Mona Washbourne
Born: 1903-11-27 in Solihull, Warwickshire, England, UK
Died: 1988-11-15
Known For: Acting
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mona Lee Washbourne (27 November 1903 – 15 November 1988) was an English actress of stage, film, and television. Her most critically acclaimed role was in the film Stevie (1978), late in her career, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award. Mona Washbourne was born in Solihull, Warwickshire and began her entertaining career training as a concert pianist. In 1948, after several years acting professionally on stage, and numerous stage musical performances, she began appearing in films. Her film credits include the horror movie The Brides of Dracula (1960), Billy Liar (1963), and The Collector (1965). She is probably best known to American audiences for her role as housekeeper Mrs. Pearce in My Fair Lady (1964). She also appeared as the stern and caustic Mrs. Bramson in the remake of Night Must Fall (also 1964), and the matron in the film If.... (1968). She appeared at both the Royal Court Theatre in London and on Broadway in 1970 in David Storey's Home. She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play. In 1975 she appeared on the West End stage with James Stewart in a revival of Mary Chase's play Harvey, in the role originally taken by Josephine Hull. Washbourne won the 1981 New York Film Critics' Circle Awards for Best Supporting Actress in Stevie (1978). In 1981 Washbourne appeared in Granada Television's TV miniseries adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited as Nanny Hawkins. One of her last television appearances was in Where's the Key? (1983), a BBC play about Alzheimer's disease. Mona Washbourne was married to actor Basil Dignam (1905-1979), whom she wed in 1940. She died in 1988, aged 84, in London.
Filmography
1984
- December Flower as Mary Grey
1982
- Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story as Queen Mother
1981
- Brideshead Revisited as Nanny Hawkins
- Pygmalion as Mrs. Pearce
1980
- Therese Raquin as Madame Raquin
1979
- The London Connection as Aunt Lydia
1978
- Stevie as Aunt
1977
- The Galton & Simpson Playhouse as Ethel Duckworth
1976
- The Blue Bird as Grandmother
1975
- The Old Curiosity Shop as Mrs. Jarley
1974
- Identikit as Mrs. Helen Fiedke
1973
- O Lucky Man! as Neighbour / Usher / Sister Hallett
1972
- What Became of Jack and Jill? as Gran Alice Tallent
- Home as Kathleen
- I Spy a Stranger as Mrs. Hudson
1970
- Play for Today
- The Games as Mrs. Hayes
- Poor Mother as Sister
- The Great Inimitable Mr. Dickens as Mrs. Jarley
- Fragment of Fear as Mrs. Gray
1969
- The Bed Sitting Room as Mother
1968
- Number Ten as Julia Pryton
- if.... as Matron
- Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter as Mrs. Brown
1967
- Casino Royale as Tea Lady (uncredited)
- Two a Penny
1965
- The Collector as Aunt Annie
- The Third Day as Catherine Parsons
- One Way Pendulum as Aunt Mildred
- Ferry Cross the Mersey as Aunt Lil
1964
- My Fair Lady as Mrs. Pearce
- Night Must Fall as Mrs. Bramson
1963
- Billy Liar as Alice Fisher
1962
- Operation Stogie as Lady Cormorant
1960
- The Brides of Dracula as Helga Lang
1959
- Count Your Blessings as Nanny
1958
- A Cry from the Streets as Mrs. Daniels
- Son of a Stranger
1957
- Stranger in Town as Agnes Smith
- The Good Companions as Mrs. Joe
1956
- Circus Friends as Miss Linstead
- Lost as Librarian
- Loser Takes All as Nurse (uncredited)
- It's Great to be Young! as Miss Merrow, a School Mistress
- Yield to the Night as Mrs. Thomas, landlady
1955
- Matinee Theater
- Cast a Dark Shadow as Monica Bare
- John and Julie as Miss Rendlesham
1954
- Betrayed as Waitress (uncredited)
- The Million Pound Note as Mum with Pram
- Monsieur Ripois as Landlady
- Doctor in the House as Midwifery Sister (uncredited)
- To Dorothy, a Son as Midwife Appleby
- Adventure in the Hopfields as Mrs. McBain
1953
- Johnny on the Run as Mrs MacGregor
1952
- The Gambler and the Lady as Miss Minter
1950
- Dark Interval
- Double Confession as Fussy Mother
- Probation Officer as Mrs. Mead
1949
- Adam and Evelyne as Mrs. Salop, Lady Gambler (uncredited)
- Maytime in Mayfair as Lady Levenson
- Once Upon a Dream as Vicar's Wife
1948
- The Winslow Boy as Miss Barnes