Dame Frances Margaret Anderson, (10 February 18973 January 1992), known professionally as Judith Anderson, was an Australian actress who had a successful career in stage, film and television. A pre-eminent stage actress in her era, she won two

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

s and a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

and was also nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

and an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...

. She is considered one of the 20th century's greatest classical stage actors.

Early life

Frances Margaret Anderson was born in 1897 in

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater A ...

, South Australia, the youngest of four children born to Jessie Margaret (née Saltmarsh; 19 October 1862 – 24 November 1950), a former nurse, and Scottish-born James Anderson Anderson, a sharebroker and pioneering prospector. She attended a private school, Norwood, where her education ended before graduation.

Early acting

She made her professional debut (as Francee Anderson) in 1915, playing Stephanie at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, in ''A Royal Divorce''. Leading the company was the Scottish actor Julius Knight whom she later credited with laying the foundations of her acting skills. She appeared alongside him in adaptations of ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'', ''The Three Musketeers'', ''Monsieur Beacauire'' and ''David Garrick''. In 1917 she toured New Zealand.

Early years in America

Anderson was ambitious and wanted to leave Australia. Most local actors went to London but the war made this difficult so she decided on the US. She travelled to California but was unsuccessful for four months, then moved to New York, with an equal lack of success. After a period of poverty and illness, she found work with the Emma Bunting Stock Company at the

Fourteenth Street Theatre The Fourteenth Street Theatre was a New York City theatre located at 107 West 14th Street just west of Sixth Avenue.Berg, J.C. (9 January 2011)The Fourteenth Street Theater, ''nycvintageimages.com'' History It was designed by Alexander Saelt ...

in 1918–19. She then toured with other stock companies.

Broadway and film

She made her

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

debut in ''Up the Stairs'' (1922) followed by ''The Crooked Square'' (1923) and she went to Chicago with ''Patches'' (1923). She appeared in ''Peter Weston'' (1923), which only had a short run. One year later, she had changed her acting forename (albeit not for legal purposes) to Judith and had her first triumph with the play ''Cobra'' (1924) co-starring

Louis Calhern Carl Henry Vogt (February 19, 1895 – May 12, 1956), known professionally as Louis Calhern, was an American stage and screen actor. Well known to film noir fans for his role as the pivotal villain in 1950's ''The Asphalt Jungle'', he was n ...

, which ran for 35 performances. Anderson then went on to ''The Dove'' (1925) which went for 101 performances and really established her on Broadway. She toured Australia in 1927 with three plays: ''Tea for Three'', ''

The Green Hat ''Green Hat'' () (also known as ''The Green Hat'') is a Chinese film from 2003 and the debut of screenwriter Liu Fendou. Starring Li Congxi, Liao Fan, and Dong Lifan, the film tells the story of two men, one a bank robber, and one a police offi ...

'' and ''Cobra''. Back on Broadway she was in ''Behold the Bridegroom'' (1927–28) by George Kelly and had the lead role in ''Anna'' (1928). She replaced

Lynn Fontanne Lynn Fontanne (; 6 December 1887 – 30 July 1983) was an English actress. After early success in supporting roles in the West End, she met the American actor Alfred Lunt, whom she married in 1922 and with whom she co-starred in Broadway and We ...

during the successful run of ''

Strange Interlude ''Strange Interlude'' is an experimental play in nine acts by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. O'Neill began work on it as early as 1923 and developed its scenario in 1925; he wrote the play between May 1926 and the summer of 1927, and complete ...

'' (1929). Anderson made her film debut in a short for Warner Bros, ''Madame of the Jury'' (1930). She made her feature film debut with a role in '' Blood Money'' (1933). In 1931, she played the Unknown Woman in the American premiere of Pirandello's ''As You Desire Me'', which ran for 142 performances. (It was filmed the following year with

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic c ...

in the same role.) She was in a short-lived revival of ''

Mourning Becomes Electra ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' is a play cycle written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on 26 October 1931 where it ran for 150 performances before closing in March 1932, starring Lee Baker ...

'' (1932), then did ''Firebird'' (1932), ''Conquest'', ''The Drums Begin'' (both 1933), and ''The Mask and the Face'' (1933, with Humphrey Bogart). Anderson then focused on Broadway with ''Come of Age'' (1934), and ''Divided By Three'' (1934).

Broadway star

She had a big hit with the lead in

Zoe Akins Zoe Byrd Akins (October 30, 1886 – October 29, 1958) was an American playwright, poet, and author. She won the 1935 Pulitzer Prize for drama for '' The Old Maid''. Early life Zoe Byrd Akins was born in Humansville, Missouri, second of three ...

' '' The Old Maid'' (1935) from the novel by

Edith Wharton Edith Wharton (; born Edith Newbold Jones; January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and interior designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portra ...

, in the role later played on film by

Miriam Hopkins Ellen Miriam Hopkins (October 18, 1902 – October 9, 1972) was an American actress known for her versatility. She first signed with Paramount Pictures in 1930. Her best-known roles included a pickpocket in Ernst Lubitsch's romantic comedy ''Tr ...

. It ran for 305 performances. In 1936, Anderson played Gertrude to

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depi ...

in a production which featured

Lillian Gish Lillian Diana Gish (October 14, 1893February 27, 1993) was an American actress, director, and screenwriter. Her film-acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912, in silent film shorts, to 1987. Gish was called the "First Lady of American Cinema" ...

as Ophelia. In 1937, she joined the Old Vic Company in London and played

Lady Macbeth Lady Macbeth is a leading character in William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Macbeth'' (). As the wife of the play's tragic hero, Macbeth (a Scottish nobleman), Lady Macbeth goads her husband into committing regicide, after which she becomes que ...

opposite

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage o ...

in a production by

Michel Saint-Denis Michel Jacques Saint-Denis (13 September 1897 – 31 July 1971), ''dit'' Jacques Duchesne, was a French actor, theatre director, and drama theorist whose ideas on actor training have had a profound influence on the development of European th ...

, at the Old Vic and the New Theatre. She returned to Broadway with ''Family Portrait'' (1939), which she adored but only had a short run. She later toured in the show.Smith, Cecil (22 April 1985). "Dame Judith Anderson: Living, Working Legend". ''Los Angeles Times'', page G2.

''Rebecca''

Anderson then received a career boost when she was cast in

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's ''

Rebecca Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...

'' (1940). As the housekeeper Mrs. Danvers, she was required to mentally torment the young bride, the "second Mrs. de Winter" (

Joan Fontaine Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 – December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was a British-American actress who is best known for her starring roles in Hollywood films during the " Golden Age". Fontaine appeared ...

), even encouraging her to commit suicide; and to taunt her husband (

) with the memory of his first wife, the never-seen "Rebecca" of the title. The film was a huge critical and commercial success, and Anderson was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the

13th Academy Awards The 13th Academy Awards were held on February 27, 1941, to honor films released in 1940. This was the first year that sealed envelopes were used to keep the names of the winners secret. The accounting firm of Price Waterhouse was hired to count ...

. Anderson was second billed in an

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences ...

comedy, ''

Forty Little Mothers ''Forty Little Mothers'' is a 1940 American comedy-drama film directed by Busby Berkeley and starring Eddie Cantor. Plot Out-of-work professor Gilbert Jordan Thompson stops a suicidal stranger named Marian Edwards from jumping off a pier and he ...

'' (1940) at

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

. She stayed at that studio for '' Free and Easy'' (1941) then went over to RKO to play the title role in ''

Lady Scarface ''Lady Scarface'' is a 1941 American crime drama film that was directed by Frank Woodruff and starred Dennis O'Keefe, Judith Anderson, and Frances Neal. Plot The scar-faced gangster Slade is on the loose. Lieutenant Bill Mason travels to a hot ...

'' (1941). In 1941, she played Lady Macbeth again in New York opposite Maurice Evans in a production staged by

Margaret Webster Margaret Webster (March 15, 1905 – November 13, 1972) was an American-British theater actress, producer and director. Critic George Jean Nathan described her as "the best director of the plays of Shakespeare that we have." Life and caree ...

, a role she was to reprise with Evans on television, firstly in 1954 and then again in 1960 (the second version was released as a feature film in Europe). This ran for 131 performances. She returned to films to make four movies at Warner Bros: '' All Through the Night'', and ''

Kings Row ''Kings Row'' is a 1942 film starring Ann Sheridan, Robert Cummings, Ronald Reagan and Betty Field that tells a story of young people growing up in a small American town at the turn of the twentieth century. The picture was directed by Sam W ...

'' (both 1942), ''

Edge of Darkness ''Edge of Darkness'' is a British television drama serial produced by BBC Television in association with Lionheart Television International and originally broadcast in six 55-minute episodes in late 1985. A mixture of crime drama and politica ...

'', and ''

Stage Door Canteen The Stage Door Canteen was an entertainment venue for American and Allied servicemen that operated in the Broadway theatre district of New York City throughout World War II. Founded by the American Theatre Wing (ATW) in 1942, the entertainers we ...

'' (both 1943). In 1942–43, on stage she played Olga in

Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career a ...

's '' Three Sisters'', in a production which also featured

Katharine Cornell Katharine Cornell (February 16, 1893June 9, 1974) was an American stage actress, writer, theater owner and producer. She was born in Berlin to American parents and raised in Buffalo, New York. Dubbed "The First Lady of the Theatre" by critic A ...

Ruth Gordon Ruth Gordon Jones (October 30, 1896 – August 28, 1985) was an American actress, screenwriter, and playwright. She began her career performing on Broadway at age 19. Known for her nasal voice and distinctive personality, Gordon gained internati ...

Edmund Gwenn Edmund Gwenn (born Edmund John Kellaway; 26 September 1877 – 6 September 1959) was an English actor. On film, he is best remembered for his role as Kris Kringle in the Christmas film '' Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947), for which he won t ...

Dennis King Dennis King (born Dennis Pratt, 2 November 1897 – 21 May 1971) was an English actor and singer. Early years Born on 2 November 1897 in Coventry, Warwickshire, or Birmingham, England, King was the son of John and Elizabeth King Pratt. He ...

and

Alexander Knox Alexander Knox (16 January 1907 – 25 April 1995) was a Canadian actor on stage, screen, and occasionally television. He was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for his performance as Woodrow Wilson in the film ''Wilson'' (1944). ...

. (

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Dou ...

, playing an orderly, made his Broadway debut in the production.) It ran for 123 performances. The production was so illustrious, it made it to the cover of ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, t ...

''. Anderson returned to Hollywood to appear in '' Laura'' (1944). She briefly returned to Australia to tour American army camps. She was back in Hollywood to appear in ''

And Then There Were None ''And Then There Were None'' is a mystery fiction, mystery novel by the English writer Agatha Christie, described by her as the most difficult of her books to write. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 6 N ...

'' (1945), '' The Diary of a Chambermaid'' (1946), and ''

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' is a 1946 American film noir drama directed by Lewis Milestone from a screenplay written by Robert Rossen (and an uncredited Robert Riskin), based on the short story "Love Lies Bleeding" by playwright John Pa ...

'' (1946). Anderson had rare top billing in '' Specter of the Rose'' (1946), written and directed by

Ben Hecht Ben Hecht (; February 28, 1894 – April 18, 1964) was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, journalist, and novelist. A successful journalist in his youth, he went on to write 35 books and some of the most enjoyed screenplay ...

. She returned to support roles for ''

Pursued ''Pursued'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by Raoul Walsh with cinematography by James Wong Howe, written by Niven Busch, and starring Theresa Wright and Robert Mitchum. The supporting cast features Judith Anderson, Dean Jagger, Al ...

'' (1947), '' The Red House'' (1947), and ''

Tycoon A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...

'' (1947).

''Medea''

In 1947, she triumphed as

Medea In Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the ...

in a version of

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars ...

' eponymous tragedy, written by the poet

Robinson Jeffers John Robinson Jeffers (January 10, 1887 – January 20, 1962) was an American poet, known for his work about the central California coast. Much of Jeffers's poetry was written in narrative and epic form. However, he is also known for his shorte ...

and produced by John Gielgud, who played Jason. She was a friend of Jeffers and a frequent visitor to his home

Tor House Tor House and Hawk Tower are buildings in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, United States. They were the home of poet Robinson Jeffers and family from 1919 to 1999. The two structures, often referred to jointly as ''Tor House,'' are generally be ...

Carmel, California Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and ric ...

. She won the

for

Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress awar ...

for her performance. The show ran for 214 performances. Anderson then toured throughout the country with it.Scheuer, Philip K. (26 September 1948). "Judith Anderson Puts Her All Into Amazing ''Medea'' Portrayal: Judith Anderson Gives Her All to ''Medea'' Role". ''Los Angeles Times'', page D1. 1950s On the big screen, Anderson played a golddigger in

Anthony Mann Anthony Mann (born Emil Anton Bundsmann; June 30, 1906 – April 29, 1967) was an American film director and stage actor. Mann initially started as a theatre actor appearing in numerous stage productions. In 1937, he moved to Hollywood where ...

's western ''

The Furies The Erinyes ( ; sing. Erinys ; grc, Ἐρινύες, pl. of ), also known as the Furies, and the Eumenides, were female chthonic deities of vengeance in ancient Greek religion and mythology. A formulaic oath in the ''Iliad'' invokes them ...

'' (1950) and made her TV debut in a 1951 adaptation of '' The Silver Cord'' for ''

Pulitzer Prize Playhouse ''Pulitzer Prize Playhouse'' is an American television anthology drama series which offered adaptations of Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, novels, and stories. The distinguished journalist Elmer Davis was the host and narrator of this 1950-1952 ...

''. She guest starred on TV shows like '' The Billy Rose Show'' and ''

Somerset Maugham TV Theatre ''Somerset Maugham TV Theatre'' (originally known as ''Teller of Tales'' for the first three episodes) is an American anthology drama program. The series aired on CBS October 18, 1950 – March 28, 1951, and on NBC April 2, 1951 – Dece ...

''. She returned to Broadway with ''The Tower Beyond Tragedy'' by Jeffers (1950), and toured ''Medea'' in German in 1951. She was in a New York revival of ''Come of Age'' in 1952. She was Herodias in ''

Salome Salome (; he, שְלוֹמִית, Shlomit, related to , "peace"; el, Σαλώμη), also known as Salome III, was a Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II, son of Herod the Great, and princess Herodias, granddaughter of Herod the Great, a ...

'' (1953) and played in '' Black Chiffon'' on ''

The Motorola Television Hour ''The Motorola Television Hour'' is an hour-long anthology series which alternated bi-weekly with ''The United States Steel Hour'' on ABC. The show premiered on November 3, 1953, and was last aired on June 1, 1954. It was produced by Herbert Brod ...

''. In 1953, she was directed by

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play with his future ...

in his own adaptation of

Stephen Vincent Benét Stephen Vincent Benét (; July 22, 1898 – March 13, 1943) was an American poet, short story writer, and novelist. He is best known for his book-length narrative poem of the American Civil War, ''John Brown's Body'' (1928), for which he receive ...

's ''

John Brown's Body "John Brown's Body" (originally known as "John Brown's Song") is a United States marching song about the abolitionist John Brown. The song was popular in the Union during the American Civil War. The tune arose out of the folk hymn tradition o ...

'' with a cast also featuring

Raymond Massey Raymond Hart Massey (August 30, 1896 – July 29, 1983) was a Canadian actor, known for his commanding, stage-trained voice. For his lead role in '' Abe Lincoln in Illinois'' (1940), Massey was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Amo ...

and

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include ''Jesse James (193 ...

. Then she did ''In the Summer House'' (1953–54) on Broadway. Judith Anderson in The Ten Commandments film trailer

On television she was in ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'' (1954) with Maurice Evans for which she won The Emmy Award for Best Actress in a Single Performance, and '' The Elgin Hour''. She was in several episodes of '' The Star and the Story'' and an episode of ''

Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS progr ...

'' as well as playing Memnet in

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cin ...

's epic ''

The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ� ...

'' (1956). In 1955 she toured Australia with ''Medea''. In 1956 she was in a production of '' Caesar and Cleopatra'' for ''

Producers' Showcase ''Producers' Showcase'' is an American anthology television series that was telecast live during the 1950s in compatible color by NBC. With top talent, the 90-minute episodes, covering a wide variety of genres, aired under the title every fourth ...

''. Anderson appeared in a 1958 adaptation of ''

The Bridge of San Luis Rey ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' is American author Thornton Wilder's second novel. It was first published in 1927 to worldwide acclaim. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928, and was the best-selling work of fiction that year. Premise ''The B ...

'' for '' The DuPont Show of the Month'' and played the memorable role of Big Mama, alongside

Burl Ives Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995) was an American musician, actor, and author with a career that spanned more than six decades. Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his own rad ...

as Big Daddy, in the screen adaptation of

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

's play, ''

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' is a three-act play written by Tennessee Williams. An adaptation of his 1952 short story "Three Players of a Summer Game", the play was written by him between 1953 and 1955. One of Williams's more famous works and his p ...

'' (1958). She followed it with a return to Broadway, in the short-lived ''Comes a Day'' by Speed Lampkin (1958). "I don't profess to know much about films", she said around this time. "I seldom see one." Anderson reprised her performance as ''

'' for TV in 1959; in the same year she appeared in a small-screen adaptation of '' The Moon and Sixpence'' with Laurence Olivier. She had a role in the ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

'' episode "The Felizia Kingdom Story", and appeared in several episodes of ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of the ...

'' and one of '' Our American Heritage''. In later years she starred as Minx Lockridge in the daytime NBC soap opera '' Santa Barbara'' from 1984 until 1987.

1960s

In 1960, she played Madame Arkadina in Chekhov's ''

The Seagull ''The Seagull'' ( rus, Ча́йка, r=Cháyka, links=no) is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 and first produced in 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramatises ...

'' first at the

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...

, and then at the Old Vic, with

Tom Courtenay Sir Thomas Daniel Courtenay (; born 25 February 1937) is an English actor. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Courtenay achieved prominence in the 1960s with a series of acclaimed film roles, including '' The Loneliness of ...

Cyril Luckham Cyril Alexander Garland Luckham (25 July 1907 – 8 February 1989) was an English film, television and theatre actor. He was the husband of stage and screen actress Violet Lamb. Career The son of a paymaster captain in the Royal Navy, Cyril Lu ...

and

Tony Britton Anthony Edward Lowry Britton (9 June 1924 – 22 December 2019) was an English actor. He appeared in a variety of films (including ''The Day of the Jackal (film), The Day of the Jackal'') and television sitcoms (including ''Don't Wait Up (TV ser ...

. That year she also performed in '' Cradle Song'' and ''

'' (both 1960) for TV. She won The Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, for once again playing Lady MacBeth. She had support roles in ''

Cinderfella ''Cinderfella'' is a 1960 American semi-musical comedy film adaptation of the classic ''Cinderella'' story, with most characters changed in gender from female to male and starring Jerry Lewis as Fella. It was released on November 22, 1960 by Par ...

'' (1960) and ''

Why Bother to Knock ''Don't Bother to Knock'' (released as ''Why Bother to Knock'' in the United States) is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel from a screenplay by Denis Cannan and Frederic Gotfurt, based on the 1959 novel of the same name by C ...

'' (1961). In 1961 she toured an evening in which she performed ''Macbeth'', ''Medea'' and ''Tower''. Anderson was in ''

The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre ''The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre'' is a 1964 American made-for-television horror–thriller film starring Martin Landau, Judith Anderson and Diane Baker. It was written, produced and directed by Joseph Stefano, author of the screenplay for Alfred Hi ...

'' (1964) for TV. In 1966 she did a performance on stage in ''Elizabeth the Queen'' which received poor reviews. She received acclaim for her lead performance in a TV version of '' Elizabeth the Queen'' (1968, with

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film '' The Ten ...

). She followed it with ''

The File on Devlin ''The File on Devlin'' is a 1969 American TV film for the ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', and was directed by George Schaefer. It was based on a novel by Catherine Gaskin. Cast *Judith Anderson *Elizabeth Ashley *David McCallum * Helmut Dantine *Donal ...

'' (1969) and '' A Man Called Horse'' (1970). The latter was her first feature since ''Why Bother to Knock''. In 1970, she realised a long-held ambition to play the title role of ''

'' on a national tour of the United States and at New York's Carnegie Hall.

Spoken word and radio

She also recorded many

spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics o ...

record albums for

Caedmon Audio Caedmon Audio and HarperCollins Audio are record label imprints of HarperCollins Publishers that specialize in audiobooks and other literary content. Formerly Caedmon Records, its marketing tag-line was Caedmon: a Third Dimension for the Printe ...

from the 1950s to the 1970s, including scenes from ''Macbeth'' with Maurice Anderson (Victor, in 1941), an adaption of ''Medea'',

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as '' Treasure Island'', '' Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...

verses, and readings from

the Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

. She received a Grammy nomination for her work on the ''

Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is an 1847 novel by Emily Brontë, initially published under her pen name Ellis Bell. It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the Lintons, and their turbulent r ...

'' recording. ;Radio broadcasts

Return to Australia

Anderson returned briefly to Australia. She guest-starred in ''

Matlock Police ''Matlock Police'' is an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the 0-10 Network (now known as the 10 Network) between 1971 and 1976. The series focused on the police station and crime in the Victorian town o ...

'' and was in the film ''

Inn of the Damned ''Inn of the Damned'' is a 1975 Australian western horror film, directed by Terry Bourke. It has been called Australia's first "horror Western". Plot In 1896, a crazed woman and her husband run an inn in eastern Victoria and take revenge for th ...

'' (1974). Her other credits that decade included ''

The Borrowers ''The Borrowers'' is a children's fantasy novel by the English author Mary Norton, published by Dent in 1952. It features a family of tiny people who live secretly in the walls and floors of an English house and "borrow" from the big people in ...

'' (1973) and ''

The Chinese Prime Minister ''The Chinese Prime Minister'' is a 1974 American TV film. It was an episode of ''Hollywood Television Theatre'' on PBS. It was based on a play by Enid Bagnold. This was presented on Broadway in 1965 with Edith Evans. Plot A 70 year old actress h ...

'' (1974)

Later career

In 1982, she returned to ''Medea'', this time playing the Nurse opposite

Zoe Caldwell Zoe Ada Caldwell, (14 September 1933 – 16 February 2020) was an Australian actress. She was a four-time Tony Award winner, winning Best Featured Actress in a Play for '' Slapstick Tragedy'' (1966), and Best Actress in a Play for '' The Pri ...

in the title role. Caldwell had appeared in a small role in the Australian tour of ''Medea'' in 1955–56. She was nominated for the

Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play The Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actresses for quality supporting roles in a Broadway play. The ...

. In 1984, she appeared in '' Star Trek III: The Search for Spock'' as the

Vulcan Vulcan may refer to: Mythology * Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...

High Priestess T'Lar. That same year, she commenced a three-year stint as matriarch Minx Lockridge on the NBC serial '' Santa Barbara''. When asked why, she replied "Why not? It's practically the same as doing a play." She had professed to be a fan of the daytime genre – she had watched '' General Hospital'' for twenty years – but after signing with ''Santa Barbara'', she complained about her lack of screen time. The highlight of her stint was when Minx tearfully revealed the horrific truth that she had switched the late Channing Capwell with Brick Wallace as a baby, preventing her illegitimate grandson from being raised as a Capwell. This resulted in her receiving a Supporting Actress Emmy Nomination although her screen time afterwards diminished to infrequent appearances. After leaving the series, she was succeeded in the role by the quarter-century younger American actress

Janis Paige Janis Paige (born Donna Mae Tjaden; September 16, 1922) is an American retired actress and singer. Born in Tacoma, Washington, she began singing in local amateur shows at the age of five. After high school, she moved to Los Angeles, where she b ...

. Her last movies were ''The Booth'' and ''

Impure Thoughts ''Impure Thoughts'' is a 1986 American comedy film. The film was directed by Michael A. Simpson. It marked Alyson Hannigan's feature film debut. Plot Four male friends are reunited after not being in contact with each other for several years. H ...

'' (both 1985).

Personal life

Anderson was married twice and declared that "neither experience was a jolly holiday": * Benjamin Harrison Lehmann (1889–1977), an English professor at the

University of California at Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant uni ...

; they wed in 1937 and divorced in August 1939. By this marriage she had a stepson, Benjamin Harrison Lehmann Jr. (born 1918). * Luther Greene (1909–1987), a theatrical producer; they were married in July 1946 and divorced in 1951. * Anderson was interviewed by Boze Hadleigh for his book “Hollywood Lesbians”, 1994.

Death

Anderson spent much of her life in

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara ( es, Santa Bárbara, meaning "Saint Barbara") is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coa ...

, where she died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

in 1992, aged 94.

Honours

Anderson was created a

Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(DBE) in 1960 and thereafter was often billed as "Dame Judith Anderson". On 10 June 1991, in the 1991 Australian Queen's Birthday Honours, she was appointed a

Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Go ...

(AC), "in recognition of service to the performing arts".

Complete filmography

* ''Madame of the Jury'' (1930, Short) * '' Blood Money'' (1933) – Ruby Darling * ''

'' (1940) – Mrs. Danvers * ''

'' (1940) – Madame Madeleine Granville * '' Free and Easy'' (1941) – Lady Joan Culver * ''

'' (1941) – Slade * '' All Through the Night'' (1942) – Madame * ''

'' (1942) – Mrs. Harriet Gordon * ''

'' (1943) – Gerd Bjarnesen * ''

'' (1943) – Judith Anderson * '' Laura'' (1944) – Ann Treadwell * ''

'' (1945) – Emily Brent * '' The Diary of a Chambermaid'' (1946) – Madame Lanlaire * ''

'' (1946) – Mrs. Ivers * '' Specter of the Rose'' (1946) – Madame La Sylph * ''

'' (1947) – Mrs. Callum * '' The Red House'' (1947) – Ellen Morgan * ''

'' (1947) – Miss Braithwaite * ''

'' (1950) – Flo Burnett * ''

'' (1953) – Queen Herodias * ''Macbeth'' (1954, TV Movie) –

* ''

'' (1956) – Memnet * ''

'' (1958) – Big Momma Pollitt * ''The Felizia Kingdom Story'' (1959 tv series - Wagon Train) - Felizia Kingdom * ''The Moon and Sixpence'' (1959, TV Movie) – Tiare * ''A Christmas Festival'' (1959, TV Movie) – Narrator of the final offering * ''Cradle Song'' (1960, TV Movie) – The Prioress * ''Macbeth'' (1960, TV Movie) – Lady Macbeth * ''

'' (1960) – Wicked Stepmother * '' Don't Bother to Knock'' (1961) – Maggie Shoemaker * ''The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre'' (1964, TV Movie) – Paulina * ''Elizabeth the Queen'' (1968, TV Movie) –

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...

* ''The File on Devlin'' (1969, TV Movie) – Elizabeth Devlin * '' A Man Called Horse'' (1970) – Buffalo Cow Head * ''The Borrowers'' (1973, TV Movie) – Aunt Sophy * ''The Underground Man'' (1974, TV Movie) – Mrs. Snow * ''The Chinese Prime Minister'' (1974, TV Movie) – She * ''

'' (1975) – Caroline Straulle * ''Medea'' (1983, TV Movie) – Nurse * '' Star Trek III: The Search for Spock'' (1984) – T'Lar * ''The Booth'' (1985, TV Movie) * ''

'' (1985) – The Sister of Purgatory

Sources

Dame Judith Anderson papers
at the

University of California, Santa Barbara The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduates and 2,983 graduate students enrolled in 2021–2022. It is part of the ...

Library; accessed 19 August 2014.
Dame Judith Anderson prompts
, at the

National Library of Australia The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...

website; accessed 19 August 2014.
Dame Judith Anderson
at the

National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national c ...

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Judith 1897 births 1992 deaths 20th-century British actresses Actresses awarded British damehoods Actresses from Adelaide Actresses from the Golden Age of Hollywood Australian Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Australian people of Scottish descent British Shakespearean actresses British emigrants to the United States British expatriate actresses in the United States British film actresses British soap opera actresses British stage actresses British television actresses Companions of the Order of Australia Deaths from pneumonia in California Donaldson Award winners Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners Tony Award winners