Editing Leslie Howard (section)

==Theatre career==
[[File:Petrified-Forest-1935-1.jpg|thumb|upright=2.0|[[Humphrey Bogart]] (left) and Leslie Howard (standing center) in the Broadway stage production of ''The Petrified Forest'' (1935)]]
Howard began his professional acting career in regional tours of ''Peg O' My Heart'' and ''[[Charley's Aunt]]'' in 1916–17 and on the [[West End theatre|London stage]] in 1917, but had his greatest theatrical success in the United States in [[Broadway theatre]], in plays such as ''[[Aren't We All?]]'' (1923), ''[[Outward Bound (play)|Outward Bound]]'' (1924) and ''[[The Green Hat (play)|The Green Hat]]'' (1925). He became an undisputed Broadway star in ''Her Cardboard Lover'' (1927). After his success as [[time travel]]ler Peter Standish in ''[[Berkeley Square (play)|Berkeley Square]]'' (1929), Howard launched his [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] career in the film version of ''[[Outward Bound (film)|Outward Bound]]'', but didn't like the experience and vowed never to return to [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]]. However, he did return, many times—later repeating the Standish role in the 1933 film version of ''[[Berkeley Square (1933 film)|Berkeley Square]]''.

The stage, however, continued to be an important part of his career. Howard frequently juggled acting, producing and directing duties in the Broadway productions in which he starred. Howard was also a dramatist, and starred in the Broadway production of his own play ''Murray Hill'' (1927). He played Matt Denant in [[John Galsworthy]]'s 1927 Broadway production ''[[Escape (1927 play)|Escape]]'' in which he first made his mark as a dramatic actor. His stage triumphs continued with ''[[The Animal Kingdom (1932 film)|The Animal Kingdom]]'' (1932)<ref name="Howard IBDb"/> and ''[[The Petrified Forest (play)|The Petrified Forest]]'' (1934).<ref name="dn010835">{{cite news |last=Mantle |first=Burns |title='Petrified Forest' And 'Old Maid' Are New Plays |work=Daily News |date=January 8, 1935 |location=New York, New York |page=144 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He later repeated both roles in the film versions.

Howard loved to play Shakespeare, but according to producer [[John Houseman]] he could be lazy about learning lines. He first sprang to fame playing in ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' (1936) in the role of the leading man. During the same period he had the misfortune to open on Broadway in ''[[Hamlet]]'' (1936) just a few weeks after [[John Gielgud]] launched a rival production of the same play that was far more successful<ref>Croall, Jonathan. ''Gielgud: A Theatrical Life 1904–2000.'' London: Continuum, 2001. {{ISBN|978-0-8264-1333-8}}.</ref> with both critics and audiences. Howard's production, his final stage role, lasted for only 39 performances before closing.

Howard was inducted into the [[American Theatre Hall of Fame]] in 1981.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/03/theater/26-elected-theater-hall-fame-26-broadway-voted-into-theater-hall-fame.html "26 Elected to the Theater Hall of Fame."] ''The New York Times'', 3 March 1981.</ref>