Herbert William Compton Bennett (15 January 1900 – 11 August 1974), better known as Compton Bennett, was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

film director, writer and producer. He is perhaps best known for directing the 1945 film ''

The Seventh Veil ''The Seventh Veil'' is a 1945 British melodrama film directed by Compton Bennett and starring James Mason and Ann Todd. It was made by Ortus Films (a company established by producer Sydney Box) and released through General Film Distributors i ...

'' and the 1950 version of the film ''

King Solomon's Mines ''King Solomon's Mines'' (1885) is a popular novel by the English Victorian adventure writer and fabulist Sir H. Rider Haggard. It tells of a search of an unexplored region of Africa by a group of adventurers led by Allan Quatermain for the ...

'', an adaptation of an

Allan Quatermain Allan Quatermain is the protagonist of H. Rider Haggard's 1885 novel '' King Solomon's Mines'', its one sequel '' Allan Quatermain'' (1887), twelve prequel novels and four prequel short stories, totalling eighteen works. An English professional ...

story.

Biography

Bennett was born in Tunbridge Wells, England. At the beginning of his career, he worked as a band leader and a commercial artist before trying his hand at amateur filmmaking. One of these early films helped him land a job at

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)London Films London Films Productions is a British film and television production company founded in 1932 by Alexander Korda and from 1936 based at Denham Film Studios in Buckinghamshire, near London. The company's productions included ''The Private Life ...

in 1932. There, he became a film editor; later he would help make instructional and

propaganda film A propaganda film is a film that involves some form of propaganda. Propaganda films spread and promote certain ideas that are usually religious, political, or cultural in nature. A propaganda film is made with the intent that the viewer will a ...

s for the British armed forces during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Bennett's films tended to be sombre, but were very popular with the moviegoing public. In 1946, Bennett accepted an invitation to go to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

for Universal. It was, however, during this time that he directed ''King Solomon's Mines''. He was replaced during filming by Andrew Marton.King Solomon's Mines: Part I Behlmer, Rudy. American Cinematographer; Hollywood Vol. 70, Iss. 5, (May 1989): 38–44. Bennett eventually returned to the UK. From 1954 to 1957, he left film work to pursue interests in the theatre and television, but produced four films in 1957, ''After the Ball'', ''Man-Eater'', ''That Woman Opposite'' and ''The Flying Scot''. Although he continued to write and direct for film and television, his subsequent productions were not as well received. Bennett died in Sussex, England at the age of 74.

Filmography

*''The Fox Hunt'' (1936) (documentary) – editor *''Goofer Trouble'' (1940)(documentary) – editor *''Find, Fix and Strike'' (1942) (documentary) – writer, director * ''

The Big Blockade ''The Big Blockade'' is a 1942 British black-and-white war propaganda film in the style of dramatised documentary. It is directed by Charles Frend and stars Will Hay, Leslie Banks, Michael Redgrave and John Mills. It was produced by Michael Bal ...

'' (1942) – editor * ''

The Flemish Farm ''The Flemish Farm'' is a 1943 British war film, based on an actual wartime incident. Released during the war and used as a propaganda tool to support the Allied war effort, the film begins with the caption: :The following story is based on an ...

'' (1943) – editor *''Men of Rochdale'' (1944) (documentary) – director * ''

29 Acacia Avenue ''29 Acacia Avenue'' is a play by Denis and Mabel Constanduros. Its 1945 British comedy-drama film adaptation, directed by Henry Cass, was released in the U.S. as ''The Facts of Love''. Premise Peter Robinson falls in love with the naïve co ...

'' (1945) aka ''The Facts of Love'' – editor, producer * ''

'' (1945) – director * '' The Years Between'' (1946) – director *'' Daybreak'' (1948) – director * ''

My Own True Love ''My Own True Love'' is a 1949 American drama film directed by Compton Bennett and written by Arthur Kober, Josef Mischel and Theodore Strauss. The film stars Phyllis Calvert, Melvyn Douglas, Wanda Hendrix, Philip Friend, Binnie Barnes and Al ...

'' (1949) – director * ''

That Forsyte Woman ''That Forsyte Woman'' (released in the United Kingdom as ''The Forsyte Saga'') is a 1949 romance film directed by Compton Bennett and starring Greer Garson, Errol Flynn, Walter Pidgeon, Robert Young and Janet Leigh. It is an adaptation of the 19 ...

'' (1949) aka ''The Forsyte Saga'' – director *''

'' (1950) – director * ''

So Little Time ''So Little Time'' is an American sitcom starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in their third television series. It aired on Fox Family: the first half of the series aired from June 2 to August 15, 2001, and the series then went on a four-month ...

'' (1952) – director * '' The Gift Horse'' (1952) aka ''Glory at Sea'' – director * ''

It Started in Paradise ''It Started in Paradise'' is a 1952 British drama film directed by Compton Bennett and starring Jane Hylton, Martita Hunt and Muriel Pavlow. Set in the world of haute couture, the film was squarely aimed at female audiences. Its storyline ...

'' (1952) – director * ''

Desperate Moment ''Desperate Moment'' is a 1953 British thriller film directed by Compton Bennett and starring Dirk Bogarde, Mai Zetterling and Philip Friend. It is based on the 1951 Desperate Moment (novel), novel of the same title by Martha Albrand. It was m ...

'' (1953) – director * ''

Man-Eater A man-eater is an animal that preys on humans as a pattern of hunting behavior. This does not include the scavenging of corpses, a single attack born of opportunity or desperate hunger, or the incidental eating of a human that the animal has kil ...

'' (1957) – director, producer * ''

That Woman Opposite ''That Woman Opposite'' (U.S. ''City After Midnight'') is a 1957 British crime drama, directed by Compton Bennett and starring Phyllis Kirk, Dan O'Herlihy and William Franklyn. The screenplay, also by Bennett, was adapted from John Dickson ...

'' (1957) aka ''City After Midnight'' – writer, director * '' After the Ball'' (1957) – director * '' The Flying Scot'' (1957) aka ''The Mailbag Robbery'' – director, producer *''

White Hunter White hunter is a literary term used for professional big game hunters of European or North American backgrounds who plied their trade in Africa, especially during the first half of the 20th century. The activity continues in the dozen African ...

'' (1958) (TV series) – director, producer (episodes edited together as feature ''Man-Eater'') *'' The Four Just Men'' (1959) (TV series) – director * ''

Beyond the Curtain ''Beyond the Curtain'' is a 1960 British drama film written and directed by Compton Bennett, and starring Richard Greene and Eva Bartok. Plot A refugee from East Germany finds herself trapped in her home city of Dresden when a plane she is tr ...

'' (1960) – director *''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Technicolor swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and stars Errol Flynn, Olivia ...

'' (1960) (TV series) – director *''First Left Past Aden'' (1961) (documentary) – director *''

How to Undress in Public Without Undue Embarrassment ''How to Undress in Public Without Undue Embarrassment'' is a 1965 short comedy feature from Britain starring Jon Pertwee, Christine Child, Zelma Malik, Reginald Beckwith, and Kenneth Connor, with narration by Fenella Fielding and John Deacon. The ...

'' (1965) – creator, director, producer *''

Brett Brett derives from a Middle English surname meaning "Briton" or "Breton", referring to the Celtic people of Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north- ...

'' (1971) (TV series) – creator

References

External links

BritMovie biography
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Compton English film directors English film producers English male screenwriters Propaganda film directors 1900 births 1974 deaths People from Royal Tunbridge Wells 20th-century English screenwriters 20th-century English male writers 20th-century English businesspeople