Leslie Banks
Encyclopedia
Leslie Banks, CBE (9 June 1890 – 21 April 1952) was an English
theatre
and cinema
actor
, director
and producer
, now best remembered playing gruff, menacing characters in black and white movies of the 1930s and 1940s.
, Liverpool
, to George and Emily (née Dalby) Banks. He went to school in Scotland at Glenalmond College and later studied at Keble College, Oxford
with the intention of becoming a parson
but decided against this.
He joined F. R. Benson's Company and made his acting debut in October 1911 at the town hall, Brechin
, playing Old Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice
. He then toured the United States
and Canada
with Henry V. Esmond
and Eva Moore
1912-1913. Returning to London
, he appeared for the first time on the West End
stage at the Vaudeville Theatre
on 5 May 1914, as Lord Murdon in The Dangerous Age.
When the First World War broke out, he served with the Essex Regiment
1914-1918. He received injuries that left his face partially scarred and paralysed. In his acting career he would use this injury to good effect, by showing the unblemished side of his face when playing comedy or romance and the scarred, paralysed side of his face when playing drama or tragedy. After the war, Banks joined the Birmingham Repertory Theatre
. He returned to London in 1921 and established himself as a leading dramatic actor and West End star known for his powerful yet restrained performances.
Working in both London and New York
, he won transAtlantic fame and it was when he was in New York that Kenneth Macgowan
persuaded him to go to Hollywood and make his stage debut there in The Hounds of Zaroff in 1932.
(1932) as a diabolical Russia
n hunter-of-humans. The film featured popular stars Joel McCrea
and Fay Wray
. For the rest of his career he divided his time between Britain and the United States, and between film and theatre. Other film roles include Alfred Hitchcock
's The Man Who Knew Too Much
(1934), Fire Over England
(1937), Jamaica Inn
(1939), Laurence Olivier
's Henry V (1944) and David Lean
's Madeleine
(1950).
His theatre roles included Eliza Comes to Stay (his American debut in 1914), Captain Hook in Peter Pan
(his New York debut in 1924), Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew
(1937) the schoolmaster in Goodbye, Mr Chips (1938) and James Jarvis in the Kurt Weill
musical, Lost in the Stars
(1950).
on a walk.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
and cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, now best remembered playing gruff, menacing characters in black and white movies of the 1930s and 1940s.
Early life
Leslie Banks was born in West DerbyWest Derby
West Derby is a suburb in the north of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is also a Liverpool City Council ward. At the 2001 Census, the population of the ward was 14,801 .-History:...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, to George and Emily (née Dalby) Banks. He went to school in Scotland at Glenalmond College and later studied at Keble College, Oxford
with the intention of becoming a parson
Parson
In the pre-Reformation church, a parson was the priest of an independent parish church, that is, a parish church not under the control of a larger ecclesiastical or monastic organization...
but decided against this.
He joined F. R. Benson's Company and made his acting debut in October 1911 at the town hall, Brechin
Brechin
Brechin is a former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese , but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era...
, playing Old Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
. He then toured the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
with Henry V. Esmond
Henry V. Esmond
Henry Vernon Esmond was an English actor and playwright.Born Jack Esmond he began his career as an actor in London in 1889 where he had several successes in comedies. He began writing plays, usually comedies, while in his early twenties...
and Eva Moore
Eva Moore
Eva Moore was an English actress. Her career on stage and in film spanned six decades, and she was active in the women's suffrage movement.-Early life and career:...
1912-1913. Returning to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he appeared for the first time on the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
stage at the Vaudeville Theatre
Vaudeville Theatre
The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on The Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each new building retained elements of the previous...
on 5 May 1914, as Lord Murdon in The Dangerous Age.
When the First World War broke out, he served with the Essex Regiment
Essex Regiment
The Essex Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army that saw active service from 1881 to 1958. Members of the regiment were recruited from across Essex county. Its lineage is continued by the Royal Anglian Regiment.-Origins:...
1914-1918. He received injuries that left his face partially scarred and paralysed. In his acting career he would use this injury to good effect, by showing the unblemished side of his face when playing comedy or romance and the scarred, paralysed side of his face when playing drama or tragedy. After the war, Banks joined the Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Birmingham Repertory Theatre is a theatre and theatre company based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England...
. He returned to London in 1921 and established himself as a leading dramatic actor and West End star known for his powerful yet restrained performances.
Working in both London and New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, he won transAtlantic fame and it was when he was in New York that Kenneth Macgowan
Kenneth Macgowan
Kenneth Macgowan was an American film producer. He won an Academy Award for Best Color Short Film for La Cucaracha , the first live-action short film made in the three-color Technicolor process....
persuaded him to go to Hollywood and make his stage debut there in The Hounds of Zaroff in 1932.
Film career
His formidable bulk and intimidating aspect served him well in his first important film role, which was in The Most Dangerous GameThe Most Dangerous Game
"The Most Dangerous Game", also published as "The Hounds of Zaroff", is a short story by Richard Connell. It was published in Collier's Weekly on January 19, 1924....
(1932) as a diabolical Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n hunter-of-humans. The film featured popular stars Joel McCrea
Joel McCrea
Joel Albert McCrea was an American actor whose career spanned 50 years and appearances in over 90 films.-Early life:...
and Fay Wray
Fay Wray
Fay Wray was a Canadian-American actress most noted for playing the female lead in King Kong...
. For the rest of his career he divided his time between Britain and the United States, and between film and theatre. Other film roles include Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's The Man Who Knew Too Much
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 film)
The Man Who Knew Too Much is a British suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, featuring Peter Lorre, and released by Gaumont British. It was one of the most successful and critically acclaimed films of Hitchcock's British period....
(1934), Fire Over England
Fire Over England
Fire Over England is a 1937 London Film Productions film drama, notable for providing the first pairing of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. It was directed by William K. Howard and written by Clemence Dane from the novel Fire Over England by A. E. W. Mason. Leigh's performance in the movie...
(1937), Jamaica Inn
Jamaica Inn (film)
Jamaica Inn is a 1939 film made by Alfred Hitchcock adapted from Daphne du Maurier's 1936 novel of the same name, the first of three of du Maurier's works that Hitchcock adapted ....
(1939), Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
's Henry V (1944) and David Lean
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
's Madeleine
Madeleine (film)
Madeleine is a 1950 film directed by David Lean, based on a true story about Madeleine Smith, a young Glasgow woman from a wealthy family who was tried in 1857 for the murder of her lover, Emile L'Angelier...
(1950).
His theatre roles included Eliza Comes to Stay (his American debut in 1914), Captain Hook in Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
(his New York debut in 1924), Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...
(1937) the schoolmaster in Goodbye, Mr Chips (1938) and James Jarvis in the Kurt Weill
Kurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill was a German-Jewish composer, active from the 1920s, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht...
musical, Lost in the Stars
Lost in the Stars
Lost in the Stars is a musical with book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson and music by Kurt Weill, based on the novel Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton...
(1950).
Personal life
He married Gwendoline Haldane Unwin in 1915 and had three daughters: Daphne, Virginia and Evangeline. He was made a CBE for his services to theatre in 1950, the year in which he made both his final stage and film appearances. He died in 1952, aged 61, from a stroke he suffered whileon a walk.
Partial filmography
- Experience (1921)
- The Most Dangerous GameThe Most Dangerous Game (film)The Most Dangerous Game is a 1932 Pre-Code adaptation of the 1924 short story of the same name by Richard Connell, the first film version of that story. The plot concerns a big game hunter on an island who chooses to hunt humans for sport. The film stars Joel McCrea, Leslie Banks, and King Kong...
(1932) - Strange EvidenceStrange EvidenceStrange Evidence is a 1933 British crime film directed by Robert Milton and starring Leslie Banks, George Curzon, Carol Goodner and Frank Vosper.-Cast:* Leslie Banks as Francis Relf* Carol Goodner as Marie / Barbara Relf* George Curzon as Stephen Relf...
(1933) - I Am SuzanneI am SuzanneI Am Suzanne! is a 1933 American romance film set in Paris and dealing with puppeteers. It was directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring Leslie Banks, Lilian Harvey and Gene Raymond....
(1933) - The Fire RaisersThe Fire Raisers (film)The Fire Raisers is a 1934 British drama film directed by Michael Powell. It was made as a Quota quickie.-Plot:Jim Bronson is an insurance investigator, but he's unhappy with his work and gets involved with a gang of arsonists...
(1934) - The Man Who Knew Too MuchThe Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 film)The Man Who Knew Too Much is a British suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, featuring Peter Lorre, and released by Gaumont British. It was one of the most successful and critically acclaimed films of Hitchcock's British period....
(1934) - Red EnsignRed Ensign (film)Red Ensign is an early work by noted British film-maker Michael Powell.-Story:David Barr is the manager and chief designer of a British shipyard who comes up with a radical new design for ships, at a time when the industry as a whole is in recession...
(1934) - Sanders of the RiverSanders of the RiverSanders of the River is a 1935 film directed by Zoltán Korda, based on the stories of Edgar Wallace. It was later spoofed in the 1938 Will Hay film Old Bones of the River, which also featured the characters of Commissioner Sanders, Captain Hamilton and Bosambo seen in this film, but played by...
(1935) - The TunnelThe Tunnel (1935 film)The Tunnel, also known as Transatlantic Tunnel in the United States, is a 1935 British science fiction film based on the 1913 novel Der Tunnel by Bernhard Kellermann, about the building of a transatlantic tunnel. It was directed by Maurice Elvey and stars Richard Dix, Leslie Banks, Madge Evans,...
(1935) - The Night of the PartyThe Night of the PartyThe Night of the Party is a British mystery thriller film directed by Michael Powell and starring Leslie Banks, Ian Hunter, Jane Baxter, Ernest Thesiger and Malcolm Keen. In the United States it was released as The Murder Party.-Synopsis:...
(1935) - Three MaximsThree MaximsThree Maxims is a 1936 British drama film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Tullio Carminati and Leslie Banks. It was released in the United States under the title Show Goes On. Separate French and German language versions were filmed in Paris...
(1936) - Debt of HonourDebt of HonourDebt of Honour is a 1936 British drama film directed by Norman Walker and starring Leslie Banks, Will Fyffe, Geraldine Fitzgerald and Garry Marsh.-Plot:A Colonel's daughter steals from the regimental mess funds to pay off her gambling debts...
(1936) - Wings of the MorningWings of the Morning (film)Wings of the Morning is a 1937 British drama film directed by Harold D. Schuster and starring Annabella, Henry Fonda and Leslie Banks. Glenn Tryon was the originally director but he was fired and replaced by Schuster...
(1937) - Fire Over EnglandFire Over EnglandFire Over England is a 1937 London Film Productions film drama, notable for providing the first pairing of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. It was directed by William K. Howard and written by Clemence Dane from the novel Fire Over England by A. E. W. Mason. Leigh's performance in the movie...
(1937) - Farewell AgainFarewell AgainFarewell Again is a 1937 British drama film directed by Tim Whelan and starring Leslie Banks, Flora Robson, Sebastian Shaw and Robert Newton. The film is a portmanteau illustrating the calls of duty on various soldiers and their families...
(1937) - Cyrano de Bergerac (1938)
- Guide Dogs for the Blind (1939)
- Jamaica InnJamaica Inn (film)Jamaica Inn is a 1939 film made by Alfred Hitchcock adapted from Daphne du Maurier's 1936 novel of the same name, the first of three of du Maurier's works that Hitchcock adapted ....
(1939) - Sons of the SeaSons of the Sea (film)Sons of the Sea is a 1939 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Leslie Banks, Kay Walsh, Mackenzie Ward and Cecil Parker.-Synopsis:...
(1939) - The Arsenal Stadium MysteryThe Arsenal Stadium MysteryThe Arsenal Stadium Mystery is a 1939 British mystery film, and is one of the first feature films where football is a central element in the plot....
(1939) - Dead Man's ShoesDead Man's Shoes (1939 film)-Cast:* Leslie Banks as Roger de Vetheuil* Joan Marion as Viola de Vetheuil* Geoffrey Atkins as Paul de Vetheuil* Wilfrid Lawson as Lucien Sarrou* Judy Kelly as Michelle Allain* Nancy Price as Madame Pelletier* Walter Hudd as Gaston Alexandri...
(1939) - The Big BlockadeThe Big BlockadeThe Big Blockade is a 1942 British, black-and-white, comedy-drama, propaganda film, war film, directed by Charles Frend and starring Will Hay, Ronald Shiner as the Shipping Clerk and John Mills. It was produced by Ealing Studios...
(1940) - 21 Days21 Days21 Days, also known as 21 Days Together in the U.S., is a 1940 British drama film based on the short play The First and the Last by John Galsworthy. It was directed by Basil Dean and stars Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier and Leslie Banks...
(1940) - The Door with Seven Locks (1940)
- Busman's HoneymoonBusman's Honeymoon (film)Busman's Honeymoon is a 1940 British detective film directed by Arthur B. Woods. An adaptation of the Lord Peter Wimsey story Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers, it starred Robert Montgomery, Constance Cummings, Leslie Banks, Seymour Hicks, Robert Newton and Googie Withers....
(1940) - Neutral PortNeutral PortNeutral Port is a 1940 British war film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Will Fyffe, Leslie Banks, Yvonne Arnaud, Phyllis Calvert and Wally Patch. A British merchant ship is torpedoed by a German U-Boat and takes shelter in a neutral port. The Captain then strikes back at the German enemy...
(1940) - Cottage to LetCottage to LetCottage to Let is a 1941 spy film starring Leslie Banks, Alastair Sim and John Mills. Set in World War II Scotland, its plot concerns Nazi spies trying to kidnap an inventor.-Plot:...
(1941) - Went the Day Well?Went the Day Well?"Went the Day Well?" is a British war film produced by Ealing Studios in 1942 as unofficial propaganda. It tells of how an English village is taken over by German paratroopers . Made during the war, it reflects the greatest potential nightmares of many Britons of the time, although the threat of...
(1942) - Ships with Wings (1942)
- Henry VHenry V (1944 film)Henry V is a 1944 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name. The on-screen title is The Cronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France . It stars Laurence Olivier, who also directed. The play was adapted for the screen by Olivier, Dallas...
(1944) - Mrs. FitzherbertMrs. FitzherbertMrs. Fitzherbert is a 1947 British historical drama film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Peter Graves, Joyce Howard and Leslie Banks...
(1947) - The Small Back RoomThe Small Back RoomThe Small Back Room is a film by the British producer-writer-director team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger starring David Farrar and Kathleen Byron and featuring Jack Hawkins and Cyril Cusack. It was based on the novel of the same name by Nigel Balchin...
(1949) - Your WitnessYour Witness (film)Your Witness is a 1950 British drama film directed by and starring Robert Montgomery. It also featured Leslie Banks, Felix Aylmer and Andrew Cruickshank. A leading American lawyer travels to London to defend an old friend from the Second World War who is facing a charge of murder...
(1950) - MadeleineMadeleine (film)Madeleine is a 1950 film directed by David Lean, based on a true story about Madeleine Smith, a young Glasgow woman from a wealthy family who was tried in 1857 for the murder of her lover, Emile L'Angelier...
(1950)