Martin Benjamin Benson (10 August 1918 – 28 February 2010) was a British

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

who appeared in films, theatre and television. He appeared in both British and

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 ...

productions.

Early life

Benson was born in the East End of London, into a Jewish family, the son of a Russian-Jewish grocer and his Polish-Jewish wife who had left Russia at the revolution. After attending Tottenham Grammar School on a scholarship, he served in the 2nd Searchlight, Royal Artillery, 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 ...

. Stationed in Cairo, Egypt, he and

Arthur Lowe Arthur Lowe (22 September 1915 – 15 April 1982) was an English actor. His acting career spanned 36 years, including starring roles in numerous theatre and television productions. He played Captain Mainwaring in the British sitcom '' D ...

founded the

repertory company A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...

Mercury Theatre in Alexandria.

Career

He is remembered for his role as the Kralaholme in the original London production of ''

The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the chil ...

'', a role he recreated in the Oscar-winning film version. Appearing in films for over six decades, Benson played mostly supporting characters or villains. His films include ''The Blind Goddess'' (1948), ''Wheel of Fate'' (1953), ''Interpol'' (1957), ''

The Strange World of Planet X ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1958), ''

Once More, with Feeling! ''Once More, with Feeling!'' is a 1960 British comedy film starring Yul Brynner and Kay Kendall in her final film appearance and directed and produced by Stanley Donen from a screenplay by Harry Kurnitz, based on his play. The film was releas ...

'' (1959), ''

Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * E ...

'' (1960), ''

Five Golden Hours ''Five Golden Hours'' is a 1961 Italian-British comedy film directed by Mario Zampi and written by Hans Wilhelm, starring Ernie Kovacs, Cyd Charisse and George Sanders, and featuring Dennis Price and John Le Mesurier. Plot Aldo Bondi (Kovacs ...

'' (1961), '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964), '' Pope Joan'' (1972), ''

The Sea Wolves ''The Sea Wolves'' is a 1980 war film starring Gregory Peck, Roger Moore and David Niven. The film, which is based on the 1978 book ''Boarding Party'' by James Leasor, is a fictionalised account of Operation Creek during the Second World War. In ...

'' (1980) and ''

Angela's Ashes ''Angela's Ashes: A Memoir'' is a 1996 memoir by the Irish-American author Frank McCourt, with various anecdotes and stories of his childhood. The book details his very early childhood in Brooklyn, New York, US but focuses primarily on his lif ...

'' (1999). He also had an uncredited role in MGM's hit historical film, ''

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' () by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. Set in England in the Middle Ages, this novel marked a shift away from Scott’s prior practice of setting ...

'', and in 1963 he acted in another historic film, as Ramos in ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

'' (which also starred

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

). Benson played both serious roles, such as Ali in '' Killers of Kilimanjaro'' (1959) and comic roles, such as Maurice in '' A Shot in the Dark''. In 1964, he appeared as Mr. Solo, the gangster who is killed by Goldfinger's henchman Oddjob in the

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 hav ...

film '' Goldfinger''.

Television

He appeared in many roles on television. He appeared as a barrister, using his own name, in the unscripted series ''The Verdict is Yours'' which ran for several years in the 1950s. Cases were shown and the previously unknown verdict was given by jury of viewers. In 1957 he made a guest appearance on ''

The Jack Benny Show ''The Jack Benny Program'', starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th century American comedy. He played one role throughout his radio and televis ...

''. In the same year he played the recurring character the Duke de Medici in the children's adventure series '' Sword of Freedom''. In 1981 he appeared in the television production of ''

The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (sometimes referred to as ''HG2G'', ''HHGTTG'', ''H2G2'', or ''tHGttG'') is a comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally a 1978 radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, it w ...

'', albeit unrecognisable under the heavy make-up and costume of Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz, leader of the Vogon fleet sent to destroy Earth. His last appearance was in the TV series '' Casualty'' in 2005.

Death

Benson died in his sleep on 28 February 2010, from natural causes.

Filmography

* '' Suspected Person'' (1942) as minor role (uncredited) * '' The Blind Goddess'' (1948) as Count Stephan Mikla * '' But Not in Vain'' (1948) as Mark Meyer * ''Trapped by the Terror'' (1949) as Prison Governor * '' Under Capricorn'' (1949) as Man Carrying Shrunken Head (uncredited) * '' The Adventures of PC 49'': Investigating the Case of the Guardian Angel (1949) as Skinny Ellis * ''

I'll Get You for This ''I'll Get You for This'' (released in the US as ''Lucky Nick Cain'') is a 1951 British thriller film by Joseph M. Newman starring George Raft, Coleen Gray, and Enzo Staiola. It was made from an adaptation by George Callahan and William Ros ...

'' (1951) as Frankie Sperazza * ''

Assassin for Hire ''Assassin for Hire'' is a 1951 British crime film directed by Michael McCarthy and starring Sydney Tafler, Ronald Howard and Katharine Blake. Its plot follows a contract killer who becomes stricken with remorse when he is led to believe he ...

'' (1951) as Catesby * ''

Night Without Stars ''Night Without Stars'' is a 1951 British black-and-white dramatic thriller film, starring David Farrar, Nadia Gray and Maurice Teynac. The screenplay was written by Winston Graham based upon his eponymous 1950 novel. The film was direct ...

'' (1951) as White Cap * '' The Dark Light'' (1951) as Luigi * '' Hotel Sahara'' (1951) as Minor Role (uncredited) * ''

Mystery Junction ''Mystery Junction'' is a 1951 British crime film directed by Michael McCarthy and starring Sydney Tafler and Barbara Murray.

'' (1951) as Steve Harding * '' Judgment Deferred'' (1952) as Pierre Desportes * '' The Frightened Man'' (1952) as Alec Stone * '' Wide Boy'' (1952) as Rocco * ''

'' (1952) as Minor Role (uncredited) * '' The Gambler and the Lady'' (1952) as Tony - Pat's Dance Partner * '' Top of the Form'' (1953) as Cliquot * '' Wheel of Fate'' (1953) as Riscoe * ''

Recoil Recoil (often called knockback, kickback or simply kick) is the rearward thrust generated when a gun is being discharged. In technical terms, the recoil is a result of conservation of momentum, as according to Newton's third law the force r ...

'' (1953) as Farnborough * '' Always a Bride'' (1953) as Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited) * ''

Black 13 ''Black 13'' is a 1953 British crime drama film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Peter Reynolds, Rona Anderson, Patrick Barr and John Le Mesurier. The film is a remake of the 1948 Italian film '' Gioventù perduta'' (also known as ''Lost Y ...

'' (1953) as Bruno * '' Escape by Night'' (1953) as Guillio * '' You Know What Sailors Are'' (1954) as Agrarian Officer (uncredited) * '' West of Zanzibar'' (1954) as Dhofar * '' Knave of Hearts'' (1954) as Art (uncredited) * '' Passage Home'' (1955) as Gutierres * '' Doctor at Sea'' (1955) as Head Waiter (uncredited) * ''

Soho Incident ''Soho Incident'', released in the United States as ''Spin a Dark Web'', is a 1956 British film noir directed by Vernon Sewell and starring Faith Domergue and Lee Patterson.

'' (aka ''Spin a Dark Web'') (1956) as Rico Francesi * '' 23 Paces to Baker Street'' (1956) as Pillings * ''

'' (1956) as Kralahome * ''

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'' (1957) as Mr. Darius * '' Doctor at Large'' (1957) as Maharajah of Rhanda * ''

Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cr ...

'' (1957) as Captain Varolli * '' The Flesh Is Weak'' (1957) as Angelo Giani * '' Man from Tangier'' (1957) as Voss * '' Windom's Way'' (1957) as Samcar, Rebel Commander (uncredited) * ''

'' (1958) as Smith * ''

Sea of Sand ''Sea of Sand'' (released in the US as ''Desert Patrol'') is a 1958 British war film starring Richard Attenborough, John Gregson and Michael Craig. The film, which was directed by Guy Green, is about a patrol of the Long Range Desert Group ...

'' (1958) as German Half-track Officer (uncredited) * '' The Two-Headed Spy'' (1958) as Gen. Wagner * ''

Make Mine a Million ''Make Mine a Million'' is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Lance Comfort, starring Arthur Askey, Sid James, and Bernard Cribbins. The film parodies the stuffiness of the 1950s BBC and the effect of television advertising in the era. It w ...

'' (1959) as Chairman * '' Killers of Kilimanjaro'' (1959) as Ali * '' Dial 999 (TV series)'' (''

Special Branch Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security and intelligence in British, Commonwealth, Irish, and other police forces. A Special Branch unit acquires and develops intelligence, usu ...

''), episode 13) (1959) as Waymac (filmed 1958) * ''

'' (1960) as Luigi Bardini * ''

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

'' (1960) as George Alexander * '' Sands of the Desert'' (1960) as Selim * ''The Gentle Trap'' (1960) as Ricky Barnes * '' The 3 Worlds of Gulliver'' (1960) as Flimnap * ''

'' (1960) as Mordekai * '' Gorgo'' (1961) as Dorkin * ''

'' (1961) as Enrico * ''

A Matter of WHO ''A Matter of WHO'' is a 1961 British comedy thriller film directed by Don Chaffey and starring Terry-Thomas as a World Health Organization employee trying to trail the source of a deadly virus. It also featured Julie Alexander, Sonja Ziemann, ...

'' (1961) as Rahman * '' The Silent Invasion'' (1962) as Borge * ''

Satan Never Sleeps ''Satan Never Sleeps '' (also known as ''The Devil Never Sleeps'') is a 1962 American drama romance war film directed by Leo McCarey, his final film, in which he returns to the religious themes of his classics ''Going My Way'' (1944) and '' The Be ...

'' (1962) as Kuznietsky * '' Village of Daughters'' (1962) as 1st Pickpocket * '' Captain Clegg'' (1962) as Mr. Rash (innkeeper) * ''I tre nemic'' (1962) as Prof. Otto Kreutz * ''

The Fur Collar ''The Fur Collar'' is a 1962 British thriller film directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring John Bentley, Martin Benson and Philip Friend. Plot A man wearing a fur-collared coat is shot on his arrival in Paris. A British journalist is co ...

'' (1962) as Martin Benson * ''

'' (1963) as Ramos * ''

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

'' (1964) as Da Silva * ''The Secret Door'' (1964) as Edmundo Vara * '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964) as Maurice * '' Behold a Pale Horse'' (1964) as Priest * '' Goldfinger'' (1964) as Mr. Solo * '' The Secret of My Success'' (1965) as Rex Mansard * ''

A Man Could Get Killed ''A Man Could Get Killed'' is a 1966 American adventure comedy film directed by Ronald Neame and Cliff Owen, shot on various locations in Portugal and starring James Garner, Melina Mercouri, Sandra Dee, Anthony Franciosa, and Robert Coote. Fil ...

'' (1966) as Politanu * '' The Magnificent Two'' (1967) as President Diaz * '' Battle Beneath the Earth'' (1967) as Gen. Chan Lu * '' Pope Joan'' (1972) as Lothair * '' Tiffany Jones'' (1973) as Petcek * ''

The Omen ''The Omen'' is a 1976 supernatural horror film directed by Richard Donner and written by David Seltzer. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, it stars Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Harvey Spen ...

'' (1976) as Father Spiletto * '' Mohammad, Messenger of God'' (1976) as Abu-Jahal * ''Al-risâlah'' (1976) as Kisra * ''

Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...

'' (1977, TV mini-series) as Pharisee * '' Meetings with Remarkable Men'' (1979) as Dr. Ivanov * '' The Human Factor'' (1979) as Boris * ''

'' (1980) as Mr. Montero * ''

Sphinx A sphinx ( , grc, σφίγξ , Boeotian: , plural sphinxes or sphinges) is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of a falcon. In Greek tradition, the sphinx has the head of a woman, the haunches of ...

'' (1981) as Muhammed * ''

Young Toscanini ''Young Toscanini'' (original title: ''Il giovane Toscanini'') is a 1988 Italian-French biographical drama film directed by Franco Zeffirelli and starring C. Thomas Howell and Elizabeth Taylor. Premise The film charts the early career and roma ...

'' (1988) as Comparsa (uncredited) * '' Capstick's Law'' (1989) as maitre d'hotel * '' The Camomile Lawn'' (1992) as Pauli Erstweiler * ''

'' (1999) as Christian Brother

References

External links

*
Obituary in ''The Times''

– Daily Telegraph obituary {{DEFAULTSORT:Benson, Martin 1918 births 2010 deaths Royal Artillery officers English Ashkenazi Jews English male film actors English male television actors English male stage actors Jewish English male actors English people of Russian-Jewish descent English people of Polish-Jewish descent Male actors from Buckinghamshire Male actors from London People from Markyate British Army personnel of World War II