Margaret Rutherford

Lore & Background

Rutherford's early life was overshadowed by tragedies involving both of her parents. Her father, journalist and poet William Rutherford Benn, murdered his father and attempted suicide, was certified insane and confined to Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. After his discharge and reunion with his wife, the family emigrated to Madras, India, but Margaret was sent back to Britain at age three after her pregnant mother hanged herself. She was raised by her aunt Bessie Nicholson, and later learned at age 12 that her father had been readmitted to Broadmoor, where he remained until his death. This gave rise to a lifelong fear of mental illness, and she suffered intermittent bouts of depression and anxiety.

Rutherford developed an acting career relatively late, making her stage debut in 1925 at age 33 at the Old Vic. She established her name in comedy, appearing in many successful British plays and films. Her first West End appearance was in 1933, but her talent was not recognized by critics until her performance as Miss Prism in John Gielgud's production of The Importance of Being Earnest in 1939. She received rave reviews for her portrayal of Madame Arcati in Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit in 1941. Her film career included roles in Blithe Spirit (1945), The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950), and The Importance of Being Earnest (1952). In the early 1960s she played Miss Marple in four films, and won an Academy Award and Golden Globe for The V.I.P.s (1963).

Reader's Guide

Margaret Rutherford's significance lies in her distinctive comedic presence and her late-blooming career, which made her a beloved figure in British cinema and theatre. Despite personal tragedies and a fear of mental illness, she built a reputation for playing eccentric, authoritative characters, most famously Miss Marple and Madame Arcati. Her Oscar win for The V.I.P.s at age 71 set a record as the oldest woman and last born in the 19th century to win that award. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1961 and a Dame Commander (DBE) in 1967. Her legacy includes a theatre space named after her at Wimbledon High School, the Rutherford Centre, and her autobiography, in which she called her aunt Bessie her 'adoptive mother and one of the saints of the world.'

Did You Know?

• Rutherford's father murdered his own father with a chamber pot and then cut his own throat.
• She was sent back to Britain from India at age three after her pregnant mother hanged herself.
• She made her stage debut at age 33, relatively late for an actress.
• Agatha Christie dedicated her novel The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side to Rutherford in admiration.