Monty Banks
Encyclopedia
Montague Banks (18 July 1897 – 7 January 1950 born Mario Bianchi in Cesena
, Italy
) 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 Robert Youngson
's compilation film Days of Thrills and Laughter (1961). With the arrival of sound films, Banks's strong Italian 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 married to Gladys Frazin. The marriage was not a happy one and they divorced on 29 April 1932 as a result of her abusive behaviour. She subsequently committed suicide in March 1939. He met singer and actress Gracie Fields
in 1935 and they married in March 1940. As an Italian national, he would have been classified as an 'enemy alien' in Britain during World War II. Consequently he and Fields left the UK for Canada
initially, and then the neutral United States
in order to prevent his internment. Italian American internment
also came into place in the United States during 1941 and 1942, affecting thousands of Italians, but this was eventually relaxed.
He held dual Italian and U.S. citizenship. He died on a train outside Arona, Italy
, of a heart attack
, aged 52.
a foundation was created in honor of Banks, entitled the Aula Didattica Monty Banks. It is "an initiative promoted by the Comune
, the course is open to boys and provides the opportunity to create videos".
Director
Cesena
Cesena is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, south of Ravenna and west of Rimini, on the Savio River, co-chief of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. It is at the foot of the Apennines, and about 15 km from the Adriatic Sea.-History:Cesena was originally an Umbrian...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
) was a comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
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 Robert Youngson
Robert Youngson
Robert Youngson was a film producer, director, and screenwriter.Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was responsible for reacquainting movie audiences with the work of the great silent comedians. His feature-film compilations The Golden Age of Comedy and When Comedy Was King were popular successes...
's compilation film Days of Thrills and Laughter (1961). With the arrival of sound films, Banks's strong Italian accent forced him to phase out his acting career in favor of working as a gagman and director. He directed Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
in their film, Great Guns
Great Guns
Great Guns is a 1941 film directed by Monty Banks, and produced by Sol M. Wurtzel for 20th Century Fox starring Laurel and Hardy.- Plot :...
, under the name 'Montague Banks'.
He was married to Gladys Frazin. The marriage was not a happy one and they divorced on 29 April 1932 as a result of her abusive behaviour. She subsequently committed suicide in March 1939. He met singer and actress Gracie Fields
Gracie Fields
Dame Gracie Fields, DBE , was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and music hall.-Early life:...
in 1935 and they married in March 1940. As an Italian national, he would have been classified as an 'enemy alien' in Britain during World War II. Consequently he and Fields left the UK for Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
initially, and then the neutral United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in order to prevent his internment. Italian American internment
Italian American internment
Italian American internment refers to the internment of Italian Americans in the United States during World War II.-Terms:The term "Italian American" does not have a legal definition...
also came into place in the United States during 1941 and 1942, affecting thousands of Italians, but this was eventually relaxed.
He held dual Italian and U.S. citizenship. He died on a train outside Arona, Italy
Arona, Italy
Arona is a town and comune on Lake Maggiore, in the province of Novara . Its main economic activity is tourism, especially from Milan, France and Germany.-History:...
, of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
, aged 52.
Aula Didattica Monty Banks
In his home town of CesenaCesena
Cesena is a city and comune in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, south of Ravenna and west of Rimini, on the Savio River, co-chief of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. It is at the foot of the Apennines, and about 15 km from the Adriatic Sea.-History:Cesena was originally an Umbrian...
a foundation was created in honor of Banks, entitled the Aula Didattica Monty Banks. It is "an initiative promoted by the Comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
, the course is open to boys and provides the opportunity to create videos".
Selected filmography
Actor- A Scrap of PaperA Scrap of PaperA Scrap of Paper is a 1918 short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle - Fatty* Glen Cavender - The Kaiser* Al St. John - The Crown Prince* Monty Banks - Soldier...
(19181918 in filmThe year 1918 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*Following litigation for anti-trust activities, the US Supreme Court orders the Motion Picture Patents Company to disband....
) - The SheriffThe SheriffThe Sheriff is a 1918 short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle - Cook* Betty Compson - School teacher* Monty Banks - * Glen Cavender...
(1918) - Camping OutCamping Out (film)Camping Out is a 1919 short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle.-Cast:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle* Al St. John* Alice Lake* Monty Banks...
(19191919 in filmThe year 1919 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 5 - Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith launch United Artists...
) - LoveLove (1919 film)Love is a 1919 short comedy film directed by and starring Fatty Arbuckle. Prints of the film still survive.-Cast:* Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle - Fatty* Al St. John - Al Clove, Fatty's rival* Winifred Westover - Winnie* Frank Hayes - Frank, Winnie's father...
(1919) - AtlanticAtlantic (1929 film)Atlantic is a British black-and-white film, directed and produced by Ewald André Dupont and starring Franklin Dyall and Madeleine Carroll. Three versions were made, one in the United Kingdom, one in Germany, and one in France...
(19291929 in film-Events:The days of the silent film are numbered. A mad scramble to provide synchronized sound is on.*January 20 - The movie In Old Arizona is released. The film is the first full-length talking film to be filmed outdoors....
) - You Made Me Love YouYou Made Me Love You (film)You Made Me Love You is a 1933 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Stanley Lupino, Thelma Todd and John Loder. The plot is a modern remorkwing of William Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew.-Cast:* Stanley Lupino - Tom Daly...
(1933) - The Girl in PossessionThe Girl in PossessionThe Girl in Possession is a 1934 British comedy film starring Laura La Plante and Henry Kendall and directed by Monty Banks, who also wrote the screenplay and featured in the film himself....
(1934) - So You Won't TalkSo You Won't Talk (1935 film)So You Won't Talk is a 1935 British comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Monty Banks, Vera Pearce and Bertha Belmore. The owner of a small Italian restaurant in central London is left a million pound inheritance, the only stipulation to the will being that he cannot speak or write...
(1935) - Blood and SandBlood and Sand (1941 film)Blood and Sand is a Technicolor film produced by 20th Century Fox, directed by Rouben Mamoulian and starring Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Rita Hayworth, and Alla Nazimova...
(1941)
Director
- CocktailsCocktails (film)Cocktails is a 1928 British silent comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Harald Madsen, Enid Stamp-Taylor and Carl Schenstrøm.-Plot:The guardian of an heiress tries to destroy the reputation of her lover by planting drugs on him.-Cast:...
(1928) - Why Sailors Leave HomeWhy Sailors Leave HomeWhy Sailors Leave Home is a 1930 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Leslie Fuller, Peter Bernard and Eve Gray. A British sailor on shore leave in the Middle East ends up being mistaken for a Sheikh.-Cast:...
(1930) - The Black Hand GangThe Black Hand GangThe Black Hand Gang is a 1930 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Wee Georgie Wood, Viola Compton and Alfred Wood. It was made by British International Pictures and based on a play by Black Hand George by Bert Lee and R.P. Weston....
(1930) - The Compulsory HusbandThe Compulsory HusbandThe Compulsory Husband is a 1930 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Banks, Lillian Manton and Clifford Heatherley. It was based on a novel by John Glyder.-Cast:* Monty Banks - Monty* Lillian Manton - Joy...
(1930) - Almost a HoneymoonAlmost a Honeymoon (1930 film)Almost a Honeymoon is a 1930 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Clifford Mollison, Dodo Watts and Donald Calthrop. It was based on the play Almost a Honeymoon by Walter Ellis. A second adaptation was made in 1938. It was made by British International Pictures at their Elstree...
(1930) - What a Night!What a Night! (1931 film)What a Night! is a 1931 British comedy crime film directed by Monty Banks and starring Leslie Fuller, Molly Lamont and Charles Paton. While staying at a reportedly haunted inn a traveller discovers that the 'ghost' is in fact a thief.-Cast:...
(1931) - Old Soldiers Never Die (1931)
- The Wife's FamilyThe Wife's FamilyThe Wife's Family is a 1931 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Gene Gerrard, Muriel Angelus and Amy Veness....
(1931) - Poor Old BillPoor Old BillPoor Old Bill is a 1931 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Leslie Fuller, Iris Ashley and Syd Courtenay. A man sponges off an old comrade from the First World War who believes he has saved his life during the war, although this ultimately proves not to be.-Cast:* Leslie Fuller...
(1931) - Not So Quiet on the Western FrontNot So Quiet on the Western Front (film)Not So Quiet on the Western Front is a 1930 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Leslie Fuller, Mona Goya and Wilfred Temple. It was made by British International Pictures...
(1932) - L'amour et la veine (1932)
- Kiss Me SergeantKiss Me SergeantKiss Me Sergeant is a 1930 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Leslie Fuller, Gladys Cruickshank and Gladys Frazin. In India, a British soldier saves the jewelled eye of a sacred idol...
(1932) - Money for NothingMoney for Nothing (1932 film)Money for Nothing is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Seymour Hicks, Betty Stockfeld and Edmund Gwenn. A peniless gambler is mistaken for a very wealthy man in Monte Carlo.-Cast:* Seymour Hicks ... Jay Cheddar...
(1932) - For the Love of MikeFor the Love of MikeFor the Love of Mike was a 1927 American silent romantic drama film. Directed by Frank Capra, the film starred Claudette Colbert and Ben Lyon. The film is now considered to be a lost film....
(1932) - You Made Me Love YouYou Made Me Love You (film)You Made Me Love You is a 1933 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Stanley Lupino, Thelma Todd and John Loder. The plot is a modern remorkwing of William Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew.-Cast:* Stanley Lupino - Tom Daly...
(1933) - Man of the MomentMan of the Moment (1935 film)Man of the Moment is a 1935 romantic comedy film starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Laura La Plante.-Plot:Office worker Mary Briany finds out she is being demoted by the boss she secretly loves in order to make room for his girlfriend. She tries to commit suicide by jumping into the river...
(19351935 in film-Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .*Seven year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.*The Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment started in order to educate the Bantu peoples.-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:...
) - Falling in LoveFalling in Love (1935 film)Falling in Love is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Charles Farrell, Mary Lawson, Diana Napier and Gregory Ratoff. The manager of an American film star struggles to cope with her behaviour.-Cast:...
(1935) (also acted) - Hello, SweetheartHello, SweetheartHello, Sweetheart is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Claude Hulbert, Gregory Ratoff and Jane Carr. It is based on the play The Butter and Egg Man by George S. Kaufman...
(1935) - 18 minutes18 Minutes18 Minutes is a 1935 British drama film directed by Monty Banks and starring Gregory Ratoff, John Loder and Benita Hume. Its plot concerns a lion tamer who adopts an orphaned girl.-Cast:* Gregory Ratoff - Nikita* John Loder - Trelawney...
(1935) - No LimitNo Limit (1936 film)No Limit is a 1935 British comedy film which was released by Associated Talking Pictures. It starred George Formby and Florence Desmond.-Synopsis:...
(19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) - Queen of Hearts (1936)
- We're Going to Be RichWe're Going to Be RichWe're Going to Be Rich is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Gracie Fields, Victor McLaglen and Brian Donlevy. During the 1880s a top singer buys a gold mine.-Cast:* Gracie Fields - Kit Dobson* Victor McLaglen - Dobbie...
(1938) - Keep SmilingKeep Smiling (film)Keep Smiling is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Gracie Fields, Roger Livesey and Mary Maguire. After they are cheated out of money by an ex-manager, a group of performers club together to buy a bus and travel around the country doing shows.Banks incidentally, had...
(1938) - Shipyard SallyShipyard SallyShipyard Sally is a 1939 British musical comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Gracie Fields, Sydney Howard, Norma Varden, Morton Selten and Joan Cowick. Sally, a failed music hall performer, and her father take over a pub near the John Brown & Company shipyard at Clydebank...
(1939) - Keep Your Seats, PleaseKeep Your Seats, PleaseKeep Your Seats, Please is an ATP production comedy film made in 1936, starring George Formby and co-starring Florence Desmond, Alastair Sim, Gus McNaughton and Hal Gordon....
(1940) - Great GunsGreat GunsGreat Guns is a 1941 film directed by Monty Banks, and produced by Sol M. Wurtzel for 20th Century Fox starring Laurel and Hardy.- Plot :...
(19411941 in filmThe year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:...
)