Charles Laughton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was an English-American stage and film actor, director, producer and screenwriter. Laughton was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play with his future wife Elsa Lanchester, with whom he lived and worked until his death. He played a wide range of classical and modern parts, making an impact in Shakespeare at the Old Vic. His film career took him to Broadway and then Hollywood, but he also collaborated with Alexander Korda on notable British films of the era, including The Private Life of Henry VIII, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the title character. He portrayed everything from monsters and misfits to kings. Among Laughton's biggest film hits were The Barretts of Wimpole Street, Mutiny on the Bounty, Ruggles of Red Gap, Jamaica Inn, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Big Clock. In his later career, he took up stage directing, notably in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, and George Bernard Shaw's Don Juan in Hell, in which he also starred. He directed one film, the thriller The Night of the Hunter. Daniel Day-Lewis cited Laughton as one of his inspirations, saying: "He was probably the greatest film actor who came from that period of time. He had something quite remarkable. His generosity as an actor, he fed himself into that work. As an actor, you cannot take your eyes off him."
The rebellious Thracian Spartacus, born and raised a slave, is sold to Gladiator trainer...
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Witness for the Prosecution
as Sir Wilfrid RobartsWhen Leonard Vole is arrested for the sensational murder of a rich, middle-aged widow, the...
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Jamaica Inn
as Sir Humphrey PengallanIn coastal Cornwall, England, during the early 19th Century, a young woman who's come there to...
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Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
as (in "The Bribe") (archive footage)Juliet Forrest is convinced that the reported death of her father in a mountain car crash was no...
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Mutiny on the Bounty
as Captaine BlighFletcher Christian successfully leads a revolt against the ruthless Captain Bligh on the HMS...
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The Hunchback of Notre Dame
as The Hunchback QuasimodoParis, France, 1482. Frollo, Chief Justice of benevolent King Louis XI, gets infatuated by the...
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Captain Kidd
as Captain KiddCutthroat pirate William Kidd captures Admiral Blayne's treasure ship and hides the bounty in a...
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Advise & Consent
as Senator Seabright CooleyProposed by the President of the United States to fill the post of Secretary of State, Robert...
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as Henry Horatio HobsonHenry Hobson owns and tyrannically runs a successful Victorian boot maker’s shop in Salford,...
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Les Misérables
as Inspector Emile JavertIn 19th century France, Jean Valjean, a man imprisoned for stealing bread, must flee a...
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Island of Lost Souls
as Dr. MoreauAn obsessed scientist conducts profane experiments in evolution, eventually establishing himself...
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The Big Clock
as Earl JanothStroud, a crime magazine's crusading editor has to post-pone a vacation with his wife, again,...
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Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's “Island of Dr. Moreau”
as Self (archive footage)The story of the insane scandals related to the remake of “Island of Dr. Moreau” —originally a...
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The Paradine Case
as Judge Lord Thomas HorfieldAttorney Anthony Keane agrees to represent Londonite Mrs. Paradine, who has been fingered in her...
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as Philip MarshallGenial shopkeeper Philip has to endure the constant nagging of a shrewish wife while he secretly...
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The Old Dark House
as Sir William PorterhouseIn a remote region of Wales, five travelers beset by a relentless storm find shelter in an old...
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The Bribe
as J.J. BealerUnited States Federal agent Rigby travels to the Central American island Carlotta to investigate...
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This Land Is Mine
as Albert LorySomewhere in Europe, in a city occupied by the Nazis, a gentle school teacher finds himself torn...
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Salome
as King HerodIn the reign of emperor Tiberius, Gallilean prophet John the Baptist preaches against King Herod...
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Piccadilly
as A Continental VisitorA young Chinese woman, working in the kitchen at a London dance club, is given the chance to...
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Young Bess
as King Henry VIIIThe mother died under the executioner's axe; the daughter rose to become England's greatest...
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The Sign of the Cross
as Emperor Nero Claudius CaesarAfter burning Rome, Emperor Nero decides to blame the Christians, and issues the edict that they...
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as Rembrandt van RijnA character study depicting the life of Rembrandt Van Rijn at the height of his fame in the mid...
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The Private Life of Henry VIII
as Henry VIIIRenowned for his excess, King Henry VIII goes through a series of wives during his rule. With...
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Arch of Triumph
as Ivon HaakeIn the winter of 1938, Paris is crowded with refugees from the Nazis, who live in the black...
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O. Henry's Full House
as Soapy (segment "The Cop and the Anthem")Five O. Henry stories, each separate. The primary one from the critics' acclaim was "The Cop and...
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as Jonathan ReynoldsA young man asks a hat check girl to pose as his fiancée in order to make his dying father's...
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as Sir Simon de Canterville / The GhostThe descendent of a ghost imprisoned for cowardice hopes to free the spirit by displaying...
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If I Had a Million
as Phineas V. LambertAn elderly business tycoon, believed to be dying, decides to give a million dollars each to...
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St. Martin's Lane
as Charles StaggersOn the sidewalks of the London theater district the buskers (street performers) earn enough...
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Ruggles of Red Gap
as Marmaduke RugglesIn this comedy of an Englishman stranded in a sea of barbaric Americans, Marmaduke Ruggles, a...
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Stand by for Action
as Rear Admiral Stephen ThomasU. S. Navy Lieutenant Gregg Masterman, of The Harvard and Boston Back Bay Mastermans, learned...
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Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker
as actor 'Advise and 'Consent' (archive footage) (uncredited)This documentary, hosted by actor Burgess Meredith, explores the life and career of movie...
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Hollywood: The Dream Factory
as Self (archive footage)A documentary about the glorious history of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and its decline leading...
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Tales of Manhattan
as Charles SmithTen screenwriters collaborated on this series of tales concerning the effect a tailcoat cursed...
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Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd
as Capt. William KiddTwo hapless waiters in a tavern on the Spanish Main play cupid between aristocratic Lady Jane...
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Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'
as Self (archive footage)Starting with "The Wolf Man" (in 1941), Universal Studios made five movies featuring The Wolf...
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Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
as Self (archive footage)A collection of bloopers and outtakes from an enormous selection of Hollywood classic...
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The Blue Veil
as Fred K. BegleyA World War I widow loses her only child and spends the rest of her life as a children's nurse.
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1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
as Self (archive footage)This documentary focuses on 1939, considered to be Hollywood's greatest year, with film clips...
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Forever and a Day
as BellamyIn World War II, American Gates Trimble Pomfret is in London during the Blitz to sell the...
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Blue Bottles
as BurglarAs criminals assemble for a convention, a policeman investigates and is abducted. A young woman...
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On Our Merry Way
as ReverendOliver Pease gets a dose of courage from his wife Martha and tricks the editor of the paper...
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Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
as SelfThis 1940 presentation features highlights of earlier (1928 onward) Oscar ceremonies including...
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The Strange Door
as Sire Alain de MaletroitThe wicked Alain plots an elaborate revenge against his younger brother Edmund, leading to a...
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The Man on the Eiffel Tower
as Inspector Jules MaigretA down-and-out student is hired to kill a wealthy woman. When someone else is suspected of the...
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Under Ten Flags
as Admiral Russell"Under Ten Flags" is a WWII movie loosely based on the true story of the German navy commerce...
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Down River
as Captain GrossmanA murderous skipper involved in dope trafficking.
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Payment Deferred
as William MarbleBank clerk William Marble is desperate for money to pay his family's bills. When his wealthy...
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White Woman
as Horace H. PrinA nightclub singer marries the rich owner of a rubber plantation. When she returns with him to...
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Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)Out-takes (mostly from Warner Bros.), promotional shorts, movie premieres, public service pleas,...
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The Devil and the Deep
as Cmdr. Charles SturmNaval commander Charles Storm has made life miserable for his wife Diana due to his insane...
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Wolves
as Captain JobAn outlaw leader fakes a draw for a sick girl so he can help her escape
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Comets
as HimselfA Musical Revue featuring a number of prominent vaudeville and theatrical British artists of the...
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They Knew What They Wanted
as Tony PatucciWhile courting a young woman by mail, a rich farmer sends a photograph of his foreman instead of...
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The Barretts of Wimpole Street
as Edward Moulton-BarrettRemarkable poet Elizabeth Barrett is slowly recovering from a crippling illness with the help of...
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Daydreams
as Lecherous Boarder / Ram Das in Dream SequenceA young cleaning woman in a boarding-house relieves the drudgery of her job by daydreaming that...
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as JonasAfter a long absense from the island, Chester Tuttle returns to Tahiti to find that little has...
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The Girl from Manhattan
as The BishopA small-town girl who's made it big in New York as a fashion model returns home, only to find...
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The Tonic
as Father of the FamilyThe family of the very wealthy but infirm Great Aunt Louisa await her untimely demise in the...
Movie pageVessel of Wrath
as Ginger TedGinger Ted, AKA Edward Claude Wilson, a drunkard and womanizer, and Miss Jones, a missionary,...
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Charles Laughton Directs 'The Night of the Hunter'
as Self (archive footage)An assembled compilation of footage from rushes, outtakes, and behind-the-scenes moments...
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The Art Director
as Self - from 'The Big Clock' (archive footage) (uncredited)A film's art director is in charge of the set, from conception to construction to furnishing....
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The Clerk
as Phineas V. LambertWhen clerk Phineas V. Lambert receives his check in the mail, he shows little emotion....
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Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film
as Dr. Moreau (archive footage)Join foremost experts discussing true Horror Classics - Frankenstein, Dracula, The Black Cat,...
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Because of Him
as John SheridanA young woman who wants to break into the theater schemes to become the protege of a famous...
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The Man from Down Under
as Jocko WilsonAn Australian blowhard raises two orphaned children as his own in the years leading up to WWII.
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The Epic That Never Was
as ClaudiusThe story of the aborted 1937 filming of "I, Claudius", starring Charles Laughton, with all of...
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Leben des Galilei
as Galileo GalileiGalileo, an eminent professor and scientist in the 17th century Venetian Republic, is short of...
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The Colgate Comedy Hour
as SelfThe Colgate Comedy Hour is an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC...
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What's My Line?
as Self - Mystery GuestFour panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while...
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The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
as SelfThe Dinah Shore Chevy Show is an American variety series hosted by Dinah Shore, and broadcast on...
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The Ed Sullivan Show
as SelfThe Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June...
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The Ed Sullivan Show
as Self - Guest HostThe Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June...
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Startime
as uncreditedStartime is an anthology show of drama, comedy, and variety, and was one of the first American...
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Brecht
as Galileo (voice)East Berlin, 1956. Bertolt Brecht, revolutionary of the theater and poet of the state, looks...
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General Electric Theater
as Edwin KensingtonGeneral Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was...
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General Electric Theater
as Henry DenryGeneral Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was...
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General Electric Theater
as M. HamelGeneral Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was...
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