Elsa Lanchester

October 29, 2009


Today Elsa Lanchester would have been 107 years old. I know it's kind of cliche for me to paint her as the Bride of Frankenstein, but how could I pass up the opportunity to paint that hair?! Besides, it's kind of fitting what with Halloween coming up in a few days.

Personally, I love the characters she played when she got older -- in Mary Poppins as the fed-up nanny, in Bell Book and Candle as a wacky witch and in Witness for the Prosecution as Charles Laughton's nagging nurse. But I also like her earlier performances with Charles Laughton, like in The Big Clock and Tales of Manhattan.

Okay, to be honest, I love every movie she's in. She was a fantastic character actress and her presence in a film guarantees that you are in for an enjoyable movie experience!

7 comments:

Millie said...

Wow, that's a truly stupendous painting!

I LOVE Elsa! Truly one of the great, underrated actresses!

Hahaha, I suddenly just keep thinking of her That Darn Cat...with the fishing pole...

Tom said...

Oh, you've really captured her essence as the Bride. Did you see "Come to the Stable"? I love her in that movie, too.

Maria said...

Nice painting! I like the intense look you got to give her. Oh, and thanks for this entry. I always liked her in the Bride of Frankenstein but never knew too much about her.. like the Mary Poppins part. Very interesting.

Raquel Stecher said...

I love Elsa Lanchester. Who doesn't? She's in Mystery Street too.

Your painting is fabulous.

DKoren said...

Love it! She is fantastic in everything I've ever seen her in!

KC said...

What a fantastic painting! "Bride" is my favorite Elsa movie. Mostly because that opening scene always cracks me up: "you know how thunder alarms me!"

Terence Towles Canote said...

It's odd. The Bride of Frankenstein is my favourite horror movie of all time, and my favourite Elsa movie, but when I think of Elsa it's always the roles she played when she was older, particularly the witch in Bell, Book, and Candle. She was always great, but I just seem to remember her in her later roles!

Anyway, I love your Bride of Frankenstein!