. Henry's Full House
Soapy (segment "The Cop and the Anthem")
 1951 The Strange Door
Sire Alain de Maletroit
 1951 The Blue Veil
Fred K. Begley
 1949 The Man on the Eiffel Tower
Inspector Jules Maigret
 1949 The Bribe
J.J. Bealer
 1948 The Girl from Manhattan
The Bishop
 1948 The Big Clock
Earl Janoth
 1948 Arch of Triumph
Ivon Haake
 1948 On Our Merry Way
Rev. John B. Dunne (deleted sequence) (uncredited)
 1947 Leben des Galilei (Short)
Galileo Galilei
 1947 The Paradine Case
Judge Lord Thomas Horfield
 1946 Because of Him
John Sheridan
 1945 Captain Kidd
Capt. William Kidd
 1944 The Suspect
Philip
 1944 The Canterville Ghost
Sir Simon de Canterville / The Ghost
 1944 Passport to Destiny
Photo of Sergeant Major Henry Albert Muggins (uncredited)
 1943 The Man from Down Under
Jocko Wilson
 1943 This Land Is Mine
Albert Lory
 1943 Forever and a Day
Bellamy - Dexter's Butler
 1942 Stand by for Action
Rear Admiral Stephen Thomas
 1942 Tales of Manhattan
Charles Smith
 1942 The Tuttles of Tahiti
Jonas
 1941 It Started with Eve
Jonathan Reynolds
 1940 They Knew What They Wanted
Tony Patucci
 1939 The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback Quasimodo
 1939 Jamaica Inn
Sir Humphrey Pengallan
 1938 Sidewalks of London
Charles Staggers
 1938 The Beachcomber
Ginger Ted' Wilson
 1937 I, Claudius
Claudius
 1936 Rembrandt
Rembrandt van Rijn
 1935 Mutiny on the Bounty
Captain Bligh
 1935 Les Misérables
Inspector Emile Javert
 1935 Ruggles of Red Gap
Ruggles
 1934 The Barretts of Wimpole Street
Edward Moulton-Barrett
 1933 White Woman
Horace H. Prin
 1933 The Private Life of Henry VIII
Henry VIII
 1932 Island of Lost Souls
Dr. Moreau
 1932 The Sign of the Cross
Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar
 1932 If I Had a Million
Phineas V. Lambert
 1932 Payment Deferred
William Marble
 1932 The Old Dark House
Sir William Porterhouse
 1932 Devil and the Deep
Cmdr. Charles Sturm
 1931 Down River
Captain Grossman
 1930 Wolves
Captain Job
 1929 Piccadilly
A Nightclub Diner (uncredited)
 1928 Blue Bottles (Short)
Burglar
 1928 Day-Dreams (Short)
Lecherous Boarder / Ram Das in Dream Sequence
 1928 The Tonic (Short)
Father of the Family
Show Show Writer (6 credits)
Show Show Producer (3 credits)
Show Show Soundtrack (8 credits)
Show Show Director (2 credits)
Show Show Additional Crew (1 credit)
Show Show Thanks (1 credit)
Show Show Self (33 credits)
Show Show Archive footage (52 credits)

Related Videos

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Personal Details

Other Works:

(October 29 to November 29, 1964) He adapted Bertolt Brecht's play, "Galileo," at The Arena Stage Theatre in Washington D.C. with Dana Elcar (Galileo), Ned Beatty, Robert Prosky, Rene Auberjonois, Glenn Scimonelli, Robert Stattel, Anne Chodoff, Russell T. Carr, William Jay Smith, Mel Zimmer, Tom Henry Heiman, Morris Engle, ... See more »

Publicity Listings:

6 Print Biographies | 3 Portrayals | 1 Interview | 7 Articles | 2 Magazine Cover Photos | See more »

Official Sites:

Official Site

Height:

5' 8" (1.73 m)

Spouse:

Elsa Lanchester  (his death)
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Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

Hollywood is a goofy place. But I like it. It's the perfect mummers' home. If one weren't a little mad one wouldn't be there. See more »

Trivia:

He has two roles in common with Anthony Hopkins: (1) Laughton played Lieutenant William Bligh in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) while Hopkins played him in The Bounty (1984) and (2) Laughton played Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) while Hopkins played him in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982). See more »

Trademark:

Often played arrogant characters, typecast for these roles early in his career by playing King Henry VIII and Captain Bligh See more »

Star Sign:

Cancer
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