Associated Press
Thursday, July 14, 2005; C03

LOS ANGELES -- Angela Lansbury, who kicked up her heels in the Broadway musicals "Mame" and "Gypsy," was scheduled to have knee replacement surgery today.

"Her knee is so painful from years of dancing," says her daughter, Deirdre Battarra. Lansbury is the winner of four Tony Awards for her performances in "Mame," "Gypsy," "Dear World" and "Sweeney Todd."

The 79-year-old actress tripped on an electrical cord Friday night while joining other celebrities onstage during a concert at the Hollywood Bowl honoring Stephen Sondheim's 75th birthday. But the slip had nothing to do with her plans for surgery, Battarra says.

"She's pretty at ease about it all," Battarra says. Recovery is expected to take one to two months.

Lansbury's screen credits include "The Manchurian Candidate," "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and "Gaslight." She starred as crime novelist Jessica Fletcher in the long-running TV series "Murder She Wrote."