Charles Alfred Selwyn Bennett (2 August 1899 – 15 June 1995) was an English playwright, screenwriter and director probably best known for his work with

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

Biography

Early life

Charles Bennett was born in a disused railway carriage in

Shoreham-by-Sea Shoreham-by-Sea (often shortened to Shoreham) is a coastal town and port in West Sussex, England. The town is bordered to its north by the South Downs, to its west by the Adur Valley and to its south by the River Adur and Shoreham Beach on the ...

, Sussex, England, the son of Lilian Langrishe Bennett (1863–1930), an actress and artist. Bennett's mother told him his father was Charles Bennett, a civil engineer killed in a boiler explosion, though he thought it was actor

Kyrle Bellew Harold Kyrle Money Bellew (28 March 1850 – 2 November 1911) was an English stage and silent film actor. He notably toured with Cora Brown-Potter in the 1880s and 1890s, and was cast as the leading man in many stage productions alongside ...

(1855–1911). Bennett had an elder brother, Frederick (known as Eric), and a younger brother, Vere. His father is recorded in his baptismal register as Frederick Bennett, engineer. The film historian John Belton has asserted that Bennett's father died when he was four. In the 1911 census, Lilian Bennett recorded herself as a widow, and an artist. Bennett was mostly educated at home, but also briefly at St Mark's College, Chelsea.

Actor

Bennett was a child actor, appearing in Max Reinhart's production of ''The Miracle'' at Olympia Theatre in 1911. He played child roles in stage productions of ''Alice in Wonderland'' (1913), ''Goody Two Shoes'' (1913), ''Drake'' (1914) and ''The Marriage Market'' (1915), and toured in productions all over England. He had a role in the film ''

John Halifax, Gentleman ''John Halifax, Gentleman'' is a novel by Dinah Craik, first published in 1856. The novel was adapted for BBC Radio 4 in 1970 and on television on BBC in 1974. Plot summary The action is centred on the town of Tewkesbury, scarcely disguised b ...

'' (1915) as the young John Halifax; the older Halifax was

Fred Paul Fred Paul (1880–1967) was a Swiss-born British actor and film director. Paul was born in Lausanne in 1880 but moved to Britain at a young age. He was a prolific actor and director in the 1910s and 1920s, but his career dramatically declined with ...

. The performance was not particularly well received and Bennett became an extra and assistant to

Adrian Brunel Adrian Brunel (4 September 1892 – 18 February 1958) was an English film director and screenwriter. Brunel's directorial career started in the silent era, and reached its peak in the latter half of the 1920s. His surviving work from the 1920s ...

. He continued to appear in stage in productions of '' The Speckled Band'' (1916), ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...

'' (1916) with Sir Herbert Tree and ''Raffles'' (1917). In 1917 he enlisted in the army and served with the

Royal Fusiliers The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881. The regiment served in many wars ...

. Most of his war service was spent on the Somme, where he saw action. He was awarded the

Military Medal The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award ...

and ended the war with the rank of lieutenant. He was invalided out due to a gas attack and left the army in 1919. Bennett resumed his acting career, playing with the '' Brewster's Millions'' company (1920), then the Compton Comedy Company, the

Lena Ashwell Lena Margaret Ashwell, Lady Simson ( Pocock; 28 September 1872 – 13 March 1957) was a British actress and theatre manager and producer, known as the first to organise large-scale entertainment for troops at the front, which she did during Wo ...

Players, the

Gertrude Elliott Gertrude Elliott (December 14, 1874 — December 24, 1950), later Lady Forbes-Robertson, was an American stage actress, part of an extended family of theatre professionals including her husband, Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson, and her elder siste ...

Touring Company, and the

Henry Baynton Henry Baynton (23 September 1892 in Moseley in Warwickshire, England – 2 January 1951 in London) was a British Shakespearean actor and actor-manager of the early 20th century who in a stage career lasting 40 years is credited with playing ...

Company (for whom he appeared in ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' (First Folio title: ''The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in around ...

'' and ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

'').In 1923 he joined the Alexander Marsh Shakespearean company, touring throughout England.

Playwright

In 1925 Bennett joined the

Ben Greet Sir Philip Barling Greet (24 September 1857 – 17 May 1936), known professionally as Ben Greet, was a Shakespearean actor, director, impresario and actor-manager. Early life The younger son of Captain William Greet RN and his wife, Sarah Ba ...

Repertory, which performed in Paris from 1925 to 1926. During this time, while acting in the evenings he wrote his first three full-length plays: ''The Return'', based on his war service, ''

Blackmail Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fa ...

'' and '' The Last Hour''. In December 1926 Bennett played Theseus in a production of ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' at London's

Winter Garden Theatre The Winter Garden Theatre is a Broadway theatre at 1634 Broadway in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It opened in 1911 under designs by architect William Albert Swasey. The Winter Garden's current design dates to 1922, when ...

. In April 1927 he was in a production of ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

'' at the

Apollo Theatre The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London.

alongside

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...

Robert Loraine Robert Bilcliffe Loraine (14 January 1876 – 23 December 1935) was a successful London and Broadway British stage actor, actor-manager, and soldier who later enjoyed a side career as a pioneer aviator. Born in New Brighton, his father was Henr ...

and

. In May 1927 Bennett appeared in a production of his own play ''The Return'', which he also directed.

Peggy Ashcroft Dame Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft (22 December 1907 – 14 June 1991), known professionally as Peggy Ashcroft, was an English actress whose career spanned more than 60 years. Born to a comfortable middle-class family, Ashcroft was deter ...

was in the cast. In December 1927 he appeared in Loraine's production of ''

Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...

''. Bennett had the biggest success of his career to date when Al Woods decided to finance a production of ''

'' in 1928, produced by

Raymond Massey Raymond Hart Massey (August 30, 1896 – July 29, 1983) was a Canadian actor, known for his commanding, stage-trained voice. For his lead role in '' Abe Lincoln in Illinois'' (1940), Massey was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Amo ...

and starring

Tallulah Bankhead Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several prominent films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's ''Lif ...

. The play was not well received at first, but had a hugely successful run on tour. The play was seen by

who arranged for

British International Pictures Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), originally British International Pictures (BIP), was a British film production, distribution and exhibition company active from 1927 until 1970 when it was absorbed into EMI. ABPC also owned appro ...

to buy the film rights and adapted Bennett's play into a script, with

Benn Levy Benn Wolfe Levy (7 March 1900 – 7 December 1973) was a Labour Party Member of Parliament in the House of Commons (1945–1950), and a successful playwright. He was educated at Repton School and University College, Oxford and served in uniform ...

doing the dialogue. His film of ''

'' (1929) is generally credited as the first British

sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

, and was a huge commercial success. Bennett's play '' The Last Hour'' debuted on London stage in December 1928 and was a popular hit in London. '' The Last Hour'' (1930) was turned into a movie directed by

Walter Forde Walter Forde (born Thomas Seymour Woolford, 21 April 1898 – 7 January 1984) was a British actor, screenwriter and Film director, director. Born in Lambeth, south London in 1898, he directed over fifty films between 1919 from the silent era ...

, the first "talkie" for Nettleford Studios. Bennett's fourth play was ''The Danger Line'' (1929), based on Hazel May Marshall's story ''Ten Minutes to Twelve''. He also wrote a one act play ''After Midnight'' (1929).

Early Screenplays

The success of ''Blackmail'' led to British International offering him a contract in September 1931 to deliver three film stories a year for two years. He was reunited with Alfred Hitchcock and they collaborated on a story for

Bulldog Drummond Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond is a fictional character, created by H. C. McNeile and published under his pen name "Sapper". Following McNeile's death in 1937, the novels were continued by Gerard Fairlie. Drummond is a First World War veteran who, ...

, to be called ''Bulldog Drummond's Baby''. However Hitchcock then directed some films which flopped and BIP chose not to proceed with the project. While at BIP he wrote stories for as yet filmed books: ''Death on the Footplate'', ''The Parrot Whistles'', ''High Speed'', ''Love My Dog'' and ''Fireman Save My Child''. Bennett provided the story for a number of low-budget movies for

George King George King may refer to: Politics * George King (Australian politician) (1814–1894), New South Wales and Queensland politician * George King, 3rd Earl of Kingston (1771–1839), Irish nobleman and MP for County Roscommon * George Clift King (18 ...

who he later called the "world's worst director": ''

Number, Please Number, Please may refer to: *'' Number, Please (film)'', a 1931 British crime film *'' Number, Please? (film)'', a 1920 American short comedy film *''Number Please (game show) ''Number Please'' is a Goodson-Todman Productions game show hosted by ...

'' (1931); ''

Deadlock In concurrent computing, deadlock is any situation in which no member of some group of entities can proceed because each waits for another member, including itself, to take action, such as sending a message or, more commonly, releasing a lo ...

'' (1931), which was a big hit; ''

Midnight Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours. ...

'' (1931), the latter based on his play; and '' Two Way Street'' (1932). Bennett wrote and directed the play ''

Sensation Sensation (psychology) refers to the processing of the senses by the sensory system. Sensation or sensations may also refer to: In arts and entertainment In literature *Sensation (fiction), a fiction writing mode *Sensation novel, a British ...

'' (1931), a melodrama, but it was not a success, although it was adapted into a film. He followed it with another play ''Big Business'' (1932), which Bennett also directed and appeared in alongside his then-wife Maggie. But by now he had given up acting to focus on writing. Bennett wrote a short film, '' Partners Please'' (1932), and did an early film for

John Paddy Carstairs John Paddy Carstairs (born John Keys; 11 May 1910, in London – 12 December 1970, in London) was a British film director (1933–62) and television director (1962–64), usually of light-hearted subject matter. He was also a comic novelist and ...

, ''

Paris Plane ''Paris Plane'' is a 1933 British crime film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring John Loder, Molly Lamont and Allan Jeayes. It was made at Shepperton Studios as a quota quickie. Plot A Scotland Yard detective pursues a murderer aboar ...

'' (1933). Bennett wrote ''

Mannequin A mannequin (also called a dummy, lay figure, or dress form) is a doll, often articulated, used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, window dressers and others, especially to display or fit clothing and show off different fabrics and textiles. Pr ...

'' (1933); ''

The House of Trent ''The House of Trent'' is a 1933 British drama film directed by Norman Walker and starring Anne Grey, Wendy Barrie, Moore Marriott and Peter Gawthorne. It follows a doctor who faces both a scandal and a moral dilemma when a patient of his dies ...

'' (1933); '' Matinee Idol'' (1933) for King; ''

Hawley's of High Street ''Hawley's of High Street'' is a 1933 British comedy film directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Leslie Fuller, Judy Kelly, Francis Lister and Moore Marriott. Its plot concerns a butcher and a draper who stand for election to the local counci ...

'' (1933), a rare comedy for Bennett; ''

The Secret of the Loch ''The Secret of the Loch'' is a 1934 British film about the Loch Ness Monster. It is the first film made about the monster. Charles Bennett said the film was based on his original idea. He later admitted it was "terrible... but amusing".Tom Wav ...

'' (1934), the first film shot on location in Scotland; ''

Warn London ''Warn London'' is a 1934 British thriller film directed by T. Hayes Hunter and starring Edmund Gwenn, John Loder and Leonora Corbett. It was based on a novel by Denison Clift. Premise A detective goes undercover to infiltrate a gang planning ...

'' (1934); an adaptation of his play ''

Big Business Big business involves large-scale corporate-controlled financial or business activities. As a term, it describes activities that run from "huge transactions" to the more general "doing big things". In corporate jargon, the concept is commonly kn ...

'' (1934); and '' Gay Love'' (1934). A number of these films were written in collaboration with publicist and story writer Billie Bristow; she and Bennett would work on eight films together in all. In 1934 he wrote the play ''Heart's Desire'' which he later regarded as the best play he wrote and the only one he loved but it was never produced.

Hitchcock

Hitchcock moved over to

Gaumont British The Gaumont-British Picture Corporation produced and distributed films and operated a cinema chain in the United Kingdom. It was established as an offshoot of the Gaumont Film Company of France. Film production Gaumont-British was founded in 18 ...

where he got

Michael Balcon Sir Michael Elias Balcon (19 May 1896 – 17 October 1977) was an English film producer known for his leadership of Ealing Studios in West London from 1938 to 1955. Under his direction, the studio became one of the most important British film ...

interested in ''Bulldog Drummond's Baby''. It was eventually filmed as '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1934), which was a significant success. After doing ''

Night Mail ''Night Mail'' is a 1936 British documentary film directed and produced by Harry Watt and Basil Wright, and produced by the General Post Office (GPO) Film Unit. The 24-minute film documents the nightly postal train operated by the London, ...

'' (1935) with Bristow, Bennett wrote '' The 39 Steps'' (1935) for Hitchcock, a film which soon established itself as a classic; Bennett said he was responsible for most of the film's construction, but paid tribute to the contribution of

Ian Hay Major General John Hay Beith, Order of the British Empire, CBE Military Cross, MC (17 April 1876 – 22 September 1952), was a British schoolmaster and soldier, but is best remembered as a novelist, playwright, essayist, and historian who w ...

, who did dialogue. Bennett was now in much demand. He wrote '' The Clairvoyant'' (1935) with

Claude Rains William Claude Rains (10 November 188930 May 1967) was a British actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. After his American film debut as Dr. Jack Griffin in ''The Invisible Man'' (1933), he appeared in such highly regarded films as '' ...

and

Fay Wray Vina Fay Wray (September 15, 1907 – August 8, 2004) was a Canadian/American actress best known for starring as Ann Darrow in the 1933 film ''King Kong (1933 film), King Kong''. Through an acting career that spanned nearly six decades, Wray a ...

; ''

King of the Damned ''King of the Damned'' is a 1935 British prison film directed by Walter Forde and starring Conrad Veidt, Helen Vinson, Noah Beery and Cecil Ramage. Plot summary Convict 83 is a prisoner on an island, where the harsh regime of the Governor push ...

'' (1935), written with

Sidney Gilliat Sidney Gilliat (15 February 1908 – 31 May 1994) was an English film director, producer and writer. He was the son of George Gilliat, editor of the ''Evening Standard'' from 1928 to 1933. Sidney was born in the district of Edgeley in Stoc ...

; '' All at Sea'' (1936); ''Blue Smoke'' (1935). He did two films for Hitchcock, ''

Secret Agent Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...

'' (1936) (based on

Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...

's '' Ashenden'') and ''

Sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...

'' (1936). In January 1936 his play '' Page From a Diary'', starring

Greer Garson Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson (29 September 1904 – 6 April 1996) was an English-American actress and singer. She was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer who became popular during the Second World War for her portrayal of strong women on the hom ...

and

Ernst Deutsch Ernst Deutsch, also known as Ernest Dorian (16 September 1890 – 22 March 1969), was a Jewish Austrian actor. In 1916, his performance as the protagonist in the world première of Walter Hasenclever's Expressionist play '' The Son'' in Dresde ...

, had a short run at the

Garrick Theatre The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play ...

in London. Bennett was one of several writers on ''

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 ...

'' (1937) then he went back to Hitchcock for ''

Young and Innocent ''Young and Innocent'', released in the US as ''The Girl Was Young'', is a 1937 British crime thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Nova Pilbeam and Derrick De Marney. Based on the 1936 novel '' A Shilling for Candles'' by Jos ...

'' (1937).

Hollywood

Bennett's work with Hitchcock had made him perhaps the most highly regarded screenwriter in England (one paper called him "Britain's best known blood curdler") and attracted the attention of Hollywood. In 1937 he accepted a contract with

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

at $1,500 a week. Universal loaned him out to

Sam Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmuel Gelbfisz; yi, שמואל געלבפֿיש; August 27, 1882 (claimed) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer. He was best known for being the founding contributor an ...

, and did some uncredited writing on ''

The Adventures of Marco Polo ''The Adventures of Marco Polo'' is a 1938 adventure film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Gary Cooper, Sigrid Gurie, and Basil Rathbone. It was one of the most elaborate and costly of Samuel Goldwyn's productions. Plot Nicolo Polo shows tr ...

'' (1938) and ''

The Real Glory ''The Real Glory'' is a 1939 Samuel Goldwyn Productions adventure film starring Gary Cooper, David Niven, Andrea Leeds and Broderick Crawford released by United Artists in the weeks immediately following Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland. Based on ...

'' (1939), then worked on Universal's ''

Good Girls Go to Paris ''Good Girls Go to Paris'' is a 1939 American romantic comedy film starring Melvyn Douglas and Joan Blondell. Plot Jenny Swanson is a waitress in a small college town whose dream is to go to Paris by any means necessary. She confides her plan for ...

'' (1939) and ''

Hidden Power ''Hidden Power'' is a 1939 American drama film directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring Jack Holt, Gertrude Michael and Dickie Moore.Myron Selznick Myron Selznick (October 5, 1898 – March 23, 1944) was an American film producer and talent agent. Life and career Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Selznick was the son of film executive Lewis J. Selznick and brother of renowned producer ...

got Bennett a job with Myron's brother

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

. Bennett got his first Hollywood credited on the comedy ''

The Young in Heart ''The Young in Heart'' is a 1938 American comedy film produced by David O. Selznick, directed by Richard Wallace (director), Richard Wallace, and starring Janet Gaynor, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Paulette Goddard. The supporting cast features Rol ...

'' (1938); he did the construction and Paul Osborne the dialogue. Bennett then signed a contract to MGM where he worked on '' Cause for Alarm'', an adaptation of an

Eric Ambler Eric Clifford Ambler OBE (28 June 1909 – 22 October 1998) was an English author of thrillers, in particular spy novels, who introduced a new realism to the genre. Also working as a screenwriter, Ambler used the pseudonym Eliot Reed for book ...

novel which ended up not being made, and ''

Balalaika The balalaika (russian: link=no, балала́йка, ) is a Russian stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular wooden, hollow body, fretted neck and three strings. Two strings are usually tuned to the same note and the thir ...

'' (1939), a

Nelson Eddy Nelson Ackerman Eddy (June 29, 1901 – March 6, 1967) was an American actor and baritone singer who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclub ...

musical. He wrote a short novel, ''War in His Pocket'', which was published in 1939. Hitchcock moved to the US and hired Bennett to do some work on ''

Foreign Correspondent A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is usually a journalist or commentator for a magazine, or an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, locati ...

'' (1940). Bennett was nominated for an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

for Best Script.

Cecil B. De Mille

Bennett worked on ''

They Dare Not Love ''They Dare Not Love'' is a 1941 romantic war drama film directed by James Whale and starring George Brent, Martha Scott and Paul Lukas. Whale left the picture before the end of production; it was the last film released to credit him as director. ...

'' (1941) at Columbia and did uncredited work on ''

Lucky Legs ''Lucky Legs'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Charles Barton and written by Stanley Rubin and Jack Hartfield. The film stars Jinx Falkenburg, Leslie Brooks, Kay Harris, Russell Hayden, Elizabeth Patterson and William Wright. The ...

'' (1942). He was hired by

Cecil B. De Mille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...

to work on the script construction of ''

Reap the Wild Wind ''Reap the Wild Wind'' is a 1942 American adventure film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Ray Milland, John Wayne, and Paulette Goddard, with a supporting cast featuring Raymond Massey, Robert Preston (actor), Robert Prest ...

'' (1942), which was a huge hit. Bennett went to RKO to write ''

Joan of Paris ''Joan of Paris'' is a 1942 war film about five Royal Air Force pilots shot down over Nazi-occupied France during World War II and their attempt to escape to England. It stars Michèle Morgan and Paul Henreid, with Thomas Mitchell, Laird Cregar ...

'' (1942), which was one of his favourite films. At that studio he wrote the unproduced ''Challenge to the Night'' and was one of many writers on '' Forever and a Day'' (1943). He also made some uncredited contributions to the script of ''

Saboteur Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identiti ...

'' (1942). During war he claims to have done undercover work for Allied intelligence. De Mille used Bennett again on '' The Story of Dr. Wassell'' (1944), once more focusing on construction while Alan Le May did the dialogue. Another script Bennett did for De Mulle, ''Rurales'', about the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...

, was never made. In 1944 Bennett returned to London to write propaganda films for the

British Ministry of Information The Ministry of Information (MOI), headed by the Minister of Information, was a United Kingdom government department created briefly at the end of the First World War and again during the Second World War. Located in Senate House at the Univer ...

. He continued to write feature films as well, earning $15,000 from

Edward Small Edward Small (born Edward Schmalheiser, February 1, 1891, Brooklyn, New York – January 25, 1977, Los Angeles) was a film producer from the late 1920s through 1970, who was enormously prolific over a 50-year career. He is best known for the movi ...

for an early draft of ''

Lorna Doone ''Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor'' is a novel by English author Richard Doddridge Blackmore, published in 1869. It is a romance based on a group of historical characters and set in the late 17th century in Devon and Somerset, particularly ar ...

'', and an adaptation of the

Madeleine Smith Madeleine Hamilton Smith (29 March 1835 – 12 April 1928) was a 19th-century Glasgow socialite who was the accused in a sensational murder trial in Scotland in 1857. Background Smith was the first child (of five) of an upper-middle-class ...

story for

Two Cities Films Two Cities Films was a British film production company. Formed in 1937, it was originally envisaged as a production company operating in the two cities of London and Rome which gave the company its name. The driving forces behind the company were ...

to star

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in ''Gon ...

and

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

, at a fee of £4,000. He was contracted to direct the latter. Two Cities contracted Bennett to write ''Miracle of Peille''. After the war, Bennett returned to Hollywood and wrote '' Unconquered'' (1947) for De Mille. Olivier and Leigh pulled out of the Madeleine Smith project, so Bennett went to Universal to work on ''

Ivy ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...

'' (1947), a thriller for

Sam Wood Samuel Grosvenor Wood (July 10, 1883 – September 22, 1949) was an American film director and producer who is best known for having directed such Hollywood hits as ''A Night at the Opera (film), A Night at the Opera'', ''A Day at the Races (fi ...

and

Joan Fontaine Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 – December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was a British-American actress who is best known for her starring roles in Hollywood films during the "Golden Age". Fontaine appeared ...

Director

Bennett was going to direct

Laraine Day Laraine Day (born La Raine Johnson, October 13, 1920 – November 10, 2007) was an American actress, radio and television commentator, and former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) contract star. As a leading lady, she was paired opposite major film sta ...

in ''The Trial of Madeleine Smith'' but those plans were interrupted when

David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, Lean directed the large-scale epics ''The Bridge on the River ...

decided to make '' Madeleine''. Instead he worked on the scripts for ''

The Sign of the Ram ''The Sign of the Ram'' is a 1948 American film noir directed by John Sturges and screenplay by Charles Bennett, based on a novel written by Margaret Ferguson. The drama features Susan Peters and Alexander Knox. It also featured Ron Randell. Th ...

'' (1948) for

John Sturges John Eliot Sturges (; January 3, 1910 – August 18, 1992) was an American film director. His films include ''Bad Day at Black Rock'' (1955), ''Gunfight at the O.K. Corral'' (1957), ''The Magnificent Seven'' (1960), '' The Great Escape'' (1963 ...

and ''

Black Magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...

'' (1948) for

. He attempted to remake ''Blackmail'' but was unsuccessful. Bennett finally made his directorial debut in ''

Madness of the Heart ''Madness of the Heart'' is a 1949 British drama film directed by Charles Bennett and starring Margaret Lockwood, Paul Dupuis and Kathleen Byron. Plot summary Lydia Garth meets Paul de Vandiere, a French nobleman, but their romance is plagued ...

'' (1949) with

Margaret Lockwood Margaret Mary Day Lockwood, CBE (15 September 1916 – 15 July 1990), was an English actress. One of Britain's most popular film stars of the 1930s and 1940s, her film appearances included ''The Lady Vanishes'' (1938), ''Night Train to Munich' ...

. He continued to write: the unproduced ''Bangkok'' for

Robert North Robert North (February 2, 1884 – August 13, 1976) was an American vaudeville performer who became a success as a stand-up comedian. Later he became a prolific motion picture producer. Early years Bobby North was born in New York City. He joine ...

, ''The Search for the Holy Grail'' for De Mille and a film for

Rank Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as: Level or position in a hierarchical organization * Academic rank * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy * H ...

, ''The Moneyman''. He was credited on the script for ''

Where Danger Lives ''Where Danger Lives'' is a 1950 film noir thriller directed by John Farrow and starring Robert Mitchum, Faith Domergue and Claude Rains. Plot Dr. Jeff Cameron (Mitchum) treats a mentally disturbed attempted suicide victim (Domergue). She signs ...

'' (1950), where he worked with

Irwin Allen Irwin Allen (born Irwin O. Cohen, June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was an American film and television producer and director, known for his work in science fiction, then later as the "Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film gen ...

for the first time. He also write '' Kind Lady'' (1951), and ''

The Green Glove ''The Green Glove'' (aka ''The White Road'') is a 1952 French/American international co-production film noir directed by Rudolph Maté and starring Glenn Ford, Geraldine Brooks, Sir Cedric Hardwicke and George Macready. Plot Church bells be ...

'' (1952), then got another chance to direct with '' No Escape'' (1953), a film noir. Bennett worked on the script for ''

Dangerous Mission ''Dangerous Mission'' is a 1954 American Technicolor thriller film starring Victor Mature, Piper Laurie, Vincent Price and William Bendix. The film was produced by Irwin Allen, directed by Louis King and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It is reme ...

'' (1954) where he worked with Allen again.

Television

Bennett began writing for TV, doing such shows as ''

The Ford Television Theatre ''Ford Theatre'', spelled ''Ford Theater'' for the original radio version and known, in full, as ''The Ford Television Theatre'' for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 1950 ...

'', ''

Climax! ''Climax!'' (later known as ''Climax Mystery Theater'') is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS programs ...

'' (where he did "Casino Royale", the first screen adaptation of a

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

novel, ''

Schlitz Playhouse ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The title was shortened to ''Schlitz Playhouse' ...

'', ''

Fireside Theatre ''Fireside Theatre'' (also known as ''Jane Wyman Presents'') is an American anthology drama series that ran on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the first successful filmed series on American television. Productions were low-budget and often based ...

'', ''

Cavalcade of America ''Cavalcade of America'' is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company, although it occasionally presented musicals, such as an adaptation of ''Show Boat'', and condensed biographies of popular composers. It was initially ...

'', ''

The Count of Monte Cristo ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' (french: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an adventure novel written by French author Alexandre Dumas (''père'') completed in 1844. It is one of the author's more popular works, along with ''The Three Musketeers''. Li ...

'', ''

Conflict Conflict may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Conflict'' (1921 film), an American silent film directed by Stuart Paton * ''Conflict'' (1936 film), an American boxing film starring John Wayne * ''Conflict'' (1937 film) ...

'', ''

The Christophers The Christophers are a Christian inspirational group that was founded in 1945 by Father James Keller. The name of the group is derived from the Greek word ''christophoros'', which means "Christ-bearer". Although the founders were Maryknoll pries ...

'', ''

Lux Video Theatre ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vid ...

'' and ''

The New Adventures of Charlie Chan ''The New Adventures of Charlie Chan'' is a crime drama series that aired in the United States in syndicated television from June 1957, to 1958. The first five episodes were made by Vision Productions in the United States, before production sw ...

''. Some of these he also directed and he produced ''Charlie Chan''.

Irwin Allen

Bennett was reunited with Allen on ''

The Story of Mankind ''The Story of Mankind'' is a book written and illustrated by Dutch-American journalist, professor, and author Hendrik Willem van Loon. It was published in 1921. In 1922, it was awarded the Newbery Medal for an outstanding contribution to children ...

'' (1957). He wrote ''

Night of the Demon ''Night of the Demon'' (in the United States, released as ''Curse of the Demon'') is a 1957 British horror film, produced by Hal E. Chester and Frank Bevis, directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins and Niall MacG ...

'' (1957) in England, which he had hoped to direct himself; it became a cult success. He then did a series of films for Allen: ''

The Big Circus ''The Big Circus'' is a 1959 film starring Victor Mature as a circus owner struggling with financial trouble and a murderous unknown saboteur. It was produced and cowritten by Irwin Allen, later known for a series of big-budget disaster films. Pl ...

'' (1959), ''

The Lost World The lost world is a subgenre of the fantasy or science fiction genres that involves the discovery of an unknown Earth civilization. It began as a subgenre of the late- Victorian adventure romance and remains popular into the 21st century. The g ...

'' (1960), ''

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' is a 1961 American science fiction disaster film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, and starring Walter Pidgeon and Robert Sterling. The supporting cast includes Peter Lorre, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden, M ...

'' (1961), and ''

Five Weeks in a Balloon ''Five Weeks in a Balloon, or, A Journey of Discovery by Three Englishmen in Africa'' (french: Cinq semaines en ballon) is an adventure novel by Jules Verne, published in 1863. It is the first novel in which he perfected the "ingredients" of his ...

'' (1962). Bennett also wrote for ''

The Dick Powell Show ''The Dick Powell Show'' is an American television anthology series that ran on NBC from September 26, 1961, until September 17, 1963, primarily sponsored by the Reynolds Metals Company. Overview The series was an anthology of various dramas ...

'' and did ''

War-Gods of the Deep ''City Under the Sea'' (released as ''War-Gods of the Deep'' in the US) is a 1965 British-American adventure horror science fiction film. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur (his final film) and starred Vincent Price, Tab Hunter, Susan Hart a ...

'' (1965) for AIP. In the late 1960s Bennett focused on TV series such as ''

The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels w ...

'', and ''

'' and ''

Land of the Giants ''Land of the Giants'' is a one-hour American science fiction television series that aired on ABC for two seasons, beginning on September 22, 1968 and ending on March 22, 1970. The show was created and produced by Irwin Allen. ''Land of the Gia ...

'' for Allen.

Later career

Bennett had no produced credits from the 1970s onwards. "It was so frustrating, because in many ways I felt my writing had gotten even better", he said. "But at my age, no one wanted to hire me... know, I hate all the talk of this being a young man's industry. I hate it! Not because I'm an old man. But because I hate the notion that you must be young to be hot." Bennett continued to write films, plays, treatments and TV series, though none were produced. He wrote a novel, ''Fox on the Run'' which was published in 1987. In 1990 Bennett was hired to write a remake of ''Blackmail''. The film was never made.

Personal life

Bennett's brother Eric was killed in World War I in 1915. His other brother, Vere, hanged himself in 1928. He was twice married. First, in 1930, to the actress

Faith Bennett Faith Margaret Ellen Bennett (1903–1969) was a British actress and ATA pilot. Biography Bennett was born Margaret Ellen Riddick on 12 May 1903 in London, England. One of her brothers died during the First World War. In 1930, she married fil ...

. They were divorced in 1941, and in 1947 Bennett married Betty Jo Riley, who predeceased him. They had a son, John Charles Bennett. Bennett died in Los Angeles in 1995.

Biographies

Bennett has been the subject of two biographies, both written by his son John. * ''Hitchcock's Partner in Suspense'' (2014) * ''The Rise of the Modern Thriller'' (2020) He has also been the subject of biographical articles: * Barr, Charles. "Blackmail: Charles Bennett and the Decisive Turn" in Palmer, R Burton & Boyd, David, ''Hitchcock at the Source: The Auteur as Adaptor'', 2011, New York: SUNY Press. * Belton, John. "Charles Bennett and the typical Hitchcock scenario", ''Film History'', (1997) 9(3), 320–332. He was interviewed by

Arnold Schwartzman Arnold Martin Schwartzman OBE RDI is a British designer, author, and film director who in 1982 won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, for his film of the reminiscences of Holocaust survivors titled ''Genocide''. Early life and family Arnold ...

for the

British Entertainment History Project The British Entertainment History Project (BEHP) records and preserves interviews with the men and women who have worked in British film, television, radio and theatre industries over the last 100 years "to ensure that their lives and experiences ...

in 1992.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1915) – actor only * ''

'' (1929) – based on his play * '' The Last Hour'' (1930) – based on his play * ''Two Way Street'' (1931) * ''

'' (1931) * ''Midnight'' (1931) – based on his play * ''

'' (1931) * '' Partners Please'' (1932) * ''

'' (1933) * ''

'' (1933) * '' Matinee Idol'' (1933) * ''

'' (1934) * '' Gay Love'' (1934) * ''

'' (1934) * '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1934) (story) * ''

'' (1935) * '' Blue Smoke'' (1935) * '' The Clairvoyant'' (1935) * ''

'' (1935) * '' The 39 Steps'' (1935) * ''

'' (1936) * ''

'' (1936) * '' All at Sea'' (1936) * '' King Solomons's Mines''(1937) * ''

'' (1937) * ''

'' (1938) * ''

Hidden Power ''Hidden Power'' is a 1939 American drama film directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring Jack Holt, Gertrude Michael and Dickie Moore.Balalaika The balalaika (russian: link=no, балала́йка, ) is a Russian stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular wooden, hollow body, fretted neck and three strings. Two strings are usually tuned to the same note and the thir ...

'' (1939) * ''

'' (1940) * ''

'' (1941) * ''

'' (1942) * ''

'' (1942) * '' Forever and a Day'' (1943) * '' The Story of Dr. Wassell'' (1944) * '' Unconquered'' (1947) * ''

'' (1947) * ''

'' (1948) * ''

'' (1949) (also directed) * ''

'' (1949) * ''

'' (1950) * '' Kind Lady'' (1951) * ''

'' (1952) * ''

Ford Television Theatre ''General Motors Theatre'' (also known as ''CBC Theatre, Encounter, Ford Television Theatre,'' and ''General Motors Presents'') was a Canadian television anthology drama series of television plays, which ran on CBC Television under various titl ...

'' (1952) (TV series) * '' No Escape'' (1953) (also directed) * ''

'' (1954) * ''

'' (1954–55) (TV series) – various eps including '' Casino Royale'' * ''

'' (1954–55) (TV series) – 7 eps * ''

'' (1954–55) (TV series) (also directed) * ''

'' (1955–57) (TV series) (also directed) * ''

'' (1955) (TV series) (also directed) * ''

'' (1956) (TV series) – 2 eps * ''

'' (1956) (TV series) (also directed) * '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956) – original story * ''

'' (1955–57) (TV series) – 4 eps * ''

'' (1957) * ''

'' (1957–58) (TV series) (also directed) * '' Behind Closed Doors'' (1958) (TV series) – 1 ep * ''

'' (1959) * ''

'' (1960) * ''

'' (1961) * ''

The Dick Powell Theatre ''The Dick Powell Show'' is an American television anthology series that ran on NBC from September 26, 1961, until September 17, 1963, primarily sponsored by the Reynolds Metals Company. Overview The series was an anthology of various dramas ...

'' (1962) (TV series) * ''

'' (1962) * ''

The City Under the Sea ''City Under the Sea'' (released as ''War-Gods of the Deep'' in the US) is a 1965 British-American adventure film, adventure horror film, horror science fiction film. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur (his final film) and starred Vincent Price ...

'' (1965) * ''

'' (1966) (TV series) – 1 ep * ''

'' (1967–68) (TV series) – 7 eps * ''

'' (1968) (TV series) – 1 ep

Plays

* ''The Return'' (1925) * ''

'' (1928) * '' The Last Hour'' (1928) * ''

'' (1931) * ''Big Business'' * ''Midnight'' * ''The Danger Line'' * '' Page From a Diary'' (1936)

References

* McGillian, Patrick "Charles Bennett", ''Backstory 1''

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Charles (screenwriter) 1899 births 1995 deaths English male actors English film directors English male screenwriters English television writers People from Shoreham-by-Sea British male television writers 20th-century English screenwriters 20th-century English male writers British Army personnel of World War I Royal Fusiliers officers Recipients of the Military Medal