British actress Lysette Anthony has been in a ton of historical (and historical-ish) flicks in the last 40-odd years. You’ve probably seen her more often than you realized, in fact. One of the things I’ve always loved about her is that she is beautiful, but she can, in fact, act. In the course of writing this post, I realized there were a few films in which she’s starred that I haven’t seen and now they’re on my list of films to review in the near future!
Ivanhoe (1982)
Oliver Twist (1982)
Dombey & Son (1983)
Krull (1983)
The Emperor’s New Clothes (1987)
The Bretts (1987-89)
Jack the Ripper (1988)
Without a Clue (1988)
The Lady and the Highwayman (1988)
Sweet Danger (1989-90)
A Ghost in Monte Carlo (1990)
Dark Shadows (1991)
The Advocate (1993)
Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)
Dead Man’s Gun (1997-99)
Poirot: The Hollow (2004)
Do you have a favorite Lysette Anthony historical film? Tell us about it in the comments!
I remember seeing her in Without a Clue and it was the first time I’ve genuinely realised that some people just have a GREAT face/look for certain eras.
But Lucy, I’m British!
“…So are THESE!”
One of my favorite Mel Brooks moments, because it totally nailed Hammer Films’ approach to horror.
Also, Mr Brooks himself makes an unexpectedly perfect Van Helsing – he really nails the literary character’s eccentricity, even though DEAD AND LOVING IT is clearly more interested in the films than the book (Which is a great puty, because there are scenes in the book that cry out for the ‘Mel Brooks’ treatment*).
*Just about any scene with Quincy P. Morris comes to mind, but the bit where Count Dracula casually shows Mr Jonathan Harker the exit from Castle Dracula, only for that exit to be blocked by man-eating wolves (“SUCH a coincidence, how could a simple, country vampire have foreseen such an occurrence”) is quite darkly amusing.
As opposed to the bit where the local Animal Rights in Whitby people are DEEPLY concerned about the poor, foreign doggy that jumped ashore from the wreck of a ship (that just so happens to have been crewed only by the bloodless dead) which is plain Hilarious.
Jack the Ripper is a great miniseries with a stacked cast (and an age-appropriate Abberline, looking at you From Hell). I love all the historical details about the case that they managed to weave into the show, especially that at one point actor Richard Mansfield was a suspect because he was performing Jekyll and Hyde and his on-stage transformation was so startling that people believed he might really be turning into a Jekyll-like monster and going out to murder London’s prostitutes at night.
If you enjoyed this mini-series, be sure to read the graphic novel From Hell (and forget the film adaptation entirely). It’s even better in terms of rich detail and research – everyone from Joseph “John” Merrick, Oscar Wilde, Black Elk, to young Aleister Crowley. It is one of the best pieces of historical fiction I’ve read – period.
It’s nothing like the movie. I almost skipped it because of the movie and that’d be a giant mistake. They’re not even the same genre! Naturally, Alan Moore despised the adaptation and laughed at the casting of Abberline.
Oh definitely there was a revival series of Dark Shadows in the early 1990’s! It was wonderful! Ben Cross played Barnabas, Barbara Steele played Dr. Julia Hoffman and Jean Simmons played Elizabeth Stoddard Collins. It was very well done and very enjoyable. Lysette played the witch Angelique and did a really good job of it. The series is on DVD for those of you who are like me – still watch a lot of DVDs. It was made by the same team who did the original Dark Shadows show in the 1960s – Dan Curtis and Robert Cobert.
I loved this version of Dark Shadows! It was streaming for a bit on Amazon Prime. I was very sad when it was canceled after the 1st season.
Not related to today’s post, but is there a way to change the background to white with black type? This is going to seem strange, but I have trouble reading the black background with white type; it makes my head hurt. Thanks! :)
Maybe not my place to answer admin things, but I’m also not fond of “dark mode”. But at the top pink bar, where you see “About… Articles By Era…” there should be a moon symbol to the right. Flip it to go back to “light mode”.
Thanks! That switch is usually there, but when I came on earlier, I didn’t see it. :)
Many thanks; dark mode is kind of annoying.
Oddly, I don’t recall seeing any of these, but in the 80s, it seemed like she was everywhere!
Ooh, “Sweet Danger” is the filmed version of one of the Margery Allingham mystery series about Albert Campion, and a good book too. The whole series is definitely worth a watch if you like post Dr. Who Peter Davidson.
My Brit husband is devoted to Allingham. I never got into her or the telly series, but Davison is a ringer for photos of my late dad in his young-man-about-town period, so I enjoyed watching a few episodes.
I loved her in “Ivanhoe”. So charming. I can understand why the knight loves her. Great actress.
Sweet Danger is from a series of mysteries by Margery Allingham, started in the 1930s, and featuring her rip-off of Lord Peter Wimsey, Albert Campion. I read them as a teen after I had devoured all Dorothy Sayers books. Ms. Anthony plays Amanda Fitton, sister of a young man who is trying to clear his name and become an earl, while people are trying to kill both sister and brother. She and Campion fall in love/like. It’s pretty flimsy stuff, but probably quality trash for teenagers, especially since Amanda’s ambition is to design airplanes. The TV series was an obvious and obviously unsuccessful attempt to replicate the fabulous Edward Petherbridge/Harriet Walter TV series re Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane.
Oh, Lynette Anthony – please excuse me, I must compose a sonnet forthwith! (Though in all seriousness I’ve been rather worried about the lady – her recent appearances suggest possible health issues or something on that order).