Herbert William Compton Bennett (15 January 1900 – 11 August 1974),"Deaths", The Daily Telegraph (London), August 14, 1974, p.32 ("Compton Bennett— On Sunday, Aug. 11, Bob passed away peacefully at Worthing Hospital") better known as Compton Bennett, was an English film director, writer and producer. He is perhaps best known for directing the 1945 film The Seventh Veil and the 1950 version of the film King Solomon's Mines, an adaptation of an Allan Quatermain 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's London Films in 1932. There, he became a film editor; later he would help make instructional and propaganda films for the British armed forces during World War II.
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 for Universal.Looking at Hollywood Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune 14 August 1946: 23.
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. Appraisal Bennett said he "leapt to fame as director of The Seventh Veil, spent the rest of his career being found out, of which It Started in Paradise is a key example."
Filmography The Fox Hunt (1936) (documentary) – editor Goofer Trouble (1940)(documentary) – editor Find, Fix and Strike (1942) (documentary) – writer, director The Big Blockade (1942) – editor The Flemish Farm (1943) – editor Men of Rochdale (1944) (documentary) – director 29 Acacia Avenue (1945) aka The Facts of Love – editor, producer The Seventh Veil (1945) – director The Years Between (1946) – director Daybreak (1948) – director My Own True Love (1949) – director That Forsyte Woman (1949) aka The Forsyte Saga – director King Solomon's Mines (1950) – director So Little Time (1952) – director The Gift Horse (1952) aka Glory at Sea – director It Started in Paradise (1952) – director Desperate Moment (1953) – director Man-Eater (1957) – director, producer That Woman Opposite (1957) aka City After Midnight – writer, director After the Ball (1957) – director The Flying Scot (1957) aka The Mailbag Robbery – director, producer White Hunter (1958) (TV series) – director, producer (episodes edited together as feature Man-Eater) The Four Just Men (1959) (TV series) – director Beyond the Curtain (1960) – director The Adventures of Robin Hood (1960) (TV series) – director First Left Past Aden (1961) (documentary) – director How to Undress in Public Without Undue Embarrassment (1965) – creator, director, producer Brett (1971) (TV series) – creator
References
External links BritMovie biography New York Times reprint of Allmovie bio