Charles Luton is an actor known in the first half of the last century. He entered the history of cinema as the first Englishman to receive an Oscar. On account of Charles Lawton, many characters from classical literary works and several historical figures played on the theatrical stage and in the cinema. For one of these roles, he received a prestigious film award. The biography and creative path of the actor is the topic of today's article.
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Charles Lawton was born in 1899 in the UK. At the age of twenty-six, he played his first role on the theatrical stage in the play based on Gogol's work The Examiner. Two years later, his film debut took place. Charles Lawton has starred in three short films. Then his filmography was replenished with episodic roles in such films as "The Old Dark House", "Piccadilly". The first one is a Hollywood project. Although Charles Lawton played a minor role in this picture, it was she who brought him fame.
"The old dark house"
The plot is based on the mysterious story of wanderers who once found themselves in a rather strange house. The inhabitants of the mansion, in which darkness reigns supreme, are mysterious people and not without oddities that terrify guests. Later it turns out that the most dangerous inhabitant of the house is upstairs and suffers from pyromania, for which he has been imprisoned for several years. But at any moment he may be free.
Charles Laughton played a man who happened to be completely by chance in a dark old house - William Porterhouse. After the release of this picture, the actor noticed in Hollywood.
It is worth saying that he never adhered to a certain type. The actor had an impressive figure, but was at the same time quite mobile. Charles Lawton possessed comedic talent. But he was easily given dramatic images. Theater critics noted his work in productions such as The Cherry Orchard and Galileo Galilei.
In 1933, he played a major role in the film "The Private Life of Henry VIII." It was for this work that Charles Lawton was awarded the Oscar.
Since 1940, the actor, having received American citizenship, lived in the United States. Here he took part in various Hollywood projects. In 1955, Charles Lawton made his debut as a director, removing the film "Night of the Hunter." His later works include the films “Prosecution Witnesses,” and “Consent Tips.” For starring in the latter, the actor was posthumously nominated for a British Academy Award. The following is a list of the most famous films featuring Charles Lawton.
Films
In 1939, the screen version of the great work "Notre Dame de Paris" was released. Hugo’s novel was filmed more than once by filmmakers. But the interpretation of William Dieterle is today considered by many critics to be the best. In the movie "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," Lawton played the lead role. His partners on the set were Cedric Hardwick, Maureen O'Hara, Alan Marshall. Quasimodo Charles Lawton is one of the most famous cinema images of the first half of the XX century. Three years before the release of this film, the actor played the role of the famous Dutch painter in the film "Rembrandt". According to the version of the National Council of Film Critics of the United States, the film is one of the best film works of European directors.
"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Rembrandt" were created before the actor devoted himself fully to work in Hollywood. " In the forties and fifties, Lawton played in the following films:
- “Eternity and one day” (played the role of a butler).
- Canterville Ghost (played by an otherworldly creature).
- "Suspect".
- "Triumphal Arch".
- The Paradine Affair.
- "Bribe".
- "Big clock".
- "Baby Bess."
- "Spartacus".
A film adaptation of Remarque ’s novel “Arc de Triomphe” was released in 1948. The main roles were played by Ingrid Bergman and Charles Buyer. Charles Lawton played a negative character - the Gestapo von Haake.
Personal life
Charles Lawton met his future wife on the set of a short film in 1928. He played in a film with Elsa Lanchester, known for her role in the movie "Frankenstein's Bride." They lived a long life together, but they never had children. In her declining years, the actress published a book of memoirs, in which she explained this circumstance to the homosexuality of her husband. Charles Lawton passed away in 1962 as a result of cancer. Buried in Hollywood.