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Dame Margaret Rutherford (May 11, 1892 – May
22, 1972) was a England|British character
actor|actress who first came to prominence
following World War II in the film adaptations of
Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, and Oscar Wilde's The
Importance of Being Earnest. 

Born in London, she made her stage debut in 1925
at the Old Vic.  However, her appearance was such
that romantic heroines were almost out of the
question, and she soon established her name in
comedy, appearing in many of the most successful
British films of the mid-20th century. In most of
these films, she had originally played the role on
stage.

In 1961, she first played the film role with which
she was most often associated in later life, that
of Miss Marple in a series of films based on the
novels of Agatha Christie.

Rutherford won a Best Supporting Actress Academy
Award for The VIPs (1963), as the absent-minded
Duchess of Brighton, opposite Elizabeth Taylor and
Richard Burton.

Her husband was the actor Stringer Davis, whom she
married in 1945 and with whom she often appeared. 
Rutherford was awarded an Order of the British
Empire|OBE in 1961 and in 1967 she was created a
Dame of the British Empire (DBE). She was a cousin
of the politician, Tony Benn.

She suffered from Alzheimer's disease at the end
of her life, and died 11 days after her 80th
birthday, of complications from a hip injury. She
is buried along with her husband in the graveyard
of St. James Church, Gerrards Cross.

==Selected filmography==
*Blithe Spirit (1945) (in which she played Madame
Arcati)
*The Importance of Being Earnest (1952) (in which
she played Miss Prism)
*The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950)
*The Mouse that Roared (1959)
*Murder She Said (1961)
*Murder at the Gallop (1963)
*Murder Ahoy (1964)
*Murder Most Foul (1964)
*The VIPs (1963) (Academy Award for Best
Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress Oscar)