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Nora Cecil
Actor

Nora Cecil

24 Sep 1878Born
1 May 1951Died
72Age at death
144Credits

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nora Cecil (September 20, 1878 – May 1, 1951) was a British-American character actress whose 30-year career spanned both the silent and sound film eras. Cecil's career began on the stage, where she appeared in a single Broadway production, The Sleeping Beauty and the Beast, which ran for more than 240 performances at the Broadway Theatre in 1901-02.

Read the full biography

(A 1930 newspaper article says that Cecil "made her debut, three decades ago, on the London stage.")

Cecil appeared in well over 100 feature films and film shorts.

In 1915, she moved from the stage into films, her first appearance being in a starring role in The Arrival of Perpetua, directed by Émile Chautard. She often played "thin-lipped, stern-visaged dowagers and forbidding mothers-in-law" and "welfare workers, landladies, schoolmistresses and maiden aunts".

One of the most significant roles was in the W.C. Fields vehicle, The Old Fashioned Way in 1934. Some of the other notable films in which Cecil appeared include: Ernst Lubitsch's historical romance, The Merry Widow, starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald; the 1939 version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, starring Mickey Rooney; the John Ford classic, Stagecoach, with John Wayne.

Her final acting performance was in a featured role in Mourning Becomes Electra in 1947, starring Rosalind Russell.

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 144 credits.

  1. 1964The Big Parade of ComedyFilm: Actress in 'Hollywood Party' (archive footage) (uncredited)
  2. 1947Mourning Becomes ElectraFilm: Louisa Ames
  3. 1947The Sea of GrassFilm: Mrs. Ryan - Nurse (uncredited)
  4. 1946Big TownFilm: Miss Lovelace (uncredited)
  5. 1946The Missing LadyFilm: Miss Millie
  6. 1946Two Sisters from BostonFilm: Mrs. Mulberry - Recital Guest (uncredited)
  7. 1945Lady on a TrainFilm
  8. 1944The Thin Man Goes HomeFilm: Miss Peavy
  9. 1944The Miracle of Morgan's CreekFilm: Hospital Nurse (uncredited)
  10. 1944Hail the Conquering HeroFilm: Train Ticket Clerk (uncredited)
  11. 1943The Unknown GuestFilm: Martha Williams
  12. 1942I Married a WitchFilm: Harriet Wooley (uncredited)
  13. 1942Apache TrailFilm: Passenger (uncredited)
  14. 1942The Wife Takes a FlyerFilm: Miss Updike
  15. 1942Obliging Young LadyFilm: Miss Hollyrod - Bird Lover (uncredited)
  16. 1941Three Girls About TownFilm: Casket Customer
  17. 1941A Girl, a Guy, and a GobFilm: Charwoman
  18. 1940The Bank DickFilm: Lompoc Ladies Auxiliary (uncredited)
  19. 1940Little MenFilm: Head of Orphanage
  20. 1940Young PeopleFilm: Righteous Old Lady (uncredited)
  21. 1940Lucky PartnersFilm: Women's Club President (uncredited)
  22. 1940Those Were the Days!Film: Mrs. Moffett
  23. 1939What a LifeFilm: Miss Eggleston
  24. 1939Some Like It HotFilm: Mrs. Beckett (uncredited)
  25. 1939Union PacificFilm: Snoring Woman on Train (uncredited)
  26. 1939The Story of Alexander Graham BellFilm: Miss Jenkins
  27. 1939StagecoachFilm: Boone's Landlady (uncredited)
  28. 1939The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnFilm: Mrs. Shackleford (uncredited)
  29. 1938Mr. Boggs Steps OutFilm: Widow Peddie
  30. 1938International SettlementFilm: English Woman
  31. 1937Borrowing TroubleFilm: Dressmaker
  32. 1937Nothing SacredFilm: Schoolteacher (uncredited)
  33. 1937Blossoms On BroadwayFilm: Leader of Committee (uncredited)
  34. 1937Partners in CrimeFilm: Housekeeper
  35. 1937She Asked for ItFilm: Elderly lady (uncredited)
  36. 1937Easy LivingFilm: Miss Swerf
  37. 1937Night of MysteryFilm
  38. 1937Three Smart BoysFilm: Miss Witherspoon, Superintendent
  39. 1937Night Must FallFilm
  40. 1937Champagne WaltzFilm: Train Passenger
  41. 1937The Mighty TreveFilm: Old Maid at Dog Show
  42. 1936College HolidayFilm: Miss Elkins (uncredited)
  43. 1936Laughing at TroubleFilm: Mrs. Wigby - Townswoman
  44. 1936Under Your SpellFilm: School Teacher (uncredited)
  45. 1936The Big Broadcast of 1937Film: Home Economics Woman
  46. 1936Let's Make a MillionFilm
  47. 1936Girl of the OzarksFilm: Miss Trent
  48. 1936Little Miss NobodyFilm: Mrs. Robinson
  49. 1936FuryFilm: Albert's Mother (uncredited)
  50. 1936Dancing PirateFilm: Landlady (uncredited)
  51. 1936Two in the DarkFilm: Mrs. Potter, Landlady (uncredited)
  52. 1935CollegiateFilm: Miss Curtiss
  53. 1935Way Down EastFilm: Townswoman at Party
  54. 1935Slightly StaticFilm: Beauty Products Announcer (uncredited)
  55. 1935Vagabond LadyFilm: Miss Perkins (uncredited)
  56. 1935Gold Diggers of 1935Film: Housekeeper (uncredited)
  57. 1935Car 99Film: Granny Adams
  58. 1935Memories and MelodiesFilm: Customer (uncredited)
  59. 1935Biography of a Bachelor GirlFilm: Ship's Matron (uncredited)
  60. 1934The Merry WidowFilm: Animal Woman (uncredited)
  61. 1934Opened by MistakeFilm: Head Nurse
  62. 1934The Spectacle MakerFilm: Duchess
  63. 1934ChainedFilm: Edith (uncredited)
  64. 1934One-Horse FarmersFilm: Subway Passenger (uncredited)
  65. 1934Bachelor BaitFilm: Mrs. Trutmanner (uncredited)
  66. 1934The Old-Fashioned WayFilm: Mrs. Wendelschaffer
  67. 1934UpperworldFilm: Stream's Housekeeper (uncredited)
  68. 1934Laughing BoyFilm: Schoolteacher
  69. 1934You're Telling Me!Film: Mrs. Price
  70. 1934Once to Every WomanFilm: Miss Baxter’s Sister (uncredited)
  71. 1934Mixed NutsFilm: Mrs. Twitchett
  72. 1934Search for BeautyFilm: Miss Pettigrew
  73. 1933Design for LivingFilm: Tom's Secretary (uncredited)
  74. 1933Going HollywoodFilm: Briarcroft's Teacher
  75. 1933Meet the BaronFilm: Professor Winterbottom (uncredited)
  76. 1933Stage MotherFilm: Miss Gilford, Kitty's Music Store Boss (uncredited)
  77. 1933Doctor BullFilm: Aunt Emily Banning
  78. 1933Hold Your ManFilm: Miss Campbell (uncredited)
  79. 1933Peg o' My HeartFilm: Smythe (maid)
  80. 1933Nature in the WrongFilm: Muriel's mother

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.