Laura Hope Crews

Laura Hope Crews (December 12, 1879 – November 12, 1942) was an American actress. Although she is best remembered today for her later work as a character actress in motion pictures of the 1930s, she also was prolific on stage; among her films roles was the role of Aunt Pittypat in Gone with the Wind.

Early life Crews was the daughter of stage actress Angelena Lockwood and backstage carpenter John Thomas Crews. She had three older siblings. Crews started acting at age four. Her first stage appearance was at Woodward's Gardens. She stopped acting to finish school and then returned to acting in 1898. As she was a native San Franciscan, the records pertaining to her early life were destroyed in the earthquake and fire of 1906.

Most of Crews' formal education came in San Jose, as the family had moved there following the remarriage of Crews' mother. The play was a big success and ran for 232 performances on Broadway. In 1924 she starred in The Werewolf for a run of 112 Broadway performances.

Crews also starred as Judith Bliss in the original Broadway production of Noël Coward's Hay Fever (1925), which she co-directed

Her final stage appearance came in 1942, in the original Broadway run of Arsenic and Old Lace in which she replaced one of the original cast members. She stayed with the production for more than a year and a half on Broadway and in a touring company before she was forced to leave because of illness.

Death Crews died in the LeRoy Sanitarium in New York City in 1942, following an illness of four months. Some sources say that the illness in which she suffered from was kidney failure. She was laid to rest at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma, California.

Crews has a star at 6251 Hollywood Boulevard on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Crews was also the first credited cast member of Gone with the Wind to die.

Filmography

+ Silent Year Title Role Notes 1915 The Fighting Hope Anna Granger Famous Players–Lasky / Paramount, Extant; incomplete, BFI London Blackbirds Leonie Sobatsky Famous Players–Lasky / Paramount, Extant; Library of Congress

+ Sound Year Title Role Notes 1929 Charming Sinners Mrs. Carr 1932 New Morals for Old Mrs. Thomas 1933 Out All Night Mrs. Jane Colgate The Silver Cord Mrs. Phelps I Loved You Wednesday Doc Mary Hanson Blind Adventure Lady Rockingham Rafter Romance Elise Ever in My Heart Grandma Caroline Archer If I Were Free Dame Evers 1934 The Age of Innocence Mrs. Welland Lightning Strikes Twice Aunt Jane Madison Behold My Wife Mrs. Hubert Carter 1935 Escapade Countess The Melody Lingers On Mother Superior 1936 Her Master's Voice Aunt Minnie Stickney Camille Prudence Duvernoy 1937 The Road Back Ernst's Aunt Confession Stella Angel Grand Duchess Anna Dmitrievna 1938 Dr. Rhythm Mrs. Minerva Twombling The Sisters Flora's Mother Thanks for the Memory Mrs. Kent 1939 Idiot's Delight Madame Zuleika The Star Maker Carlotta Salvini The Rains Came Lily Hoggett-Egburry Reno Mrs. Gardner Remember? Lettie Carruthers Gone with the Wind Aunt Pittypat Hamilton The Hunchback of Notre Dame Minor Role (uncredited) 1940 The Blue Bird Mrs. Luxury Girl from Avenue A Mrs. Forrester I'm Nobody's Sweetheart Now Mrs. Lowell Lady with Red Hair Mrs. Dudley 1941 The Flame of New Orleans Auntie One Foot in Heaven Mrs. Preston Thurston New York Town Apple Annie (uncredited)