Leonard Ceeley, real name Leon Otis Dickerson Seeley, was a British actor, born August 14, 1892 in

Gravesend, Kent Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the Bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Roche ...

(United Kingdom) and died May 7, 1977 in Los Angeles, California (United States). He began as a choirboy at

Rochester Cathedral Rochester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, is in Rochester, Kent, England. The cathedral is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Rochester and seat (''cathedra'') of the Bishop of Rocheste ...

before traveling to Italy to refine his vocal skills. His theatrical career unfolded almost exclusively in the United States, where he was one of the most prolific actors in musicals and operettas during the late 1920s and early 1930s, particularly on the

Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, American and British English spelling differences), many of the List of ...

and around the country. From 1930 to 1935, he held many leading roles in productions at the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre, commonly known as

The Muny The St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre (commonly known as The Muny) is an amphitheater located in St. Louis, Missouri. The theatre seats 11,000 people with about 1,500 free seats in the last nine rows that are available on a first come, first s ...

, earning his own paper doll. He later had a modest film career, with his most notable role being Whitmore, the villain in

the Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chic ...

movie A Day at the Races In 1943 Leonard Ceeley married

Lorraine Bridges Lorraine Bridges (August 17, 1906 – December 4, 1993) was an American actress and singer who was known for her ability to hit high notes. Bridges was a native of Oklahoma, where she was a singer for radio station WKY early in her career. Bridge ...

an American actress and singer, they remained married until his death. They were principal players in the

Marx brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chi ...

revue ''A Day at the Races''. and appeared in an adaptation of ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' titled ''Gardenia Lady'', which was written, composed, produced and costarred by Leonard Ceeley (under the name of Lyn Ceeley), in

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

in 1947.

Theatre

* 1924 : ''

Lollipop A lollipop is a type of sugar candy usually consisting of hard candy mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking. Different informal terms are used in different places, including lolly, sucker and sticky-pop. Lollipops are avail ...

'' as Don Carlos * 1927 : ''My princess'' ; as Guiseppe Ciccolini * 1928 : ' as Count Tassilo Endrody * 1929 : ''Café de Danse'' as Ramon * 1930: '' Alone at Last'' as Baron Franz Von Hansen * 1930: '' Blossom Time'' as Baron Von Schober * 1930: '' Nina Rosa'' as Pablo * 1930: ''

The New Moon ''The New Moon'' is an operetta with music by Sigmund Romberg, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Oscar Hammerstein II, Frank Mandel, and Laurence Schwab. The show was the third in a string of Broadway hits for Romberg (after ''The St ...

'' as Phillippe * 1930: ''

The Desert Song ''The Desert Song'' is an operetta with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel. It was inspired by the 1925 uprising of the Riffs, a group of Berber fighters, against French colonia ...

'' as Pierre Birabeau * 1930: ''

The Student Prince ''The Student Prince'' is an operetta in a prologue and four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play ''Old Heidelberg (play), Old Heidelberg''. The piece has a scor ...

'' as Prince Karl Franz * 1930: ''

Madame Pompadour Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour (, ; 29 December 1721 – 15 April 1764), commonly known as Madame de Pompadour, was a member of the French court. She was the official chief mistress of King Louis XV from 1745 to 1751, and rema ...

'' as Rene Comte d'Estrades * 1930: '' Maytime'' as Rudolpho/Signor Zizalle * 1930: ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 Show Boat (novel), novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the per ...

'' as Steve * 1931: '' Countess Maritza'' as Count Tassilo Endrody * 1931: ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...

'' as D'Artagnan * 1931: ''

Rose-Marie ''Rose-Marie'' is an operetta-style musical with music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, and book and lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II. The story is set in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and concerns Rose-Marie La Flemme, a F ...

'' as Edward Hawley * 1931: '' Rio Rita'' as General Enrique Joselito Esteban * 1932: '' The Rose of Stamboul'' as Achmed Bey * 1932: '' The Riviera Girl'' as Charles Lorenz * 1932: ''

'' as Phillippe * 1932: ''

'' as Pierre Birabeau * 1932: ''

The Last Waltz ''The Last Waltz'' was a concert by the Canadian-American rock group the Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. ''The Last Waltz'' was advertised as the Band's "farewell concert a ...

'' as Prince Paul * 1933: ''

Beau Brummell George Bryan "Beau" Brummell (7 June 1778 – 30 March 1840) was an important figure in Regency England, and for many years he was the arbiter of British men's fashion. At one time, he was a close friend of the Prince Regent, the future King ...

'' as Beau Brummell * 1933: '' My Maryland'' as Capt. Trumbull * 1933: '' Bitter Sweet'' as Captain August Lutte * 1933: ''

Florodora ''Florodora'' is an Edwardian musical comedy. After its long run in London, it became one of the first successful Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals of the 20th century. The book was written by Jimmy Davis under the pseudonym Owen Hall, the mus ...

'' as Cyrus Gilfain * 1933: '' Rip Van Winkle (Planquette)'' as Derrick von Beekman * 1933: ''

'' as Pierre Birabeau * 1933: ''White Lilacs'' as Pierre Luselle * 1933: ''The Nightingale'' as Stephen Rutherford * 1934: '' Music in the Air'' as Bruno Mahler * 1934: ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' as Cyrano de Bergerac * 1934: '' Sweethearts'' as Franz * 1934: '' Sweet Adeline'' as James Day * 1934: ''

'' as Phillippe * 1934: ''

'' as Prince Paul * 1934: ''East Wind'' as Rene Beauvais * 1934: ''

'' as Steve * 1937: '' Music in the Air'' as Bruno Mahler * 1940: '' Unfaithfully yours (du Barry) as Louis XV * 1943: ''

Balalaika The balalaika (, ) is a Russian string instrument, stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular wooden, hollow body, fretted neck, and three strings. Two strings are usually tuned to the same note and the third string is a perf ...

'' as Colonel Balakirev * 1950: ''

'' as Phillippe * 1951: '' Song of Norway'' as Franz Liszt * 1953: '' Three Wishes for Jamie'' as Power O'Malley * 1953: '' Blossom Time'' as Count Frederic Scharntoff * 1953: ''

Call Me Madam ''Call Me Madam'' is a Broadway musical written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. The musical is a satire on politics and foreign policy that spoofs postwar America's penchant for lending billions ...

'' as Supreme Court Justice * 1953: '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' as Mr. Esmond * 1953: '' The Great Waltz'' as Hartkopf * 1953: '' Music in the Air'' as Herr Direktor Kirschner * 1953: ''

The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...

'' as Go-To * 1953: '' Naughty Marietta'' as Lieut. Governor Grandet * 1953: '' The Boy Friend'' ; as Percival Browne (understudy)

Filmography

* 1936 : ''

Moonlight Murder ''Moonlight Murder'' is a 1936 American crime film directed by Edwin L. Marin and written by Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf. The film stars Chester Morris, Madge Evans, Leo Carrillo, Frank McHugh, Benita Hume, Grant Mitchell, Kath ...

'' : Ivan Bosloff * 1937 : '' A Day at the Races'' : Whitmore * 1937 : '' The Soldier and the Lady'' : Tsar's aide (uncredited)

Theatre

Filmography

Television

References

External souces

Further reading