Leo McKern In 1983, McKern was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for his services to the performing arts. He frequently travelled between England and Australia both to visit family and friends, and to appear in various films and plays. As he was frightened of flying, he booked tickets to travel on cargo ships. This gave him time and peace to read scripts and contracts, with the added benefit of feeling he was on holidays. McKern informed his daughter Abigail that he suffered from stage fright, which became harder to control with age. He also worried that his stout frame
Leo Ditrichstein Leo Ditrichstein Leo Ditrichstein (January 6, 1865 – June 28, 1928) was an Austrian-American actor and playwright. He was born on January 6, 1865, in Temesvár, Austria-Hungary. He was educated in Vienna and was naturalized as an American citizen in 1897. His grandfather was Hungarian novelist József Eötvös who is sometimes listed as Joseph von Etooes. He made his New York début in "Die Ehre" (1890). This was followed by "Mr. Wilkinson's Widows", "Trilby", "Are You a Mason?" and other plays. He was the author of numerous plays, among which are: "Gossip" (with Clyde Fitch, 1895); "A Southern Romance" (1897);