OBSERVER: Whatever Happened To … Leo G. Carroll
Leo G. Carroll was one of those wonderful character actors in Hollywood films. He played many dignified characters in some of the classic films of the 20th century.
As a young boy I often wondered what the ‘G’ stood for. Leo G. Carroll was an outstanding stage screen and television actor during his career.
Leo Gratten Carroll was born in Weedon Bec in the UK county of Northamptonshire in 1886.
He came from a wealthy Catholic family and he was named after Pope Leo XIII.
Leo made his stage debut at the age of 26. He served in the British Infantry during World War I and fought in France, Greece and Palestine where he was wounded and hospitalised for two years.
In 1923 he took up residence in the US. He made his Broadway debut in 1924 in the play Havoc and the following year appeared in Noel Coward’s The Vortex (recently re-staged by Malvern Theatre Company).
In 1926 he married Edith de Silva who was born in Lancashire and they had a son together. Leo loved the theatre and during his lifetime he appeared in more than 300 plays.
His first film role was in 1934 when he played a butler in Sadie McKee and worked with some of the Hollywood greats Joan Crawford, Gene Raymond and Franchot Tone.
Leo made a big impression and appeared in five films in his first year in Hollywood. He changed his name to Leo G. Carroll and during the 1930s appeared in some classic films which included The Barretts of Wimpole Street, Wuthering Heights, A Christmas Carol and Captains Courageous.
During the 1940s Leo began working with director Alfred Hitchcock and they went on to make six films together: Rebecca, Suspicion, Spellbound, The Paradine Case, Strangers On A Train and North by Northwest.
In 1953 Leo starred in the television series Topper and I was fortunate to interview his co-star Anne Jeffreys several years ago who said that Leo was a joy to work with.
He is mentioned in the lyrics of the song Science Fiction/Double Feature from the stage musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show because of his role in the 1955 horror film Tarantula.
In 1962 Leo played Fr Fitzgibbon opposite Gene Kelly in the television series Going My Way which was based on the Bing Crosby film. But his biggest success came in 1964 when he was cast as Alexander Waverly in the hit series The Man From Uncle starring opposite Robert Vaughn and David McCallum.
He reprised his character in the spin-off series The Girl From Uncle with co-star Stefanie Powers.
He sent himself up with an appearance on the comedy series Laugh In.
My favourite of his films is North By Northwest where he has some great scenes with Cary Grant.
One of his final acting roles was in an episode of the television series Ironside.
Leo G. Carroll passed away from pneumonia as a complication of cancer in 1972 at the age of 86.
His wife Edith died 13 days later. They were survived by their son William and three grandchildren.
Kevin Trask