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402:. Hannen was married, and his wife refused a divorce. In 1928, Seyler formally changed her name to Athene Hannen, but she continued to use Seyler professionally. In 1960, she and Hannen were married after his wife died. At the age of 90, Seyler told the interviewer David McGillivray that "she hadn't been made a Dame because for most of her life she lived with a man who wasn't her husband."
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She was born in
Hackney, London; her German-born grandparents moved to the United Kingdom, where her grandfather Philip Seyler was a merchant in London. Athene Seyler was educated at Coombe Hill School in Surrey, a progressive co-educational school which disliked
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Seyler first appeared on the stage in 1909, and was initially known as a stage actress. She made her film debut in 1921, and subsequently became known for playing slightly dotty old ladies in many
British films from the 1930s to the 1960s.
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Seyler virtually retired from acting after 1970 but continued making public appearances until well into the 1980s, and as a guest of
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On 14 February 1914, she married James Bury
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The
Australian National Portrait Gallery website has a portrait of Hannen and Seyler together.
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during the 1920s, where her father
Clarence H. Seyler took his family for many years to hear
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on his eponymous BBC chat show. In 1988, at the age of 99, she was the castaway on radio's
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359:(CBE) in 1959. In 1989 she was honoured as "Personality of the Century" by the
343:(RADA) from 1950, and a member of the Theatrical Ladies' Guild. She also wrote
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Her film and television career lasted into the 1960s, and included roles in
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Athen Seyler and
Nicholas Hannen in 1964 at Buckingham Palace garden party
301:(1964, 1965). She was also a regular cast member in screen adaptations of
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158:(31 May 1889 – 12 September 1990) was an English actress.
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Athene Seyler died in 1990, aged 101, and her ashes were placed in the
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Stage performances listed in the
Theatre Archive University of Bristol
584:(1934) – Theresa, the Innkeeper, a Middle Aged Lady of Young Sentiment
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The
British National Portrait Gallery has numerous photos of Seyler.
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demonstration, during which pupils captured the fox from the local
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episode entitled "Maneater of Surrey Green" ITV Production 1965
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1076:
List of centenarians (actors, filmmakers and entertainers)
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Little Did You Know: The
Confessions of David McGillivray
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In 1922, she met and started living with fellow actor
309:(1921) is missing, she played the elderly fiancée in
199:lecture as an alternative to attending a religious
1173:"BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Athene Seyler"
332:. In 1990, at the age of 101, she appeared at the
391:, and they had a daughter, Jane Ann (1917–2015).
305:' novels. Although her silent film appearance in
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219:which he circulated privately among his family.
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366:
1284:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
207:, contributed to the South Place magazine on
1104:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
773:The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
357:Commander of the Order of the British Empire
1279:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
313:(1952). She was cast as a Chinese woman in
258:Her stage credits included Mrs Malaprop in
231:Advertisement for the Seyler Hannen Company
171:and whose advanced biology classes studied
1014:Selected television and radio performances
336:, talking about her long life and career.
31:
1314:Actors from the London Borough of Hackney
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370:
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203:. Clarence ran a class for the study of
1101:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
274:, as the murderous spinster sisters in
270:and a double-act, with her good friend
134: 1960; died 1972)
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1226:(Godalming: FAB Press, 2019), p. 174.
1162:Sydney Morning Herald, 6 May 1933, p8
1136:MacKillop, I. D. (27 February 1986).
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1198:"The Theatrical Guild – Our History"
1131:
1129:
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1324:20th-century British businesspeople
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576:(1934) – Archduchess Maria Victoria
339:Athene Seyler was President of the
13:
944:(1960) – Dame Beatrice Appleby DBE
832:(1952) – Miss Rosabelle Honeycroft
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664:(1937) – Mrs. Pullet (uncredited)
247:, on a well-received tour of the
856:(1954) – Millie Williams, inmate
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267:The Importance of Being Earnest
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1309:20th-century English actresses
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1190:
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1156:
1142:. Cambridge University Press.
1098:"Seyler, Athene (1889–1990)".
1000:(1962) – Mrs. Adelaide Hignett
933:The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
816:(1952) – Mrs. Reginald Kellick
533:The Adventures of Mr. Pickwick
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239:In 1933, Seyler together with
180:. Seyler took part in an anti-
107:James Bury Sterndale Bennett (
1:
1139:The British Ethical Societies
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341:Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
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1304:English television actresses
1118:UK public library membership
624:(1935) – Scrooge's charwoman
616:(1935) – Madame Anna Sabline
581:The Private Life of Don Juan
405:
7:
1339:People from Hackney, London
1069:
1044:, BBC radio, broadcast 1967
1032:, BBC radio, broadcast 1966
433:Selected stage performances
367:Marriages and relationships
193:South Place Ethical Society
191:She was also active in the
16:English actress (1889–1990)
10:
1355:
1319:British women centenarians
984:(1962) – Aunt Phoebe Tonks
893:How to Murder a Rich Uncle
688:(1938) – Victoria Gulliver
600:(1935) – Queen Elizabeth I
1008:(1963) – Miss Farthingale
920:(1958) – Miss Emily Pross
840:(1952) – Miss Witherfield
792:(1949) – Princess Ivashin
425:in St Mary's Churchyard,
389:William Sterndale Bennett
361:Grand Order of Water Rats
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869:As Long as They're Happy
824:(1952) – Consuelo Howard
608:(1935) – Queen Elizabeth
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177:On the Origin of Species
1299:English stage actresses
952:(1960) – Beatrice Peake
936:(1958) – Jeannie Lawson
872:(1955) – Mrs. Arbuthnot
864:(1954) – Miss Mainbrace
853:The Weak and the Wicked
776:(1947) – Miss La Creevy
552:(1931) – Lady Westhaven
1294:English film actresses
1110:10.1093/ref:odnb/40480
976:(1962) – Sister Agness
973:The Devil Never Sleeps
912:(1957) – Mrs. Karswell
749:The House of the Arrow
680:(1937) – Aunt Veronica
592:(1935) – Aunt Philippa
536:(1921) – Rachel Wardle
396:Nicholas "Beau" Hannen
384:
232:
1329:Actresses from London
1061:(1944), reprinted by
992:(1962) – Aunt Heather
928:(1958) – Aunt Harriet
904:(1957) – Miss Abigail
888:(1957) – Lady Hawkins
861:For Better, for Worse
808:(1951) – Nanny Gallop
752:(1940) – (uncredited)
728:(1939) – Mrs. Buckley
720:(1938) – Miss Prinney
704:(1938) – Lady Raebank
672:(1937) – Madame Alary
661:The Mill on the Floss
656:(1936) – Madame Henry
640:(1936) – Mrs. Rowland
632:(1936) – Mrs. Durland
454:Lady Windermere's Fan
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230:
1289:English centenarians
1042:William Douglas-Home
1030:William Douglas-Home
997:The Girl on the Boat
981:Two and Two Make Six
960:(1961) – Mao Tai Tai
917:A Tale of Two Cities
848:(1953) – Mrs. Trapes
797:The Franchise Affair
784:(1948) – Miss Knight
648:(1936) – The Duchess
568:(1933) – Frau Weiser
560:(1932) – Mrs. Pategg
518:Arsenic and Old Lace
490:William Douglas Home
478:William Douglas Home
355:She was appointed a
277:Arsenic and Old Lace
272:Dame Sybil Thorndike
264:, Lady Bracknell in
211:matters and wrote a
1204:on 19 December 2013
1059:The Craft of Comedy
968:(1961) – Aunt Buona
880:(1956) – Miss Bligh
837:The Pickwick Papers
789:The Queen of Spades
781:The First Gentleman
768:(1943) – Aunt Belle
744:(1940) – Mrs. Banks
741:Tilly of Bloomsbury
725:The Saint in London
717:The Sky's the Limit
712:(1938) – Mrs. Pinto
589:The Rocks of Valpre
544:(1923) – Miss Keggs
400:Sir Nicholas Hannen
345:The Craft of Comedy
329:Desert Island Discs
311:The Pickwick Papers
1037:The Reluctant Peer
925:Happy Is the Bride
909:Night of the Demon
901:Campbell's Kingdom
877:Yield to the Night
845:The Beggar's Opera
760:(1941) – Aunt Mary
511:The Cherry Orchard
485:The Reluctant Peer
447:Watch on the Rhine
423:Hannen Columbarium
385:
351:Honours and awards
292:Night of the Demon
233:
169:petitionary prayer
1334:English humanists
1149:978-0-521-26672-7
1116:(Subscription or
965:Francis of Assisi
949:A French Mistress
805:Young Wives' Tale
800:(1951) – Aunt Lin
736:(1939) – Milliner
733:Young Man's Fancy
677:Non-Stop New York
316:Passport to China
149:
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96:Years active
68:12 September 1990
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1222:D. McGillivray,
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1200:. Archived from
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1026:The Iron Duchess
896:(1957) – Grannie
696:(1938) – Grandma
669:The Lilac Domino
605:Drake of England
549:The Perfect Lady
504:Romeo and Juliet
473:The Iron Duchess
334:National Theatre
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885:Doctor at Large
629:It's Love Again
597:Royal Cavalcade
557:Tell Me Tonight
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466:Louis N. Parker
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381:Winter Sunshine
377:Nicholas Hannen
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303:Charles Dickens
245:Hermione Hannen
241:Nicholas Hannen
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205:Herbert Spencer
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1206:. Retrieved
1202:the original
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1180:. Retrieved
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1167:
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1049:Publications
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1020:The Avengers
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565:Early to Bed
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541:This Freedom
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70:(1990-09-12)
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1274:1990 deaths
1269:1889 births
1208:18 December
701:The Citadel
525:Filmography
375:Seyler and
324:Terry Wogan
295:(1957) and
286:The Citadel
209:rationalist
76:Hammersmith
53:31 May 1889
1263:Categories
1120:required.)
1082:References
497:The Rivals
461:Mavourneen
261:The Rivals
162:Early life
88:Occupation
49:1889-05-31
1182:30 August
1063:Routledge
653:Sensation
406:Portraits
398:, son of
253:Australia
104:Spouse(s)
82:, England
59:, England
1070:See also
427:Wargrave
319:(1960).
307:Pickwick
289:(1938),
249:Far East
213:treatise
173:Darwin's
142:Children
621:Scrooge
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128:
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99:1909–68
91:Actress
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1065:, 2012
492:(1964)
480:(1957)
468:(1915)
440:Harvey
383:, 1937
223:Career
115:19??)
111:1914;
80:London
57:London
1054:with
417:Death
130:(
126:
1244:IMDb
1210:2013
1184:2023
1144:ISBN
251:and
186:hunt
113:div.
65:Died
43:Born
1242:at
1177:BBC
1106:doi
1040:by
1028:by
488:by
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379:in
215:on
156:CBE
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