Born in Lambeth, London, he first performed as a comic entertainer in concert parties in 1912.[1] He made his first radio broadcast in 1926, and thereafter appeared regularly on the BBC. He also played in pantomimes, variety shows, and Shakespeare plays.[2]
He was known for monologues containing comic non sequiturs, funny voices and noises, and increasingly outlandish lists, for instance of those attending a function.[3] He was the first person to blow a raspberry on British radio,[4] and was also reputed to be able to make an impromptu joke on any subject suggested by his audience.[5] He wrote and starred in his own revues, including Humouresque and April Foolishness, and was a regular performer in Charlot's Hour, the first regular weekly light entertainment programme on British radio, starting in 1928. He hosted the radio version of the 1932 Royal Command Performance.[4] He was one of the most popular British radio comedians of the early 1930s,[5] and was twice voted top in a newspaper poll of favourite radio personalities.[4]
He appeared in short films,[6] and in the longer films The Musical Beauty Shop (1930) and The Public Life of Henry the Ninth (1935).[7] The latter film, now lost, in which Henry took the leading role, was the first one to be made by Hammer Film Productions.[8]
He also composed songs, and continued to appear regularly on BBC radio as a comedian and later as a compere of programmes, including Housewives' Choice. His autobiography, My Laugh Story, was published in 1937.[4] In 1969, he was still well enough known to be the featured guest on Desert Island Discs.[2]
Leonard Henry died in London in 1973, aged 82.[9]
