Benn Levy

March 7, 1900 (age 73)

Before entering politics, Levy was a successful playwright who also wrote screenplays. The best known of his screenplays was written in collaboration with R. C. Sherriff for James Whale"s macabre horror film The Old Dark House (1932) based on the novel Benighted (1927) by J. B. Priestley. Earlier he had been the dialogue writer for Blackmail (1929). Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, it was the first British sound film. Levy directed one film, Lord Camber"s Ladies (1932), which was the only film produced by Hitchcock which he did not himself direct. Levy was first elected at the 1945 general election, for the Eton and Slough constituency, and stood down at the 1950 general election. As a sympathiser with the Zionist movement, he also opposed Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin over Bevin"s policies towards Palestine and Israel. As an Member of Parliament, Levy made an unsuccessful effort to abolish theatrical censorship in Britain, and towards the end of his life, he was the principal author of a report opposing the arguments for censorship made by Francis Aungier Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford. Levy"s papers are held at the University of Sussex library. written by Levy:.

Benn Levy

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politician

Education

He was educated at Repton School and University College, Oxford and served in uniform in both World Wars.

Career

Before entering politics, Levy was a successful playwright who also wrote screenplays. The best known of his screenplays was written in collaboration with R. C. Sherriff for James Whale"s macabre horror film The Old Dark House (1932) based on the novel Benighted (1927) by J. B. Priestley. Earlier he had been the dialogue writer for Blackmail (1929).

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, it was the first British sound film.

Levy directed one film, Lord Camber"s Ladies (1932), which was the only film produced by Hitchcock which he did not himself direct. Levy was first elected at the 1945 general election, for the Eton and Slough constituency, and stood down at the 1950 general election.

As a sympathiser with the Zionist movement, he also opposed Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin over Bevin"s policies towards Palestine and Israel. As an Member of Parliament, Levy made an unsuccessful effort to abolish theatrical censorship in Britain, and towards the end of his life, he was the principal author of a report opposing the arguments for censorship made by Francis Aungier Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford.

Levy"s papers are held at the University of Sussex library. written by Levy:.

Membership

38th United Kingdom Parliament]

Politically, Levy was on the left of the Labour Party and was an active member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament).

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Benn Levy

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