Leslie Banks

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Leslie James Banks (born June 9, 1890 in West Derby , Liverpool , † April 21, 1952 in London ) was a British actor.

Life

Banks' grave in Worth Matravers

Leslie Banks studied first at Trinity College in Glenalmond and then at Keble College in Oxford to become a pastor . However, he gave up his studies and career aspirations. He joined a theater and made his stage debut in 1911. In 1912 and 1913 he was on a theater tour of the USA, but then came back to London . There he played at the West End Theater until the outbreak of World War I. From 1914 to 1918 he took part in an infantry regiment in the First World War. He suffered severe facial injuries that left scars and partial facial paralysis.

After the war he returned to the theater and initially played in Birmingham . In 1921 he came back to London's West End and became a striking theater star. His fame at the London theaters ensured that he was also engaged on Broadway to New York . In 1932 he went to Hollywood and took on his first major film role as Graf Zaroff in Graf Zaroff - Genie des Evil . The other leading roles in this horror film took Joel McCrea and Fay Wray .

Until the end of his life in 1952 he commuted between film and theater and between Great Britain and the USA. His greatest roles in the theater include Captain Hook in Peter Pan in 1924 on Broadway, the title role in Cyrano de Bergerac and Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew in 1937. He played in films by directors such as Alfred Hitchcock , David Lean , Michael Powell and Laurence Olivier .

Leslie Banks married Gwendoline Haldane in 1915 and had three daughters. In 1950 he was awarded the Order of the British Empire .

Filmography (selection)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Banks, Leslie
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Banks, Leslie James (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British actor
DATE OF BIRTH June 9, 1890
PLACE OF BIRTH West Derby , Liverpool
DATE OF DEATH April 21, 1952
Place of death London