--- name: "Martita Hunt" canonical: "https://film.one/person/martita-hunt" fi1m_id: "martita-hunt" imdb_id: "nm0402558" tmdb_id: 20127 wikidata_id: "Q458146" roles: ["Actor"] born: "30 January 1900" died: "13 June 1969" reviewed_on_fi1m: 5 average_fi1m_score: 75 average_as: "actor" average_over: 3 updated: "2026-09-25T03:21:06.477375+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Martita Hunt ## Identity Martita Hunt - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/martita-hunt - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** martita-hunt - **IMDb ID:** nm0402558 - **TMDB ID:** 20127 - **Wikidata ID:** Q458146 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martita_Hunt, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q458146, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402558/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/20127 Actor. Born 30 January 1900 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Died 13 June 1969. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 30 January 1900, Buenos Aires, Argentina - **Died:** 13 June 1969 - **Active:** 1943–1964 - **Also known as:** Martita Edith Hunt - **Titles on Fi1m:** 5: 3 acting, 2 other - **Average Fi1m score:** 75, as actor, over 3 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 80 (2), 1940s 72 (2), 1960s 79 (1) - **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 3 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 3, Romance 2, History 1 - **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $10m across 2 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martita_Hunt, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q458146, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402558/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/20127 ## Streaming the US now - **HBO Max:** [*Great Expectations*](https://film.one/film/great-expectations.md) (84) - **Pluto TV:** [*Becket*](https://film.one/film/becket.md) (79) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Martita Hunt > Martita Hunt played grand, unhappy women who owned the rooms they sat in, and British films gave her one part big enough to show it: Miss Havisham in David Lean's *Great Expectations* (1946). The rest were dowagers, done well, in too little time. In *Great Expectations* (1946) John Bryan built Miss Havisham a house that wants its visitors gone, and Martita Hunt sits in it as though she had let the rooms go herself. Lean's film is crowded with things to look at, and she is the reason we keep looking at the person instead. She had played the part on stage in 1939, and it shows. She came to the screen late by film standards. Repertory in Liverpool in the early 1920s, then the London stage, including an Old Vic season with John Gielgud in 1929–30, where some rated her Gertrude in *Hamlet* among the finest. Films came from 1932, in supporting parts, and supporting parts are what they stayed. The stage had already worked out what she was for: queens, dowagers, women who run a household and are miserable in it. After 1946 the grand ladies arrived in a line. Countess Aurelia in *The Madwoman of Chaillot* on Broadway in 1949, the Baroness von Livenbaum in *Anastasia* (1956), Baroness Meinster in *The Brides of Dracula* (1960), the Empress Matilda in *Becket* (1964). The complaint about her later career is that she was typecast as eccentric or posh grande dames, and it is fair, though the fault lies with the people doing the casting, who found one thing she could do and asked for nothing else. *Becket* is the case in point. As Henry's mother she is there to be bellowed at by Peter O'Toole, and our review, rightly, spends its time on him. She does the job. There is not much job to do. She made two films with Alec Guinness and one with David Lean, and it was Lean who handed her the part that used everything she had. We were frightened by her Miss Havisham as adults, which we had not expected. It was not the dress or the dust but the way she looks at the boy, as though he were something she had ordered and is still deciding whether to keep. The film around her is frightening and funny by design; she is the one thing in it that is only frightening. Watch *Great Expectations* for her. The others are worth an evening if you enjoy seeing a good actor fill the frame for the minute she has been given, which is a smaller pleasure than it should have been. British cinema knew what it had and used it properly once. ## Biography Martita Hunt was a British theatre and film actress. She appeared in supporting roles in numerous British films from the 1930s onwards, including *Sabotage* (1937), *Goodbye, Mr. Chips* (1939), *The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men* (1952), *Anastasia* (1956), *Bonjour Tristesse* (1958), *Becket* (1964) and *Bunny Lake Is Missing* (1965). She is best remembered for her performance as Miss Havisham in David Lean's *Great Expectations* (1946), a role she had previously played on stage. Hunt also had a notable stage career, including appearances with the Old Vic and a Tony Award-winning performance as Countess Aurelia in the 1949 Broadway production of *The Madwoman of Chaillot*. Born in South America to British parents, she moved to England as a child and trained as an actress there. Hunt died in London in 1969. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (5) ### Performed in (3) — the average rests on these - *Becket* (1964), Fi1m 79, as Empress Matilda — [page](https://film.one/film/becket.md) - *Great Expectations* (1946), Fi1m 84, as Miss Havisham — [page](https://film.one/film/great-expectations.md) - *The Man in Grey* (1943), Fi1m 61, as Miss Patchett — [page](https://film.one/film/the-man-in-grey.md) ### Also credited (2) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited - *Goodbye, Mr. Chips* (1939), Fi1m 82, as British Tourist on Bicycle (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/goodbye-mr-chips.md) - *Sabotage* (1936), Fi1m 77, as The Professor's Daughter (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/sabotage.md) ## Complete filmography (87) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *The Best House in London* (1969), as Headmistress - *Bunny Lake Is Missing* (1965), as Ada Ford - *The Unsinkable Molly Brown* (1964), as Grand Duchess Elise Lupavinova - *Becket* (1964), as Empress Matilda — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/becket.md) - *Festival* (1963), series, as Madame Desmermortes - *Lizard's Leg and Owlet's Wing* (1962), Actor - *The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm* (1962), as Anna Richter - *A Call on Kuprin: Part 2* (1961), as Madame Kuprin - *A Call on Kuprin: Part 1* (1961), as Madame Kuprin - *Mr. Topaze* (1961), as Baroness - *Festival* (1960), series, as Agatha Payne - *Route 66* (1960), series, Actor - *Sunday-Night Play* (1960), series, as Madame Kuprin, Madama Kuprin - *Thriller* (1960), series, as Celia Sommerville - *Song Without End* (1960), as Grand Duchess - *The Brides of Dracula* (1960), as Baroness Meinster - *Bottoms Up!* (1960), as Lady Emily Gore-Willoughby - *Venetian Honeymoon* (1959), as Lisa Bradwell - *Me and the Colonel* (1958), as Mother Superior - *Bonjour Tristesse* (1958), as Philippe's Mother - *Dangerous Exile* (1957), as Lady Lydia Fell - *The Spies* (1957), as Connie Harper - *The Admirable Crichton* (1957), as Lady Brocklehurst - *Three Men in a Boat* (1956), as Mrs. Willis - *Anastasia* (1956), as Baroness Elena von Livenbaum - *Armchair Theatre* (1956), series, as Julia Sharpe - *The March Hare* (1956), as Lady Anne - *King's Rhapsody* (1955), as Queen Mother - *Melba* (1953), as Mme. Marchesi - *Folly to Be Wise* (1952), as Lady Dodd - *It Started in Paradise* (1952), as Mme. Alice - *Meet Me Tonight* (1952), as Mabel Grace - *Treasure Hunt* (1952), as Aunt Anna Rose - *The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men* (1952), as Queen Eleanor - *The Fan* (1949), as Duchess of Berwick - *Studio One* (1948), series, as Mrs. Porter - *So Evil My Love* (1948), as Mrs. Courtney (SR) - *My Sister and I* (1948), as Mrs. Camelot - *Anna Karenina* (1948), as Princess Betty Tversky - *The Ghosts of Berkeley Square* (1947), as Lady Mary - *Great Expectations* (1946), as Miss Havisham — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/great-expectations.md) - *The Wicked Lady* (1945), as Cousin Agatha - *Welcome, Mr Washington* (1944), as Miss Finch - *The Man in Grey* (1943), as Miss Patchett — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/the-man-in-grey.md) - *Talk About Jacqueline* (1942), as Colonel's Wife - *The Great Mr Handel* (1942), as Chorister - *Sabotage at Sea* (1942), as Daphne Faber - *The Lady from Lisbon* (1942), as Susan Wellington-Smythe - *They Flew Alone* (1942), as Miss Bland - *The Seventh Survivor* (1942), as Mrs. Lindley - *East of Piccadilly* (1941), as Ma - *Quiet Wedding* (1941), as Mme. Mirelle - *Freedom Radio* (1941), as Frau Lehmann the Concierge - *Miss Knowall* (1940), as Miss Hardcastle - *Miss Grant Goes to the Door* (1940), as Edith - *The Middle Watch* (1940), as Lady Elizabeth Hewett - *At the Villa Rose* (1940), as Helen Vaquier - *A Girl Must Live* (1939), as Mme. Dupont · assistant - *Old Mother Riley Joins Up* (1939), as Commandant - *Young Man's Fancy* (1939), as Duchess of Beaumont - *Goodbye, Mr. Chips* (1939), as British Tourist on Bicycle (uncredited) — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/goodbye-mr-chips.md) - *Trouble Brewing* (1939), as Mme Berdi - *The Nursemaid Who Disappeared* (1939), Actor - *The Good Old Days* (1939), as Sarah Macaulay - *Everything Happens to Me* (1938), Actor - *Prison Without Bars* (1938), as Mme. Appel - *Second Best Bed* (1938), as Mrs. Mather - *Strange Boarders* (1938), as Miss Pitter - *Paradise for Two* (1937), as Mme. Bernard - *Good Morning, Boys!* (1937), as Lady Bogshott - *The Mill on the Floss* (1937), as Mrs. Glegg - *Sabotage* (1937), as The Professor's Daughter (uncredited) — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/sabotage.md) - *Farewell Again* (1937), as Adela Swayle - *Tudor Rose* (1936), as Jane's Mother - *The Beloved Vagabond* (1936), as Lady with lorgnettes - *Pot Luck* (1936), Actor - *When Knights Were Bold* (1936), as Aunt Esther - *King of the Damned* (1935), as Woman on Plane - *Foreign Affaires* (1935), as Bit (uncredited) - *First a Girl* (1935), as Madame Seraphina - *Mr. What's-His-Name?* (1935), as Mrs Davies - *Man of the Moment* (1935), as Lady at Roulette Table - *The Case of Gabriel Perry* (1935), as Mrs. Read - *Friday the Thirteenth* (1933), as Agnes Lightfoot - *I Was a Spy* (1933), as Aunt Lucille - *Love on Wheels* (1932), as Piano Demonstrator - *Service for Ladies* (1932), as Aline - Countess Ricardi's Maid (uncredited) ## Gallery - ![Martita Hunt](https://film.one/media/person/59135/gallery-d6ee647c130d.jpg) Martita Hunt — Trailer screenshot Licencing information : https://web.archive.org/web/20080321033709/http://www.sabucat.com/?pg=copyright and http://www.creativeclearance.com/guidelines.html#D2, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Martita_hunt_the_brides_of_dracula_%281%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Manuel Rosenberg's signed drawing, autographed by actress Martita Hunt, 1926](https://film.one/media/person/59135/gallery-83ead922ad15.jpg) Manuel Rosenberg's signed drawing, autographed by actress Martita Hunt, 1926 — Manuel Rosenberg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Martita_Hunt_by_Manuel_Rosenberg%2C1926.jpg/1280px-Martita_Hunt_by_Manuel_Rosenberg%2C1926.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Martita Hunt](https://film.one/media/person/59135/gallery-f3b3857f94c7.jpg) Martita Hunt — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Other awards — 1 won - Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play 1949: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play (won) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/martita-hunt