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JOHN LONGDEN JOHN LoNGDEN began his screen career as a crowd player in 1924, and in 1926 was pro- moted to his first part in " The Ball of Fortune," in which Mabel Poulton and James Knight had the leading roles. In his spare time he took up scenario writing, and although his first attempts were not successful, there were one or two touches in them that pleased Maurice Elvey, to whom he had submitted them, and the director encouraged him to continue. Meanwhile, he had been given a small part in " Roses of Picardy," followed by " The Glad Eye," and the role of the Bolshevik in " The Flight Commander." Then he submitted his scenario for " Quinneys," on which he had been working, and it was not only accepted but he was given the leading role of Joe Quinney in it. His next picture was " Palais de Danse," for which he also wrote the scenario. Then came the talkies, and in his first, " Blackmail," it was obvious that his deep, slightly drawling voice added enormously to his attractive screen personality. This part of the detec- tive, therefore, was followed quickly by that of Charles Bentham in " Juno and the Paycock," the Ship's Officer in " Atlantic," in " Elstree Calling," as the Russian officer opposite Anna May Wong in " The Flame of Love," and in " The Two Worlds." Born in the West Indies, the son of a Wesleyan missionary, Longden studied for mining engineering, and for two years worked at a colliery. Then the stage took his attention, and through an introduction to Seymour Hicks, he " walked on " in " Old Bill, M.P.." at the London Lyceum. After touring and a period of repertory, he was given a part in London in " The Farmer's Wife," but when this came to an end, no other offers seemed to be forth- coming, and this was when the idea of film acting first appealed to him, and he became an extra.