Charles Laughton was an English actor known for his intense and varied roles across stage and screen. In 1927, he was cast in a play with his future wife Elsa Lanchester, with whom he lived and worked until his death.
Laughton made his film debut in a 1928 short film entitled, The Tonic before taking minor roles in feature-length films in the early 1930s. Laughton later earned the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the title character in the historical drama The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933). He earned further Academy Award nominations for his roles as Captain William Bligh in the action adventure Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and an irascible barrister in the courtroom drama Witness for the Prosecution (1957).
Among Laughton's biggest film hits were romance drama The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934), the comedy Ruggles of Red Gap (1935), the biographical drama Rembrandt (1936), the thriller Jamaica Inn (1939), the drama The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), the noir-thriller The Big Clock (1948), the historical drama Young Bess (1953), the romance Hobson's Choice (1954) and the adventure epic Spartacus (1960). His final film role was in the political drama Advise & Consent (1962).
Acting credits Filmography Unless otherwise stated the films are U.S. productions in black and white. Year Title Role Notes1928 The Tonic Father of the Family Filmed in England; Short, (film debut) Daydreams Lecherous Boarder Ram Das in Dream Sequence Filmed in England; Short Blue Bottles Burglar Filmed in England; Short 1929 Piccadilly A Nightclub Diner Filmed in England1930 Comets Himself Filmed in England Wolves Captain Job Filmed in England 1931 Down River Captain Grossman Filmed in England1932 Devil and the Deep Commander Charles Sturm The Old Dark House Sir William Porterhouse Payment Deferred William Marble If I Had A Million Phineas V. Lambert The Sign of the Cross Emperor Nero Island of Lost Souls Dr. Moreau1933 The Private Life of Henry VIII King Henry VIII Filmed in EnglandAcademy Award for Best Actor White Woman Horace H. Prin 1934 The Barretts of Wimpole Street Edward Moulton-Barrett1935 Ruggles of Red Gap Marmaduke Ruggles Les Misérables Inspector Javert Mutiny on the Bounty Captain William Bligh 1936 Rembrandt Rembrandt van Rijn Filmed in England 1937 I, Claudius Claudius Filmed in England Unfinished and abandoned1938 Vessel of Wrath Ginger "Ted" Wilson Produced by Laughton via Mayflower Pictures; Filmed in England Sidewalks of London Charles Staggers Produced by Laughton via Mayflower Pictures; Filmed in England1939 Jamaica Inn Sir Humphrey Pengallan Produced by Laughton via Mayflower Pictures; Filmed in England The Hunchback of Notre Dame Quasimodo 1940 They Knew What They Wanted Tony Patucci 1941 It Started with Eve Jonathan Reynolds1942 The Tuttles of Tahiti Jonas Tuttle Tales of Manhattan Charles Smith Stand By for Action Rear Admiral Stephen Thomas1943 Forever and a Day Bellamy (Dexter's Butler) This Land is Mine Albert Lory The Man From Down Under Jocko Wilson1944 Passport to Destiny Sgt. Major Henry Albert Muggins Photo; Uncredited The Canterville Ghost Sir Simon de Canterville / The Ghost The Suspect Philip Marshall 1945 Captain Kidd Captain William Kidd 1946 Because of Him John Sheridan1947 The Paradine Case Judge Lord Thomas Horfield Leben des Galilei Galileo Galilei A 30-minute 'short'.1948 A Miracle Can Happen Reverend John B. Dunne Laughton's scenes cut in American release Arch of Triumph Ivon Haake The Big Clock Earl Janoth The Girl from Manhattan The Bishop1949 The Bribe J. J. Bealer The Man on the Eiffel Tower Inspector Jules Maigret Anscocolor1951 The Blue Veil Fred K. Begley The Strange Door Sire Alain de Maletroit1952 O. Henry's Full House Soapy Segment: "The Cop and the Anthem" Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd Capt. William Kidd SuperCinecolor1953 Salome King Herod Technicolor Young Bess King Henry VIII Technicolor 1954 Hobson's Choice Henry Horatio Hobson Filmed in England 1955 The Night of the Hunter— Directed by Laughton 1957 Witness for the Prosecution Sir Wilfrid Robarts1960 Sotto dieci bandiere Admiral Russell Filmed in Italy Spartacus Sempronius Gracchus Super Technirama 70Technicolor 1962 Advise & Consent Sen. Seabright Cooley Final film role
Television Laughton guest starred in a few television shows. What's My Line? (1956–1960) as Himself (2 episodes) Wagon Train (1960) as Colonel Albert Farnsworth (1 episode) Checkmate (1961) as Reverend Wister (1 episode)
Theatre Actor Year Title Role Playwright Venue Ref. 1926 The Government Inspector Osip Nikolai Gogol Barnes Theatre, London 1926 Pillars of Society Rummel Henrik Ibsen Everyman Theatre, London 1926 The Cherry Orchard Yepi Khodov Anton Chekhov Barnes Theatre, London 1926 Three Sisters Vassily Solyony Anton Chekhov Barnes Theatre, London 1928 Alibi Hercule Poirot Agatha Christie Theatre Royal Haymarket, London 1928 The Silver Tassie Harry Heegan Seán O'Casey Apollo Theatre, London 1930 On the Spot Tony Perelli Edgar Wallace Wyndham's Theatre, London 1931 Payment Deferred William Marble C. S. Forester St. James's Theatre, London Lyceum Theater, Broadway 1932 The Fatal Alibi Hercule Poirot Agatha Christie Booth Theatre, Broadway 1933 Henry VIII Henry VIII William Shakespeare The Old Vic, London 1933 Measure for Measure Angelo William Shakespeare The Old Vic, London 1933–34 The Cherry Orchard Lopakhin Anton Chekhov The Old Vic, London 1934 The Tempest Prospero William Shakespeare The Old Vic, London 1934 The Importance of Being Earnest Canon Chasuble Oscar Wilde The Old Vic, London 1934 Love for Love Tattle William Congreve Sadler's Wells, London 1934 Macbeth Macbeth William Shakespeare The Old Vic, London 1936–37 Peter Pan Captain Hook J. M. Barrie London Palladium, London 1947 Galileo Galileo Bertolt Brecht Maxine Elliott Theatre, Broadway 1950 The Cherry Orchard Gaev Anton Chekhov Stage Theatre, Los Angeles 1956–57 Major Barbara Andrew Undershaft George Bernard Shaw Martin Beck Theatre, Broadway 1958 The Party Richard Brough Jane Arden New Theatre, London 1959 A Midsummer Night's Dream Bottom William Shakespeare Stratford-upon-Avon, UK 1959 King Lear Lear William Shakespeare Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Director Year Title Playwright Venue Ref. 1932 The Fatal Alibi Agatha Christie Booth Theatre, Broadway 1947 Galileo Bertolt Brecht Maxine Elliott Theatre, Broadway 1951–52 Don Juan in Hell George Bernard Shaw Plymouth Theater, Broadway 1953 John Brown's Body Stephen Vincent Benét New Century Theater, Broadway 1954–55 The Caine Mutiny Court Martial Herman Wouk Plymouth Theater, Broadway 1956–57 Major Barbara George Bernard Shaw Martin Beck Theatre, Broadway 1958The PartyJane ArdenNew Theatre, London
Producer 1955: 3 for Tonight (musical revue, with Harry Belafonte)
In popular culture Warner Brothers made three cartoons parodying Laughton's acting: Roman Legion-Hare (1955): parody of Laughton as Emperor Nero Good Noose (1962): parody of Laughton as a ship's Captain Shishkabugs (1962): parody of Laughton as a spoiled king
In Buccaneer Bunny (1948), Bugs Bunny does a brief impression of Laughton's Captain Bligh.
References