subject: Dame Margarat Rutherford – That Funny English Actress [print this page] Dame Margarat Rutherford That Funny English Actress
I have always been interested in English History and arts and as a fan of Margarat Rutherford the character actress, who was famous for her playing of Miss Marple in the 1950's and her comical parts in films from the 1930's to 1960's I though it would be interesting to tell the story of her movie career and life. As a fan of her movie career I would reccomend readers to watch DVD's of her films.
Margaret Rutherford, the daughter of William Benn and Florence Rutherford, was born on 11th May 1892. Her father was the brother of the politician John Benn. Before her birth, her father had murdered her grandfather, Julius Benn. As a result of this tragedy, Margaret took her mother's name. Margaret's mother then died when she was three years old and she was brought up by her aunt.
At school Rutherford developed an interest in the theatre and her aunt paid for her to have private acting lessons. When her aunt died she left Margaret a small amount of money so she could pursue a career on the stage. Following a number of years spent as a speech and piano teacher, she trained at the Old Vic and debuted onstage in 1925 where she appeared in several small roles.
Her slightly fully shape was unconventional for many female stars at this time and this often lead her to a number of unusual female roles such as spinsters and detectives. She was originally a teacher of elocution, (that's an English word for speaking with the correct pronunciation of words), which meant that in many ways much of her comedy was derived from her extensive vocal ability.
Some of her finest parts actually originated in the theatre for example she had played both Madame Arcati and Miss Prism on the stage before she repeated the roles in the screen adaptations of Blithe Spirit (1945) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1952).
Rutherford made her first appearance in London's West End theatres in 1933 but her talent was not recognised by the critics until her performance as Miss Prism in the play The Importance of Being Earnest' (1939).
In summer 1941, Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit" opened on the London stage, with Coward himself directing. She played as Madame Arcati, the fake psychic in a role in which Coward had earlier envisaged for her and which he then especially shaped.
It would be as Madame Arcati in David Lean's 'Blithe Spirit' (1945) that would actually establish her as a big screen success. This would become one of her most memorable performances, with her bicycling about the Kentish countryside, cape fluttering behind her. Interestingly it would also establish the model for portraying that pseudo-soothsayer forever thereafter and there have been about six remakes of the film. As a slight aside - as Noel Coward had Margaret in mind for his Madame Arcati creation, so also did Agatha Christie create Miss Marple for Rutherford a number of years later.
Some of her finest screen work was when she was in fifties. She was superb as Nurse Carey in Miranda (1948) and completely believable in the role of Professor Hatton Jones Passport to Pimlico (1949). More success followed as see starred along Alistir Sim in The Happiest days of your life' (1950).
Then came along the role that she was so destined for, that of Miss Letitia Prism in Anthony Asquiths The Importance of Being Earnest' (1952). Incredibly despite a whole string of very capable and distinguished performances she had still not won a single film honour. More comic characters followed including Prudence Croquet in An Alligator Named Daisy' (1955), and, quite properly part of those self-conscious celebrations of British cinema, The Magic Box' (1951).
She was then Mrs. Fazackalee in Basil Deardens The smallest show on Earth' (1957) with such notables as Virginia McKenna, Peter Sellers and Leslie Phillips. For much of the 60's she become synonymous with Miss Jane Marple) although a particular favourite of mine is the 1963 film The Mouse on the Moon. She also was awarded an OBE for services to stage and screen in 1861.
She evatually got some recognition from her peers winning the Oscar and Golden Globe for her role as The Duchess of Brighton in The VIPs' (1963) directed by Anthony Asquith. Also that year Agatha Christie dedicated her 1963 novel "The Mirror Crack'd From Side To Side" to Rutherford in admiration of her work.
Orson Welles made an art house tribute by casting her as Mistress Quickly in Chimes at Midnight' (1965). Two years later her OBE was elevated to DBE making her a Dame of the British Empire. She finished working a year later although she read a number of stories on the childrens programme Jackanory (BBC1).
She was married to actor Stringer Davis from 1945 to her death she also appeared in several films with him.
Filmography
Year
Film
Role
Notes
1936
Talk of the Devil
Housekeeper
Dusty Ermine
Evelyn Summers aka Miss Butterby, old gang moll
Troubled Waters
Bit role
uncredited
1937
Missing, Believed Married
Lady Parke
Catch As Catch Can
Maggie Carberry
Big Fella
Nanny
uncredited
Beauty and the Barge
Mrs. Baldwin
1941
Spring Meeting
Aunt Bijou
Quiet Wedding
Magistrate
1943
Yellow Canary
Mrs. Towcester
The Demi-Paradise
Rowena Ventnor
1944
English Without Tears
Lady Christabel Beauclerk
1945
Blithe Spirit
Madame Arcati
1947
While the Sun Shines
Dr. Winifred Frye
Meet Me at Dawn
Madame Vernore
1948
Miranda
Nurse Carey
1949
Passport to Pimlico
Professor Hatton-Jones
1950
The Happiest Days of Your Life
Muriel Whitchurch
Quel bandito sono io
(UK title: Her Favorite Husband)
Mrs. Dotherington
1951
The Magic Box
Lady Pond
1952
Curtain Up
Catherine Beckwith/Jeremy St. Claire
Miss Robin Hood
Miss Honey
The Importance of Being Earnest
Miss Letitia Prism
Castle in the Air
Miss Nicholson
1953
Innocents in Paris
Gwladys Inglott
Trouble in Store
Miss Bacon
1954
The Runaway Bus
Miss Cynthia Beeston
Mad About Men
Nurse Carey
Aunt Clara
Clara Hilton
1955
An Alligator Named Daisy
Prudence Croquet
1957
The Smallest Show on Earth
Mrs. Fazackalee
Just My Luck
Mrs. Dooley
1959
I'm All Right Jack
Aunt Dolly
1961
On the Double
Lady Vivian
Murder, She Said
Miss Jane Marple
1963
Murder at the Gallop
Miss Jane Marple
The Mouse on the Moon
Grand Duchess Gloriana XIII
The V.I.P.s
The Duchess of Brighton
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Golden Globe
1964
Murder Most Foul
Miss Jane Marple
Murder Ahoy!
Miss Jane Marple
1965
Chimes at Midnight
Mistress Quickly
The Alphabet Murders
Miss Jane Marple
uncredited cameo
1967
A Countess from Hong Kong
Miss Gaulswallow
Arabella
Princess Ilaria
The Wacky World of Mother Goose
Mother Goose
voice
Dame Margaret was a cousin of the radical left-wing Labour politician Tony Benn. Towards the end of her life she started to suffer from Alzheimer's disease, Dame Margaret Rutherford died in 1972 at the ripe old age of 80.
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