Leslie Banks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leslie Banks CBE
Banks in The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
Born	Leslie James Banks (1890-06-09)9 June 1890 West Derby, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Died	21 April 1952(1952-04-21) (aged 61) Kensington, London, England
Occupation	Actor, director, producer
Years active	1911–1950
Spouse(s)	Gwendoline Haldane Unwin ​ ​ (m. 1915)​
Children	3

Leslie James Banks (born June 9, 1890 – died April 21, 1952) was a famous English actor, director, and producer. He is best known for playing strong, sometimes scary characters in old black-and-white movies from the 1930s and 1940s. He also played the "Chorus" in a well-known movie version of William Shakespeare's play Henry V during World War II.

Early Life and Acting Career

Leslie Banks was born in Liverpool, England. He went to school in Scotland and later studied at Oxford University. He first thought about becoming a church leader, but he decided to become an actor instead.

He started his acting career in October 1911 in Scotland. He then toured the United States and Canada in 1912 and 1913. Leslie Banks first appeared on the famous West End stage in London in May 1914.

During the First World War, he served as a soldier. He was injured, and part of his face became scarred and couldn't move. He used this injury to his advantage in acting. When he played funny or romantic roles, he would show the unscarred side of his face. For serious or sad roles, he would show the scarred side.

After the war, Banks continued acting in London. He became a leading actor known for his powerful performances. He worked in both London and New York City. In New York, he was asked to go to Hollywood to make his first movie. This movie was called The Most Dangerous Game in 1932.

Film Roles and Stage Performances

Theatrical release poster for The Most Dangerous Game (1932)

Leslie Banks's large size and serious look helped him in his first big movie role. He played a scary Russian hunter in The Most Dangerous Game (1932). This film also starred Joel McCrea and Fay Wray. For the rest of his career, he worked in both Britain and the United States. He also acted in both movies and plays.

Some of his other movie roles include Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934). He also appeared in Fire Over England (1937) and Jamaica Inn (1939). Later, he was in Laurence Olivier's Henry V (1944) and David Lean's Madeleine (1950). Banks also played a detective in The Arsenal Stadium Mystery (1939), which was a different kind of role for him.

On stage, he played Captain Hook in Peter Pan in New York in 1924. He also took on the main role in Clive of India (1934). Other stage roles included Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew (1937) and the schoolmaster in Goodbye, Mr Chips (1938).

Family Life and Recognition

Leslie Banks married Gwendoline Haldane Unwin in 1915. They had three daughters named Daphne, Virginia, and Evangeline.

In 1950, Leslie Banks was given a special award called a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This award was for his great work in theatre. This was also the year of his last performances on stage and in movies. He passed away in 1952 at the age of 61. He is buried in a churchyard in Worth Matravers, England.

Filmography