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IMDbPro

Charles Laughton(1899-1962)

  • Actor
  • Writer
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Charles Laughton
Trailer for Advise & Consent
Play trailer4:45
Advise & Consent (1962)
20 Videos
99+ Photos
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. Laughton formed own film company, Mayflower Pictures Corp., with Erich Pommer, in 1937. He became an American citizen 1950. A consummate artist, Laughton achieved great success on stage and film, with many staged readings (particularly of George Bernard Shaw) to his credit. Laughton died in Hollywood, California, aged 63.
BornJuly 1, 1899
DiedDecember 15, 1962(63)
BornJuly 1, 1899
DiedDecember 15, 1962(63)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Won 1 Oscar
    • 24 wins & 5 nominations total

Photos335

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Known for

Clark Gable and Mamo Clark in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
Mutiny on the Bounty
7.6
  • Captain Bligh
  • 1935
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Witness for the Prosecution
8.4
  • Sir Wilfrid
  • 1957
Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Tony Curtis, John Gavin, Charles Laughton, Jean Simmons, and Peter Ustinov in Spartacus (1960)
Spartacus
7.9
  • Gracchus
  • 1960
Maureen O'Hara and Charles Laughton in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
7.8
  • The Hunchback Quasimodo
  • 1939

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor



  • Advise & Consent (1962)
    Advise & Consent
    7.7
    • Sen. Seabright Cooley
    • 1962
  • Sebastian Cabot, Anthony George, and Doug McClure in Checkmate (1960)
    Checkmate
    7.4
    TV Series
    • Reverend Wister
    • 1961
  • John McIntire in Wagon Train (1957)
    Wagon Train
    7.5
    TV Series
    • Colonel Albert Farnsworth
    • 1960
  • Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Tony Curtis, John Gavin, Charles Laughton, Jean Simmons, and Peter Ustinov in Spartacus (1960)
    Spartacus
    7.9
    • Gracchus
    • 1960
  • Van Heflin and Charles Laughton in Under Ten Flags (1960)
    Under Ten Flags
    6.5
    • L'ammiraglio Russell
    • 1960
  • Playhouse 90 (1956)
    Playhouse 90
    8.3
    TV Series
    • Rabbi Adam Heller
    • 1960
  • Charles Laughton in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1959)
    A Midsummer Night's Dream
    8.9
    TV Movie
    • Nick Bottom
    • 1959
  • The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial (1955)
    The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial
    6.9
    TV Series
    • 1959
  • Ronald Reagan in General Electric Theater (1953)
    General Electric Theater
    6.7
    TV Series
    • M. Hamel
    • Henry Denry
    • Edwin Kensington
    • 1957–1959
  • Studio 57 (1954)
    Studio 57
    7.0
    TV Series
    • Charles Claxton
    • 1958
  • Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
    Witness for the Prosecution
    8.4
    • Sir Wilfrid
    • 1957
  • Judy Garland in Ford Star Jubilee (1955)
    Ford Star Jubilee
    7.0
    TV Series
    • Narrator
    • 1956
  • Charles Laughton, Brenda de Banzie, and John Mills in Hobson's Choice (1954)
    Hobson's Choice
    7.7
    • Henry Hobson
    • 1954
  • Young Bess (1953)
    Young Bess
    6.6
    • King Henry VIII
    • 1953
  • Rita Hayworth, Judith Anderson, Stewart Granger, Charles Laughton, Alan Badel, Cedric Hardwicke, Arnold Moss, Maurice Schwartz, and Basil Sydney in Salome (1953)
    Salome
    5.8
    • King Herod
    • 1953

Writer



  • Topol in Galileo (1975)
    Galileo
    6.5
    • English translation of play
    • 1975
  • Earl Cameron, Lee Grant, and Fred Sadoff in The Respectful Prostitute (1964)
    Festival
    7.0
    TV Series
    • English Translation of Play
    • 1964
  • Galileo
    TV Movie
    • english adaptation
    • 1961
  • Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters in The Night of the Hunter (1955)
    The Night of the Hunter
    8.0
    • screenplay contributor (uncredited)
    • 1955
  • Leben des Galilei
    7.5
    Short
    • translation
    • 1947
  • Vivien Leigh and Charles Laughton in The Sidewalks of London (1938)
    The Sidewalks of London
    6.9
    • writer (uncredited)
    • 1938

Producer



  • Charles Laughton in Jamaica Inn (1939)
    Jamaica Inn
    6.3
    • producer
    • 1939
  • Vivien Leigh and Charles Laughton in The Sidewalks of London (1938)
    The Sidewalks of London
    6.9
    • producer (uncredited)
    • 1938
  • Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester in The Beachcomber (1938)
    The Beachcomber
    6.7
    • producer
    • 1938

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Trailer 1:41
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Official Trailer
Trailer 3:21
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Trailer 4:10
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Personal details

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  • Official site
    • Official Site
  • Height
    • 5′ 7½″ (1.72 m)
  • Born
    • July 1, 1899
    • Victoria Hotel, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, UK
  • Died
    • December 15, 1962
    • Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA(gall bladder cancer)
  • Spouse
    • Elsa LanchesterFebruary 9, 1929 - December 15, 1962 (his death)
  • Other works
    Stage: Appeared (as "Winnie Marble"; Broadway debut) in "Payment Deferred" on Broadway. Drama. Book adapted by Jeffrey Dell, from a novel by C.S. Forester. Directed by H.K. Ayliff. Lyceum Theatre: 30 Sep 1931-Nov 1931 (closing date unknown/70 performances). Cast: Dorice Fordred (as "Madame Collins"), Stanley Harrison , Elsa Lanchester, Paul Longuet (as "Jim Medland"), Cicely Oates (as "Annie Marble"), Lionel Pape (as "Dr. Atkinson"), Horace Sinclair (as "A Prospective Tenant"), Malcolm Soltan (as "Bert Bricketts"), S. Victor Stanley (as "Hammond/Charlie Hammond"). Produced by Gilbert Miller.
  • Publicity listings
    • 7 Print Biographies
    • 3 Portrayals
    • 1 Interview
    • 9 Articles
    • 2 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Robert Mitchum once stated that Laughton was the best director he had ever worked for, ironic in that Laughton never directed another movie after The Night of the Hunter (1955) with Mitchum.
  • Quotes
    They can't censor the gleam in my eye.
  • Trademarks
      Often played arrogant characters, typecast for these roles early in his career by playing King Henry VIII and Captain Bligh
  • Salaries
      Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd
      (1952)
      $25,000

FAQ11

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