Kenneth Hare Bicker-Caarten (29 August 1911 - 1980) was an English actor who worked under the name Kenneth Carten.

Biography

Kenneth Hare Bicker-Caarten was born on 29 August 1911 at Blomfield Road, Maida Vale, London, the son of middle-class parents Catherine and Edwin Hare Bicker-Caarten."Carten, Audrey (b. 1900)." Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages. . Encyclopedia.com. 19 Jan. 2018
/ref> His sisters were playwrights Waveney Carten and Audrey Carten.

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 ...

, a very close friend of his sister, Audrey, became a surrogate mother to Carten, who during the summer break from

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

, went to live with them. In the late 1930s, with his sister, Audrey, he frequented the social circle of Elvira Mullens Barney.

Appearances

*1930: ''Charlot's Masquerade'' with

Beatrice Lillie Beatrice Gladys Lillie, Lady Peel (29 May 1894 – 20 January 1989), known as Bea Lillie, was a Canadian-born British actress, singer and comedic performer. She began to perform as a child with her mother and sister. She made her West End debu ...

*1930: ''Wonder Bar'' with

Gwen Farrar Gwendoline "Gwen" Farrar (14 July 1897 – 25 December 1944) was an English duettist, cellist, singer, actress and comedian. Early life Gwendoline Farrar was born on 14 July 1897, at 108 Park Street, London. She was the third daughter of Sir Geor ...

and

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. *1933: ''Gay Love'' by Waveney Carten and Audrey Carten, with

*1933: ''Please'' with

. *1934: ''Streamline'' with

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. *1935: ''Roulette'' *1935: ''Full House'' by

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. *1936: as Edward Valance in ''Family Album'', written and starred by Noël Coward *1936: as Alf in ''Red Peppers'', written and starred by Noël Coward *1936: as Gaston in ''Ways and Means'', written and starred by Noël Coward *1936: as Stanley in ''Still life'', written and starred by Noël Coward *1936: ''Tonight at 8:30'', written and starred by Noël Coward *1937: ''Foodlight'' written by

Beverley Nichols John Beverley Nichols (9 September 1898 – 15 September 1983) was an English writer, playwright and public speaker. He wrote more than 60 books and plays. Career Between his first book, the novel, ''Prelude'' (1920) and his last, a book of po ...

, with Cyril Butcher and

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. *1939: ''Operette (musical), Operette'' (later he recorded the song ''The Stately Homes of England''). *1939: ''French without Tears'' by

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. *1942: as Sub-Lieutenant R.N.V.R. in the war-movie ''In Which We Serve'' directed by

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and

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. After leaving acting, he became a theatrical agent; his clients included

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and

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. He discovered and represented

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. He worked for the Myron Selznick corporation. He represented also

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, who, in her memoirs, wrote: "I returned to my Hampstead digs and phoned Kenneth Carten. "Mr Carten, I cannot take part in the murder of a masterpiece." In his quiet, English way Kenneth Carten reasoned with me. He asked me to realize that not every day did an actress come to England from abroad and within two or three weeks land a role like Amanda. He begged me to put up with the script. I did. Looking back, I marvel that I was allowed to work, for I did not belong to British Equity, nor to any union." He died in Kensington in 1980.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carten, Kenneth 1911 births 1980 deaths Male actors from London 20th-century English LGBT people