Charles Laughton
Biography
Charles Laughton was a stage and film actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. He was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and began his professional stage career in 1926. Laughton's film career took him to Broadway and Hollywood, and he collaborated with Alexander Korda on notable British films. He was born in Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, England, on June 30, 1899. Laughton's acting credits include a wide range of classical and modern parts, including Shakespeare at the Old Vic. He is known for his work in film and theatre, with a career spanning multiple decades.
Career overview
Charles Laughton began his professional acting career on stage in 1926, following his training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He appeared in a variety of classical and modern parts, making a notable impact in Shakespearean productions at the Old Vic. Laughton's stage work laid the groundwork for his transition to film, which took him to both Broadway and Hollywood.
Laughton's film career involved collaborations with notable directors, including Alexander Korda. He worked on several British films of the era, including The Private Life of Henry VIII. Laughton's versatility as an actor allowed him to take on a wide range of roles, showcasing his talent and range.
Throughout his acting career, Laughton accumulated a significant number of credits, with 88 known credits to his name. His dedication to his craft and his ability to adapt to different roles and settings earned him recognition and respect within the industry.
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Career timeline
Full filmography
- Charmed Lives: A Family Romance (2028) as Self (archive footage)
- Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau (2014) as Self (archive footage)
- Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film (2014) as Dr. Moreau (archive footage)
- 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year (2009) as Self (archive footage)
- Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man' (1999) as Self (archive footage)
- Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld (1994) as Self (archive footage)
- Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker (1991) as actor 'Advise and 'Consent' (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies (1988) as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage (1983) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) as (in "The Bribe") (archive footage)
- Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers! (1982) as Self (archive footage)
- The Horror Show (1979) as (archive footage)
- Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972) as Self (archive footage)
- The Epic That Never Was (1969) as Tiberius Claudius (archive footage)
- The Life of Galileo (1964) Translator
- Advise & Consent (1962) as Senator Seabright Cooley
- Spartacus (1960) as Sempronius Gracchus
- Under Ten Flags (1960) as Admiral Russell
- In the Presence of Mine Enemies (1960) as Rabbi Adam Heller
- Startime (1959) as Self – Co-Host
- Witness for the Prosecution (1957) as Sir Wilfrid
- The Lux Show (1957) as Self
- The Steve Allen Show (1956) as Self - Guest
- The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (1956) as Self
- MGM Parade (1955) as Self
- The Night of the Hunter (1955) Screenplay
- The Night of the Hunter (1955) Director
- The George Gobel Show (1954) as Self
- The Jimmy Durante Show (1954) as Self
- Hobson's Choice (1954) as Henry Horatio Hobson
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Edwin Kensington
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Henry Denry
- General Electric Theater (1953) as M. Hamel
- Salome (1953) as King Herod
- Young Bess (1953) as King Henry VIII
- O. Henry's Full House (1952) as Soapy (segment "The Cop and the Anthem")
- Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952) as Capt. William Kidd
- The Blue Veil (1951) as Fred K. Begley
- The Strange Door (1951) as Sire Alain de Maletroit
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) as Self
- The Man on the Eiffel Tower (1949) as Inspector Jules Maigret
- The Bribe (1949) as J.J. Bealer
- The Art Director (1949) as Self - from 'The Big Clock' (archive footage) (uncredited)
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- The Big Clock (1948) as Earl Janoth
- On Our Merry Way (1948) as Reverend
- Arch of Triumph (1948) as Ivon Haake
- The Girl from Manhattan (1948) as The Bishop
- The Paradine Case (1947) as Judge Lord Thomas Horfield
- Leben des Galilei (1947) as Galileo Galilei
- Leben des Galilei (1947) Writer
- Because of Him (1946) as John Sheridan
- Captain Kidd (1945) as Captain Kidd
- The Suspect (1945) as Philip Marshall
- The Canterville Ghost (1944) as Sir Simon de Canterville / The Ghost
- Forever and a Day (1943) as Bellamy
- This Land Is Mine (1943) as Albert Lory
- The Man from Down Under (1943) as Jocko Wilson
- Tales of Manhattan (1942) as Charles Smith
- Stand by for Action (1942) as Rear Admiral Stephen Thomas
- The Tuttles of Tahiti (1942) as Jonas
- It Started with Eve (1941) as Jonathan Reynolds
- They Knew What They Wanted (1940) as Tony Patucci
- Cavalcade of the Academy Awards (1940) as Self
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) as The Hunchback Quasimodo
- Jamaica Inn (1939) as Sir Humphrey Pengallan
- Jamaica Inn (1939) Producer
- Vessel of Wrath (1938) as Ginger Ted
- Vessel of Wrath (1938) Producer
- St. Martin's Lane (1938) as Charles Staggers
- St. Martin's Lane (1938) Producer
- St. Martin's Lane (1938) Additional Writing
- I, Claudius (1937) as Claudius
- Rembrandt (1936) as Rembrandt van Rijn
- Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) as Captaine Bligh
- Les Misérables (1935) as Inspector Emile Javert
- Ruggles of Red Gap (1935) as Marmaduke Ruggles
- The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934) as Edward Moulton-Barrett
- The Clerk (1933) as Phineas V. Lambert
- The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) as Henry VIII
- White Woman (1933) as Horace H. Prin
- Island of Lost Souls (1932) as Dr. Moreau
- The Old Dark House (1932) as Sir William Porterhouse
- The Sign of the Cross (1932) as Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar
- If I Had a Million (1932) as Phineas V. Lambert
- Devil and the Deep (1932) as Cmdr. Charles Sturm
- Payment Deferred (1932) as William Marble
- Down River (1931) as Captain Grossman
- Comets (1930) as Himself
- Wolves (1930) as Captain Job
- Piccadilly (1929) as A Continental Visitor
- Blue Bottles (1928) as Burglar
- The Tonic (1928) as Father of the Family
- Daydreams (1928) as Lecherous Boarder / Ram Das in Dream Sequence