A.E. Matthews (Alfred Edward Matthews)
Biography
Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, UK
The venerable British stage and film actor A.E. Matthews was born Alfred Edward Matthews on November 22, 1869 in Bridlington, Yorkshire, England. The actor nicknamed "Matty" established himself on the British and American stage and in British films, taking up the craft after working as a clerk in a London bookstore. He said that after he learned that the great actor Sir Henry Irving (the first thespian to be knighted) had worked at the store, and used the very same desk he did, he decided to dedicate his life to the theater. Read more...
A.E. Matthews appeared on Broadway an additional eight times in the 1920s and appeared in seven Broadway productions in the 1930s. Of his appearance in W. Somerset Maugham' comedy "The Breadwinner" in 1931, "Time Magazine" credited his acting with contributing to the success of the comedy, which had problems in its third Act and was described by the "Time" reviewer as "simply a bag of parlor tricks performed by dialog." The reviewer praised "gentle, toothy Mr. Matthews, who somehow suggests the kind old water rat in The Wind in the Willows."
Matty's last appearance On Broadway was in 1949, in William Douglas-Home's comedy "Yes, M'Lord," with a cast that featured a young Elaine Stritch. He appeared in numerous roles on the British stage.
He made his film debut in 1916, in the silent comedy Wanted: A Widow (1916). He appeared in two more flicks in 1916, one in 1918, and two more silents in 1918 before devoting himself to stage-work. He did not make his talking picture debut until 1934, when he supported George Arliss in The Iron Duke (1934), which also featured Emlyn Williams. He made one more movie in the 1930s, the backstage drama Men Are Not Gods (1936) (1936) which featured a young Rex Harrison. His film career began in earnest in 1941, when he appeared in Anthony Asquith's Quiet Wedding (1941), the propaganda film This England (1941) (again with Emlyn Williams), and Leslie Howard's "'Pimpernel' Smith (1941)_. He appeared in another 41 movies from 1942 to 1960, including The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), _Million Pound Note, the (1956), The Ship Was Loaded (1957), and Around the World in Eighty Days (1956).
A.E. Matthews died on July 25, 1960. He was 91 years old.
A.E. Matthews appeared on Broadway an additional eight times in the 1920s and appeared in seven Broadway productions in the 1930s. Of his appearance in W. Somerset Maugham' comedy "The Breadwinner" in 1931, "Time Magazine" credited his acting with contributing to the success of the comedy, which had problems in its third Act and was described by the "Time" reviewer as "simply a bag of parlor tricks performed by dialog." The reviewer praised "gentle, toothy Mr. Matthews, who somehow suggests the kind old water rat in The Wind in the Willows."
Matty's last appearance On Broadway was in 1949, in William Douglas-Home's comedy "Yes, M'Lord," with a cast that featured a young Elaine Stritch. He appeared in numerous roles on the British stage.
He made his film debut in 1916, in the silent comedy Wanted: A Widow (1916). He appeared in two more flicks in 1916, one in 1918, and two more silents in 1918 before devoting himself to stage-work. He did not make his talking picture debut until 1934, when he supported George Arliss in The Iron Duke (1934), which also featured Emlyn Williams. He made one more movie in the 1930s, the backstage drama Men Are Not Gods (1936) (1936) which featured a young Rex Harrison. His film career began in earnest in 1941, when he appeared in Anthony Asquith's Quiet Wedding (1941), the propaganda film This England (1941) (again with Emlyn Williams), and Leslie Howard's "'Pimpernel' Smith (1941)_. He appeared in another 41 movies from 1942 to 1960, including The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), _Million Pound Note, the (1956), The Ship Was Loaded (1957), and Around the World in Eighty Days (1956).
A.E. Matthews died on July 25, 1960. He was 91 years old.
Actor

Character:
Frederick Skeates
Men Are Not Gods 1936
8

Character:
Arthur Royd
Quiet Wedding 1941
3

Character:
President of Tribunal
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp 1943
10

Character:
Auctioneer
The Man in Grey 1943
1

Character:
Col. Walmsley
The Way Ahead 1944
4

Character:
Col. Pitt Smith
Love Story 1944
19

Character:
Sir George Gedney
They Came to a City 1944
1

Character:
Colonel Linsey-Woolsey
Whisky Galore! 1949
2

Character:
Air Raid Warden
Landfall 1949
1

Character:
Old Gentleman
The Magic Box 1951
7

Character:
Selby
Penny Princess 1952
4

Character:
Hillary Topham
Made in Heaven 1952
10

Character:
Blair
Castle in the Air 1952
1

Character:
Himself
Meet Mr. Lucifer 1953
4

Character:
Duke of Frognal
The Million Pound Note 1954
2

Character:
General O'Leary
Happy Ever After 1954
1

Character:
Crabtree, 1st Old Gentleman
Three Men in a Boat 1956
3

Character:
Lord George Trelby
Edward, My Son 1949
0

Character:
Earl of Meadowbrook
'Pimpernel' Smith 1941
1

Character:
Duke of Skye and Lewes
Doctor at Large 1957
0