Monty Banks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Montague (Monty) Banks (July 18, 1897 – January 7, 1950), was a comedian and film director. In the 1920s, he worked in Hollywood, starring in many silent short comedies and in the feature-length action thriller Play Safe (1927). A large excerpt from this movie is included in the compilation film Days of Thrills and Laughter. With the arrival of sound films, Banks's strong European accent forced him to phase out his acting career in favor of working as a gagman and director. He directed Laurel and Hardy in their film, Great Guns, under the name "Montague Banks".
He was born Mario Bianchi in Cesena, Italy, of Italian extraction. He was the husband of Dame Gracie Fields. During World War II, the British government considered him an enemy alien, and he and Fields left the UK in order to ensure his safety.
He held dual Italian and U.S. citizenship. He died in Arona, Italy, of a heart attack, aged 52..
[edit] Selected filmography
- A Scrap of Paper (1918)
- The Sheriff (1918)
- Camping Out (1919)
- Love (1919)
- Atlantic (1929)
- Man of the Moment (1935)
- No Limit (1936)
- Great Guns (1941)
- Blood and Sand (1941)
