Edith Evans

Actor

About

Read More

Also Known As

Dame Edith Evans

Birth Place

London, England, GB

Born

February 08, 1888

Died

October 14, 1976

Cause of Death

Short Illness Following A Stroke And A Heart Attack

Biography

Read More

Legendary stage performer acclaimed for her precise diction, ironic delivery and forthright acting style who won renown for her performances in Shakespeare, Shaw, Wilde and Restoration comedies. After appearing in two early silent films, Evans did not return to the screen until 1948. Her definitive portrayal of Oscar Wilde's Lady Bracknell in "The Importance of Being Earnest" was capture...

Filmography

Read More

Nasty Habits (1977)

The Slipper and the Rose (1976)

A Doll's House (1973)

Ghost of Christmas Past

Sophie's Place (1970)

Lady Sophie Fitzmore

Photos & Videos

View All

Look Back In Anger (1959)-- (Movie Clip) Give Her A Pink Gin

Look Back In Anger (1959) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Jimmy

Family & Companions

Read More

George Booth

Husband

Engineer. Married from 1925 until his death in 1935.

Notes

Named Dame of the British Empire for her services to the theater in 1946.

Biography

Legendary stage performer acclaimed for her precise diction, ironic delivery and forthright acting style who won renown for her performances in Shakespeare, Shaw, Wilde and Restoration comedies. After appearing in two early silent films, Evans did not return to the screen until 1948. Her definitive portrayal of Oscar Wilde's Lady Bracknell in "The Importance of Being Earnest" was captured on screen in 1952, and in her 70s and 80s she created a bevy of memorable characters in such films as "Tom Jones" (1963) and "The Whisperers" (1967).

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

Nasty Habits (1977)

The Slipper and the Rose (1976)

A Doll's House (1973)

Ghost of Christmas Past

Sophie's Place (1970)

Lady Sophie Fitzmore

David Copperfield (1970)

The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969)

Prudence and the Pill (1968)

Lady Roberta Bates

The Whisperers (1967)

Fitzwilly (1967)

Victoria Woodworth

Young Cassidy (1965)

The Chalk Garden (1964)

Mrs. St. Maugham

Tom Jones (1963)

Look Back in Anger (1959)

The Importance Of Being Earnest (1952)

The Last Days of Dolwyn (1949)

The Queen of Spades (1948)

East Is East (1916)

A Welsh Singer (1915)

Cast (Special)

The Gambler (1971)

Cast (TV Mini-Series)

Life Events

1910

Amateur stage debut in "Twelfth Night"

1912

Joined William Poel's theatrical company; made London stage debut in "Troilus and Cressida"

1915

Silent film acting debut in "A Welsh Singer"

1925

Joined Old Vic Company

1930

Attempt as actress-manager failed when her production of "Delilah" closed in London after five performances

1931

First role on New York stage in "The Lady With a Lamp"

1948

Sound film debut in "The Queen of Spades"

1967

Enjoyed success as star of "The Whisperers"

1976

Last film, "Nasty Habits"

Photo Collections

Tom Jones - Movie Poster

Here is a country-of-origin British Quad movie poster for Tom Jones (1963), starring Albert Finney and directed by Tony Richardson.

Videos

Look Back In Anger (1959)-- (Movie Clip) Give Her A Pink Gin Wife Alison (Mary Ure) walks into a buzz saw, arriving in the pub where Jimmy (Richard Burton) is schmoozing his benefactor Mrs. Tanner (Edith Evans) in Tony Richardson's Look Back In Anger, 1959.

Look Back In Anger (1959) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Jimmy A London jazz club is the setting, Jimmy (Richard Burton) wailing on his trumpet, in the opening of Tony Richardson's Look Back In Anger, 1959, co-starring Mary Ure and Claire Bloom, from John Osborne's play.

Fitzwilly (1967) -- (Movie Clip) The Girl From Columbia Dick Van Dyke (New York butler and title character) receives job applicant Juliet (Barbara Feldon), determined not to reveal that his employer Miss Vicky (Edith Evans) is, unknowingly, broke, in Fitzwilly, 1967.

Tom Jones (1963) -- (Movie Clip) Stand and Deliver! Failing at first to rob Miss Western (Edith Evans), Partridge (Jack MacGowran) settles on Tom (Albert Finney) and gets lucky in Tony Richardson's Tom Jones, 1963.

Slipper And The Rose, The (1976) -- (Movie Clip) Why Can't I Be Two People? From Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman of Mary Poppins fame, the first song in their 1976 original version of Cinderella, Richard Chamberlain as the prince attended by friend Christopher Gable and Kenneth More as the Lord High Chamberlain, in The Slipper And The Rose, 1976.

Nun's Story, The (1959) -- (Movie Clip) I Accuse Myself Still a postulant at the convent, Gabrielle (Audrey Hepburn), daughter of a leading Belgian surgeon, receives general instructions about the order, specific counsel from Mother Emmanuel (Dame Edith Evans), and news of a difficult step from Sister Margharita (Patricia Collinge), in The Nun's Story, 1959.

Whisperers, The -- (Movie Clip) In His Loving Arms Everyday cruelty at the soup kitchen (overseen by Gerald Sim and Lionel Gamlin) in her run-down Manchester neighborhood, Mrs. Ross (Edith Evans) with fellow pensioners, in writer-director Bryan Forbes' The Whisperers, 1967.

Whisperers, The -- (Movie Clip) It's Not Full Moon An unexpected and unwelcome visit from rarely-seen son Charlie (Ronald Fraser), who is up to no good dropping in on Mum (Edith Evans) in writer-director Bryan Forbes' The Whisperers, 1967.

Whisperers, The -- (Movie Clip) A Large Sum First Mrs. Ross (Edith Evans) alone in the apartment, then her fantastical letter, in an unseen voice then her own, then her visit with a preoccupied policeman (Jack Austin), in Bryan Forbes' The Whisperers, 1967.

Whisperers, The -- (Movie Clip) Open, Mrs. Ross Shot in the city of Manchester, the haunting opening to writer-director Bryan Forbes' study of growing old in England, The Whisperers, 1967, starring Edith Evans.

Importance of Being Earnest, The (1952) -- (Movie Clip) Opening, Theater Clever "staging" in the opening of director Anthony Asquith's faithful 1952 version of Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest, starring Michael Redgrave, Michael Denison and Joan Greenwood.

Fitzwilly - (Original Trailer) When an aging philanthropist goes broke, her butler (Dick Van Dyke) robs from the rich so she can give to the poor.

Importance of Being Earnest, The (1952) - (Original Trailer) A British gentleman is one man in the city, another in the country in Oscar Wilde's The Importance Of Being Earnest (1952).

Nun's Story, The - (Original Trailer) A headstrong girl (Audrey Hepburn) fights the strictures of the Catholic Church in Europe and the Belgian Congo in The Nun's Story (1959), directed by Fred Zinnemann and nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture.

Young Cassidy - (Original Trailer) Rod Taylor stars in the true story of Irish playwright Sean O'Casey, Young Cassidy (1965), directed by John Ford and Jack Cardiff, also starring Julie Christie, and Maggie Smith.

Look Back in Anger - (Original Trailer) Richard Burton is playwright John Osborne's original "angry young man" in Tony Richardson's film version of Look Back In Anger (1959).

Companions

George Booth

Husband

Engineer. Married from 1925 until his death in 1935.

Bibliography

Notes

Named Dame of the British Empire for her services to the theater in 1946.

By using this site, you agree to our updated Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use