Athene Seyler
Born
May 31, 1889
Died
September 12, 1990 (101 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Hackney, London, England, UK
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
Don't Utter a Note
Nellie Pringle
1966
The Invasion
Lady Corm
1963
Nurse on Wheels
Miss Farthingale
1963
I Thank a Fool
Aunt Heather Chandler
1962
The Girl on the Boat
Mrs Adelaide Hignett
1962
Two and Two Make Six
Aunt Phoebe Tonks
1962
Satan Never Sleeps
Sister Agness
1962
Francis of Assisi
Aunt Buona
1961
The Avengers
(2 episodes)
1961
Visa to Canton
Mao Tai Tai
1960
A French Mistress
Beatrice Peake
1960
Make Mine Mink
Dame Beatrice Appleby
1960
The Third Man
(1 episode)
1959
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
Jeannie Lawson
1958
Happy Is the Bride
Aunt Harriet
1958
A Tale of Two Cities
Miss Pross
1958
Night of the Demon
Mrs. Karswell
1957
Campbell's Kingdom
Miss Abigail
1957
How to Murder a Rich Uncle
Grannie (Victoria Clitterbern)
1957
Doctor at Large
Lady Hawkins
1957
Yield to the Night
Miss Bligh
1956
As Long as They're Happy
Mrs. Arbuthnot
1955
For Better, for Worse
Miss Mainbrace
1954
The Weak and the Wicked
Millie Williams
1954
The Beggar's Opera
Mrs. Trapes
1953
The Pickwick Papers
Miss Witherfield
1952
Made in Heaven
Miss Honeycroft
1952
Treasure Hunt
Consuelo Howard
1952
Secret People
Mrs. Reginald Kellick
1952
Young Wives' Tale
Nanny Gallop
1951
The Franchise Affair
Aunt Lin
1951
The Queen of Spades
Princess Ivashin
1949
The First Gentleman
Miss Knight
1948
Jassy
1947
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
Miss La Creevy
1947
Dear Octopus
Aunt Belle
1943
Letter from Home
Mrs Ashford
1941
Quiet Wedding
Aunt Mary
1941
Young Man's Fancy
Milliner
1939
The Saint in London
Mother Buckley
1939
The Ware Case
Mrs Pinto
1938
The Citadel
Lady Raebank
1938
Jane Steps Out
Grandma
1938
Sailing Along
Victoria Gulliver
1938
Non-Stop New York
Aunt Veronica
1937
The Lilac Domino
Madame Alary
1937
The Mill on the Floss
Mrs. Pullet
1937
The Sky’s the Limit
Miss Prinny
1937
Sensation
Madame Henry
1936
Southern Roses
Mrs. Rowland
1936
It's Love Again
Mrs. Durland
1936
Scrooge
Scrooge's Charwoman
1935
Drake of England
Queen Elizabeth
1935
Moscow Nights
Madame Anna Sabine
1934
Blossom Time
Archduchess Maria Victoria
1934
The Private Life of Don Juan
Theresa, the Innkeeper, a Middle Aged Lady of Young Sentiment
1934
Early to Bed
Frau Waiser
1933
Tell Me Tonight
Mrs. Pategg
1932
The Perfect Lady
Lady Westhaven
1931
The Adventures of Mr. Pickwick
Rachel Wardle
1921