Lew Grade, Baron Grade (25 December 1906–13 December 1998), born Lev Winogradsky, was an influential Ukraine-born English impresario and media mogul.
He was born in Tokmak, Ukraine, to Olga and Isaac Winogradsky. In 1912 the Jewish family fled to a new life in the East End of London. Isaac managed a cinema, while his three sons attended the Rochelle Street School in Bethnal Green, near Shoreditch, where Yiddish was spoken by 90% of the pupils. Fo...
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Lew Grade, Baron Grade (25 December 1906–13 December 1998), born Lev Winogradsky, was an influential Ukraine-born English impresario and media mogul.
He was born in Tokmak, Ukraine, to Olga and Isaac Winogradsky. In 1912 the Jewish family fled to a new life in the East End of London. Isaac managed a cinema, while his three sons attended the Rochelle Street School in Bethnal Green, near Shoreditch, where Yiddish was spoken by 90% of the pupils. For two years they lived in rented rooms at the north end of Brick Lane, then moved to the nearby Boundary Estate. At 15 Louis became an agent for a clothing firm, and shortly afterwards started his own business. But after he won a Charleston competition at the Royal Albert Hall in 1926, he became a professional dancer under the name Lew Grade. In 1933, he founded a talent agency with his brother, Bernard.
At his 50th wedding anniversary party after being toasted by all in the room, he rose to address the gathering with a story. Early in the...
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