Monty Banks

Monty Banks

Directing 1897-07-14 Cesena, Forlì-Cesena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Monty Banks was a short, stocky but somehow debonair Italian-born comic actor, later also writer and director. In the US from 1914, he first appeared on stage in musical comedy and cabaret. By 1917 he was working as a dancer in New York's Dominguez Cafe. After this he turned to films, acting and doing stunt work at Keystone, Universal and for Al Christie. Changing his name from Mario Bianchi to Monty Banks may have been prompted by Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle as a passing reference to his playing '"montebanks". By 1919 Banks had moved to Vitagraph to play a villain in The Grocery Clerk (1919), foil to star comic Larry Semon. Banks first came to the fore in his own right as star of the "Welcome Comedies" made by Warner Brothers. He spent the early 1920s at Fox and Grand Asher, graduating to writing and directing two-reel comedies with himself as the star. Most noteworthy entries in regard to inventive sight gags and Mack Sennett--style madcap plots are Pay or Move (1924) and The Golf Bug (1924). The success of this series prompted Banks to create an independent production company, the Monty Banks Pictures Corporation, in conjunction with writer/director Howard Estabrook. He made several feature-length films for Pathe, including Play Safe (1927)) (generally considered his best work), which featured a climactic runaway train sequence. This style of fast-action slapstick made it inevitable that Banks suffered more than his fair share of injuries, especially since he continued to do many of his own stunts. From the late 1920s Banks worked in England and made several appearances in sound films. However, his accent proved to be something of an obstacle. He therefore decided, after 1930, to concentrate on directing and producing. He helmed four features starring the popular entertainer Gracie Fields, who became his second wife in 1940. In 1935 he directed a well-received George Formby comedy, No Limit (1935), about the TT motorcycle races on the Isle of Man, which were shot on location there. With the outbreak of World War II Banks--being an Italian citizen--would have faced internment in England as an enemy alien. He therefore deemed it necessary to flee to Canada, and from there to the neutral United States. He eventually obtained American citizenship, for which he had applied years earlier, but had forgotten to submit the necessary paperwork. Back in Hollywood he ended up at 20th Century-Fox, directing Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in Great Guns (1941), arguably one of their lesser efforts. Banks died of a heart attack during a trip through Italy in January 1950, aged just 52. Sadly, the majority of his one- and two-reelers are now considered lost films. As a result, his status as a leading comic of the silent screen may have somewhat diminished--except, perhaps, in his home town of Cesena, where a foundation was established in his honor (the "Aula Didattica Monty Banks"), offering students "practical courses on experimental aspects of video production".

代表作

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全部作品

1961 Self (archive footage)
1952 Himself
1951 (archive footage)
1945 Giuseppe
1941 Antonio Lopez
1941 Director
1940 Orban
1940 Writer
1939 Director
展开全部作品
1938 Director
1938 Director
1936 Montague Banking
1936 Director
1936 Director
1935 Tony
1935 Doctor
1935 Director
1935 Director
1935 Director
1935 Director
1935 Director
1934 Film Director
1934 Harry Blump, the Window Washer (uncredited)
1934 Caruso
1934 Director
1934 Director
1934 Director
1934 Director
1934 Writer
1933 Taxi Driver (uncredited)
1933 Chauffeur
1933 Director
1933 Director
1933 Director
1932 Chef
1932 Director
1932 Adaptation
1932 Director
1932 Director
1931 Producer
1931 Director
1931 Director
1931 Producer
1931 Director
1931 Director
1930 Director
1930 Director
1930 Director
1930 Director
1930 Writer
1930 Director
1930 Writer
1930 Director
1930 Director
1930 Director
1930 Director
1930 Director
1929 Monty
1929 Max Ammon
1929 Dandy
1929 Director
1928 Monty Adams
1928 Monty Brooks
1928 Director
1927 The Boy
1927 Monty
1927 The Boy
1927 Monty Milde
1927 Story
1927 Story
1927 Story
1927 Screenplay
1927 Executive Producer
1926 Monty Milde
1926 Executive Producer
1925 Monty Banks, the Stranger
1925 The Boy
1925 Writer
1924 Monty
1924 The Groom
1924
1924 Monty
1924 Monty
1924 Producer
1924 Director
1923 The Boy
1923 Monty, the Office Force
1923
1923 The Watchful Waiter
1923 The Encyclopedia Salesman
1923 The Taxi Driver
1923 Producer
1922
1922 Adolph Brilliantino
1921 A Husband
1921 The Jealous Husband
1921 The boy
1921 The Dry Cleaner Delivery Wagon Driver
1921 Mr. Newlywed
1920 Man with Dog (uncredited)
1920 Count Up / Mac Aroni
1920 The Boy
1919 The Tow Gusher, a 'He Vamp'
1919 A Rival
1919 Farmhand
1919 Unnamed
1919 Sherlock McNutt
1919 Leon Dathis
1919 Dinning Customer
1918 Soldier
1918 French Salesman
1918 Harold Hatband (Son) as Frenchie Bianchi
1916 Jack Elliot & Jacques, Patricia's Butler (as Mario Bianchi)
The Jailbird