Monty Banks

Monty Banks
Monty Banks
Born	Montague Banks 18 July 1897(1897-07-18) Cesena, Italy
Died	7 January 1950(1950-01-07) (aged 52) Arona, Italy
Occupation	Director, comedian

Montague (Monty) Banks (18 July 1897 – 7 January 1950^[1] 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.^[2] 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.^[3] 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.^[1]

Aula Didattica Monty Banks

In his home town of Cesena a foundation was created in honor of Banks, entitled the Aula Didattica Monty Banks.^[4] It is "an initiative promoted by the Comune, the course is open to boys and provides the opportunity to create videos".^[5]

Selected filmography

Actor

• A Scrap of Paper (1918)
• The Sheriff (1918)
• Camping Out (1919)
• Love (1919)
• Atlantic (1929)
• You Made Me Love You (1933)
• The Girl in Possession (1934)
• So You Won't Talk (1935)
• Blood and Sand (1941)

Director

• Cocktails (1928)
• Why Sailors Leave Home (1930)
• The Black Hand Gang (1930)
• The Compulsory Husband (1930)
• Almost a Honeymoon (1930)
• What a Night! (1931)
• Old Soldiers Never Die (1931)
• The Wife's Family (1931)
• Poor Old Bill (1931)
• Not So Quiet on the Western Front (1932)
• L'amour et la veine (1932)
• Kiss Me Sergeant (1932)
• Money for Nothing (1932)
• For the Love of Mike (1932)
• You Made Me Love You (1933)
• Man of the Moment (1935)
• Falling in Love (1935) (also acted)
• Hello, Sweetheart (1935)
• 18 minutes (1935)
• No Limit (1936)
• Queen of Hearts (1936)
• We're Going to Be Rich (1938)
• Keep Smiling (1938)
• Shipyard Sally (1939)
• Keep Your Seats, Please (1940)
• Great Guns (1941)

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Monty Banks, 52, Screen Director" (PDF). The New York Times. Associated Press: p. 20. 9 January 1950. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70C15FA3D5C147B93CBA9178AD85F448585F9. Retrieved 16 December 2008. 
2. ^ Westhollywoodusa.com
3. ^ "Our Gracie". Time. 1 September 1947. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,887621,00.html. Retrieved 16 December 2008. 
4. ^ Buliro.it
5. ^ Youtube.com

External links

• Monty Banks at the Internet Movie Database
• Monty Banks at AllRovi
• Monty Banks at Find a Grave
• Notes for an essay on the film career of Monty Banks
• Early American Cinema

Persondata
Name	Banks, Monty
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	18 July 1897
Place of birth	Cesena, Italy
Date of death	7 January 1950
Place of death	Arona, Italy