Leslie Fenton

Leslie Fenton
Born	Leslie Carter Fenton 12 March 1902(1902-03-12) Liverpool, England, U.K.
Died	25 March 1978(1978-03-25) (aged 76) Montecito, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor Film director
Years active	1923 - 1951
Spouse	Ann Dvorak (1932-1945) (divorced) Marcella Zabala Howard (1952-?)

Leslie Fenton (12 March 1902 – 25 March 1978) was an English-born American actor and film director. He appeared in 62 films between 1923 and 1945.

Fenton went to America with his mother, Elizabeth, and his brothers when he was six years old - they sailed as steerage passengers on board the R.M.S. Celtic, which departed from the Port of Liverpool, 11 September 1909, and arrived at the Port of New York, where they were ferried over to Ellis Island for "U.S. Immigrant Inspection" on 19 September; they were quickly admitted and continued their journey by rail to join his father, Reginald Fenton, in Mifflin, Ohio). As a young immigrant, Leslie worked in a shoe factory then ran away to New York and began a career on the stage. His film career began later with Fox Studios.

During the Second World War he was commissioned in the Royal Navy. In 1942 in command of a Motor Launch he took part in the St Nazaire Raid. He also directed 19 films between 1938 and 1951.

He married American actress Ann Dvorak in 1932; the union was childless and ended in divorce in 1945. His younger brother was Frank Fenton, the noted screenwriter and novelist. Fenton died in Montecito, California, aged 76.

Selected filmography

As Actor:

• East Lynne (1925)
• What Price Glory? (1926)
• The Shamrock Handicap (1926)
• The Last Performance (1927)
• The Showdown (1928)
• The Dragnet (1928)
• Girls Gone Wild (1929)
• Paris Bound (1929)
• Broadway (1929)
• Woman Trap (1929)
• The Man I Love (1929)
• The Guilty Generation (1931)
• The Public Enemy (1931)
• The Pagan Lady (1931)
• The Hatchet Man (1932)
• The Strange Love of Molly Louvain (1932)
• Airmail (1932)
• Thunder Below (1932)
• Lady Killer (1933)
• White Lies (1935)
• House of Secrets (1936)
• Two in the Dark (1936)
• China Passage (1937)
• Boys Town (1938)

As Director:

• The Man from Dakota (1940)
• The Saint's Vacation (1941)
• Whispering Smith (1948)
• Streets of Laredo (1949)
• The Redhead and the Cowboy (1951)

External links

• Leslie Fenton at the Internet Movie Database
• Leslie Fenton at Find a Grave