Edith Evans

Biography

Edith Evans was an English actress whose stage career spanned sixty years and more than 100 roles, drawing on Shakespeare, Congreve, Goldsmith, Sheridan and Wilde as well as contemporary playwrights. Born in London, she began with an amateur Shakespeare group in 1910 and turned professional two years later, reaching the West End in 1913. She created roles for Bernard Shaw, and in 1924 her Millamant in The Way of the World brought wide public fame. She was celebrated for aristocratic women such as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest, which she played on film in 1952. Three Academy Award nominations came between 1964 and 1968, and The Whisperers (1967) brought five major awards; her other films included Tom Jones (1963), The Chalk Garden (1964) and The Slipper and the Rose (1976). She was made a dame in 1946 and died in 1976.

88years old at death

Born February 8, 1888London
Died October 14, 1976Cranbrook
Star sign: AquariusThe sign runs January 20 to February 18
Also credited as Edith Mary Evans, Dame Edith Evans and Dame Edith Mary Evans

Movie Career

Films: 15
Career span: 69 years1949 to 2018

Genres

Drama60%, 9 films
Comedy27%, 4 films
Fantasy20%, 3 films
Adventure13%, 2 films
Family13%, 2 films

First and latest

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First role
While employed at a milliner's shop in the City, Edith Evans took drama classes in Victoria. Those classes became the amateur Streatham Shakespeare Players, and with them she first appeared on stage in October 1910, playing Viola in Twelfth Night.
Big break
In 1924, Edith Evans played Millamant in The Way of the World, and this performance brought her wide public fame for the first time.
A role that slipped away
Edith Evans played Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest on and off for seven years, but in 1947 she declined to act in the play again when a Broadway run was offered.
A first
At age 87, Edith Evans played the Dowager Queen in The Slipper and the Rose, a role in which she sang and danced.

Edith Evans movies on Netflix

Nothing Like a Dame2018IMDb rating 7.4as Himself
The Slipper and the Rose1976IMDb rating 6.9as Dowager Queen
Craze1974IMDb rating 5.2as Aunt Louise Nash
A Doll's House1973IMDb rating 6.4as Anne-Marie
Scrooge1970IMDb rating 7.5as Ghost of Christmas Past
The Madwoman of Chaillot1969IMDb rating 5.9as Josephine
Fitzwilly1967IMDb rating 6.7as Miss Victoria Woodworth
The Whisperers1967IMDb rating 7.1as Mrs Ross
Young Cassidy1965IMDb rating 6.5as Lady Gregory
The Chalk Garden1964IMDb rating 7.2as Mrs. St. Maugham
Tom Jones1963IMDb rating 6.3as Miss Western
Look Back in Anger1959IMDb rating 7.0as Mrs. Tanner
The Nun's Story1959IMDb rating 7.5as Rev. Mother Emmanuel (Belgium)
The Importance of Being Earnest1952IMDb rating 7.4as Lady Bracknell
The Queen of Spades1949IMDb rating 7.1as The Old Countess Ranevskaya

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Tom Jones1963 Adventure, Comedy, Historyas Miss Western
IMDb rating 6.316K votes
Scrooge1970 Drama, Family, Fantasyas Ghost of Christmas Past
IMDb rating 7.514K votes
The Nun's Story1959as Rev. Mother Emmanuel (Belgium)
IMDb rating 7.513K votes
The Importance of Being Earnest1952as Lady Bracknell
IMDb rating 7.47.0K votes
The Whisperers1967as Mrs Ross
IMDb rating 7.11.8K votes
The Queen of Spades1949as The Old Countess Ranevskaya
IMDb rating 7.12.8K votes
Look Back in Anger1959as Mrs. Tanner
IMDb rating 7.04.8K votes
The Chalk Garden1964as Mrs. St. Maugham
IMDb rating 7.22.9K votes

Most often with

Bryan Forbes directed three of these films, Tony Richardson two and Ronald Neame two. George Devine appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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George Devine

Donald Pleasence

Maggie Smith

Albert Finney

Claire Bloom

Hugh Griffith

Bryan ForbesDirector, 3 films

Tony RichardsonDirector, 2 films Ronald NeameDirector, 2 films

Films together

George Devine3 films together, 1959 to 2018
George Devine's page
- Nothing Like a Dame2018IMDb rating 7.4Evans as HimselfDevine as Himself
- Tom Jones1963IMDb rating 6.3Evans as Miss WesternDevine as Squire Allworthy
- Look Back in Anger1959IMDb rating 7.0Evans as Mrs. TannerDevine as Doctor
Donald Pleasence2 films together, 1959 to 1969
Donald Pleasence's page
- The Madwoman of Chaillot1969IMDb rating 5.9Evans as JosephinePleasence as The Prospector
- Look Back in Anger1959IMDb rating 7.0Evans as Mrs. TannerPleasence as Hurst
Maggie Smith2 films together, 1965 to 2018
Maggie Smith's page
- Nothing Like a Dame2018IMDb rating 7.4Evans as HimselfSmith as Self(Dame Maggie Smith)
- Young Cassidy1965IMDb rating 6.5Evans as Lady GregorySmith as Nora
Albert Finney2 films together, 1963 to 1970
Albert Finney's page
- Scrooge1970IMDb rating 7.5Evans as Ghost of Christmas PastFinney as Ebenezer Scrooge
- Tom Jones1963IMDb rating 6.3Evans as Miss WesternFinney as Tom Jones
Claire Bloom2 films together, 1959 to 1973
Claire Bloom's page
- A Doll's House1973IMDb rating 6.4Evans as Anne-MarieBloom as Nora Helmer
- Look Back in Anger1959IMDb rating 7.0Evans as Mrs. TannerBloom as Helena Charles
Hugh Griffith2 films together, 1963 to 1974
Hugh Griffith's page
- Craze1974IMDb rating 5.2Evans as Aunt Louise NashGriffith as Solicitor
- Tom Jones1963IMDb rating 6.3Evans as Miss WesternGriffith as Squire Western
Bryan ForbesDirector, 3 films, 1967 to 1976
All films by Bryan Forbes
- The Slipper and the Rose1976IMDb rating 6.9Evans as Dowager Queen
- The Madwoman of Chaillot1969IMDb rating 5.9Evans as Josephine
- The Whisperers1967IMDb rating 7.1Evans as Mrs Ross
Tony RichardsonDirector, 2 films, 1959 to 1963
All films by Tony Richardson
- Tom Jones1963IMDb rating 6.3Evans as Miss Western
- Look Back in Anger1959IMDb rating 7.0Evans as Mrs. Tanner
Ronald NeameDirector, 2 films, 1964 to 1970
All films by Ronald Neame
- Scrooge1970IMDb rating 7.5Evans as Ghost of Christmas Past
- The Chalk Garden1964IMDb rating 7.2Evans as Mrs. St. Maugham
Also two films together13 more actors
- Michael RedgraveYoung Cassidy (1965) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1952)
- Miles MallesonThe Importance of Being Earnest (1952) and The Queen of Spades (1949)
- Richard ChamberlainThe Slipper and the Rose (1976) and The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969)
- Jack MacGowranYoung Cassidy (1965) and Tom Jones (1963)
- Kenneth MoreThe Slipper and the Rose (1976) and Scrooge (1970)
- Gerald SimThe Slipper and the Rose (1976) and The Whisperers (1967)
- Joan GreenwoodTom Jones (1963) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1952)
- Nanette NewmanThe Madwoman of Chaillot (1969) and The Whisperers (1967)
- Michael MedwinScrooge (1970) and The Queen of Spades (1949)
- Ivor BarnardThe Importance of Being Earnest (1952) and The Queen of Spades (1949)
- Walter HuddLook Back in Anger (1959) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1952)
- Toke TownleyThe Chalk Garden (1964) and Look Back in Anger (1959)
- Lally BowersThe Slipper and the Rose (1976) and The Chalk Garden (1964)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Awards

Four awards and honors from 1946 to 1968, three of them major.

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Edith Evans's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Golden Globes
1968	Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama	The Whisperers	Won
BAFTA
1968	Best Actress in a Leading Role	The Whisperers	Won
Berlin Film Festival
1967	Silver Bear for Best Actress	The Whisperers	Won
Other honors
1946	Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire		Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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