Leo G. Carroll was born October 25th, 1892 in Weedon, England. He was always thought more of a character actor than a suave leading man.
"Captains Courageous"
In 1937, Leo played Burns in the adventure, "Captains Courageous". The film also starred Spencer Tracy, Lionel Barrymore, Mickey Rooney, and Freddie Bartholomew. (Freddie has the same birthday as me, March 28th!) The film won Tracy a Best Actor Academy Award.
Cathy and Heathcliff in "Wuthering Heights"
In 1939, Carroll played the harsh housekeeper, Joseph, in "Wuthering Heights". Although the part was a little nicer in the movie than in the book, Joseph was still very cruel, and stayed with Cathy's cold-hearted brother in Wuthering Heights. The film also starred Merle Oberon as Cathy Earnshaw, Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff, and David Niven as Edgar Linton. This is one of my favorite movies!
In that same year, Leo played opposite Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, and Vincent Price in "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex". In 1940, Leo once again was Olivier's co-star, playing Dr. Baker in Alfred Hitchcock's "Rebecca". The movie also starred Joan Fontaine and Judith Anderson. Carroll would go on to star in many other Hitchcock movies.
Carroll's movie's with Alfred Hitchcock:
"Suspicion"
In 1941, Leo worked with two old friends, Joan Fontaine and Hitchcock, on "Suspicion". The masterpiece of suspense also starred Cary Grant. It was called one of Hitchcock's best films, and it won Fontaine a Best Actress Oscar.
In 1945, Carroll made "Spellbound" for Hitchcock, which also starred Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman. I love this movie, and I think Leo's performance is truly masterful, because he plays the bad guy...so unlike him! Carroll and Peck were once again paired in the Hitchcock courtroom thriller, "The Paradine Case", which unfortunately turned out to be a box-office failure.
Leo turned out a brilliant performance as Senator Morton in Hitchcock's masterpiece, "Strangers on a Train", co-starring Farley Granger, Ruth Roman, and Robert Walker. This is a fabulous movie, and a must-see for every Hitchcock fan!
Leo's final pairing with Hitch came in 1959. Carroll played the Professor in the thriller, "North by Northwest", which also starred Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason.
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