Lucile Watson (May 27, 1879 – June 24, 1962) was a Canadian actress, long based in the United States. She was "famous for her roles of formidable dowagers."[1]

Lucile Watson
Photo of Lucile Watson from her appearance in the Broadway play Late Love
Watson in 1953
Born(1879-05-27)May 27, 1879
DiedJune 24, 1962(1962-06-24) (aged 83)
New York City, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1902–1954

Early years

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Watson was born in Quebec and raised in Ottawa, the daughter of an officer in the British Army. Despite his wishes, she traveled to New York City and enrolled in a dramatic school.[2]

Career

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Watson as Fanny Farrelly in the original Broadway production of Watch on the Rhine, 1941

Watson was primarily a stage actress, appearing in 39 Broadway plays.[3]

In perhaps her most acclaimed performance, Watson portrayed Fanny Farrelly in playwright Lillian Hellman's anti-fascist dramatic stage play Watch on the Rhine on Broadway in 1941, starring Paul Lukas.[4] Two years later in Hollywood, she and Lukas reprised their roles in the film adaptation,[5] for which Watson received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.[6]

Death

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Watson died on June 24, 1962.[7]

Broadway roles

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Partial filmography

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Watson in the movie trailer My Forbidden Past (1951)

Sources

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References

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  1. ^ "Famed actress dies at 83". California, Redlands. Redlands Daily Facts. June 26, 1962. p. 5. Retrieved March 14, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ "Lucile Watson, Type". D.C, Washington. The Washington Herald. February 9, 1919. p. 15. Retrieved March 14, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  3. ^ "Lucile Watson". Playbill. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  4. ^ "Obituaries". Variety. June 27, 1962. p. 63. ProQuest 1032424803. Perhaps her most highly praised performance was as Fanny Farrelly in Lillian Hellman's anti-Nazi play, 'Watch on the Rhine,' which starred Paul Lucas and opened in 1941.
  5. ^ "Watch on the Rhine". IBDB.com. Internet Broadway Database.
  6. ^ United Press (February 7, 1944). "Three Former Winners Listed in 'Oscar' Race". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 9. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  7. ^ "Lucile Watson, Actress, 83, Dies". Connecticut, Bridgeport. The Bridgeport Post. June 25, 1962. p. 24. Retrieved March 14, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  8. ^ "Watch on the Rhine". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved February 28, 2017.

Further reading

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  • Alistair, Rupert (2018). "Lucile Watson". The Name Below the Title : 65 Classic Movie Character Actors from Hollywood's Golden Age (softcover) (First ed.). Great Britain: Independently published. pp. 249–251. ISBN 978-1-7200-3837-5.
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