Herbert Bunston
Encyclopedia
Herbert Bunston was a British
stage and screen actor
. He is probably best remembered for his role as Dr. John Seward
in the Broadway
and film versions of Dracula.
Bunston was born in Dorset
. He appeared on the British stage between 1896 and 1922, after which he emigrated to the United States. He first appeared on the Broadway stage in Arthur Wing Pinero
's The Enchanted Cottage in 1923 alongside Katherine Cornell. Other roles included That Awful Mrs. Eaton! and Simon Called Peter
in 1925. None of these plays ran as many as 100 performances. Bunston won strong critical notice for his next role in 1925's Young Woodley
, which ran for 260 performances. On 5 October 1927, he debuted alongside Bela Lugosi
and Edward Van Sloan
in Dracula
.
Following his success in these last two plays, he signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
. Following a number of roles of greater and lesser significance, Bunston was cast to re-create his Broadway role in the film adaptation of Dracula
(1931
). Bunston continued to appear in character
roles for the next four years until his death in Los Angeles
in 1935.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
stage and screen actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is probably best remembered for his role as Dr. John Seward
John Seward
John Seward, M.D. is a fictional character appearing in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula.-In the novel:Seward is the administrator of an insane asylum not far from Count Dracula's first English home, Carfax. Throughout the novel, Seward conducts ambitious interviews with one of his patients,...
in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and film versions of Dracula.
Bunston was born in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. He appeared on the British stage between 1896 and 1922, after which he emigrated to the United States. He first appeared on the Broadway stage in Arthur Wing Pinero
Arthur Wing Pinero
Sir Arthur Wing Pinero was an English actor and later an important dramatist and stage director.-Biography:...
's The Enchanted Cottage in 1923 alongside Katherine Cornell. Other roles included That Awful Mrs. Eaton! and Simon Called Peter
Simon Called Peter
Simon Called Peter is a novel by Robert Keable which was a best-seller in 1921. The title is a reference to Simon Peter the apostle and first Pope of the Catholic Church....
in 1925. None of these plays ran as many as 100 performances. Bunston won strong critical notice for his next role in 1925's Young Woodley
Young Woodley
Young Woodley is a 1930 British drama film directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Madeleine Carroll, Frank Lawton and Sam Livesey, based on the controversial 1925 play Young Woodley by John Van Druten. Bentley had previously directed a 1928 silent version, but the film was never released, and he...
, which ran for 260 performances. On 5 October 1927, he debuted alongside Bela Lugosi
Béla Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
and Edward Van Sloan
Edward Van Sloan
Edward Van Sloan was an American film character actor best remembered for his roles in Universal Studios horror films.-Career:...
in Dracula
Dracula (play)
Dracula is a 1924 stage play adapted by Hamilton Deane from the novel of the same name by Bram Stoker, and substantially revised by John L. Balderston in 1927...
.
Following his success in these last two plays, he signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
. Following a number of roles of greater and lesser significance, Bunston was cast to re-create his Broadway role in the film adaptation of Dracula
Dracula (1931 film)
Dracula is a 1931 vampire-horror film directed by Tod Browning and starring Bela Lugosi as the title character. The film was produced by Universal and is based on the stage play of the same name by Hamilton Deane and John L...
(1931
1931 in film
-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Cimarron - MGM*Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul*Best Actor: Wallace Beery - The Champ*Best Actor: Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
). Bunston continued to appear in character
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
roles for the next four years until his death in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1935.
External links
- Herbert Bunston at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Herbert Bunston at Internet Broadway DatabaseInternet Broadway DatabaseThe Internet Broadway Database is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade association for the North American commercial theatre community....