This page is sponsored by:
Piper Laurie
1932-
Updated 4/7/2008 with more films available on DVD!
biography
Born Rosetta Jacobs in Detroit in 1932, beautiful Piper Laurie and her family relocated to Los Angeles while she was a young girl. As part of an attempt to overcome her shyness, Laurie enrolled in acting classes while a student. She was discovered for films and signed with Universal-International in 1949, at age 17. Her first film was the Ronald Reagan comedy Louisa, released in (1950). Afterward, Universal put her in a series of light comedies and back-lot costume epics. Tired of playing the ingenue, Laurie walked out on her Universal contract in 1955; she then went to New York to work in television and on the stage.
Piper Laurie in several 1950s Universal promotional photos
In 1961, she landed one of her most important roles opposite Paul Newman in The Hustler. But just as her career was kicking into high gear, Laurie married film critic Joseph Morgenstern in 1962 and retired from the screen to be a wife and mother. After a fifteen-year hiatus, she made a spectacular return to films in the 1976 Brian DePalma horror flick Carrie.
the films of piper laurie
The Prince Who Was a Thief (1951)
From the colorful Universal-International adventure The Prince Who Was a Thief with Tony Curtis
Son of Ali Baba (1952)
Stills from Universal-International's Son of Ali Baba. LEFT: With Tony Curtis. RIGHT: With Tony Curtis and Susan Cabot
Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (1952)
With Rock Hudson in Universal-International's comedy Has Anybody Seen My Gal?
Johnny Dark (1954)
From Universal-International's Johnny Dark with Tony Curtis
Ain't Misbehavin' (1955)
From Universal-International's musical comedy Ain't Misbehavin'
Smoke Signal (1955)
With Rex Reason in the Universal-International western Smoke Signal
The Hustler (1961)
From the 20th Century Fox release The Hustler. LEFT: As Sarah Packard. RIGHT: With Paul Newman
Carrie (1976)
Laurie delivered one of her strongest performances as Margaret White, the religious zealot mother of Sissy Spacek in Carrie
Ruby (1977)
Stills from the low-budget indie Ruby. LEFT: With Roger Davis. RIGHT: With Stuart Whitman
more piper laurie
Since the release of Brian De Palma's Carrie, Piper Laurie has continued with her busy acting career, starring in numerous films and television shows, including Twin Peaks. She has won an Emmy for her role in the 1986 TV film Promise, and in addition Laurie has been nominated three times for an Academy Award for her work in The Hustler (1961), Carrie (1976), and Children of a Lesser God (1986). Her latest releaes is the 2007 drama Hounddog.
Lustre Creme Shampoo Commercials: The Movie Star Collection [DVD] DVD
Shampoo maker Lustre Creme peddled its soap with movie stars in the late `40s and mid-`50s in commercials that featured the lathered heads of Sandra Dee, Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley Jones, Jane Russell, Barbara Stanwyck, Esther Williams, Piper Laurie, Yvonne DeCarlo, Jeanne Crain and many others. 60 min.
Twin Peaks: Definitive Gold Box Edition [DVD] DVD
Along with two versions of the pilot (including an international version featuring an alternate resolution to the murder of Laura Palmer storyline), this 10-disc set features all 29 episodes of the series along with deleted scenes, introductions by the Log Lady, an interactive map of Twin Peaks, "making of" documentaries, photo galleries, rare TV spots, Kyle MacLachlan "Saturday Night Live" appearance clips, and much more. 25 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital stereo, Spanish Dolby Digital mono, Portuguese Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, Portuguese; postcards.
Twin Peaks: The Second Season [DVD](1990) DVD
--FBI agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) finally closes in on Laura Palmer's killer, but is still caught up in Twin Peaks' strange happenings as he finds himself in a dangerous battle of wits with deranged former colleague Windom Earle (Kenneth Welsh).-- All 22 episodes from the second season are included in this six-disc set. 18 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital mono, Portuguese Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish, Portuguese; interviews.
Murder, She Wrote: The Complete First Season [DVD](1984) DVD
All 22 episodes from the debut season--including the two-hour pilot "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes," "Deadly Lady," "Death Takes a Curtain Call," "Armed Response," "Funeral at Fifty-Mile,", and "Murder at the Oasis" with Piper Laurie--are featured in this three-disc set. 18 1/2 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: French, Spanish.
The Twilight Zone: Season 1 [DVD](1985) DVD
All 24 episodes from the series's debut season--featuring such stories as "Shatterday," "Nightcrawlers," "A Message from Charity," "The Shadow Man," "Her Pilgrim Soul," "To See the Invisible Man," and "The Burning Man" with Piper Laurie--are included in a six-disc set. 17 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; audio commentary; interview; photo gallery.
Adventures Of Francis The Talking Mule, Vol. 1 [DVD] DVD
While on a mission behind enemy lines in Burma, G.I. Donald O'Connor is rescued by "Francis the Talking Mule" (1949) in the debut entry in the articulate animal's series. Patricia Medina co-stars with Chill Wills supplying Francis' voice; look quickly for Tony Curtis. Then, the ranch where Francis resides is in trouble, so the loquacious creature goes to work, helping a race horse get its confidence back in "Francis Goes to the Races" (1951). Next, after O'Connor is given an appointment to a military academy, he brings along his four-legged pal in "Francis Goes to West Point" (1952). And, when O'Connor sets his sights on becoming a reporter, it's up to his big-eared buddy to come up with some hot scoops in "Francis Covers the Big Town" (1953). 5 3/4 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish, French.
Rock Hudson: Screen Legend Collection [DVD] DVD
Man's man Rock Hudson heats up the screen in a three-disc, five-film set! When a rich, old man (Charles Coburn) leaves a fortune to the family of a woman he once loved, a soda jerk (Hudson) finds he's no longer the perfect lad for the clan's daughter, in "Has Anybody Seen My Gal?" (1952). Piper Laurie, Gigi Perreau co-star. Rock flexes his pecs in the Arabian-flavored costume epic "The Golden Blade" (1953), journeying to Baghdad on a mission of vengeance. Laurie, Gene Evans co-star. Hudson wears the white hat, and Kirk Douglas the black, in the muscular Western "The Last Sunset" (1961), with Dorothy Malone and Joseph Cotten. Giving an intense performance, Hudson plays an egotistical doctor working in the jungle, in "The Spiral Road" (1962). Burl Ives, Gena Rowlands also star. And playboy Rock is asked to woo psychiatrist Leslie Caron by her father (Charles Boyer) in the romantic comedy "A Very Special Favor" (1965). Walter Slezak, Larry Storch co-star. 8 3/4 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English (SDH), French; theatrical trailers.
The Hustler (Collector's Edition) [DVD](1961) DVD
Director Robert Rossen's brilliant character study features Paul Newman's passionate portrayal of "Fast Eddie" Felson, a hustling pool shark who drifts across the country playing in seedy pool halls and whose obsession to dethrone table legend "Minnesota Fats" (Jackie Gleason) could bring about his own downfall. Co-stars Piper Laurie, George C. Scott, Myron McCormick. 135 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; audio commentary by Newman, others; featurettes; "making of" documentary; photo gallery; theatrical trailers. Two-disc set.
Carrie (Special Edition) [DVD](1976) DVD
The classic horror film from director Brian DePalma and writer Stephen King stars Sissy Spacek as a tormented high school student who learns she has psychic powers, and uses them in a bloody campaign of vengeance. Also stars Nancy Allen, John Travolta, P.J. Soles and Piper Laurie. 97 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English 5.1, French, Spanish; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; documentaries; featurette; photo gallery; interactive menus; theatrical trailer; scene access.
Ruby [DVD](1977) DVD
The spirit of a dead gangster takes over the body of his deaf-mute daughter and seeks revenge on the girl's mother, a drive-in theatre owner, in this spellbinding shocker. Piper Laurie, Janit Baldwin, Stuart Whitman and Roger Davis star. 85 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English stereo; audio commentary; theatrical trailer; scene access.
Tim [DVD](1979) DVD
Mel Gibson plays a retarded man who discovers love with an older woman (Piper Laurie) teaching him to read in a thoughtful and touching drama based on a Colleen McCullough novel. 108 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono; scene access.
The Bunker [DVD](1981) DVD
Anthony Hopkins received an Emmy Award for his tour-de-force portrayal of Adolf Hitler in this forceful look at the dictator's final days in his underground fortress in Berlin. With Richard Jordan as Albert Speer, Cliff Gorman as Joseph Goebbels, and Susan Blakely as Eva Braun. 87 min. Soundtrack: English.
The Thorn Birds [DVD](1983) DVD
One of the most-watched TV mini-series of all time, Colleen McCullough's epic tale, set against a 40-year backdrop of the sprawling Australian frontier, follows the forbidden love between priest Richard Chamberlain and rancher's daughter Rachel Ward. Barbara Stanwyck, Bryan Brown, Piper Laurie and Christopher Plummer also star in the Emmy-winning drama. 8 hrs. on two discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; documentary.
Macbeth [DVD](1983) DVD
Jeremy Brett stars as the tragic hero in Shakespeare's timeless tale of power, greed and betrayal in medieval Scotland. Piper Laurie, Simon MacCorkindale and Millie Perkins also star; filmed live in England with period sets and dress. 150 min.
Return To Oz [DVD](1985) DVD
Disney's dazzling "sequel" to "The Wizard of Oz" has young Dorothy coming back to the Emerald City and finding its famed inhabitants under the spells of the evil Nome King and Princess Mombi. Helping Dorothy in her quest to free the city are new Ozian pals Jack Pumpkinhead, clockwork man Tik-Tok and Billina the talking hen. Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh star. 110 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital stereo; TV spots; theatrical trailer.
Children Of A Lesser God [DVD](1986) DVD
William Hurt stars as an unconventional teacher of the deaf who falls in love with a withdrawn school worker (Best Actress Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin) in this acclaimed drama based on the hit play. Hurt's attempts to teach Matlin lip-reading and his imposing of his ideas on her life threaten to tear the couple apart. Piper Laurie co-stars. 119 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English mono, French mono; Subtitles: English; theatrical trailer; scene access.
Tiger Warsaw [DVD](1988) DVD
Patrick Swayze shines in this compelling drama, as a wayward son returns to the home he left 15 years earlier to try and reunite with his family. Piper Laurie, Lee Richardson, Barbara Williams, and Kaye Ballard also star. 92 min.
Go Toward The Light [DVD](1988) DVD
Compassionate true story about the struggle of a family who must cope with the knowledge that their 8-year-old hemophiliac son has contracted the AIDS virus. Richard Thomas, Linda Hamilton, Piper Laurie, and Ned Beatty star. 93 min.
Dream A Little Dream [DVD](1989) DVD
An amateur wizard (Jason Robards) hopes to cheat old age by casting his own and his wife's souls into unwitting teen bodies, but fails to plan for a fate worse than death--high school--in this romantic fantasy starring Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Meredith Salenger and Harry Dean Stanton. 114 min.
Other People's Money [DVD](1991) DVD
Meet "Larry the Liquidator" (Danny DeVito), an irresistibly slimy takeover expert with his eyes on a New England cable company. Standing in his way are the company's patriarch (Gregory Peck) and his sexy lawyer daughter (Penelope Ann Miller), out to out-smart Larry. Norman Jewison's savage satire of corporate greed also stars Piper Laurie, Dean Jones. 101 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital Surround stereo, French Dolby Digital Surround stereo; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
Trauma [DVD](1993) DVD
In this Dario Argento chiller, a graphic artist at a TV station befriends a troubled teenage girl who fled from a psychiatric clinic. When the girl's parents are murdered by a serial killer whose victims are decapitated with an electric noose, the duo must find the killer without (literally) losing their heads. Asia Argento, Christopher Rydell, Frederic Forrest, Piper Laurie star. Uncut European version; 106 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround stereo; audio commentary; deleted scenes; featurette; interview; photo gallery; theatrical trailer.
Sad Inheritance [DVD](1993) DVD
Following the birth of her first child, a cocaine addict discovers that she has passed her chemical dependency on to her baby. Determined to get clean, she begins repairing her damaged relationship with her mother. But when her newborn is taken away from her, she must prove to a social worker and the courts that she is a loving mother before she can get her daughter back. Moving drama based on a true story stars Susan Dey, Piper Laurie and Lorraine Toussaint. AKA: "Love, Lies and Lullabies." 89 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
Shadows Of Desire [DVD](1994) DVD
Nicolette Sheridan shines in this made-for-TV drama as a desperate housewife torn between her love for her gentle husband and the passion she feels for his dangerous brother. As she tries to sort out her desires, both men experience jealously and sibling rivalry that threatens to destroy their lives. With Joe Lando, Adrian Pasdar, Piper Laurie. AKA: "The Devil's Bed." 99 min. Soundtrack: English.
The Crossing Guard [DVD](1995) DVD
Written and directed by Sean Penn, this powerful drama stars Jack Nicholson as a man whose life was shattered six years earlier when his young daughter was killed by a drunk driver. Now divorced and obsessed with revenge, Nicholson confronts the driver after his release from jail, as both men must come to terms with what the incident has cost them. David Morse, Anjelica Huston, Robin Wright co-star. 111 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; audio commentary; scene access.
The Grass Harp [DVD](1996) DVD
Truman Capote's autobiographical story is turned into a sweet-natured coming-of-age film centered on a young boy who is sent by his widower father to live with his two aunts in a small Southern town in the 1940s. The boy learns a series of important lessons from the women, one of whom is stern and greedy, the other simple and good-natured. The superb cast includes Edward Furlong, Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen, Piper Laurie, Jack Lemmon, and Walter Matthau. 107 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital stereo Surround; Subtitles: English, Spanish; theatrical trailer.
Horton Foote's Alone [DVD](1997) DVD
From award-winning writer Horton Foote comes this moving drama starring Hume Cronyn as a recent widower who is offered a nice sum by a Texas oil man for the mineral rights to his land. The proposal ignites debate within his family over the prospect of easy money. James Earl Jones, Shelley Duvall, Frederic Forrest, Piper Laurie and Ed Begley, Jr. also star. 107 Min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; interactive menus; scene access; filmographies; web links.
A Christmas Memory [DVD](1997) DVD
Based on a story by Truman Capote, this heartwarming Christmas tale follows a 7-year-old as he attempts to make some new friends after his parents dump him at the home of his unmarried cousins. After bonding with one of his relatives, he embarks on a series of adventures with her--including mailing fruitcakes to President Roosevelt and Jean Harlow--that stay with him throughout his life. Patty Duke, Piper Laurie, Eric Lloyd star. 91 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo.
The Faculty [DVD](1998) DVD
Director Robert Rodriguez and scripter Kevin Williamson blend "The Breakfast Club" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" for this creepy sci-fi tale about a small-town Ohio high school whose teachers and staff begin acting strangely. A small group of students discovers that the adults are the first victims of an alien invasion. Well-made chiller stars Elijah Wood, Laura Harris, Robert Patrick, Piper Laurie and Bebe Neuwirth. 105 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; theatrical trailer; scene access.
Possessed [DVD](2000) DVD
This docudrama, based on the true events that served as inspiration for the 1973 film "The Exorcist," features Timothy Dalton as Father William Bowden, the priest who presided over the only exorcism ever documented in America. As he deals with his own fears, he must discover how to banish Satan from the body of a young boy. Jonathan Malen, Piper Laurie and Henry Czerny co-star. 111 min.
Eulogy [DVD](2004) DVD
Pitch black comedy focuses on three generations of dysfunctional relatives as they gather to bury their family patriarch. In the days leading up to the funeral, long-hidden secrets are revealed and old grudges resurface as the not-so-tight-knit clan learns that the ties that bind can also strangle. Winning ensemble cast stars Hank Azaria, Zooey Deschanel, Ray Romano, Kelly Preston, Famke Janssen, and Debra Winger. 85 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital stereo; audio commentary; behind-the-scenes footage; bonus footage; deleted scenes; featurettes; outtakes; storyboards; more.
The Dead Girl [DVD](2006) DVD
The discovery of a mutilated female corpse by a lonely woman (Toni Collette) touches the lives of all who come into contact with the body, including a forensics student (Rose Byrne) whose sister has vanished; a housewife (Mary Beth Hurt) who suspects her husband is connected to the crime; a mother (Marcia Gay Harden) who awaits her missing daughter's return; and a young woman (Brittany Murphy), whose destiny unlocks devastating secrets. Nick Searcy, Kerry Washington also star. 83 min. Standard and Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: Spanish; audio commentary; interviews; theatrical trailers.
filmography
This listing is incomplete:
Hounddog (2007) with Dakota Fanning and Robin Wright Penn
The Dead Girl (2006) with Toni Collette, Giovanni Ribisi, Mary Steenburgen, and Bruce Davison
Bad Blood (2006) with Conrad Janis
Eulogy (2004) with Debra Winger, Ray Romano, Hank Azaria, and Rip Torn
The Last Brickmaker in America (2001) with Sidney Poitier and Bernie Casey
Midwives (2001) with Sissy Spacek and Peter Coyote
Possessed (2000) with Timothy Dalton and Christopher Plummer
The Mao Game (1999) with Kirstie Alley
Palmer's Pick Up (1999) with Robert Carradine
The Faculty (1998) with Bebe Neuwirth, Jon Stewart, and Josh Hartnett
St. Patrick's Day (1997) with Colleen Fitzpatrick (aka Vitamin C)
Horton Foote's Alone (1997) with Hume Cronyn
The Crossing Guard (1995) with Jack Nicholson
The Grass Harp (1995) with Sissy Spacek, Walter Matthau, and Jack Lemmon
Wrestling Ernest Hemingway (1993) with Robert Duvall
Trauma (1993)
Rich in Love (1992) with Albert Finney
Storyville (1992) with James Spader and Woody Strode
Other People's Money (1991) with Gregory Peck and Danny DeVito
Mother, Mother (1989) with Bess Armstrong and Polly Bergen
Dream a Little Dream (1989) with Corey Feldman
Tiger Warsaw (1988) with Patrick Swayze
Appointment with Death (1988) with Peter Ustinov
Distortions (1987) with Olivia Hussey
Children of a Lesser God (1986) with William Hurt and Marlee Matlin
Return to Oz (1985) with Fairuza Balk
Macbeth (1981) with Simon MacCorkindale
Tim (1979) with Mel Gibson
Ruby (1977) with Stuart Whitman
Carrie (1976) with Sissy Spacek, Amy Irving, William Katt, Betty Buckley, Nancy Allen, John Travolta, and P.J. Soles
The Hustler (1961) with Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, and George C. Scott
Until They Sail (1957) with Jean Simmons, Joan Fontaine, Paul Newman, and Charles Drake
Kelly and Me (1957) with Van Johnson and Martha Hyer
Ain't Misbehavin' (1955) with Rory Calhoun, Mamie Van Doren, Jack Carson, and Barbara Britton
Smoke Signal (1955) with Dana Andrews, Rex Reason, and William Talman
Dangerous Mission (1954) with Victor Mature, Vincent Price, William Bendix, and Betta St. John
Johnny Dark (1954) with Tony Curtis, Russell Johnson, and Paul Kelly
Dawn at Socorro (1954) with Rory Calhoun, Mara Corday, David Brian, Richard Garland, Alex Nicol, and Lee Van Cleef
The Golden Blade (1953) with Rock Hudson, George Macready, and Kathleen Hughes
The Mississippi Gambler (1953) with Tyrone Power, Julie Adams, Guy Williams, and William Reynolds
Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (1952) with Rock Hudson, William Reynolds, and Gigi Perreau
No Room for the Groom (1952) with Tony Curtis and Don DeFore
Son of Ali Baba (1952) with Tony Curtis, Susan Cabot, Hugh O'Brian, Gerald Mohr, and William Reynolds
The Prince Who Was a Thief (1951) with Tony Curtis and Peggie Castle
Francis Goes to the Races (1951) with Donald O'Connor, Cecil Kellaway, and Jesse White
The Milkman (1950) with Donald O'Connor, Jimmy Durante, Joyce Holden, and William Conrad
Louisa (1950) with Ronald Reagan, Ruth Hussey, Spring Byington, and Martin Milner
TELEVISION SERIES
Traps, 1994 TV series. Laurie portrayed Cora Trapchek
Twin Peaks, 1990-1991 TV series. Laurie portrayed Catherine Martell
Tender Is the Night, 1985 TV miniseries. Laurie portrayed Mrs. Speers
The Thorn Birds, 1983 TV miniseries. Laurie portrayed Anne Mueller
Skag, 1980 TV series. Laurie portrayed Jo Skagska
Click on the logo to go back to Brian's Drive-In Theater
This page premiered July 24, 2002.
Copyright and Disclaimer Information
