Athene Seyler
Encyclopedia
Athene Seyler, CBE (31 May 188912 September 1990) was an English
actress.
Although better known as a stage actress, she first appeared on the stage in 1909 and made her film debut in 1921, and became known for playing slightly dotty old ladies.
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.
Although the silent film, Pickwick (1921) is missing she played the elderly fiancée in The Pickwick Papers (1952).
Although she virtually retired from acting after 1970, she continued making public appearances until well into the 1980s, memorably as a guest of Terry Wogan
on his eponymous BBC chat show.
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 Art of Comedy.
She married James Bury Sterndale-Bennett (1889–1941), a grandson of the composer Sir William Sterndale Bennett
, and later lived with Nicholas (Beau) Hannen.
She was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(CBE) in 1959.
Athene Seyler died in 1990, aged 101.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actress.
Although better known as a stage actress, she first appeared on the stage in 1909 and made her film debut in 1921, and became known for playing slightly dotty old ladies.
Her film and television career lasted into the 1960s, and included roles in The Citadel
The Citadel (film)
The Citadel is a 1938 film based on the novel of the same name by A. J. Cronin, first published in 1937. The film was directed by King Vidor and produced by Victor Saville.-Plot:...
(1938), Night of the Demon
Night of the Demon
Night of the Demon is a 1957 British horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur, starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins and Niall MacGinnis. An adaptation of the M. R...
(1957) and The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
(1964, 1965). She was also a regular cast member in screen adaptations of Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
novels.
Although the silent film, Pickwick (1921) is missing she played the elderly fiancée in The Pickwick Papers (1952).
Although she virtually retired from acting after 1970, she continued making public appearances until well into the 1980s, memorably as a guest of Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
on his eponymous BBC chat show.
Athene Seyler was President of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
(RADA) from 1950, and a member of the Theatrical Ladies Guild. She also wrote The Art of Comedy.
She married James Bury Sterndale-Bennett (1889–1941), a grandson of the composer Sir William Sterndale Bennett
William Sterndale Bennett
Sir William Sterndale Bennett was an English composer. He ranks as the most distinguished English composer of the Romantic school-Biography:...
, and later lived with Nicholas (Beau) Hannen.
She was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(CBE) in 1959.
Athene Seyler died in 1990, aged 101.
Selected stage performances
- HarveyHarvey- People :* Harvey , a given name and family name* William Harvey, 16th century physician, first to describe circulation of blood- Places :In the United States* Harvey, Illinois* Harvey, Iowa* Harvey, Louisiana* Harvey, Michigan* Harvey, North Dakota...
- Watch on the RhineWatch on the RhineWatch on the Rhine is a 1943 American drama film directed by Herman Shumlin. The screenplay by Dashiell Hammett is based on the 1941 play of the same title by Lillian Hellman.-Plot:...
- Lady Windermere's FanLady Windermere's FanLady Windermere's Fan, A Play About a Good Woman is a four act comedy by Oscar Wilde, first produced 22 February 1892 at the St James's Theatre in London. The play was first published in 1893...
- The RivalsThe RivalsThe Rivals, a play by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, is a comedy of manners in five acts. It was first performed on 17 January 1775.- Production :...
- Romeo and JulietRomeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
- The Cherry OrchardThe Cherry OrchardThe Cherry Orchard is Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's last play. It premiered at the Moscow Art Theatre 17 January 1904 in a production directed by Constantin Stanislavski. Chekhov intended this play as a comedy and it does contain some elements of farce; however, Stanislavski insisted on...
- Arsenic and Old LaceArsenic and Old Lace (play)Arsenic and Old Lace is a play by American playwright Joseph Kesselring, written in 1939. It has become best known through the film adaptation starring Cary Grant and directed by Frank Capra. The play was directed by Bretaigne Windust, and opened on January 10, 1941. On September 25, 1943, the...
Selected filmography
- The Adventures of Mr. PickwickThe Adventures of Mr. PickwickThe Adventures of Mr. Pickwick is a 1921 British silent comedy film directed by Thomas Bentley based on the novel The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens...
(1921) - The Rocks of ValpreThe Rocks of ValpreThe Rocks of Valpre is a 1935 British crime film directed by Henry Edwards and starring John Garrick, Winifred Shotter and Leslie Perrins. It was based on the novel The Rocks of Valpré by Ethel M...
(1935) - Drake of EnglandDrake of EnglandDrake of England is a 1935 British drama film directed by Arthur B. Woods and starring Matheson Lang, Athene Seyler and Jane Baxter. It depicts the life of Francis Drake and the events leading up to the defeat of the Armada in 1588.-Cast:...
(1935) - Moscow NightsMoscow Nights (film)Moscow Nights is a 1935 British drama film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Laurence Olivier, Penelope Dudley-Ward and Harry Baur. During the First World War a wounded Russian officer Captain Ignatoff falls in love with his nurse...
(1935) - ScroogeScrooge (1935 film)Scrooge is a 1935 British film directed by Henry Edwards featuring Seymour Hicks as Ebenezer Scrooge, the miser who hates Christmas. It was the first sound version of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, not counting a 1928 short subject that now appears to be lost.- Film :Hicks had...
(1935) - SensationSensation (film)Sensation is a 1936 British crime film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring John Lodge, Diana Churchill, Francis Lister and Felix Aylmer...
(1936) - The Mill on the FlossThe Mill on the Floss (film)The Mill on the Floss is a 1937 British drama film directed by Tim Whelan and starring Frank Lawton, Victoria Hopper, Geraldine Fitzgerald and James Mason...
(1937) - Jane Steps OutJane Steps OutJane Steps Out is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Diana Churchill, Jean Muir, Peter Murray-Hill and Athene Seyler. A young woman is overshadowed by her more glamorous sister...
(1938) - Tilly of BloomsburyTilly of Bloomsbury (1940 film)Tilly of Bloomsbury is a 1940 British comedy film directed by Leslie S. Hiscot and based on the play Tilly of Bloomsbury by Ian Hay. It starred Sydney Howard, Jean Gillie, Kathleen Harrison and Henry Oscar...
(1940) - Quiet WeddingQuiet WeddingQuiet Wedding is a 1941 British comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Margaret Lockwood, Derek Farr and Marjorie Fielding. The screenplay was written by Terence Rattigan and Anatole de Grunwald based on the play Quiet Wedding by Esther McCracken which was later remade as Happy is the...
(1941) - Dear OctopusDear OctopusDear Octopus is a 1943 British comedy film directed by Harold French and starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Wilding and Celia Johnson. It is based on a 1938 play Dear Octopus written by Dodie Smith...
(1943) - The First GentlemanThe First GentlemanThe First Gentleman is a 1948 British historical drama film directed by Alberto Cavalcanti and starring Jean-Pierre Aumont, Joan Hopkins and Cecil Parker. It portrays the relationships and marriage of George, Prince Regent and his tense dealings with other members of his family such as Princess...
(1948) - The Franchise AffairThe Franchise Affair (film)The Franchise Affair is a 1951 British thriller film directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray, Anthony Nicholls and Marjorie Fielding...
(1951) - Young Wives' TaleYoung Wives' TaleYoung Wives' Tale is a 1951 British film directed by Henry Cass. It features one of Audrey Hepburn's earliest film roles, albeit a minor one, as Eve Lester.-Cast:* Joan Greenwood as Sabina Pennant* Nigel Patrick as Rodney Pennant...
(1951) - The Secret PeopleThe Secret People (film)The Secret People is a 1952 British drama film directed by Thorold Dickinson and starring Valentina Cortese, Audrey Hepburn and Serge Reggiani. Hepburn's appearance was her first major starring role in a film . In this suspenseful film, Hepburn plays a ballerina, making use of her extensive training...
(1952) - Treasure HuntTreasure Hunt (film)Treasure Hunt is a 1952 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Martita Hunt, Jimmy Edwards, Naunton Wayne and Athene Seyler.-Cast:* Martita Hunt - Aunt Anna Rose* Jimmy Edwards - Hercules Ryall / Sir Roderick Ryall...
(1952) - The Beggar's OperaThe Beggar's Opera (film)The Beggar's Opera is a 1953 Technicolor film version of John Gay's 1728 ballad opera directed by Peter Brook and starring Laurence Olivier, Dorothy Tutin, Stanley Holloway and others. Olivier and Holloway do their own singing in this film, but Dorothy Tutin and several others were dubbed...
(1953) - The Weak and the WickedThe Weak and the WickedThe Weak and the Wicked is a 1954 British drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson based on the book by his wife, Joan Henry, starring Glynis Johns and Diana Dors....
(1954) - For Better, for WorseFor Better, for Worse (1954 film)For Better, for Worse is a 1954 British comedy film directed by J. Lee Thompson.-Cast:* Dirk Bogarde as Tony Howard* Susan Stephen as Anne Purves* Cecil Parker as Anne's Father* Eileen Herlie as Anne's Mother* Athene Seyler as Miss Mainbrace...
(1954) - As Long as They're HappyAs Long as They're HappyAs Long as They're Happy is a 1955 British musical comedy film directed by J. Lee Thompson.-Cast:* Jack Buchanan as John Bentley* Janette Scott as Gwen Bentley* Jeannie Carson as Pat Bentley* Brenda De Banzie as Stella Bentley...
(1955) - Yield to the NightYield to the NightYield to the Night is a 1956 British crime drama film starring Diana Dors as a murderess sentenced to hang and spending her last days in the condemned cell in a British women's prison...
(1956) - Doctor at LargeDoctor at Large (film)Doctor at Large is a 1957 British comedy film, the third installment of the Doctor in the House series. It stars Dirk Bogarde, Muriel Pavlow, Donald Sinden, and James Robertson Justice.-Cast:* Dirk Bogarde as Dr. Simon Sparrow...
(1957) - Campbell's KingdomCampbell's KingdomCampbell's Kingdom is a 1957 British action film directed by Ralph Thomas, based on the 1952 novel of the same name by Hammond Innes. The film stars Dirk Bogarde and Stanley Baker, with Michael Craig, James Robertson Justice and Sid James in support...
(1957) - Night of the DemonNight of the DemonNight of the Demon is a 1957 British horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur, starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins and Niall MacGinnis. An adaptation of the M. R...
(1957) - How to Murder a Rich UncleHow to Murder a Rich UncleHow to Murder a Rich Uncle is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Nigel Patrick and starring Patrick, Wendy Hiller, Charles Coburn and Anthony Newley. A man plans to kill his wealthy Uncle George...
(1957) - A Tale of Two CitiesA Tale of Two Cities (1958 film)A Tale of Two Cities is a 1958 British film of the Charles Dickens novel A Tale of Two Cities. It starred Dirk Bogarde and Dorothy Tutin, and was directed by Ralph Thomas.-Cast:*Dirk Bogarde as Sydney Carton*Dorothy Tutin as Lucie Manette...
(1958) - Happy is the BrideHappy is the BrideHappy is the Bride is a 1958 British comedy film written and directed by Roy Boulting and starring Ian Carmichael, Janette Scott, Cecil Parker, Terry-Thomas and Joyce Grenfell...
(1958) - The Inn of the Sixth HappinessThe Inn of the Sixth HappinessThe Inn of the Sixth Happiness is a 1958 American 20th Century Fox film based on the true story of Gladys Aylward, a tenacious British maid, who became a missionary in China during the tumultuous years leading up to World War II...
(1958) - Make Mine MinkMake Mine MinkMake Mine Mink is a 1960 British comedy directed by Robert Asher and featuring Terry-Thomas, Athene Seyler, Hattie Jacques, Billie Whitelaw, Elspeth Duxbury, Jack Hedley and Raymond Huntley, with cameos by Kenneth Williams and Irene Handl. A group of misfits go on a spree, stealing mink coats...
(1960) - The Girl on the BoatThe Girl on the Boat (film)The Girl on the Boat is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Henry Kaplan and starring Norman Wisdom, Millicent Martin and Richard Briers. It is based on The Girl on the Boat by P.G...
(1961) - Francis of AssisiFrancis of Assisi (film)Francis of Assisi is a Delux color 1961 Cinemascope film directed by Michael Curtiz, based on the novel The Joyful Beggar by Louis de Wohl.-Plot:...
(1961) - Two and Two Make SixTwo and Two Make SixTwo and Two Make Six is a 1962 film directed by Freddie Francis. It stars George Chakiris and Janette Scott.-Cast:* George Chakiris as Larry Currado* Janette Scott as Irene* Alfred Lynch as Thomas 'Tom' Ernest Bennett* Jocelyn Lane as Julie Matthews...
(1962) - I Thank a FoolI Thank a FoolI Thank a Fool is a 1962 British crime film made by Eaton and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Robert Stevens and produced by Anatole de Grunwald from a screenplay by Karl Tunberg based on the novel by Audrey Erskine Lindop...
(1962) - Nurse on WheelsNurse on WheelsNurse on Wheels is a 1963 British comedy film directed by Gerald Thomas, and starring Juliet Mills, Ronald Lewis, and Joan Sims.Nurse on Wheels shares its cast and production team with the Carry On films, but the film is not an official member of the Carry On series.-Cast:* Juliet Mills as Joanna...
(1963)
Selected television & radio performances
- The Iron Duchess by William Douglas-HomeWilliam Douglas-HomeWilliam Douglas Home was court-martialled in World War II for his refusal to obey orders as a British army officer and later became a successful British dramatist.-Early life:...
, BBC radio, broadcast 1966. - The Reluctant Peer by William Douglas-HomeWilliam Douglas-HomeWilliam Douglas Home was court-martialled in World War II for his refusal to obey orders as a British army officer and later became a successful British dramatist.-Early life:...
, BBC radio, broadcast 1967