Dennis Hoey was born Samuel David Hyams in London to Russian parents (another source says Irish and Russian parents.) who owned a bed and breakfast in Brighton. He was educated at Brighton College, and he originally planned to be a teacher. He served in the British Army during World War I. After a career as a singer, which included entertaining British troops during his war service, Hoey moved to acting on the stage in 1918 and later to films. In 1931, he moved to the United States and began appearing in Hollywood films. Dennis Hoey’s first film was Tell England. He is best known for playing Inspector Lestrade in six Universal’s Sherlock Holmes series. He also portrayed the master of Harrow in The Foxes of Harrow and appeared in Tarzan and the Leopard Woman. Hoey “appeared frequently in London” stage productions, including those of Sydney Carroll’s Shakespearean repertory company. He played Mr. Rochester opposite Katharine Hepburn in the American production of Helen Jerome’s stage adaptation of Jane Eyre. He also wrote a play called The Haven and toured in it in 1946 with Melville Cooper, Valerie Cossart and Viola Roache. Dennis Hoey’s Broadway credits include Hassan (1924), Katja (1926-1927), Green Waters (1936), Virginia (1937), Empress of Destiny (1938), The Circle (1938), Lorelei (1938), The Burning Deck (1940), Heart of a City (1942), The Haven (1946), and Getting Married (1951). On radio, Dennis Hoey played Mr. Welby in Pretty Kitty Kelly on CBS.