Carroll Levis

Born in Toronto and brought up in Vancouver, he grew up wanting to be an actor, but held various jobs in movie theatres and as a deckhand before doing some work as a comedian and stage hypnotist. He began broadcasting as an announcer with CKWX in Vancouver. When working in Alberta,[1] on one occasion he had time to fill in during a live broadcast and persuaded a boy in the audience to sing a song. Following a good listener reaction, he started a local radio talent show, Saturday Night Club of the Air, and then a similar programme in Montreal.[2]

In 1935, he decided to move to England. He met radio producer Eric Maschwitz, and they developed a tour of British cities to find new talent. His touring stage shows attracted thousands of applicants from potential performers, as well as large theatre audiences,[2] and his first radio shows, Carroll Levis and his Discoveries, were broadcast in 1936.[3] The Radio Times reported the following year that "in the last two years [he] has heard thirty thousand people. Of the amateur acts he has introduced, forty-five have turned professional. Not one of them is earning less than £5 a week, and one is getting as much as £25."[4]

Levis also presented talent shows on Radio Luxembourg, and in 1939 played himself in a comedy film, Discoveries, which introduced the song "There'll Always Be an England". During World War II, he presented other programmes on BBC radio, such as the variety show Carroll Levis Carries On, and toured military outposts in Europe and the Middle East.[2] In 1945, Levis was featured in a concert show which entertained troops of the First Canadian Army.

After the end of the war, Levis continued with his stage shows and radio broadcasts.[2] Among the performers "discovered" by Levis were comedian and actor Jim Dale, comedian Barry Took, and actress Anne Heywood.[5] In 1948 he starred in the British mystery film Brass Monkey, in which he played himself. He became ill in the late 1940s, and for a time was replaced by his brother, Cyril Levis.

He returned in 1953, when The Carroll Levis Discovery Show moved to television, showcasing the talents of young people, with the catchline: "Truly, the discoveries of today are the stars of tomorrow".[5] At the opening of his TV show, the banner read, "TeLEVISion", utilising his name, "Levis", which formed part of the word, "Television". He also had an acting role in The Depraved (1957), which also featured his discovery, Anne Heywood.[6]

In 1961, he removed himself from the public eye, only to attempt a return in 1968 after a four-year struggle with a stomach ailment. However, he died the same year, in London, aged 58.[7]

• Carroll Levis at IMDb