Leslie Mitchell

Leslie Scott Falconer Mitchell (4 October 1905 – 23 November 1985) was a British actor and broadcaster who was heard on newsreel soundtracks, radio, and television. Raised by his literary uncle William J. Locke and schooled at The King's School, Canterbury, and Chillon College in Switzerland, he began his career as a stage actor in London's West End after a time as a trainee stockbroker. Mitchell was the first voice heard on BBC Television on 2 November 1936, and also gave the inaugural announcement on Associated-Rediffusion, the joint first company to broadcast as part of the ITV network, on 22 September 1955. His voice was perhaps best known from his lengthy relationship with British Movietone News, for which he provided commentary on newsreels throughout the Second World War and into the mid-1970s. Mitchell was appointed a Freeman of the City of London and the Royal Television Society's first honorary member.

Early life Mitchell was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 4 October 1905, the only child of the caterer Charles Eric Mitchell and his wife Leslie Florence Whittington , a hostess. Mitchell's parents divorced when he was a child, and his mother emigrated to the United States early in the First World War. Mitchell was raised by the novelist and his uncle William J. Locke and his wife; Locke arranged for Mitchell to attend The King's School, Canterbury.

Career In 1923, he intended to be a novelist, but a stepfather got him a job as a trainee stockbroker in London. This was following the family's financial difficulties, therefore he did not attend university. He needed facial surgery, jawline repairs, a damaged eye, and wore a leg brace. Playfair's stage director Stephen Thomas sacked Mitchell because he was "totally inexperienced." Mitchell was also Laurence Olivier and Colin Clive's stand-ins. Mitchell did not apply for the job and the BBC had forgotten to notify him that he had been chosen. Mitchell opened the first high-definition standard test television programme, Here's Looking at You, at the Radiolympia exhibition in London on 26 August.

He was the first British television announcer when the BBC's regular high definition television service was publicly launched from Alexandra Palace on 2 November 1936. Starting from that day, Mitchell conducted some 20 interviews on the programme each week. He resigned from the BBC in 1939 in order to take up the job.

In 1946, suspecting that commercial broadcasting would eventually be allowed in the United Kingdom, he travelled to the United States and gained experience of the methods of publicity used there. In late 1951, he was the co-presenter and mock counsel on the BBC Light Programme show False Evidence. He interviewed Anthony Eden in the 15-minute single election programme by the Conservative Party in October, and stopped presenting Picture Page at the end of the year when his contract ended. Mitchell was the compère of the first episode of Come Dancing in September 1950. Mitchell played himself in the 1953 British Universal film Genevieve directed by Henry Cornelius. He was the chairman of the panel show One of the Family in 1954, and replaced the unwell Peter Martyn as host of the panel game Find the Link in February 1955.

In June 1955 he joined the ITV commercial franchise Associated-Rediffusion service for weekdays in London, where he became senior announcer, and was also in charge of talks and as chairman of discussion programmes. Mitchell was the first announcer to be heard on the service when it launched on the evening of 22 September 1955. Mitchell was moved from the post of the head of talks and discussion features at Associated-Rediffusion to being the service's head of presentation from 14 May 1956 as his former job was divided among other departments.

He became freelance again in 1958; Though ill health continued to affect him, He was the author of the book A History of Holland House that was published in 1980.

Personal life Mitchell was called a "Television Adonis" by the Daily Mail. Mitchell remarried to Danish-born Inge Vibeke Asboe on 29 October 1966. He had no children in either of his marriages.

Awards Mitchell received the John Logie Baird Award "for outstanding contribution to television" in 1964. This was for "his wartime contribution to the morale of Londoners."