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Athene Seyler

Athene Seyler

Birthday: 1889-05-31 | 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.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

1963
Nurse on Wheels

as    Miss Farthingale

1961
Francis of Assisi

as    Aunt Buona

1960
Make Mine Mink

as    Dame Beatrice Appleby

1960
Campbell's Kingdom

as    Miss Abigail

1958
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness

as    Jeannie Lawson

1958
A Tale of Two Cities

as    Miss Pross

1958
Night of the Demon

as    Mrs. Karswell

1957
How to Murder a Rich Uncle

as    Grannie (Victoria Clitterbern)

1957
Doctor at Large

as    Lady Hawkins

1952
Made in Heaven

as    Miss Honeycroft

1951
The Franchise Affair

as    Aunt Lin

1951
Young Wives' Tale

as    Nanny Gallop

1949
The Queen of Spades

as    Princess Ivashin

1939
The Saint in London

as    Mother Buckley

1937
Non-Stop New York

as    Aunt Veronica

1936
It's Love Again

as    Mrs. Durland

1935
Moscow Nights

as    Madame Anna Sabine

1935
Drake of England

as    Queen Elizabeth

1935
Scrooge

as    Scrooge's Charwoman

1934
Blossom Time

as    Archduchess Maria Victoria

1933
Tell Me Tonight

as    Mrs. Pategg