Actors From The Golden Age Of Hollywood Codexery

Leslie Howard

English actor, director, producer, and writer; one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1930s.

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Leslie Howard

Selznick International Pictures; Fred Parrish, photographer · via Wikipedia: Leslie Howard · Public domain

Leslie Howard was an English actor, director, producer, and writer who became a major box-office draw in the 1930s.[1] He was born Leslie Howard Steiner on 3 April 1893 in Forest Hill, London, to a British mother and a Hungarian Jewish father.[2] He died on 1 June 1943 when his flight was shot down by the Luftwaffe over the Atlantic.[3]

Life and work

Howard voluntarily enlisted as a private in the British Army in September 1914 and was medically discharged with neurasthenia in May 1916.[4] He changed his surname from Steiner to Howard by deed poll in March 1920.[5] He first made his mark as a dramatic actor playing Matt Denant in John Galsworthy's 1927 Broadway production Escape.[6] In 1920, Howard proposed to Adrian Brunel that they establish a film production venture; it was initially called British Comedy Films Ltd. and later became Minerva Films.[7][8]

Howard authored the play Murray Hill and performed the lead role in its 1927 Broadway staging.[6] On 3 March 1916, Howard wed Ruth Evelyn Martin; the couple had two children.[2]

What the cited sources add

The BFI Screenonline account notes that Howard's first language was German and that his father anglicised his name to Frank Stainer.[8] The same source states that Howard joined the 20th Hussars despite never having ridden a horse and served on the Western Front.[8] The BFI Screenonline account reports that Howard intended to direct The Lamp Still Burns (1943) but Maurice Elvey took over after Howard was shot down.[8] The same source notes that George Bernard Shaw had misgivings about Howard's suitability for the role in Pygmalion.[8]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Leslie Howard" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Obituary, Variety, 9 June 1943. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Leslie Howard" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Howard, Leslie [real name Leslie Howard Steiner] (1893–1943)" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Leslie Howard" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Patrick Gerassi, la conexión viguesa de Leslie Howard", La Voz de Galicia, 4 June 2009; Goss 2001, p. 50–56; "Douglas DC-3-194 G-AGBB, Bay of Biscay", Aviation Safety Network (aviation-safety.net); "Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)" (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Leslie Howard" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Leslie Howard Steiner's WW1 British Army service file, document order code WO 374/65089, The National Archives, London, published at 'The Great War Forum.org' w; The London Gazette (Supplement) dated 18 May 1916, p. 4961.; Leslie Howard's World War I British Army service file, document order code WO 374/65089, The National Archives, London, published at 'The Great War Forum.org' w (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Leslie Howard" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Notice of Change of Name by Deed Poll". The London Gazette. Issue 31809, dated 5 March 1920. p. 2821. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Leslie Howard" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Leslie Howard", Internet Broadway Database; Mantle, "'Petrified Forest' and 'Old Maid' Are New Plays", Daily News, 8 January 1935, p. 144 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Leslie Howard" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Brooke, "Howard, Leslie (1893–1943)", BFI Screenonline (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Brooke, "Howard, Leslie (1893–1943)", BFI Screenonline. facts only, no text reused. screenonline.org.uk

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Leslie Howard (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. In what year did Leslie Howard die?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1943.

2. In what year was Leslie Howard born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1893.

3. In which place was Leslie Howard born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Forest Hill, London, England.

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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