Leo McKern Leo McKern Reginald McKern, AO (16 March 1920 – 23 July 2002), known professionally as Leo McKern, was an Australian actor who appeared in numerous British, Australian and American television programmes and films, and in more than 200 stage roles. Notable roles he portrayed include Clang in "Help!" (1965), Thomas Cromwell in "A Man for All Seasons" (1966), Tom Ryan in "Ryan's Daughter" (1970), Paddy Button in "The Blue Lagoon" (1980), Dr. Grogan in "The French Lieutenant's Woman" (1981), Father Imperius in "Ladyhawke" (1985) and, in the role that made him a household name as an actor, Horace Rumpole, whom
A Son Is Born was a 22-year-old radio actor who later moved to England and married Leo McKern. Kitty Bluett was a musical comedy star, the daughter of comedian Fred Bluett. The film was shot in the Supreme Sound System studio in early 1945. Filming was scheduled to allow the actors to take radio and stage jobs, and sometimes would start at midnight. War footage shot by Damien Parer is used in the New Guinea sequences. The movie was shot prior to "Smithy" (1946), also starring Randell and Steinbeck, but its release was held off until after that bigger budget movie to take advantage