Leo Gratten Carroll (25 October 1886 – 16 October 1972) was an English actor. In a career of more than forty years, he appeared in six

Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

films including ''Spellbound'', '' Strangers on a Train'' and ''

North by Northwest ''North by Northwest'' is a 1959 American spy thriller film, produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason. The screenplay was by Ernest Lehman, who wanted to write "the Hitchcock picture to ...

'' and in three

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

, '' Topper'', ''

Going My Way ''Going My Way'' is a 1944 American musical comedy drama film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald. Written by Frank Butler and Frank Cavett based on a story by McCarey, the film is about a new young priest ta ...

'', and ''

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by MGM Television, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who wo ...

''.

Early life

Carroll was born in

Weedon Bec Weedon Bec, usually just Weedon, is a village and parish in West Northamptonshire, England. It is close to the source of the River Nene. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 2,706. Geography Weedon is around southeast of ...

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

, to William and Catherine Carroll. His

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

parents named him after then-

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

. In 1897, his family lived in

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

, where his

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

-born father was a foreman in an ordnance store. In the 1901

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

for

West Ham West Ham is an area in East London, located east of Charing Cross in the west of the modern London Borough of Newham. The area, which lies immediately to the north of the River Thames and east of the River Lea, was originally an ancien ...

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

, his occupation is listed as "wine trade clerk". In the 1911 census, he is living at the same address and described as a "dramatic agent".

Stage career

Carroll made his stage debut in 1912. His acting career was on hold during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, when he served in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

. Carroll saw action in France, Salonika, and Palestine during the war; he was badly wounded while serving in the latter. After his recovery and discharge, he again took up acting in December 1919. He then performed in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

. His American stage debut came in ''

The Vortex ''The Vortex'' is a play in three acts by the English writer and actor Noël Coward. The play depicts the sexual vanity of a rich, ageing beauty, her troubled relationship with her adult son, and drug abuse in British society circles after the ...

''. In 1933, he was a member of the Manhattan Theatre Repertory Company in the inaugural season of the

Ogunquit Playhouse Ogunquit Playhouse is a regional theater at 10 Main Street (United States Route 1) in Ogunquit, Maine. Ogunquit Playhouse is one of the last remaining summer theaters from the Summer Stock which still produces musical theatre. The Playhouse is lis ...

Ogunquit, Maine Ogunquit ( ) is a resort town in York County, Maine. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,577. Ogunquit is part of the Portland– South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Ogunquit, which means "beau ...

. During 1933–34 Carroll had the role of "impeccable valet" Trump in the Broadway play ''

The Green Bay Tree ''The Green Bay Tree'' is a 1933 three-act drama written by Mordaunt Shairp that explores a "half-suggested homosexual relationship" between a man and his protégé or, in the words of one critic "a rich hot-house sybarite" and someone "he ado ...

'' (which has no relation to the novel by

Louis Bromfield Louis Bromfield (December 27, 1896 – March 18, 1956) was an American writer and conservationist. A bestselling novelist in the 1920s, he reinvented himself as a farmer in the late 1930s and became one of the earliest proponents of sustainab ...

apart from the shared title), and in 1941 starred with

Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...

and

Judith Evelyn Judith Evelyn (born Evelyn Morris, March 20, 1909 – May 7, 1967) was an American-Canadian stage and film actress who appeared in around 50 films and television series. Early years Evelyn was born Evelyn MorrisPatrick Hamilton's ''Angel Street'' (better known as ''

Gaslight Gas lighting is the production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, such as hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, coal gas (town gas) or natural gas. The light is produced either directly ...

''), which ran for three years at the

Golden Theatre The John Golden Theatre, formerly the Theatre Masque and Masque Theater, is a Broadway theater at 252 West 45th Street (George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1927, the Golden Theatre was d ...

on West 45th Street in New York City. After the production closed, he starred in the title role in

John P. Marquand John Phillips Marquand (November 10, 1893 – July 16, 1960) was an American writer. Originally best known for his Mr. Moto spy stories, he achieved popular success and critical respect for his satirical novels, winning a Pulitzer Prize for '' ...

's ''

The Late George Apley ''The Late George Apley'' is a 1937 novel by John Phillips Marquand. It is a satire of Boston Brahmin, Boston's upper class in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The title character is a Harvard-educated White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, WASP ...

''. In 1947 he starred in

John Van Druten John William Van Druten (1 June 190119 December 1957) was an English playwright and theatre director. He began his career in London, and later moved to America, becoming a U.S. citizen. He was known for his plays of witty and urbane observation ...

's ''

The Druid Circle ''The Druid Circle'' is a 1947 play in three acts written by John Van Druten. It has a medium-sized cast, slow pacing, five scenes, and three settings.Nathan p.116 A history professor, frustrated to be working at a university near the border of E ...

'' at the

Morosco Theatre The Morosco Theatre was a Broadway theatre near Times Square in New York City from 1917 to 1982. It housed many notable productions and its demolition, along with four adjacent theaters, was controversial. History Located at 217 West 45th Stree ...

Films and television

Carroll, who had moved to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

, made his film debut in ''Sadie McKee'' (1934). He often played doctors or butlers, but he made appearances as

Marley's ghost Jacob Marley is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol'', a former business partner of the miser Ebenezer Scrooge, who has been dead for seven years.Hawes, Donal''Who's Who in Dickens'' Routledge (1998), Goog ...

in ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas C ...

'' (1938) and as Joseph in ''

Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is an 1847 novel by Emily Brontë, initially published under her pen name Ellis Bell. It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moorland, moors, the Earnshaws and the Lintons, and their tur ...

'' (1939). In the original version of ''

Father of the Bride The Father of the Bride is commonly one of the wedding ceremony participants. Father of the Bride may also refer to: * ''Father of the Bride'' (novel), 1949, by Edward Streeter ** ''Father of the Bride'' (franchise), media franchise based on the 1 ...

'' (1950), he played an unctuous wedding caterer. In the 1951 film '' The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel'' he played a sympathetic German field marshal,

Gerd von Rundstedt Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt (12 December 1875 – 24 February 1953) was a German field marshal in the '' Heer'' (Army) of Nazi Germany during World War II. Born into a Prussian family with a long military tradition, Rundstedt entered th ...

, presenting him as a tragic, resigned figure completely disillusioned with

Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...

Carroll is perhaps best known for his roles in six

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

films: ''

Rebecca Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...

'' (1940), ''

Suspicion Suspicion is a feeling of mistrust. Suspicion(s), The Suspicion, or Suspicious may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''Suspicion'' (1918 film), an American silent film directed by John M. Stahl * ''Suspicion'' (1941 film), an American ...

'' (1941), '' Spellbound'' (1945), ''

The Paradine Case ''The Paradine Case'' is a 1947 American film noir courtroom drama film, set in England, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by David O. Selznick. The screenplay was written by Selznick and an uncredited Ben Hecht, from an adaptation by Al ...

'' (1947), '' Strangers on a Train'' (1951) and ''

'' (1959). He appeared in more Hitchcock films than anyone other than

Clare Greet Clare Greet (14 June 1871 – 14 February 1939) was an English stage and film actress. She began on stage in Shakespeare with the Ben Greet Company. She appeared in 26 films between 1921 and 1939, including seven films directed by (and one ...

(1871–1939) (who appeared in seven) and Hitchcock himself, whose cameos were a trademark. As with earlier roles, he was often cast as doctors or other authority figures (such as the spymaster "Professor" in ''North by Northwest''). He also appeared in a couple of Charlie Chan films, one being "City of Darkness" (1939) as a shady French locksmith, followed by a role in Charlie Chan's "Murder Cruise" (1940) as a passenger on ship. Carroll also had a central role in the highly rated movie '' We're No Angels'' with

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

and

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...

, among others. In addition to appearing as Rev. Mosby with actress

Hayley Mills Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born 18 April 1946) is an English actress. The daughter of Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell, and younger sister of actress Juliet Mills, she began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promising ...

in '' The Parent Trap'' (1961), Carroll is remembered for his role as the frustrated banker haunted by the ghosts of George and Marion Kerby in the television series '' Topper'' (1953–1956), with co-stars

Anne Jeffreys Anne Jeffreys (born Annie Jeffreys Carmichael; January 26, 1923 – September 27, 2017) was an American actress and singer. She was noted as the female lead in the 1950s TV series '' Topper''. Career Jeffreys was born Annie Jeffreys Carmichae ...

Robert Sterling Robert Sterling (born William Sterling Hart; November 13, 1917 – May 30, 2006) was an American actor. He was best known for starring in the television series '' Topper'' (1953–1955). In 1960, Sterling was honored with a star on the Hollywoo ...

and Lee Patrick. He appeared as the older Father Fitzgibbon from 1962 to 1963 in

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

's ''

'', a series about two Roman Catholic priests at St. Dominic's parish in New York City. In 1963–1964, he portrayed John Miller in '' Channing'' on ABC. Carroll subsequently starred as spymaster

Alexander Waverly Alexander Waverly is a fictional character from the 1960s television show ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,''its spin-off series '' The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.'' and the 2015 film version. The original series was remarkable for pairing an American Napoleon ...

on ''

'' (1964–1968). Several ''U.N.C.L.E.'' films were derived from the series, and a spin-off television series, '' The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.'' in 1966. He was one of the first actors to appear in two different television series as the same character. Leo G. Carroll is mentioned in ''

The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the musical tells the story of a newly engaged couple ...

'' opening song "

Science Fiction/Double Feature "Science Fiction/Double Feature" is the opening song to the original 1973 musical stage production, ''The Rocky Horror Show'' as well as its 1975 film counterpart ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'', book, music and lyrics by Richard O'Brien, music ...

". He appeared in spots on the first two regular episodes of ''

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Da ...

'', the series that replaced U.N.C.L.E., and in fact appears as Mr. Waverly in the very first episode party scene where he is seen using a pen communicator to call Kuryakin to report that he believes he has found THRUSH headquarters.

Death

In 1972, Carroll died in Hollywood of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

-induced

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

. He is interred at the

Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery Grand View Memorial Park and Crematory is a historic cemetery located in Glendale, California, in the United States. Established in 1884 as Glendale Cemetery, it changed its name to Grand View Memorial Park in 1919. The cemetery was the focus of ...

Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''. It may refer to: Places Australia * Glendale, New South Wales ** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre *Glendale, Queensland, ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

In popular culture

Carroll was posthumously referenced in the lyrics of "

", the opening song of the musical stage production ''

'' and its 1975 film adaptation. The song refers to Carroll in connection with his role in the film ''

Tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although ...

''.

Selected filmography

As
Alexander Waverly Alexander Waverly is a fictional character from the 1960s television show ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,''its spin-off series '' The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.'' and the 2015 film version. The original series was remarkable for pairing an American Napoleon ...
(''
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by MGM Television, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who wo ...
'')

* '' To Trap A Spy'' (1964) * ''

The Spy with My Face ''The Spy with My Face'' is a 1965 spy-fi spy film based on ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' television series. Robert Vaughn and David McCallum reprised their roles as secret agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin respectively. THRUSH tries to steal ...

'' (1965) * ''

One Spy Too Many ''One Spy Too Many'' starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum is the 1966 feature-length film version of ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''s two-part season two premiere " Alexander the Greater Affair". It is the third such feature film that used as its ...

'' (1966) * ''

One of Our Spies Is Missing ''One of Our Spies Is Missing'' is the 1966 feature-length film version of ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''s second season two-part episode " The Bridge of Lions Affair". The episodes were originally broadcast in the United States on February 4, 1966 a ...

'' (1966) * ''

The Spy in the Green Hat ''The Spy in the Green Hat'' is a 1967 feature-length film version of ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''s third season two-part episode " The Concrete Overcoat Affair". The episodes were originally broadcast in the United States on November 25, 1966 and D ...

'' (1967) * ''

The Karate Killers ''The Karate Killers'' is a 1967 American spy film and feature-length film version of ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''s third season two-part episode " The Five Daughters Affair". The episodes were originally broadcast in the United States on March 31, ...

'' (1967) * ''

The Helicopter Spies The Helicopter Spies is a 1968 feature-length film version of ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''s fourth season two-part episode " The Prince of Darkness Affair". The episodes were originally broadcast in the United States on October 2, 1967, and October ...

'' (1968) * ''

How to Steal the World ''How To Steal the World'' is a 1968 American Action film, action–adventure film, taken from a two-part episode of the TV series ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'', with Robert Vaughn and David McCallum as secret agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin ...

'' (1968)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carroll, Leo G. 1886 births 1972 deaths 20th-century English male actors Actors from Northamptonshire British Army personnel of World War I British expatriate male actors in the United States Burials at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from pneumonia in California English expatriates in the United States English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors English people of Irish descent Male actors from Los Angeles People from Weedon Bec