Smith, Maggie 1934–

PERSONAL

Full name, Margaret Natalie Smith; born December 28, 1934, in Ilford, Essex, England; daughter of Nathaniel (a public health pathologist) and Margaret (a secretary; maiden name, Hutton) Smith; married Robert Stephens (an actor and producer), June 29, 1967 (divorced, May, 1974 or February, 1975); married Beverley Cross (a playwright and screenwriter), June 23, 1975 (died March 20, 1998); children: (first marriage) Chris Larkin (an actor), Toby (an actor). Education: Trained for the stage at Oxford Playhouse School, Oxford, England.

Addresses:

Agent—Toni Howard, International Creative Management, 10250 Constellation Way, Ninth Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067; ICM London, Oxford House, 76 Oxford St., London W1D 1BS, England.

Career:

Actress. Old Vic Theatre Company, London, member of company, 1959-63; National Theatre Company, London, charter member of company, 1963-70; Stratford Festival of Canada, Stratford, Ontario, Canada, member of company, 1976-80. Appeared in advertisements. Chichester Cinema at New Park, vice president.

Member:

British Academy of Film and Television Arts (fellow), United British Artists (director, beginning 1982), Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

Awards, Honors:

Film Award nomination, most promising newcomer, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1959, for Nowhere to Go; Evening Standard Award, best actress, 1962, for The Private Ear and The Public Eye; Variety Club Award, best actress, 1963, for Mary, Mary; Golden Globe Award nomination, most promising newcomer—female, 1964, for The V.I.P.s; Academy Award nomination, best actress in a supporting role, and Golden Globe Award nomination, best motion picture actress—drama, both 1966, for Othello; Film Award nomination, best British actress, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1966, for Young Cassidy; nomination for Golden Laurel Award, outstanding female new face, Producers Guild of America, 1966; Society of Film and Television Arts Award, 1969, Academy Award, best actress in a leading role, Film Award, best actress, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Golden Globe Award nomination, best motion picture actress—drama, and nomination for Golden Laurel Award, best female dramatic performance, all 1970, for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie; Evening Standard Award, best actress, 1970, for Hedda Gabler; Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, performance, 1970, for The Three Sisters; decorated commander, Order of the British Empire, 1970 (some sources cite 1969), decorated dame commander, 1990; honorary D.Litt., University of St. Andrews, 1971, and Cambridge University, 1994 (some sources cite 1995); Variety Club Award, best actress, 1972, Outer Critics Circle Award, distinguished performance, Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best actress in a play, and Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding actress in a play, all 1975, all for Private Lives; Academy Award nomination, best actress, and Golden Globe Award nomination, best motion picture actress—musical/comedy, both 1973, for Travels with My Aunt; Film Award nomination, best supporting actress, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1979, for Death on the Nile; Academy Award and Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award, best supporting actress, and Golden Globe Award, best motion picture actress—musical/comedy, all 1979, Evening Standard British Film Award, best actress, 1980, and Film Award nomination, best supporting actress, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1980, all for California Suite; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best actress in a play, 1980, and Outer Critics Circle Award, distinguished performance, both for Night and Day; Evening Standard Award, best actress, 1981, for Virginia; Evening Standard British Film Award and Film Award nomination, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, both best actress, 1982, for Quartet; Saturn Award nomination, best supporting actress, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films, 1982, for Clash of the Titans; Television Award nomination, best actress, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1983, for Mrs. Silly; Film Award, best actress, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1985, for A Private Function; Evening Standard Award, best actress, 1985, for The Way of the World; Taormina Gold Award, 1985; Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award, Academy Award nomination, and Film Award nomination, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, all best supporting actress, and Golden Globe Award, best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a motion picture, all 1987, for A Room with a View; Film Award, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and Evening Standard British Film Award, both best actress, 1989, for The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne; Royal Television Society Award, best actor—female, and Television Award nomination, best actress, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, both 1989, for "Bed among the Lentils," Talking Heads; Antoinette Perry Award and Outer Critics Circle Award, both best actress in a play, 1990, for Lettice and Lovage; Hanbury Shakespeare Prize, FVS Foundation, 1991; fellow, British Film Institute, 1992; Emmy Award nomination, best actress in a miniseries or special, 1993, for Suddenly, Last Summer; Television Award nomination, best actress, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1993, for Memento Mori; Special Lifetime Achievement Award, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1993; Film Award nomination, best supporting actress, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 1994, for The Secret Garden; inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame, 1994; Evening Standard Award, best actress, 1996, for Three Tall Women; National Board of Review Award (with others), best ensemble cast, 1996, for The First Wives Club; Laurence Olivier Award nomination, best actress, Society of West End Theatre, 1998, for A Delicate Balance; Chlotrudis Award nomination, best supporting actress, 1998, for Washington Square; William Shakespeare Award for Classical Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre, Washington, DC, 1999; Film Award, best performance by an actress in a supporting role, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 2000, for Tea with Mussolini; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding supporting actress in a miniseries or movie, and Television Award nomination, best actress, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, both 2000, for David Copperfield; Laurence Olivier Award nomination, best actress, 2000, for The Lady in the Van; named one of the greatest British film actresses, Orange Film Survey, 2001; Southeastern Film Critics Association Award, best supporting actress, 2001, Golden Satellite Award, International Press Academy, Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award, Academy Award nomination, Film Award nomination, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Chicago Film Critics Association Award nomination, Phoenix Film Critics Society Award nomination, and Online Film Critics Society Award nomination, all best supporting actress, Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a motion picture, and Audience Award nomination, best actress, European Film awards, all 2002, for Gosford Park; Screen Actors Guild Award, Critics Choice Award, Broadcast Film Critics Association, Florida Film Critics Circle Award, Special Achievement Award from the Golden Satellite awards, International Press Academy, Online Film Critics Society Award, and Phoenix Film Critics Society Award nomination, all best ensemble cast, all with others, 2002, for Gosford Park; Saturn Award nomination, best supporting actress, 2002, for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone; Phoenix Film Critics Society Award nomination (with others), best ensemble cast, 2003, for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; Emmy Award, outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or movie, 2003, and Golden Globe Award nomination and Golden Satellite Award nomination, both best performance by an actress in a miniseries or a motion picture made for television, both 2004, all for My House in Umbria; Audience Award nomination (with Judi Dench), best actress, European Film awards, 2005, for Ladies in Lavender; honored with a star on Great Britain's Avenue of Stars.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

(Uncredited) Party guest, Child in the House, 1956.

Bridget Howard, Nowhere to Go, 1958.

Chantal, Go to Blazes, 1962.

Miss Mead, The V.I.P.s (also known as International Hotel), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1963.

Philpott, The Pumpkin Eater (also known as Bitter frugt, Frenesia del piacere, Le mangeur de citrouilles, Neljas avioliittoni, and Siempre estoy sola), Columbia/Royal Films International, 1964.

Desdemona, Othello, Warner Bros., 1965.

Herself, Sean O'Casey: The Spirit of Ireland (short film; also known as Sean O'Casey: El espiritu de Irlanda), 1965.

Nora, Young Cassidy (also known as Cassidy, der Rebell, El sonador rebelde, Il magnifico irlandese, Le jeune Cassidy, Nuori Cassidy—kapinanlietsoja, O rebelde sonhador, Oproreren, and Uppviglaren), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1965.

Sarah Watkins, The Honey Pot (also known as Anyone for Venice?, It Comes Up Murder, and Mr. Fox of Venice), United Artists, 1967.

Patty Terwilliger Smith, Hot Millions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1968.

Jean Brodie, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1969.

Music hall star, Oh! What a Lovely War, Paramount, 1969.

Aunt Augusta Bertram, Travels with My Aunt, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1972.

Lila Fisher, Love and Pain (and the Whole Damn Thing) (also known as Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing and Love, Pain and the Whole Damn Thing), Columbia, 1973.

Dora Charleston, Murder by Death (also known as Assassinato por morte, Eine Leiche zum Dessert, Invito a cena con delitto, Middag med mord, Mordmed doden til folge, Murha, murha, paeaestaekaeae etsivaet irti!, Slaepp deckarna loss, det aer mord, Un cadaver a los postres, and Un cadavre au dessert), Columbia, 1976.

Diana Barrie, California Suite (also known as Neil Simon's "California Suite"), Columbia, 1978.

Miss Bowers, Death on the Nile (also known as Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile," Assassinio sul Nilo, Doden paa Nilen, Doeden paa Nilen, Eglima sto Neilo, Kuolema Niilillae, Morte no Nilo, Morte sobre o Nilo, Mort sur le Nil, Smierc Nilu, and Tod auf dem Nil), Paramount, 1978.

Lois Heidler, Quartet, New World Pictures, 1981.

Thetis, Clash of the Titans, United Artists, 1981.

Daphne Castle, Evil under the Sun (also known as Agatha Christie's "Evil under the Sun" and Maldad bajo el sol), Universal, 1982.

Lady Isabel Ames, The Missionary, Columbia, 1982.

Miss Anderson, Better Late Than Never (also known as Whose Little Girl Are You?), Galaxy, 1983.

Joyce Chilvers, A Private Function, New Yorker Films/Island Alive, 1985.

Lily Wynn, Lily in Love (also known as Playing for Keeps and Jatszani kell), New Line Cinema, 1985.

Charlotte Bartlett, A Room with a View, Cinecom International, 1986.

Judith Hearne, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, Island Pictures, 1987.

Voice of Rozaline, Romeo-Juliet, 1990.

Granny Wendy Moira Angel Darling, Hook, TriStar, 1992.

Mother Superior, Sister Act (also known as Apaca show, Cambio de habito, Do cabare para o convento, En vaersting till syster, Halloj i klosteret, Mudanca de habito, Nune pojejo, Nunnia ja konnia, Rock 'n' nonne, Sister Act—Eine himmlische Karriere, Sister Act: una monja de cuidado, Sister Act—una svitata in abito da suora, and Una monja de cuidado), Buena Vista, 1992.

Mrs. Medlock, The Secret Garden, Warner Bros., 1993.

Mother Superior, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (also known as Apaca-show 2., Cambio de habito 2, Cambio de habito 2: Mas locuras en el convento, Do cabare para o convento 2, En vaersting till syster II, En vaersting till syster 2—Redo att synda igen, Halloj i klosteret 2—Nonnernes hus, Mudanca de habito 2: Mais confusoes no convento, Mudanca de habito 2: Mais loucuras no convento, Nune pojejo 2, Nunnia ja konnia 2: Lisaeae saepinaeae, Rock 'n' nonne 2: De retour au couvent, Sister Act, acte 2, Sister Act 2: de vuelta al convento, Sister Act 2—In goettlicher Mission, and Sister act 2—piu svitata che mai), Buena Vista, 1993.

Duchess of York, Richard III, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1995.

Gunilla Garson Goldberg, The First Wives Club (also known as Der Club der Teufelinnen, El club de las divorciadas, El club de las primeras esposas, El club de las primeres esposes, Elvalt noek klubja, Foere detta fruars klubb, Forstekoneklubben, Hylaettyjen vaimojen kerho, Il club delle prime mogli, Ilk esler kuluebue, Klub vrazjih babnic, Le club des ex, O clube das desquitadas, O clube das divorciadas, and Zmowa pierwszych zon), Paramount, 1996.

Aunt Lavinia Penniman, Washington Square, Buena Vista, 1997.

Lady Hester Random, Tea with Mussolini (also known as Un te con Mussolini), G2 Films, 1999.

Lady Myra Naylor, The Last September, Trimark Pictures, 1999.

Constance (Countess of Trentham), Gosford Park, USA Films, 2001.

Professor Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (also known as Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter a kamen mudrcu, Harry Potter a l'ecole des sorciers, Harry Potter e a pedra filosofal, Harry Potter e la pietra filosofale, Harry Potter en de steen der wijzen, Harry Potter es a boelcsek koeve, Harry Potter i kamien filozoficzny, Harry Potter i la pedra filosofal, Harry Potter ja viisasten kivi, Harry Potter och de vises sten, Harry Potter og de vises stein, Harry Potter og de vises sten, Harry Potter og viskusteinninn, Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen, and Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal), Warner Bros., 2001.

Caro Eliza Bennett, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (also known as Clan Ya-Ya, The Secrets of Ya-Ya, Die Goettlichen Geheimnisse der Ya-Ya-Schwestern, Divinos secretos, Divinos segredos, Exomologiseis gynaikon, I sublimi segreti delle Ya-Ya Sisters, Jumalaiset Ja Ja siskot, Jumalaiset jajasiskot, Les divins secrets, Les divins secrets des petites Ya-Ya, Ya-Ya flickornas gudomliga hemligheter, Ya-Ya-flickornas gudomliga hemligheter, and Ya-ya-sostrenes guddommelige hemmeligheder), Warner Bros., 2002.

Professor Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (also known as Incident on 57th Street, Harry Potter a tajemna komnata, Harry Potter e a camara dos segredos, Harry Potter e a secreta, Harry Potter e la camera dei segreti, Harry Potter en de geheime kamer, Harry Potter es a titkok kamraja, Harry Potter et la chambre des secrets, Harry Potter i la cambra secreta, Harry Potter ja salaisuuksien kammio, Harry Potter och hemligheternas kammare, Harry Potter og hemmelighedernes kammer, Harry Potter og leyniklefinn, Harry Potter og mysteriekammeret, Harry Potter si camera secretelor, Harry Potter und die Kammer des Schreckens, Harry Potter y la camara de los secretos, and Harry Potter y la camara secreta), Warner Bros., 2002.

Professor Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (also known as Harry Potter e il prigioniero di Azkaban, Harry Potter en de gevangene van Azkaban, Harry Potter e o prisioneiro de Azkaban, Harry Potter et le prisonnier d'Azkaban, Harry Potter i el pres d'Azkaban, Harry Potter ja Azkabanin vanki, Harry Potter och faan-gen fraan Azkaban, Harry Potter og fangen fra Azkaban, Harry Potter og fanginn fra Azkaban, Harry Potter und der Gefangene von Askaban, and Harry Potter y el prisionero de Azkaban), Warner Bros., 2004, IMAX version released as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The IMAX Experience.

Grace Hawkins, Keeping Mum, ThinkFilm, 2005.

Janet Widdington, Ladies in Lavender, Roadside Attractions, 2005.

Professor Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (also known as Harry Potter e il calice di fuoco, Harry Potter en de vuurbeker, Harry Potter e o calice de fogo, Harry Potter et la coupe de feu, Harry Potter i el calze de foc, Harry Potter ja liekehtivae pikari, Harry Potter och den flammande baegaren, Harry Potter og eldbikarinn, Harry Potter og flammernes pokal, Harry Potter og ildbegeret, Harry Potter und der Feuerkelch, Harry Potter y el caliz de fuego, and O Harry Potter kai to kypelo tis fotias), Warner Bros., 2005, IMAX version released as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: The IMAX Experience.

Lady Gresham, Becoming Jane, Miramax, 2007.

Professor Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (also known as Tip Top, Hari Poter i Red Feniksa, Harry Potter e a Ordem da Fenix, Harry Potter e l'ordine della Fenice, Harry Potter en de orde van de feniks, Harry Potter es a Foenix Rendje, Harry Potter et l'ordre du phenix, Harry Potter i l'orde del Fenix, Harry Potter ja feeniksin kilta, Harry Potter och fenixordern, Harry Potter og foniksordenen, Harry Potter und der Orden des Phoenix, and Harry Potter y la orden del Fenix), Warner Bros., 2007.

Stage Appearances:

Viola, Twelfth Night (also known as Twelfth Night, or What You Will), Oxford Dramatic Society, Oxford Playhouse, Oxford, England, 1952.

Performer, New Faces 56 Revue (musical revue; also known as New Faces of 1956 and New Faces of '56), Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1956.

Performer, Share My Lettuce, Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, then Comedy Theatre, both London, 1957.

Vera Dane, The Stepmother, St. Martin's Theatre, London, 1958.

Celia, As You Like It, Old Vic Theatre, London, 1959-60.

Lady Plyant, The Double Dealer, Old Vic Theatre, 1959-60.

Maggie Wylie, What Every Woman Knows, Old Vic Theatre, 1959-60.

Mistress Ford, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Old Vic Theatre, 1959-60.

The queen, Richard II, Old Vic Theatre, 1959-60.

Daisy, Rhinoceros, Strand Theatre, London, 1960.

Lucile, The Rehearsal, Royal Theatre, then Bristol Old Vic Theatre, Globe Theatre (now Gielgud Theatre), London, Queen's Theatre, London, and Apollo Theatre, London, 1961.

Doreen, The Private Ear, and Belinda, The Public Eye (double-bill), Globe Theatre (now Gielgud Theatre), 1962.

Narrator, Pictures in the Hallway (dramatic reading), Mermaid Theatre, London, 1962.

Mary (title role), Mary, Mary, Queen's Theatre, 1963.

Silvia, The Recruiting Officer, National Theatre Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1963.

Beatrice, Much Ado about Nothing, National Theatre Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1964.

Desdemona, Othello, National Theatre Company, Old Vic Theatre, then Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester, England, 1964.

Hilda Wangel, The Master Builder, National Theatre Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1964.

Myra, Hay Fever, National Theatre Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1964.

Clea, Black Comedy, National Theatre Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1965.

Title role, Miss Julie, National Theatre Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1965-66.

Marcela, A Bond Honoured, National Theatre Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1966.

Margery Pinchwife, The Country Wife, National Theatre Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1969.

Title role, Hedda Gabler, National Theatre Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1970.

Masha, The Three Sisters, National Theatre Company, Old Vic Theatre, then Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1970.

Mrs. Sullen, The Beaux' Stratagem, National Theatre Company, Old Vic Theatre, 1970.

Amanda Prynne, Private Lives, Queen's Theatre, 1972.

Title role, Peter Pan, Theatre at the Coliseum, London, 1973, then Los Angeles production, 1974, later Forty-Sixth Street Theatre, New York City, 1975.

Connie Hudson, Snap, Vaudeville Theatre, London, 1974.

Amanda Prynne, Private Lives, Forty-Sixth Street Theatre, 1975.

Cleopatra, Antony and Cleopatra, Stratford Festival of Canada, Avon Theatre, Stratford, Ontario, Canada, 1976.

Masha, The Three Sisters, Stratford Festival of Canada, Avon Theatre, 1976.

Millamant, The Way of the World, Stratford Festival of Canada, Avon Theatre, 1976.

The actress, The Guardsman, Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, 1976, then Stratford Festival of Canada, 1977-78.

Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, Stratford Festival of Canada, Avon Theatre, 1976, 1977-78.

Amanda Prynne, Private Lives, Stratford Festival of Canada, Avon Theatre, 1977-78.

Judith Bliss, Hay Fever, Stratford Festival of Canada, Avon Theatre, 1977-78.

The queen, Richard II, Stratford Festival of Canada, Avon Theatre, 1977-78.

Rosalind, As You Like It, Stratford Festival of Canada, Avon Theatre, 1977-78.

Titania and Hippolyta, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Stratford Festival of Canada, Avon Theatre, 1977-78.

Ruth Carson, Night and Day, Phoenix Theatre, London, then John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, and American National Theatre and Academy (ANTA) Playhouse, New York City, 1979-80.

Beatrice, Much Ado about Nothing, Stratford Festival of Canada, Avon Theatre, 1980.

Masha, The Seagull, Stratford Festival of Canada, Avon Theatre, 1980.

Virginia Woolf (title role), Virginia, Stratford Festival of Canada, Avon Theatre, 1980, then West End production, 1981.

Millamant, The Way of the World, Chichester Festival Theatre, 1984-85.

Jocasta, The Infernal Machine, Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, 1986.

Nadia, Interpreters, Queen's Theatre, 1986.

Halina, Coming into Land, National Theatre, Lyttelton Theatre, London, 1987.

Lettice Douffet, Lettice and Lovage, Globe Theatre (now Gielgud Theatre), 1987-90, then Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 1990.

Lady Bracknell, The Importance of Being Earnest, London, 1993.

Three Tall Women, Wyndham's Theatre, London, 1994-95.

Susan, Bed among the Lentils (also known as "Bed among the Lentils," Talking Heads), Chichester Festival Theatre, Minerva Theatre, 1996.

Claire, A Delicate Balance, Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, 1997, 1998.

Miss Shepherd, The Lady in the Van, Queen's Theatre, 1999-2000.

Madeleine Palmer, The Breath of Life, Theatre Royal Haymarket, 2002-2003.

Elizabeth, The Lady from Dubuque, Theatre Royal Haymarket, 2007.

Some sources cite appearances in other productions, including The War Plays.

Major Tours:

Kathy, Strip the Willow, 1960.

Susan, Bed among the Lentils (also known as "Bed among the Lentils," Talking Heads), cities in Australia and New Zealand, 2004.

Toured with On the Fringe (revue), Scottish cities, then London.

Stage Work:

Worked as an assistant stage manager, Oxford Playhouse, Oxford, England.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Aunt Betsey Trotwood, David Copperfield, BBC, 1999, broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre (also known as ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre and Mobil Masterpiece Theatre), PBS, 2000.

Herself, Francesco's Italy: Top to Toe, BBC, 2006.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Title role, Mrs. Silly, Granada Television, 1983.

Mrs. Mabel Pettigrew, Memento Mori, BBC, 1992, broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre (also known as ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre and Mobil Masterpiece Theatre), PBS, c. 1992.

Lily Marlowe, Curtain Call, Starz!, 1999.

Queen Alexandra, All the King's Men (also known as Todos os homens do rei), BBC, 1999, broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre (also known as ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre and Mobil Masterpiece Theatre), PBS, 2000.

Mrs. Emily Delahunty, My House in Umbria (also known as La mia casa in Umbria, Ma maison en Ombre, Mein Haus in Umbrien, Mi casa en Umbria, and Ta mystiria tou paradeisou), HBO, 2003.

Mary, Capturing Mary, BBC, 2007.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Dixie Evans, "The Big Knife," ITV Play of the Week (also known as Play of the Week), Independent Television (England), 1958.

"Hay Fever," ITV Play of the Week (also known as Play of the Week), Independent Television, 1960.

Beatrice, Much Ado about Nothing, BBC, 1967, syndicated, 1971.

Ann Whitefield, "Man and Superman," Play of the Month, BBC, 1968.

Irina Arkadina, "The Seagull," Play of the Month, BBC, 1968.

Epifania, "The Millionairess," Play of the Month, BBC, 1972.

Portia, "The Merchant of Venice," Play of the Month, BBC, 1972.

(In archive footage) Miss Bowers, Death on the Nile: Making of Featurette, 1978.

Herself and Daphne Castle, The Making of Agatha Christie's "Evil under the Sun," 1982.

(Uncredited; in archive footage) Actress in Quartet, The Wandering Company, 1984.

Mrs. Violet Venable, Suddenly, Last Summer, BBC-2, 1993, broadcast on Great Performances, PBS, 1993.

(In archive footage) 50 Years of Funny Females (also known as Fifty Years of Funny Females), ABC, 1995.

Herself, Agnieszka Holland on the Set, 1997.

Herself, On the Set of "Washington Square," [Poland], 1997.

(In archive footage) Professor Minerva McGonagall, J. K. Rowling: Harry Potter and Me, BBC, 2002.

Herself, Inside "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," 2005.

Appeared in other television programs.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

Presenter, The 24th Annual Tony Awards, NBC, 1970.

Presenter, The 43rd Annual Academy Awards, NBC, 1971.

Presenter, The 50th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1978.

Presenter, The 51st Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1979.

(Uncredited; in archive footage) Charlotte Bartlett, The 59th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1987.

The 44th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1990.

The Orange British Academy Film Awards, 2000, 2001.

Presenter, The 74th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 2002.

Judi Dench: A BAFTA Tribute, BBC, 2002.

Ronnie Barker: A BAFTA Tribute, BBC, 2004.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

"Family Business," The Makepeace Story, BBC, 1955.

"Night of the Plague," Kraft Theatre (also known as Kraft Mystery Theatre and Kraft Television Theatre), NBC, 1957.

"The Widower," Armchair Theatre, Associated British Picture Corporation (England), 1958.

Herself, Parkinson, BBC, 1973.

Herself, The Carol Burnett Show (also known as Carol Burnett and Friends), CBS, 1974, 1975 (multiple episodes).

Herself, Dinah! (also known as Dinah and Dinah and Friends), syndicated, 1977.

Susan, "Bed among the Lentils," Talking Heads (also known as Talking Heads: Bed among the Lentils), BBC, 1988, broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre (also known as ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre and Mobil Masterpiece Theatre), PBS, 1989.

Herself, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 2001.

Herself, When I Was a Girl, WE (Women's Entertainment Television), 2002.

Herself, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," HBO First Look, HBO, 2004.

(In archive footage) Herself, "Actresses," Britain's Finest, Channel 5 (England) and History Channel (Great Britain), 2005.

Herself, "Planet Potter," Planet Voice, 2005.

(In archive footage) Herself, "Sobre ‘Maldad bajo el sol,’" Ciclo Agatha Christie, 2005.

Herself, The Charlie Rose Show (also known as Charlie Rose), PBS, 2005.

Herself, Today (also known as NBC News Today and The Today Show), NBC, 2005.

Television Appearances; Other:

Some sources cite appearances in Boy Meets Girl, Home and Beauty, On Approval, A Phoenix Too Frequent, and Services Rendered.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

(In archive footage) Herself, Oscar's Greatest Moments, 1992.

Herself, Interviews with Professors & More, 2003.

(Uncredited; in archive footage) Professor Minerva McGonagall, Interviews with Students, 2003.

(Uncredited; in archive footage) Professor Minerva McGonagall, Creating the Vision, 2004.

Herself, Preparing for the Yule Ball (short), 2006.

(In archive footage) The millionairess, Changing Time, 2006.

(Uncredited; in archive footage) Professor Minerva McGonagall, Harry vs. the Horntail: The First Task, 2006.

(In archive footage) Epifania, Are Friends Electric, 2007.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Burton, Hal, editor, Acting in the Sixties, BBC, 1970.

Coveney, Michael, Maggie Smith: A Bright Particular Star, Gollancz, 1992.

International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 3: Actors and Actresses, St. James Press, fourth edition, 2000.

International Dictionary of Theatre, Volume 3: Actors, Directors, and Designers, St. James Press, 1996.

Periodicals:

Economist, November 16, 2002, pp. 84-85.

Entertainment Weekly, February 22, 2002, p. 56; March 15, 2002, pp. 32-34.

New York Times, January 7, 1989; March 18, 1990.

New York Times Magazine, March 18, 1990.

Observer (London), November 18, 1982.

People Weekly, April 28, 1986, p. 47.

Premiere, April, 2002, p. 92.

Radio Times, September 26, 1992.

Show, November, 1972.

Telegraph, November 12, 1994, pp. 40-41, 43.

Times (London), July 14, 1990.

Smith, Maggie 1965–

Personal

Born April 11, 1965. Education: Attended college. Hobbies and other interests: Designing and sewing cloth dolls and animals. Collecting vintage cotton fabrics from the 1960s and 1970s.

Addresses

Home and office—Seattle, WA. E-mail—[email protected].

Career

Author and illustrator of children's books. Freelance pattern maker of soft-sculpture toys and decorations for leading fabric company; worked briefly for theatrical costume shops, New York, NY, including Jim Henson's Muppet shop; assistant textile designer in New York, NY.

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

Noly Poly Rabbit Tail and Me, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books (New York, NY), 1990.

There's a Witch under the Stairs, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books (New York, NY), 1991.

My Grandma's Chair, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books (New York, NY), 1992.

Argo, You Lucky Dog, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Counting Our Way to Maine, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1995.

This Is Your Garden, Crown (New York, NY), 1998.

Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon, Crown (New York, NY), 2000.

Desser the Best Ever Cat, Alfred A. Knopf (New York, NY), 2001.

Paisley, Knopf (New York, NY), 2004.

One Naked Baby: Counting to Ten and Back Again, Alfred A. Knopf (New York, NY), 2007.

ILLUSTRATOR

Patricia Demuth, Achoo!: All about Colds, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 1997.

Pamela Jane, A-Boo-C: A Spooky Alphabet Story, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 1998.

Ann Whitford Paul, Everything to Spend the Night—from A to Z, DK Pub. (New York, NY), 1999.

Anne F. Rockwell, Ferryboat Ride!, Crown (New York, NY), 1999.

Kristine O'Connell George, Book!, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Pamela Jane, All about Christmas: A Merry Alphabet Story, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2001.

Julie Markes, Good Thing You're Not an Octopus!, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2001.

Karen Roosa, Beach Day, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Eve Bunting, My Big Boy Bed, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Kristine O'Connell George, One Mitten, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Candace Fleming, This Is the Baby, Melanie Kroupa Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Linda Sue Park, What Does Bunny See?: A Book of Colors and Flowers, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 2005.

Hope Vestergaard, What Do You Do—When a Monster Says Boo?, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY), 2006.

Eve Bunting, Our Library, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 2007.

ILLUSTRATOR; "LET'S TALK ABOUT …" SERIES

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Angry, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1995.

Joy Wilt Berry, Saying No, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1996.

Joy Wilt Berry, Being Helpful, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1996.

Joy Wilt Berry, Needing Attention, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1996.

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Sad, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1996.

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Afraid, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2001.

Joy Wilt Berry, Being Patient, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Getting Hurt, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Accepting No, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Being away from Your Parents, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Worried, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Embarrassed, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Jealous, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Disappointed, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Frustrated, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Feeling Guilty, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Being Good, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Joy Wilt Berry, Being Shy, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2002.

Sidelights

Maggie Smith leads a creative life on several fronts. A devoted crafter from an early age, she created fabric dolls and stuffed animals for many years and has worked professionally as a pattern maker for fabric toys and decorations. Many young children are more familiar with Smith's work as an author and illustrator; her popular picture book Counting Our Way to Maine was described by School Library Journal contributor Janet M. Bair as "an engaging summer offering, and a great concept book to boot," while in Booklist Julie Corsaro concluded: "A cozy addition to picture-book collections, [Counting Our Way to Maine] … also features the most satisfying of family values: love." In addition to creating several self-illustrated picture books, she has also provided illustrations for a number of other writers, such as Eve Bunting, Linda Sue Park, Candace Fleming, Ann Rockwell, and Hope Vestergaard.

"When I started out in children's books I was very excited about writing," Smith told SATA, "and I really enjoyed the process of delving into my childhood memories and imagination. After a while I started being asked to illustrate stories by other authors, and while this has been very satisfying in many ways (and has helped me to earn a living) I do miss that time when I was so focused on my own stories. Illustrating books, whether my own or not, takes up so much time that it's difficult to find enough time and focus for writing. But I do enjoy both parts of creating books, and feel very lucky that this is what I get to do every day.

"I do wish that I had kept a diary starting at a young age, so that I could better remember what I was thinking and doing. I would encourage kids to do so, even if the thoughts, feelings, and activities they write down seem ordinary to them. Some day in their future, this would be a real treasure to have!"

Joy Wilt Berry's "Lets Talk About…" books, an educational series that includes Feeling Angry, Saying No, and Being Patient, features Smith's engaging cartoon art in over a dozen of its titles. In addition, "Smith's

naive and rosy-checked characters, cozy textures, and crayon-box colors are a perfect accompaniment," to Flemings This Is the Baby, according to School Library Journal critic Kathy Krasniewicz, while in What Do You Do When a Monster Says Boo? Smith contributes what Booklist contributor Gillian Engberg described as "jelly-bean-bright acrylic paintings" to Hope Vestergaard's rhyming story about a pair of rambunctious siblings.

Smith published her first original book for children, Noly Poly Rabbit Tail and Me, in 1990. Dubbed an "impressive debut" by a Publishers Weekly contributor, the book brings to life the affection of a child for a beloved stuffed toy. The author/illustrator's "delightfully detailed pastel pictures are as engaging as her text," the critic added. A young child's affection for his grandmother's chair is the focus of My Grandma's Chair, in which Smith's "capricious imagination" is reflected in her "whimsical paintings," according to another Publishers Weekly reviewer. In her self-illustrated counting book One Naked Baby: Counting to Ten and Back Again, Smith pairs "joyous, jewel-toned watercolor illustrations" with a simple text to "present a … complex and nuanced narrative" that will "spark preschoolers' imaginations," according to School Library Journal contributor Rachael Vilmar.

Best friends are an essential part of childhood, and in Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon a little boy models caring rather than frustration when a playmate comes down with the chicken pox. As the days pass from Sunday onward through the week, Peter sends friend Daisy daily pick-me-ups, from a card to flowers, to coloring books. Smith's art, "glowing with rich colors," according to Booklist reviewer Carolyn Phelan, "features pleasing scenes with a clear narrative focus," making Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon "a simple, upbeat tale of friendship." A Publishers Weekly critic described the book as "just the ticket for a homebound young patient," while in School Library Journal Martha Topol noted that "counting and days of the week are naturally ingrained in the plot, thus keeping the focus on Peter's acts of kindness."

Animals take center stage in Argo, You Lucky Dog and Desser the Best Ever Cat, while a stuffed animal finds his way in the wide world in Paisley, a "hilarious" recounting of the adventures of a toy elephant that culminate in a "tale of true bliss discovered and dreams achieved," according to a Kirkus Reviews writer. In Argo, You Lucky Dog a white puppy finds a winning lottery ticket while his owners are out of town and promptly refurbishes their home with lavish—and dog-friendly—accoutrements, including a bone-shaped wading pool and a fire-hydrant-shaped garden fountain. Noting the book's value in introducing basic addition and subtraction, a Publishers Weekly contributor praised Smith's "festive watercolors" and her furry hero's "admirable generosity."

A stray kitten is taken in by the father of a little girl in Desser the Best Ever Cat, which is organized like a scrapbook capturing the cat's frisky yet loving nature throughout the years of his long life. Smith ends the book showing a prominently displayed photograph of Desser, thereby "reassuring children that pets never leave as long as they are remembered," according to Booklist contributor Ellen Mandel. Smith's cheerfully detailed illustrations "imbue the cat with expression and personality while remaining true to the animal's nature," concluded a Publishers Weekly contributor.

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, April 15, 1992, Ellen Mandel, review of My Grandma's Chair, p. 1539; July, 1994, review of Argo, You Lucky Dog, p. 1956; April 1, 1995, Julie Corsaro, review of Counting Our Way to Maine, p. 1428; May 1, 1998, Helen Rosenberg, review of This Is Your Garden, p. 1520; July, 2000, Carolyn Phelan, review of Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon, p. 2043; February 15, 2001, Ellen Mandel, review of Desser the Best Ever Cat, p. 1142; September 1, 2003, Carolyn Phelan, review of My Big Boy Bed, p. 128; November, 15, 2004, Ilene Cooper, review of One Mitten, p. 590; July 1, 2006, Gillian Engberg, review of What Do You Do When a Monster Says Boo?, p. 68.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, March, 1991, review of There's a Witch under the Stairs, p. 177; March, 1995, review of Counting Our Way to Maine, p. 250; May, 1998, review of This Is Your Garden, p. 339; February, 2000, review of Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon, p. 222.

Horn Book, May-June, 1991, Mary M. Burns, review of There's a Witch under the Stairs, p. 324; November-December, 2004, Jennifer M. Brabander, review of This Is the Baby, p. 695.

Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2004, review of This Is the Baby, p. 628; July 15, 2004, review of Paisley, p. 694; July 1, 2006, review of What Do You Do When a Monster Says Boo?, p. 693.

Publishers Weekly, August 31, 1990, review of Noly Poly Rabbit Tail and Me, p. 664; May 25, 1992, review of My Grandma's Chair, p. 54; May 2, 1994, review of Argo, You Lucky Dog, p. 307; May 1, 2000, review of Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon, p. 69; March 26, 2001, review of Desser the Best Ever Cat, p. 93; July 19, 2004, review of This Is the Baby, p. 159.

School Library Journal, June, 1992, Virginia E. Jeschelnig, review of My Grandma's Chair, p. 103; August, 1994, Dot Minzer, review of Argo, You Lucky Dog, p. 146; May, 1995, Janet M. Bair, review of Counting Our Way to Maine, p. 95; June, 1998, Carolyn Jenks, review of This Is Your Garden, p. 122; April, 2000, Martha Topol, review of Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon, p. 114; July, 2001, Alison Kastner, review of Desser the Best Ever Cat, p. 89; October, 2001, Bina Williams, review of Book!, p. 139; August, 2004, Kathy Krasniewicz, review of This Is the Baby, p. 86; September, 2004, Jane Barrer, review of Paisley, p. 180; August, 2006, Shelley B. Sutherland, review of What Do You Do When a Monster Says Boo?, p. 100; January, 2007, Rachael Vilmar, review of One Naked Baby: Counting to Ten and Back Again, p. 109.

ONLINE

Maggie Smith Home Page,http://www.maggiebooks.com/ (May 23, 2008).

SMITH, (Dame) Maggie

Nationality: British. Born: Ilford, Essex, 28 December 1934. Education: Attended the Oxford School for Girls; studied at the Oxford Playhouse School. Family: Married 1) the actor Robert Stephens, 1967, (divorced 1975), sons: Christopher and Toby; 2) the writer Beverley Cross, 1975. Career: Played in revues in Oxford and London. 1956—New York stage debut in New Faces of 1956; 1958—film debut in Nowhere to Go; 1959–60—season at the Old Vic, London; 1963–68—member of the National Theatre, London; also acted at the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario; later work includes The Way of the World, 1984, and Lettice and Lovage, 1987; 1987—in TV mini-series Talking Heads, the "Bed among the Lentils" episode. Awards: Best Actress Academy Award, and Best Actress, British Academy, for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, 1969; Best Supporting Actress Academy Award, for California Suite, 1978; Best Actress, British Academy, for A Private Function, 1985, A Room with a View, 1986, and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, 1987. Dame Commander, Order of the British Empire, 1990. Agent: ICM, 388 Oxford Street, London W1N 9HE, England.

Films as Actress:

1958

Nowhere to Go (Holt) (as Bridget Howard)

1962

Go to Blazes (Truman) (as Chantal)

1963

The V.I.P.s (Asquith) (as Miss Mead)

1964

The Pumpkin Eater (Clayton) (as Philpot)

1965

Young Cassidy (Cardiff and Ford) (as Nora)

1966

Othello (Burge) (as Desdemona)

1967

The Honey Pot (Joseph L. Mankiewicz) (as Sarah Watkins)

1968

Hot Millions (Till) (as Patty Terwilliger)

1969

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Neame) (title role); Oh! What a Lovely War (Attenborough) (as music hall star)

1972

Travels with My Aunt (Cukor) (as Aunt Augusta); Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing (Pakula) (as Lola Fisher)

1976

Murder by Death (Moore) (as Dora Charleston)

1978

California Suite (Ross) (as Diana Barrie); Death on the Nile (Guillermin) (as Miss Bowers)

1981

Evil under the Sun (Hamilton) (as Daphne Castle); Clash of the Titans (Desmond Davis) (as Thetis); Quartet (Ivory) (as Lois Heidler)

1982

The Missionary (Loncraine) (as Lady Ames); Better Late than Never (Whose Little Girl Are You?) (Forbes) (as Miss Anderson)

1985

A Private Function (Mowbray) (as Joyce Chilvers); Lily in Love (Jatszani Kell) (Makk) (title role)

1986

A Room with a View (Ivory) (as Charlotte Bartlett)

1987

The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (Clayton) (title role)

1990

Romeo-Juliet (Acosta) (as voice of Rozaline)

1991

Hook (Spielberg) (as Granny Wendy Darling)

1992

Sister Act (Ardolino) (as Mother Superior); Memento Mori (Clayton and Hubbard—for TV) (as Mrs. Mabel Pettigrew)

1993

The Secret Garden (Holland) (as Mrs. Medlock); Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (Duke) (as Mother Superior); Suddenly Last Summer (Eyre—for TV) (as Violet Venable)

1996

Richard III (Loncraine) (as the Duchess of York); The First Wives Club (Hogan)

1997

Washington Square (Holland) (as Aunt Lavinia Penniman)

1999

The Last September (Warner) (as Lady Myra); David Copperfield; Curtain Call (Yates) (as Lily Marlowe); Tea With Mussolini (Zeffirelli) (as Hester); All the King's Men (Jarrold—for TV) (as Queen Alexandra)

Publications

By SMITH: articles—

Interview with Clive Goodwin, in Acting in the Sixties, edited by Hal Burton, London, 1970.

Interview in Show (Hollywood), November 1972.

Interview with Mary Harron, in the Observer (London), 18 November 1982.

Interview with Sheridan Morley, in the Times (London), 14 July 1990.

On SMITH: book—

Coveney, Michael, Maggie Smith: A Bright Particular Star, London, 1992.

On SMITH: articles—

Current Biography 1970, New York, 1970.

New York Times, 7 January 1989.

Wolf, Matt, "There Is Nothing Like This Dame," in New York Times Magazine, 18 March 1990.

Radio Times (London), 26 September 1992.

As a younger dramatic actress making a splash in Othello, Maggie Smith seemed as proficient as other English stage contemporaries but unremarkable on-screen. It was as a flustered comedienne, England's daffiest export since Kay Kendall, that Smith truly emerged as a star. What makes Smith so funny is that she is often the sole cast member diligently trying to remain the voice of reason; the loss of her dignity to chaos can be overwhelmingly hilarious, whether it is her Oscar-nominee in California Suite, who drowns her desire for her gay hubby in booze; her mousy nurse uncovering a rapscallion's murder scheme in The Honey Pot; or her Dora Charleston trying to keep her wits about her while the world's most famous detectives lose their cool in Murder by Death. Often cast as a low-level professional (e.g., the enterprising secretary in Hot Millions, the paid companion in Death on the Nile), who is sometimes a spinster, Smith specializes in playing underappreciated ugly ducklings who often save the day for their love objects as Patty Terwilliger does in Hot Millions by wisely investing her spouse's embezzled funds.

When Smith seamlessly combines the frustration of the unmarried woman with her trademark frazzled composure in melodramas, the comedy technique heightens her characters' predicaments. In her Oscar-winning performance as the disciplinarian molder of little girls in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, she is both pathetic and laughable as she misinterprets the range of her influence. What is so heartbreaking about Smith's roles that play tears off laughter is that her insular characters have no sense of their own ridiculousness; when the self-image is shattered by the perception of the outside world as in Jean Brodie, the effect on the spectator is devastating. In the transmuting tragicomedy Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing, the slapstick sequences brilliantly reverse audience expectations; Smith's dazzling physical comedy shtick becomes a slap in the audience's face once it is revealed that Smith's character is terminally ill. We are so conditioned to draw enjoyment from Smith's lively self-deprecation, that this knowledge of Lola Fisher's mortality is shocking. Daringly, both A Room with a View and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne employ ludicrous aspects of the characters' deportment to underscore their fragility. Not since Katharine Hepburn cornered the market on the unloved (The African Queen, Summertime, Rainmaker), has a star brought so much poignancy to bear on the plight of the spinster.

A comparison between these two great eccentrics is telling even if Hepburn was a great beauty who relied on mannerisms to emphasize her characters' uniqueness, whereas Smith is a plain woman who sometimes falls back on mannerisms to undercut her characters' despair. But when Smith colors her unloved women with humor not for sugarcoating but for ironic counterpoint, her artistry is profoundly moving, as with her moral watchdog chaperon in Room with a View and her tippling neurasthenic, Judith Hearne, one of cinema's incontrovertibly great performances. Foolishly pinning her old maid hope on an obvious con man, Hearne is driven round the bend by this final rejection as if it were a personal affront from a God she has come to question. Superb in British television productions such as Memento Mori and a remake of Hepburn's chilling Suddenly Last Summer, Smith is admittedly something of a one-woman band as an actress. If her performance gimmickry is not as well-suited to the all-star bitchery of Evil under the Sun as it is to the inspired satire of A Private Function or The Missionary, she can never be accused of tasteful dullness; her bag of tricks is unmistakably hers, not the generic posturing of female clowns such as Goldie Hawn and Meg Ryan.

Lately, somewhat toned-down in supporting roles as the stern Mrs. Medlock in the stylish children's film The Secret Garden or as the disgusted mother of a political monster in the revisionist Richard III, Smith is restrained but still impactful. In the tepid box-office-smash the Sister Act films, Smith provides a welcome soupçon of class, but she is much too distinctive a funnywoman to play straight lady to other comediennes. Her only dreadful performance in a brilliant career forms the centerpiece of Travels with My Aunt, a crippled project she inherited from Katharine Hepburn after a power play between that actress and MGM. Encouraged in an interpretation owing more to Auntie Mame than Graham Greene's beloved book, Smith offers a circus clown rendition of The Madwoman of Chaillot. For the only time in her career, those much written-about star mannerisms strangle her authority. One misstep in a body of work this bright and singular only throws the other magnificent achievements into sharper relief. Whereas other versatile stars manage to give superb comic and searing dramatic acting displays in different films, Smith magically combines comic and tragic masks inside the spirit of the same character. How she creates these breathtaking histrionic effects may be the province of sorcery.

—Robert Pardi