Elizabeth Inglis
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Inglis was a British actress, known for her role in The Letter
opposite Bette Davis
.
Inglis was born Desiree Mary Lucy Hawkins in Colchester
, England
. Her screen debut was in the 1934 film, Borrowed Clothes. She then went on to take a small part in the 1935 classic Alfred Hitchcock
film, The 39 Steps
as Hilary Jordan. She also appeared in the 1939 British telefilm version of Gaslight before taking on the role of Adele Ainsworth in The Letter in 1940 which marked the zenith of her film career. By this time she was appearing under the pseudonym/stage name, 'Elizabeth Earl'.
In 1942, she married Sylvester "Pat" Weaver. Weaver was an American radio advertising executive, who became president of NBC
between 1953 and 1955. He was credited with helping to reshape broadcasting during the 1940s and 1950s as television overtook radio as America's dominant form of home entertainment.
After marrying Weaver, Inglis retired from acting altogether. The couple had two children, one of whom is actress Sigourney Weaver
. Inglis made a one-off return to acting in 1986 to star with her daughter Sigourney in Aliens
. In the film, in a role reversal, her character plays Sigourney Weaver's character's daughter. The scene was deleted from the final cut of the film.
Inglis died on the 25 August 2007 in Santa Barbara, California
at the age of 94. She was the last known surviving member of the cast from Hitchcock's film, The 39 Steps
.
The Letter (1940 film)
The Letter is a 1940 American film noir directed by William Wyler. The screenplay by Howard Koch is based on the 1927 play of the same name by W. Somerset Maugham, originally filmed in 1929.-Plot:...
opposite Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
.
Inglis was born Desiree Mary Lucy Hawkins in Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Her screen debut was in the 1934 film, Borrowed Clothes. She then went on to take a small part in the 1935 classic Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
film, The 39 Steps
The 39 Steps (1935 film)
The 39 Steps is a British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on the adventure novel The Thirty-nine Steps by John Buchan. The film stars Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll....
as Hilary Jordan. She also appeared in the 1939 British telefilm version of Gaslight before taking on the role of Adele Ainsworth in The Letter in 1940 which marked the zenith of her film career. By this time she was appearing under the pseudonym/stage name, 'Elizabeth Earl'.
In 1942, she married Sylvester "Pat" Weaver. Weaver was an American radio advertising executive, who became president of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
between 1953 and 1955. He was credited with helping to reshape broadcasting during the 1940s and 1950s as television overtook radio as America's dominant form of home entertainment.
After marrying Weaver, Inglis retired from acting altogether. The couple had two children, one of whom is actress Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
. Inglis made a one-off return to acting in 1986 to star with her daughter Sigourney in Aliens
Aliens (film)
Aliens is a 1986 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, William Hope, and Bill Paxton...
. In the film, in a role reversal, her character plays Sigourney Weaver's character's daughter. The scene was deleted from the final cut of the film.
Inglis died on the 25 August 2007 in Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
at the age of 94. She was the last known surviving member of the cast from Hitchcock's film, The 39 Steps
The 39 Steps (1935 film)
The 39 Steps is a British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, loosely based on the adventure novel The Thirty-nine Steps by John Buchan. The film stars Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll....
.