Ethel Griffiths

English actress whose career began as a baby in 1881 when she was carried onstage by her acting parents. By the time of her death, she was the oldest working actress on the British stage.

Griffies’ film roles were many but minor, though there was the odd appearance, often uncredited, in a major production such as Henry Hull’s Werewolf of London (1935) Garbo’s Anna Karenina (1935), Vivien Leigh’s Walterloo Bridge (1940) and Gary Cooper’s Saratoga Trunk (1945)

She is now best remembered for her role as Mrs. Bundy, the elderly amateur ornithologist in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963), whose contributions  include “I have never known birds of different species to flock together. The very concept is unimaginable. Why, if that happened, we wouldn't stand a chance! How could we possibly hope to fight them?”

This is an exceptionally rare black and white photograph (8" x 10"), neatly signed in dark blue fountain pen ink, with Griffies identifying the date of the photograph and her age at the time ("Ethel Griffies, 1947, aged 69"). Very light bump to the top right corner tip, but otherwise in very good condition.