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. (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.
Movie | The Big Parade of Comedy | Actress in 'Hollywood Party' (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1964-09-02 |
Movie | The Sea of Grass | Mrs. Ryan - Nurse (uncredited) | 1947-04-25 |
Movie | Mourning Becomes Electra | Louisa Ames | 1947-11-19 |
Movie | Two Sisters from Boston | Mrs. Mulberry - Recital Guest (uncredited) | 1946-06-06 |
Movie | Big Town | Miss Lovelace (uncredited) | 1946-08-23 |
Movie | The Missing Lady | Miss Millie | 1946-08-17 |
Movie | Lady on a Train | 1945-08-03 | |
Movie | Hail the Conquering Hero | Train Ticket Clerk (uncredited) | 1944-08-09 |
Movie | The Thin Man Goes Home | Miss Peavy | 1944-12-24 |
Movie | The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek | Hospital Nurse (uncredited) | 1943-12-12 |
Movie | The Unknown Guest | Martha Williams | 1943-10-22 |
Movie | Obliging Young Lady | Miss Hollyrod - Bird Lover (uncredited) | 1942-04-01 |
Movie | The Wife Takes a Flyer | Miss Updike | 1942-04-28 |
Movie | I Married a Witch | Harriet Wooley (uncredited) | 1942-10-30 |
Movie | Apache Trail | Passenger (uncredited) | 1942-09-01 |
Movie | A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob | Charwoman | 1941-03-14 |
Movie | Three Girls About Town | Casket Customer | 1941-10-23 |
Movie | Lucky Partners | Women's Club President (uncredited) | 1940-08-02 |
Movie | Young People | Righteous Old Lady | 1940-08-30 |
Movie | The Bank Dick | Lompoc Ladies Auxiliary (uncredited) | 1940-11-29 |
Movie | Little Men | Head of Orphanage | 1940-11-29 |
Movie | The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | Mrs. Shackleford (uncredited) | 1939-02-10 |
Movie | Stagecoach | Boone's Landlady (uncredited) | 1939-03-03 |
Movie | The Story of Alexander Graham Bell | Miss Jenkins | 1939-04-04 |
Movie | Some Like It Hot | Mrs. Beckett (uncredited) | 1939-05-19 |
Movie | Union Pacific | Snoring Woman on Train (uncredited) | 1939-05-05 |
Movie | What a Life | Miss Eggleston | 1939-10-05 |
Movie | International Settlement | English Woman | 1938-02-04 |
Movie | Mr. Boggs Steps Out | Widow Peddie | 1938-02-18 |
Movie | Three Smart Boys | Miss Witherspoon, Superintendent | 1937-05-13 |
Movie | Night Must Fall | 1937-04-30 | |
Movie | The Mighty Treve | Old Maid at Dog Show | 1937-01-17 |
Movie | Night of Mystery | 1937-05-21 | |
Movie | Champagne Waltz | Train Passenger | 1937-02-05 |
Movie | Nothing Sacred | Schoolteacher (uncredited) | 1937-11-25 |
Movie | Easy Living | Miss Swerf | 1937-07-16 |
Movie | Blossoms On Broadway | Leader of Committee (uncredited) | 1937-11-19 |
Movie | Borrowing Trouble | Dressmaker | 1937-12-10 |
Movie | Partners in Crime | Housekeeper | 1937-10-08 |
Movie | She Asked for It | Elderly lady (uncredited) | 1937-09-17 |
Movie | Little Miss Nobody | Mrs. Robinson | 1936-06-05 |
Movie | Dancing Pirate | Landlady (uncredited) | 1936-05-22 |
Movie | Collegiate | Miss Curtiss | 1936-01-22 |
Movie | Fury | Albert's Mother (uncredited) | 1936-06-05 |
Movie | Two in the Dark | Mrs. Potter, Landlady | 1936-01-10 |
Movie | Let's Make a Million | 1936-09-01 | |
Movie | Under Your Spell | School Teacher (uncredited) | 1936-11-06 |
Movie | College Holiday | Miss Elkins (uncredited) | 1936-12-19 |
Movie | The Big Broadcast of 1937 | Home Economics Woman | 1936-10-05 |
Movie | Memories and Melodies | Customer (uncredited) | 1935-02-16 |
Movie | Biography of a Bachelor Girl | Ship's Matron (uncredited) | 1935-01-04 |
Movie | Gold Diggers of 1935 | Housekeeper (uncredited) | 1935-03-15 |
Movie | Car 99 | Granny Adams | 1935-03-02 |
Movie | Vagabond Lady | Miss Perkins (uncredited) | 1935-05-03 |
Movie | Way Down East | Townswoman at Party | 1935-10-25 |
Movie | Slightly Static | Beauty Products Announcer (uncredited) | 1935-09-07 |
Movie | The Old-Fashioned Way | Mrs. Wendelschaffer | 1934-07-13 |
Movie | Upperworld | Housekeeper (uncredited) | 1934-04-28 |
Movie | Laughing Boy | Schoolteacher | 1934-04-13 |
Movie | Mixed Nuts | Mrs. Twitchett | 1934-02-16 |
Movie | Search for Beauty | Miss Pettigrew | 1934-02-02 |
Movie | You're Telling Me! | Mrs. Price | 1934-04-06 |
Movie | One-Horse Farmers | Subway Passenger (uncredited) | 1934-08-01 |
Movie | Bachelor Bait | Mrs. Trutmanner (uncredited) | 1934-07-27 |
Movie | Opened by Mistake | Head Nurse | 1934-10-05 |
Movie | The Merry Widow | Animal Woman (uncredited) | 1934-11-02 |
Movie | The Spectacle Maker | Duchess | 1934-09-20 |
Movie | Chained | Edith (uncredited) | 1934-08-31 |
Movie | Nature in the Wrong | Muriel's mother | 1933-03-18 |
Movie | King of the Jungle | Spinster in park (uncredited) | 1933-03-10 |
Movie | Asleep in the Feet | Female Police Officer | 1933-01-21 |
Movie | Peg o' My Heart | Smythe (maid) | 1933-05-26 |
Movie | Wreckety Wrecks | Miss Winterbottom | 1933-02-18 |
Movie | Fast Workers | Tall Window-Shopper (Uncredited) | 1933-03-10 |
Movie | Doctor Bull | Aunt Emily Banning | 1933-09-22 |
Movie | Going Hollywood | Briarcroft's Teacher | 1933-12-22 |
Movie | Meet the Baron | Professor Winterbottom (uncredited) | 1933-10-20 |
Movie | Design for Living | Tom's Secretary (uncredited) | 1933-12-29 |
Movie | Stage Mother | Miss Gilford, Kitty's Music Store Boss | 1933-09-29 |
Movie | Amateur Daddy | Saleslady | 1932-04-10 |
Movie | Young Bride | Landlady (uncredited) | 1932-04-08 |
Movie | Pack Up Your Troubles | Welfare Association Officer (uncredited) | 1932-09-16 |
Movie | Mr. Bride | Mrs. Cecil | 1932-12-24 |
Movie | Girl Grief | Miss Tuttle, Principal | 1932-10-08 |
Movie | The Bitter Tea of General Yen | Missionary | 1932-12-25 |
Movie | Hot Saturday | Gossip on Telephone (Uncredited) | 1932-10-28 |
Movie | East Lynne | Charity Bazaar Committee | 1931-03-01 |
Movie | Everything’s Rosie | Hotel Proprietress | 1931-05-22 |
Movie | Millie | Helen and Angie's Landlady (uncredited) | 1931-02-06 |
Movie | Street Scene | Alice Simpson - Welfare Worker | 1931-09-05 |
Movie | Arrowsmith | Nurse (uncredited) | 1931-12-07 |
Movie | The Ruling Voice | Malcom's Nurse (uncredited) | 1931-09-10 |
Movie | The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu | 1930-05-02 | |
Movie | Little Accident | Dr. Zernecke | 1930-08-03 |
Movie | Seven Days Leave | Amelia Twymley | 1930-01-24 |
Movie | Hell's Angels | Helen's Maid (uncredited) | 1930-11-15 |
Movie | Only Saps Work | Mrs. Partridge | 1930-12-05 |
Movie | Seven Footprints to Satan | Old Witch | 1929-01-27 |
Movie | Footlights and Fools | (uncredited) | 1929-11-08 |
Movie | A Trick of Hearts | The Mayor | 1928-03-18 |
Movie | The Cavalier | Lucia's Aunt | 1928-11-01 |
Movie | The Baby Cyclone | Mrs. Crandall | 1928-09-26 |
Movie | Sensation Seekers | Mrs. Lodge | 1927-03-21 |
Movie | The Fortune Hunter | Betty Carpenter | 1927-01-18 |
Movie | Girls | Matron Helen Hunt | 1927-03-27 |
Movie | Too Many Crooks | (uncredited) | 1927-04-02 |
Movie | The Devil Dancer | Julia | 1927-11-03 |
Movie | Chip of the Flying U | Dr. Cecil Grantham | 1926-03-14 |
Movie | Midnight Faces | Mrs. Hart | 1926-03-24 |
Movie | His Majesty, Bunker Bean | Countess Casanova | 1925-09-14 |
Movie | The Deadwood Coach | Matilda Shields - in play | 1924-12-07 |
Movie | Timothy's Quest | Townswoman | 1922-09-16 |
Movie | Manslaughter | Lydia's Chaperone (uncredited) | 1922-09-24 |
Movie | Prunella | 1918-01-01 | |
Movie | American Buds | Emily | 1918-02-24 |
Movie | Love Net | Miss Prudence Tilly | 1918-12-23 |
Movie | Tillie Wakes Up | Gossip in Ice Cream Parlor / Woman Having Picture Taken | 1917-01-29 |
Movie | The Wild Girl | Undetermined Role (uncredited) | 1917-09-01 |
Movie | The Poor Little Rich Girl | One of Gwendolyn's Teachers (uncredited) | 1917-03-05 |
Movie | A Model Husband | Mrs Gossip | 1916-03-29 |
Movie | The Social Secretary | Spinster (uncredited) | 1916-09-16 |