Charles Bennett
Charles Bennett was a British playwright and screenwriter born on August 2, 1899, in Shoreham-on-Sea, Sussex, England. He developed an interest in theater at an early age, writing his first melodrama at just eight years old, and began his acting career at eleven. After serving in World War I, Bennett returned to the stage and transitioned into writing full-length plays, with notable works such as "Blackmail," which became the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's first sound film. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, he collaborated extensively with Hitchcock, contributing to notable films like "The Thirty-Nine Steps" and "Sabotage."
Later, Bennett moved to Hollywood, where he worked with celebrated director Cecil B. DeMille and wrote scripts for several successful films. He also directed films and television productions, producing acclaimed works like "Night of the Demon." In the 1960s, he continued to thrive in the industry by writing for various motion pictures and popular television shows. Bennett received recognition for his contributions to writing with the Screen Laurel Award from the Writers Guild of America. He remained active in writing until his death on June 15, 1995, in Hollywood.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Charles Bennett
Playwright
- Born: August 2, 1899
- Birthplace: Shoreham-on-Sea, Sussex, England
- Died: June 15, 1995
- Place of death: Hollywood, California
Biography
Charles Bennett was born August 2, 1899, in Shoreham-on-Sea, Sussex, England. He was the son of Charles and Lillian (Langrishe) Bennett.
Bennett early became interested in theater and, with his mother’s encouragement, wrote his first melodrama when he was eight years old. Bennett’s only formal education occurred in his mid-teens, when he was enrolled for eighteen months at St. Mark’s College School, Chelsea. He had already debuted as an actor in The Miracle at London’s Olympia in 1911, and thereafter he trod the boards for five years playing juvenile roles in productions of Alice in Wonderland, The Speckled Band, and King Lear.
In 1916, Bennett enlisted in the army and fought in the trenches during World War I. After the war, he returned to the profession he knew best. Between 1920 and 1924, he played and toured with the Compton Comedy Company, the Lena Ashwell Players, and the Gertrude Elliott Touring Company and other troupes. During the mid-1920’s, he performed with the Alexander Marsh-Carrie Baillie Shakespearean Company and Ben Greet’s touring Shakespearean Repertory, performing dozens of roles and often directing productions before making his final acting performance in 1927.
While acting, Bennett wrote his first full-length plays, and five of his works were produced between 1927 and 1930, most notably Blackmail (pr. 1928), which director Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) selected as the basis of Britain’s first sound film.
In 1931, Bennett signed a contract with British International Pictures—where Hitchcock was then also under contract—to write or adapt for film three scripts per year for two years. One project was Bennett’s script, “Bulldog Drummond’s Baby,” that Hitchcock transformed into The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934). Other collaborations between the screenwriter (who later worked for Gaumont film company) and the director resulted in some of Hitchcock’s most acclaimed early successes: The Thirty-Nine Steps (1935), Secret Agent (1936), Sabotage (1936), and Foreign Correspondent (1940).
During World War II, Bennett served as a writer with the British Ministry of Information before moving to Hollywood. There, he was associated with director-producer Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959), writing the scripts for such films as Reap the Wild Wind (1942), The Story of Dr. Wassell (1944), and Unconquered (1947). During the 1940’s and 1950’s, Bennett also directed several films and television productions, including his own Madness of the Heart (1949) and No Escape (1953). His most acclaimed work during this period was a script for the Jacques Tourneur (1904-1977) horror filmNight of the Demon (1957).
In the 1960’s, Bennett enjoyed a successful working relationship with producer- director Irwin Allen (1916-1991), penning scripts for such motion pictures as The Lost World (1960), Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961), and Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962). Bennett capped his long and productive dramatic writing career with scripts for episodes of such television series as The Dick Powell Show (1961-1963), The Wild Wild West (1965-1970), Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964-1968), and Land of the Giants (1968-1970).
Charles Bennett, married twice, and the father of John Charles Bennett, won recognition for his lifetime achievement from the Writers Guild of America with the Screen Laurel Award. He was working on writing projects—including a new adaptation of his Blackmail and an autobiography—until he died in Hollywood on June 15, 1995.