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Dame Margarat Rutherford – That Funny English Actress

I have always been interested in English History and arts and as a fan of Margarat Rutherford the character actress, who was famous for her playing of Miss Marple in the 1950's and her comical parts in films from the 1930's to 1960's I though it would be interesting to tell the story of her movie career and life. As a fan of her movie career I would reccomend readers to watch DVD's of her films.

Margaret Rutherford, the daughter of William Benn and Florence Rutherford, was born on 11th May 1892. Her father was the brother of the politician John Benn. Before her birth, her father had murdered her grandfather, Julius Benn. As a result of this tragedy, Margaret took her mother's name. Margaret's mother then died when she was three years old and she was brought up by her aunt.

At school Rutherford developed an interest in the theatre and her aunt paid for her to have private acting lessons. When her aunt died she left Margaret a small amount of money so she could pursue a career on the stage. Following a number of years spent as a speech and piano teacher, she trained at the Old Vic and debuted onstage in 1925 where she appeared in several small roles.

Her slightly fully shape was unconventional for many female stars at this time and this often lead her to a number of unusual female roles such as spinsters and detectives. She was originally a teacher of elocution, (that's an English word for speaking with the correct pronunciation of words), which meant that in many ways much of her comedy was derived from her extensive vocal ability.

Some of her finest parts actually originated in the theatre – for example she had played both Madame Arcati and Miss Prism on the stage before she repeated the roles in the screen adaptations of Blithe Spirit (1945) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1952).

Rutherford made her first appearance in London's West End theatres in 1933 but her talent was not recognised by the critics until her performance as Miss Prism in the play ‘The Importance of Being Earnest' (1939).

In summer 1941, Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit" opened on the London stage, with Coward himself directing. She played as Madame Arcati, the fake psychic in a role in which Coward had earlier envisaged for her and which he then especially shaped.

It would be as Madame Arcati in David Lean's 'Blithe Spirit' (1945) that would actually establish her as a big screen success. This would become one of her most memorable performances, with her bicycling about the Kentish countryside, cape fluttering behind her. Interestingly it would also establish the model for portraying that pseudo-soothsayer forever thereafter and there have been about six remakes of the film. As a slight aside - as Noel Coward had Margaret in mind for his Madame Arcati creation, so also did Agatha Christie create Miss Marple for Rutherford a number of years later.
Some of her finest screen work was when she was in fifties. She was superb as Nurse Carey in Miranda (1948) and completely believable in the role of Professor Hatton Jones Passport to Pimlico (1949). More success followed as see starred along Alistir Sim in ‘The Happiest days of your life' (1950).

Then came along the role that she was so destined for, that of Miss Letitia Prism in Anthony Asquiths ‘The Importance of Being Earnest' (1952). Incredibly despite a whole string of very capable and distinguished performances – she had still not won a single film honour. More comic characters followed including Prudence Croquet in ‘An Alligator Named Daisy' (1955), and, quite properly part of those self-conscious celebrations of British cinema, ‘The Magic Box' (1951).

She was then Mrs. Fazackalee in Basil Deardens ‘The smallest show on Earth' (1957) with such notables as Virginia McKenna, Peter Sellers and Leslie Phillips. For much of the 60's she become synonymous with Miss Jane Marple) although a particular favourite of mine is the 1963 film The Mouse on the Moon. She also was awarded an OBE for services to stage and screen in 1861.

She evatually got some recognition from her peers winning the Oscar and Golden Globe for her role as The Duchess of Brighton in ‘The VIPs' (1963) directed by Anthony Asquith. Also that year Agatha Christie dedicated her 1963 novel "The Mirror Crack'd From Side To Side" to Rutherford in admiration of her work.

Orson Welles made an art house tribute by casting her as Mistress Quickly in ‘Chimes at Midnight' (1965). Two years later her OBE was elevated to DBE making her a Dame of the British Empire. She finished working a year later although she read a number of stories on the childrens programme Jackanory (BBC1).

She was married to actor Stringer Davis from 1945 to her death – she also appeared in several films with him.

Filmography

Year

Film

Role

Notes

1936

Talk of the Devil

Housekeeper

Dusty Ermine

Evelyn Summers aka Miss Butterby, old gang moll

Troubled Waters

Bit role

uncredited

1937

Missing, Believed Married

Lady Parke

Catch As Catch Can

Maggie Carberry

Big Fella

Nanny

uncredited

Beauty and the Barge

Mrs. Baldwin

1941

Spring Meeting

Aunt Bijou

Quiet Wedding

Magistrate

1943

Yellow Canary

Mrs. Towcester

The Demi-Paradise

Rowena Ventnor

1944

English Without Tears

Lady Christabel Beauclerk

1945

Blithe Spirit

Madame Arcati

1947

While the Sun Shines

Dr. Winifred Frye

Meet Me at Dawn

Madame Vernore

1948

Miranda

Nurse Carey

1949

Passport to Pimlico

Professor Hatton-Jones

1950

The Happiest Days of Your Life

Muriel Whitchurch

Quel bandito sono io
(UK title: Her Favorite Husband)

Mrs. Dotherington

1951

The Magic Box

Lady Pond

1952

Curtain Up

Catherine Beckwith/Jeremy St. Claire

Miss Robin Hood

Miss Honey

The Importance of Being Earnest

Miss Letitia Prism

Castle in the Air

Miss Nicholson

1953

Innocents in Paris

Gwladys Inglott

Trouble in Store

Miss Bacon

1954

The Runaway Bus

Miss Cynthia Beeston

Mad About Men

Nurse Carey

Aunt Clara

Clara Hilton

1955

An Alligator Named Daisy

Prudence Croquet

1957

The Smallest Show on Earth

Mrs. Fazackalee

Just My Luck

Mrs. Dooley

1959

I'm All Right Jack

Aunt Dolly

1961

On the Double

Lady Vivian

Murder, She Said

Miss Jane Marple

1963

Murder at the Gallop

Miss Jane Marple

The Mouse on the Moon

Grand Duchess Gloriana XIII

The V.I.P.s

The Duchess of Brighton

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Golden Globe

1964

Murder Most Foul

Miss Jane Marple

Murder Ahoy!

Miss Jane Marple

1965

Chimes at Midnight

Mistress Quickly

The Alphabet Murders

Miss Jane Marple

uncredited cameo

1967

A Countess from Hong Kong

Miss Gaulswallow

Arabella

Princess Ilaria

The Wacky World of Mother Goose

Mother Goose

voice

Dame Margaret was a cousin of the radical left-wing Labour politician Tony Benn. Towards the end of her life she started to suffer from Alzheimer's disease, Dame Margaret Rutherford died in 1972 at the ripe old age of 80.

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Copyright © 2010 Paul Hussey. All Rights Reserved.

About the Author

My family tree has been traced back to the early Kings of England from the 7th Century AD. I am also a direct descendent of Sir Christopher Wren which has given me an interest in English History which is great fun to research.

 

I have recently decided to write articles on my favourite subjects: English Sports, English History, English Icons, English Discoveries and English Inventions. At present I have written over 100 articles which I call "An Englishman's Favourite Bits Of England" in various Volumes. Please visit my fun Blogs page http://Bloggs.Resourcez.Com where I have listed all my fun articles to date.

Copyright © 2010 Paul Hussey. All Rights Reserved.