Mona Washbourne

Birthday: 1903-11-27
Deathday: 1988-11-15
Birthplace: Solihull, Warwickshire, England, UK
Gender: Female
Owned By: Unowned

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.

Credits

Year Title Character
1984-12-23 December Flower Mary Grey
1982-09-17 Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story Queen Mother
1981-12-27 Pygmalion Mrs. Pearce
1979-12-21 The London Connection Aunt Lydia
1978-09-15 Stevie Aunt
1976-04-30 The Blue Bird Grandmother
1975-11-07 The Old Curiosity Shop Mrs. Jarley
1974-05-20 Identikit Mrs. Helen Fiedke
1973-03-25 O Lucky Man! Neighbour / Usher / Sister Hallett
1972-09-25 I Spy a Stranger Mrs. Hudson
1972-06-16 What Became of Jack and Jill? Gran Alice Tallent
1972-01-06 Home Kathleen
1970-10-13 Poor Mother Sister
1970-09-03 Fragment of Fear Mrs. Gray
1970-08-07 The Games Mrs. Hayes
1969-06-01 The Bed Sitting Room Mother
1968-12-19 if.... Matron
1968-10-07 Number Ten Julia Pryton
1968-01-22 Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter Mrs. Brown
1967-12-31 Two A Penny
1967-04-13 Casino Royale Tea Lady (uncredited)
1965-08-04 The Third Day Catherine Parsons
1965-06-17 The Collector Aunt Annie
1965-02-10 Ferry Cross the Mersey Aunt Lil
1965-01-21 One Way Pendulum Aunt Mildred
1964-10-21 My Fair Lady Mrs. Pearce
1964-03-18 Night Must Fall Mrs. Bramson
1963-08-15 Billy Liar Alice Fisher
1960-07-07 The Brides of Dracula Helga Lang
1959-04-23 Count Your Blessings Nanny
1958-08-12 A Cry from the Streets Mrs. Daniels
1958-03-03 Son of a Stranger
1957-05-01 Stranger in Town Agnes Smith
1957-04-22 The Good Companions Mrs. Joe
1956-12-26 It's Great to be Young! Miss Merrow, a School Mistress
1956-10-01 Circus Friends Miss Linstead
1956-09-09 Loser Takes All Nurse (uncredited)
1956-06-19 Yield to the Night Mrs. Thomas, landlady
1956-01-31 Lost Librarian
1955-09-20 Cast a Dark Shadow Monica Bare
1954-10-31 To Dorothy, a Son Midwife Appleby
1954-09-30 Monsieur Ripois Landlady
1954-09-07 Betrayed Waitress (uncredited)
1954-06-06 Adventure in the Hopfields Mrs. McBain
1954-03-23 Doctor in the House Midwifery Sister
1954-01-07 The Million Pound Note Mum with Pram
1953-06-01 Johnny on the Run Mrs MacGregor
1952-12-26 The Gambler and the Lady Miss Minter
1950-12-31 Probation Officer Mrs. Mead
1950-11-01 Dark Interval
1950-04-30 Double Confession Fussy Mother
1949-05-31 Adam and Evelyne Mrs. Salop, Lady Gambler (uncredited)
1949-05-24 Maytime in Mayfair Lady Levenson
1949-02-01 Once Upon a Dream Vicar's Wife
1948-09-24 The Winslow Boy Miss Barnes