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[[File:Benn W. Levy-Constance Cummings still 1.jpg|thumb|Benn Levy and [[Constance Cummings]] in 1935]]
[[File:Benn W. Levy-Constance Cummings still 1.jpg|thumb|Benn Levy and [[Constance Cummings]] in 1935]]
'''Benn Wolfe Levy'''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Ecommons2.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=16 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129230526/http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Ecommons2.htm |archive-date=29 November 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> (7 March 1900 – 7 December 1973) was a [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] [[Member of Parliament]] in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]], and a successful playwright. He was educated at [[Repton School]] and [[University College, Oxford]] and served in uniform in both World Wars.
'''Benn Wolfe Levy'''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Ecommons2.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=16 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129230526/http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Ecommons2.htm |archive-date=29 November 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> (7 March 1900 – 7 December 1973) was a [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] [[Member of Parliament]] in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]], and a successful playwright. He was educated at [[Repton School]] and [[University College, Oxford]] and served in uniform in both World Wars.


==Playwright and parliamentarian==
==Playwright and parliamentarian==
Before entering politics, Levy was a successful playwright and screenwriter. He was the dialogue writer for ''[[Blackmail (1929 film)|Blackmail]]'' (1929); directed by [[Alfred Hitchcock]], it was the first British sound film.<ref name=nytimes>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/12/08/archives/benn-w-levy-73-playwright-dies-stage-and-film-director-served-as-a.html|title=Benn W. Levy, 73, Playwright, Dies|first=Special To the New York|last=Times|date=8 December 1973|publisher=|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> Later, he wrote the adapted screenplay for [[James Whale]]'s macabre horror film ''[[The Old Dark House (1932 film)|The Old Dark House]]'' (1932) in collaboration with [[R. C. Sherriff]], based on the novel ''Benighted'' (1927) by [[J. B. Priestley]]. Levy directed one film, ''[[Lord Camber's Ladies]]'' (1932), which was the only film produced by Hitchcock which he did not himself direct.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/439585/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Lord Camber's Ladies (1933)|website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}</ref>
Before entering politics, Levy was a successful playwright and screenwriter. He was the dialogue writer for ''[[Blackmail (1929 film)|Blackmail]]'' (1929); directed by [[Alfred Hitchcock]], it was the first British sound film.<ref name=nytimes>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/12/08/archives/benn-w-levy-73-playwright-dies-stage-and-film-director-served-as-a.html|title=Benn W. Levy, 73, Playwright, Dies|first=Special To the New York|last=Times|date=8 December 1973|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> Later, he wrote the adapted screenplay for [[James Whale]]'s macabre horror film ''[[The Old Dark House (1932 film)|The Old Dark House]]'' (1932) in collaboration with [[R. C. Sherriff]], based on the novel ''Benighted'' (1927) by [[J. B. Priestley]]. Levy directed one film, ''[[Lord Camber's Ladies]]'' (1932), which was the only film produced by Hitchcock which he did not himself direct.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/439585/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Lord Camber's Ladies (1933)|website=screenonline.org.uk}}</ref>


Levy was first elected at the [[1945 United Kingdom general election|1945 general election]], for the [[Eton and Slough (UK Parliament constituency)|Eton and Slough]] constituency, and stood down at the [[1950 United Kingdom general election|1950 general election]]. Politically, Levy was on the left of the Labour Party and became an active member of the [[Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament]]).<ref name=nytimes/> As a sympathiser with the [[Zionist movement]], he also opposed Foreign Secretary [[Ernest Bevin]] over Bevin's policies towards [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine]] and [[Israel]].
Levy was first elected at the [[1945 United Kingdom general election|1945 general election]], for the [[Eton and Slough (UK Parliament constituency)|Eton and Slough]] constituency, and stood down at the [[1950 United Kingdom general election|1950 general election]]. Politically, Levy was on the left of the Labour Party and became an active member of the [[Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament]]).<ref name=nytimes/> As a sympathiser with the [[Zionist movement]], he also opposed Foreign Secretary [[Ernest Bevin]] over Bevin's policies towards [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine]] and [[Israel]].
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==Credits==
==Credits==
===Plays===
===Plays===
Plays written by Levy:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsL/levy-benn-w.html|title=doollee.com - the playwrights database of modern plays|website=www.doollee.com|access-date=12 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706192505/http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsL/levy-benn-w.html|archive-date=6 July 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{IBDB name|id=4483}}</ref>
Plays written by Levy:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsL/levy-benn-w.html|title=doollee.com - the playwrights database of modern plays|website=doollee.com|access-date=12 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706192505/http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsL/levy-benn-w.html|archive-date=6 July 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{IBDB name|id=4483}}</ref>
*''This Woman Business'' - 1925
*''This Woman Business'' - 1925
*''Mud and Treacle'' - 1928
*''Mud and Treacle'' - 1928
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* ''[[Lord Camber's Ladies]]'' (1932) produced by [[Alfred Hitchcock]]
* ''[[Lord Camber's Ladies]]'' (1932) produced by [[Alfred Hitchcock]]
'''Screenwriter'''
'''Screenwriter'''
* ''[[The Hate Ship ]]'' (1929)
* ''[[The Hate Ship]]'' (1929)
* ''[[The Informer (1929 film)|The Informer]]'' (1929)
* ''[[The Informer (1929 film)|The Informer]]'' (1929)
* ''[[Devil and the Deep]]'' (1932)
* ''[[Devil and the Deep]]'' (1932)

Revision as of 19:29, 22 March 2021

Benn Levy and Constance Cummings in 1935

Benn Wolfe Levy[1] (7 March 1900 – 7 December 1973) was a Labour Party Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and a successful playwright. He was educated at Repton School and University College, Oxford and served in uniform in both World Wars.

Playwright and parliamentarian

Before entering politics, Levy was a successful playwright and screenwriter. He was the dialogue writer for Blackmail (1929); directed by Alfred Hitchcock, it was the first British sound film.[2] Later, he wrote the adapted screenplay for James Whale's macabre horror film The Old Dark House (1932) in collaboration with R. C. Sherriff, based on the novel Benighted (1927) by J. B. Priestley. Levy directed one film, Lord Camber's Ladies (1932), which was the only film produced by Hitchcock which he did not himself direct.[3]

Levy was first elected at the 1945 general election, for the Eton and Slough constituency, and stood down at the 1950 general election. Politically, Levy was on the left of the Labour Party and became an active member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament).[2] As a sympathiser with the Zionist movement, he also opposed Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin over Bevin's policies towards Palestine and Israel.

As an MP, Levy made an unsuccessful effort to abolish theatrical censorship in Britain, and towards the end of his life, he was the principal author of a report opposing the arguments for censorship made by Lord Longford, the anti-pornography campaigner. He was married for more than 40 years to the American-born screen and stage actress Constance Cummings; they had one daughter and one son.[2]

Levy's papers are held at the University of Sussex library.[4]

Credits

Plays

Plays written by Levy:[5][6]

  • This Woman Business - 1925
  • Mud and Treacle - 1928
  • A Man with Red Hair - 1928
  • Mrs Moonlight - 1928
  • Art and Mrs Bottle - 1929
  • Topaz - 1930
  • Ever Green - 1930
  • Springtime for Henry - 1931
  • Hollywood Holiday - with John van Druten, 1931
  • The Devil Passes - 1932
  • Young Madame Conti - with Hubert Griffiths, 1936
  • Madame Bovary - 1937
  • If I Were You - 1938
  • The Jealous God - 1939
  • Clutterbuck - 1946
  • Rape of the Belt - 1957

Selected filmography

Director

Screenwriter

References

  1. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 29 November 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ a b c Times, Special To the New York (8 December 1973). "Benn W. Levy, 73, Playwright, Dies" – via NYTimes.com.
  3. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Lord Camber's Ladies (1933)". screenonline.org.uk.
  4. ^ "The Keep News and Blog". The Keep.
  5. ^ "doollee.com - the playwrights database of modern plays". doollee.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2008.
  6. ^ Benn Levy at the Internet Broadway Database

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Benn W. Levy.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency Member of Parliament for Eton and Slough
1945–1950 		Succeeded by
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