Overview
Elizabeth Inglis (born Desiree Mary Lucy Hawkins; 10 July 1913 – 25 August 2007) was an English actress who worked on stage and in films in the 1930s and early 1940s. She is best remembered for supporting appearances in notable British and Hollywood pictures, including a role in Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps and a part in the drama The Letter, opposite Bette Davis. Inglis sometimes performed under the name Elizabeth Earl early in her career and later became better known to the public as the wife of broadcaster Sylvester Weaver and the mother of actress Sigourney Weaver.
Early life and stage beginnings
Born in Colchester, England, Inglis trained for the stage as many British performers did in the interwar period, gaining experience in repertory companies and West End productions. Her theatrical background helped her adapt to film work at a time when cinema still valued stage-trained diction and presence. Contemporary notices show she moved between theatre and screen work before taking small roles that brought her wider recognition.
Film career and notable roles
Inglis's film work was concentrated in the 1930s and early 1940s. She appeared in the classic espionage thriller The 39 Steps, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, which has remained a landmark of British cinema and is often cited in accounts of her screen career. She also had a credited part in the Hollywood production The Letter, a vehicle for Bette Davis, which further associated her with high-profile projects of the era. Although she did not pursue a long filmography, her roles placed her alongside major figures of stage and screen and demonstrated the transatlantic flow of talent during that period.
Personal life and family
In 1942 Inglis married Sylvester "Pat" Weaver, a prominent American broadcasting executive. After marriage she moved to the United States and increasingly stepped back from acting to raise a family. The couple had two children, a son and a daughter; their daughter, the actress Sigourney Weaver, would later become internationally known for her film career. Inglis's family ties linked her early Broadway and film experiences to the emerging American media landscape shaped by her husband's career in broadcasting.
Later years, legacy and distinctions
Elizabeth Inglis lived a long life, largely outside the spotlight after her retirement from acting. She died in Santa Barbara, California, in 2007 at the age of 94. Her legacy is twofold: as a participant in noteworthy films of the 1930s and 1940s and as matriarch of a family that remained prominent in entertainment. Some obituaries and film histories note her as one of the last surviving members of the cast of early Hitchcock films.
Notable facts
- She was born Desiree Mary Lucy Hawkins and adopted the stage name Elizabeth Inglis; early credits also list her as Elizabeth Earl (actress).
- Her marriage in 1942 connected her to American broadcasting history through her husband, Sylvester Weaver, who played a formative role in network television programming.
- Her daughter, Sigourney Weaver, became a prominent film star, bringing renewed attention to Inglis's own earlier career.
- Biographical notes and retrospective pieces reference her appearances in The 39 Steps and The Letter when surveying British actresses who moved to the United States in the mid-20th century.
For further context on the films and people associated with Inglis, see histories of British cinema and mid-century American television and film, which place her career at the crossroads of stage tradition and the expanding international entertainment industry.
Additional resources and filmographies are available through dedicated film reference sites and archives that preserve credits and contemporary reviews of the period (search links: Colchester, England, general film reference: actor databases).