Cardiff-born, Ivor Novello was a major figure in the British theatre. He began life as a composer, and wrote many songs for revues and operettas. Almost by accident he became a leading star in silent films and was known as the handsomest man in England, with a following that put him in the same league as Rudolph Valentino. He then turned to the theatre and won more acclaim as a stage actor. A fourth career opened when he started writing plays that consolidated his already considerable West End reputation.