Leon M. Lion

Leon Marks Lion was an English actor, primarily of stage but also of screen; playwright, theatrical manager and producer. His first professional performance was in 1897, and he went on to enjoy a successful and varied career on the stage (including touring with light opera and Shakespeare companies), regularly performing in London's West End; as well as writing and producing for the theatre. He played in and produced a number of plays by Nobel laureate 'John Galsworthy' (qv), whose letters to Lion were published in book-form in 1969 (and whose play "The Skin Game" was adapted to film by 'Alfred Hitchcock' (qv)).Lion appeared in a total of thirteen films between 1915 and 1939, most notably receiving top billing as bumbling, comic tramp "Ben" in Hitchcock's _Number 17 (1932)_ (qv), which Lion also produced. He also appeared in some of England's earliest television broadcasts in 1938/9.::Anton29