Charles Laughton’s Brother

From: "Michael Chandler"

Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007

Charles Laughton was a famous film and stage actor. He also directed one  great movie called "Night of the Hunter". This article, that I found on the Charles Laughton website, discusses his brother who was a professional magician.  ~ Sidney & Charles ~   

There is a little known fact about Charles that you will never find in any authorized or unauthorized biography. It is this fact that started me on my quest in 1989. I wanted to give one generation credit that was denied and give another generation a sense of family.  Contrary to what has been written about Charles, there was a fourth brother; a half-brother, but a brother none the less. He was born Sidney Edwards (later changing his name to Tony Laughton) on 16 March, 1916, in Castleford, W.Yorkshire. His mother was Mary Ellen Edwards (formerly Goodhead) and his father was Robert Laughton. He grew up at the Victoria Hotel, Scarborough, N.Yorkshire.  

The years Tony spent living at the Victoria Hotel was one filled with much love and adventures. Robert was a loving and doting father who spent many hours toiling in the garden and fishing in the moors with Tony. As much as Robert loved Tony, the other three half-brothers had other feelings and their mother, Eliza, who Tony never could speak of her name without a tone hatred, would not even acknowledge Tony's existence.

Charles, being eldest of the three half-brothers, having experienced so much in his young adult life, understood his father a bit better than his younger siblings and while he did not approve of what his father had done, he knew he had to put aside his animosity and participate in the raising of his younger half-brother. Tom, like his mother, would not acknowledge Robert and Tony's relationship and Frank loathed Tony as he felt jealousy because he was no longer the baby of the family in his father's eyes.

We're not exactly sure when Mary Ellen died, but it must have been when Tony was a small child as he didn't have a whole lot of memories of her. Sadly, Robert died suddenly of heart failure in 1924.  

With no one there to stand up for him and protect him, Tony was cast out onto the streets of Scarborough. Word had gotten quickly back to Charles, who by now was living in London and making his own mark on the world, about what had happened to Tony. Whether it was out of compassion, pity, or a sense of duty to their father, he decided to take in his younger half-brother and raise him for a while. When Charles' career took off and life altering decisions were made, Charles decided that, ultimately, the best thing for Tony would be to send him to a boarding school to study medicine, as Tony showed a great promise in this field. When Tony reached the age of 18 years, it was brought to his attention that Robert had left him a secret trust fund. He was not supposed to receive this until his 21st birthday and it was allegedly to last for the next 40 years.

For reasons unbeknownst to us, there was a mix-up in the paper work and he received it all in one lump sum at the age of 18 years.  With this new found wealth and no real reason to stay in England, Tony, decided he was going to see the world and follow in older brother's footsteps; this decision would cause a major rift in their relationship later on in their lives. Not so much because of Charles, but because of Charles' wife, Elsa. Tony decided to go to the Middle East to study magic. This skill became a life long passion of his. After a few years, Tony decided to live and work in Switzerland and then Germany.

It was while in Germany that World War II broke out and Tony returned to England to join the Royal Navy and fight for the freedom of mankind. What he saw and experienced during that turbulent time will remain forever a mystery, but it affected him greatly as he never spoke of his experiences in great detail, a skill which he became a master of.   

Coming to America; circa 1955 After the War, Tony returned to England. While perfecting his craft of magic, he was earning a steady income from it, something he was quite proud of. By 1954, Tony was employed by an American circus troupe called Mills Brothers Three-Ring Circus, who was temporarily working in England. It was while he was working for Mills Brothers Circus that he met a beautiful, young English lady, who was also employed by the same circus troupe.

Her name was Alma Cox , but was known as Vicky.  A few months after their meeting, the Mills Brothers Circus returned back home to America with some new English specialty acts and both Tony and Vicky decided to join them. They stayed with the Mills Brothers Circus for only a few months when Tony decided that it was time to venture out on his own and find his own "Great American Dream". Tony and Vicky traveled from one end of the country to the other, performing to the enjoyment of many. After a few years of the "vagabond" lifestyle, Tony and Vicky decided it was time to settle down and start a family of their own. After much thought, they decided to settle in the Golden State of California. It had been over 20 years since Tony saw his brother and thought by living near him they could get to know each other once more. For a while everything was perfect;

Tony was reunited with Charles, Vicky gave birth to their one and only child, a son, Stephen, born March, 1959. The blissfulness was not to last.   Vicky, Aunty Lili (?), and Stephen. circa 1960 From the first time they met, Elsa had taken a great dislike to Tony as she always felt he was a great burden to Charles. This would be the main factor that would divide the two brothers.

Around Thanksgiving of 1959, while at Charles & Elsa's home, Elsa & Tony had a big argument. Exactly what started it, Tony would never say exactly. Charles, not wanting to be involved in their argument and deciding that this was between the two of them, decided to stay completely out of the conversation all together. This infuriated Tony to no end as he felt his brother should have stood up for him and he felt he was being deserted once more. Tony left their house in a rage, never to speak to his brother and sister-in-law again. Sadly, two years after the argument, Charles became quite ill and died. This devastate Tony because he regretted never being able to mend the rift between them and he never got the chance to let Charles know how much he truly loved him.

While still recovering from the loss of his brother, devastation would strike again. Eight months after his brother's passing, his beloved wife of 9 years, died suddenly from heart failure one summer's night. Completely in shock, Tony decided that with a 4 year old son to raise on his own, they needed to get on with their lives and move to another city as the home and city they had been living in for 5 years held too many memories.  

Tony as "Cilli Dilli".circa 1962 Afew months after Vicky's passing, whilst picking up Stephen from a day care center, Tony met a wonderful lady, named Marian, whose daughter, Stephanie, also went to the same center. A few months after their meeting, Tony and Marian were married. Life was grand; Tony had a wife he loved with all his heart and a daughter he adored. Stephen and Stephanie were inseparable. Sadly, this joyous life would only last for a few years as Tony and Marian, eventually, went their separate ways. Never to see each other again.  

Tony and Stephen traveled extensively across the Western United States over the next 20 years. Tony still performing his magic act as well as a promotional director for various circuses and charitable organizations. Tony passed on in August, 1986, of heart failure.   Tony; circa 1979 Two years after Tony's passing, Stephen and I met and were married the following year. Joining into this family is what has driven me to find out more about my in-laws because I wanted to pass down the paternal genealogical history to our son, Daniel. Tony never really liked to talk much about his past and, while Tony's life may have had some sad moments, it never brought him down. Tony loved life and he loved making others smile.

The story I have just conveyed to you is a compilation of various conversations that Tony had with his second wife, Marian, and various governmental records we have been able to obtain.   

Stephanie & Stephen: Reunited ~circa 1997~ There is a wonderful post script to this saga that I would dearly love to share with you. In March, 1997, three months after I had created the Official Charles Laughton Website, I received an email from a lady inquiring about Tony's siblings. I replied back to her with the information she requested. The following day, I received another email from her. As I sat there reading the first line of her message, I began to shake terribly and tears of pure joy came streaming down my face.

This lady was none other that Stephen's long-lost step-sister, Stephanie. I couldn't believe it. This was one area of research both Stephen and I knew would be virtually impossible to pursue as the only thing he remembered about his sister was her first name and where they lived when they were children.

Words cannot truly describe Stephen's reaction when I telephone him at work with the news. After 30 years, both brother and sister were reunited ~and~ if life wasn't sweet enough, Stephanie's mother,