MONTY BANKS

'Montague (Monty) Banks' (born July 18 1897 as 'Mario Bianchi' in Nice, France - died January 7 1950 in Arona, 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 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 one of their worst films, ''Great Guns'', under the name "Montague Banks".
He was born in France, of Italian extraction. He died in Italy in 1950 of a heart attack, aged 52. He was the husband of Dame Gracie Fields. During World War II, the British government considered him an enemy alien.
He held dual Italian and U.S. citizenship.

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