|
historical notes
|
Charles Laughton was a British actor trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play with his future wife, the actress Elsa Lanchester, with whom he lived and worked until his death. By 1931, he had made his debut in the U.S., and he soon abandoned the stage for the lights of Hollywood, where he built a reputation as one of the best character actors in the business.
Laughton’s art collection was an abiding passion. He collected works by Georges Rouault, Henri Rousseau, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Morris Grave, Horace Pippen, James Martin, and pre-Columbian art from Peru. The Charles Laughton-Elsa Lanchester Collection of Paintings and Drawings was put to auction at Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, in 1966. |
