Elspeth Dudgeon (4 December 1871 – 11 December 1955) was a Scottish character actress. With a career spanning nearly two decades, she was involved in 67 films, only 14 of which included her name in the credits.[1]
Dudgeon was born on 4 December 1871[2] in Edinburgh, Scotland and developed an interest in theatrics as a young girl. After joining a well known amateur organisation, she became notable for character roles.[3]
Career
Her first break came while she was still in Scotland, when actor-manager Osmond Tearle heard of her ability and booked her to appear in various Shakesperian plays.[3] Before this, she was already well known around Glasgow, such as in her part of a housekeeper in the 1916 play Doorsteps, where her performance was described as "extremely artistic".[4]
During World War I, Dudgeon was part of Lena Ashwell's company, performing for soldiers near the English front, occasionally joined by male soldiers on leave.[5] She also worked for Lydia Yvorska's company. Following her emigration to America, she joined Mr Clive's company as the Copyley Theatre.[3] She first appeared in an uncredited part in Waterloo Bridge (1931), before which she had a long and not very successful career as a theatrical actress.[6][7]
One of her earlier best remembered appearances was in the role of Sir Roderick Femm in the 1932 film The Old Dark House. Director James Whale needed someone to portray a centenarian and Dudgeon was the oldest actress he knew of, despite her being just 60 at the time.[8] A beard was pasted onto her and she delivered her lines in her own, high voice.[8] Having played the part of a man, she was credited as John Dudgeon, with actress Gloria Stuart later commenting that none of the cast at the time were aware Dudgeon was actually a female actress until the cast party. Whale was reported to have enjoyed keeping her real gender a secret, although Dudgeon would later work for him again several years later under her own name and gender.[9] She was also known as playing Miss Pinkerton in Becky Sharp (1935).[10] She featured in some other hit films of the following years, such as Camille (1936), Pride and Prejudice (1940) and a supporting role alongside Charles Laughton in The Canterville Ghost (1944).[11] She is also remembered by horror film buffs for her startling transformation scene in the cult comedy-thriller Sh! The Octopus (1937).
Personal life
She lived in California for 23 years.[12] She was 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m).[13]
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