George Frederick Percy Benson (11 January 1911 – 17 June 1983) was a British actor of both theatre and screen, whose career stretched from the 1930s to the early 1970s. He was on stage from the late 1920s, and made his film debut in 1932 in Holiday Lovers written by Leslie Arliss.IMDb.com/title/tt0447202 His most notable work as a comic actor included supporting roles with George Formby (Keep Fit - 1937) and Ronnie Barker (A Home of Your Own - 1964).
Early life Benson was born in Cardiff and educated at Blundell's School, the son of Leslie Bernard Gilpin Benson and his wife Isita.Who's Who in the Theatre, 16th edition, 1977 The family moved to Weston-super-Mare around 1920 and to Bristol around 1925. He began acting at school in the Latin plays mounted annually at the school. He trained for the stage at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (where he was the Silver Medallist in 1930).
Early career Much of Benson's early work was in revue, particularly those mounted in the 1930s by Andre Charlot. In 1932-3 he toured Australia with the company of Athene Seyler and Nicholas Hannen and on the tour met Seyler's daughter, Jane Anne Sterndale Bennett, who would become his first wife. In 1936 he achieved his first real success, as Edward Gill in Herbert and Eleanor Farjeon's musical The Two Bouquets.Obituary in The Times, 21 June 1983 He continued to work with Herbert Farjeon until he was called up for war service in 1940, appearing in the revues Nine Sharp and The Little Revue. He served with the Royal Artillery for six years, mostly in anti-aircraft units.
Later career After the war, he played the part of the solicitor Desmond Curry in Terence Rattigan's The Winslow Boy on an extensive tour of the US (1947–1948), before returning to revue in the highly successful Lyric and Globe Revues. in 1955 he joined the Old Vic Company (with Robert Helpmann and Katharine Hepburn) on a tour of Australia, playing the clown roles in Measure for Measure, The Merchant of Venice and The Taming of the Shrew. During the late 1950s he cemented his reputation as skilled comedy actor in a succession of stage roles, perhaps notably that of Arthur Groomkirby in N. F. Simpson's 'Theatre of the Absurd' play One Way Pendulum.
Although still noted as a comedy actor, during the 1960s he showed he could also excel in darker and more serious roles. In 1961 he played the murderer Dr Crippen in Wolf Mankowitz's musical Belle, or the Ballad of Dr Crippen, and Boss Mangan in Bernard Shaw's Heartbreak House. In the early 1970s he appeared in several plays with Bernard Miles at the Mermaid Theatre, notably as the Inquisitor in St Joan. In 1973, while appearing as Polonius in Hamlet, he suffered a stroke which affected his speech and ended his career.
Personal life He married, first, Jane Ann Sterndale Bennett,Mander & Mitchison Library, Bristol University a granddaughter of the composer William Sterndale Bennett. They had two daughters, Caroline and Elizabeth. His second wife was Pamela Enid White, also (briefly) an actor. They had one son, Christopher. Benson took a keen interest in theatre history, and was Chairman of the Society for Theatre Research from 1968-72.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1932 Holiday Lovers Oswald 1933 The Man from Toronto Villager Uncredited1937 Keep Fit Ernie Gill Red Peppers Bert Bentley Short Music-Hall Cavalcade: Stars of Yesterday and Today Chairman TV film Dick Whittington and His Cat Short1938 Rush Hour TV film Break the News Firing Squad Officer1939 The Gamblers Alexey TV film Young Man's Fancy Booking Clerk 1940 Convoy Parker1947 Here's Looking at You TV film The Ugly Duckling The King Short Maria Marten or, the Murder at the Red Barn Timothy Winterbottom TV film The Merchant of Venice Launcelot Gobbo TV film Rosmersholm Ulric Brendel TV film The October Man Mr. Pope 1948 The Light of Heart Barty TV film1949 A Word in Your Eye TV film Helter Skelter Temporary Waiter The Lost People Driver1950 Madeleine Chemist Uncredited The Happiest Days of Your Life Mr. Tripp Cage of Gold Assistant Registrar Highly Dangerous Sandwich Stand Customer1951 Pool of London George Uncredited The Man in the White Suit The Lodger Appointment with Venus Senior Clerk1952 Mother Riley Meets the Vampire Police Sergeant The Globe Revue TV film1953 The Captain's Paradise Mr. Salmon The Broken Horseshoe Prescott The New Morality E. Wallace Wister TV film Three's Company George Bailey1954 Doctor in the House Lecturer on drains Aunt Clara Photographer Uncredited Lilacs in the Spring Theatre Royal manager Uncredited Tons of Money James Chesterman, a solicitor TV film 1955 Value for Money Trombonist 1956 Fanny's First Play Mr. Robin Gilbey TV film 1957 The Naked Truth Photographer Uncredited1958 Charles and Mary William Godwin TV film Dracula Official1959 Model for Murder Freddie Left Right and Centre Egerton1960 David and Broccoli Headmaster TV film The Pure Hell of St Trinian's Defence Counsel 1964 A Jolly Bad Fellow Inspector Butts 1965 A Home of Your Own Gatekeeper 1966 The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery Gore-Blackwood1968 The Strange Affair Uncle Bertrand Journey into Darkness The Vicar 1970 The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes Inspector Lestrade Uncredited1972 What Became of Jack and Jill? Vicar A Warning to the Curious Vicar TV film 1973 The Creeping Flesh Waterlow
Television Year Title Role Notes1950BBC Sunday Night Theatre Tom Buttle Episode: "The Happy Sunday Afternoon" Squeen Episode: "Miss Hargreaves" 1951 An Evening at Home with Bernard Braden and Barbara Kelly Neighbour Series regular1953 Rheingold Theatre George Bailey Episode: "Take a Number" Vice Versa Paul Bultditude Mini-series 1955 Theatre Royal George Perker Episode: "Bardell vs. Pickwick"1956 Tracey and Me Mr. Crudnick Mini-seriesBBC Sunday Night Theatre Percy Middling Episode: "Mrs. Moonlight"1957 Sidney Satterthwaite Episode: "Mayors' Nest" Teddy Brewster Episode: "Arsenic and Old Lace" Captain Wallcott Episode: "The Mulberry Bush" The Adventures of Robin Hood Sir Cedric Hayworth Episode: "The Secret Pool" Dick and the Duchess Beasley Episode: "The Armoured Car" Theatre Night Sibilot Episode: "Nekrassov"ITV Playhouse Dr. Frank Freeman Episode: "The Sand Castle" Mr. Samuel Pepys Episode: "And So to Bed"1958 Television Playwright Man on Park Bench Episode: "Call Me a Liar" Fair Game The Reverend Summers Episode: "Saint Asaph's School for Boys" Armchair Theatre Mr. Prosser Episode: "The One Who Came Back" Saturday Playhouse Edward Carter Episode: "The Fourth Wall" BBC Sunday Night Theatre Medvedev, a Policeman Episode: "The Lower Depths" The Adventures of William Tell Conrad Episode: "The Cuckoo"ITV Playhouse Major Forrester Episode: "Badger's Green"1959 Colonel Leonard Battersby Episode: "Movement of Troops" The Life and Death of Sir John Falstaff Bardolph Series regular Theatre Night Wellington Potts Episode: "Caught Napping"1960 Armchair Theatre Arthur Hopkins Episode: "Mr Nobody" Theatre 70 James Morris Episode: "Full Circle" Tales from Dickens Stiggins Episode: "Sam Weller and his Father"1961 Winning Widows Episode: "New Husbands" No Hiding Place Buzz Wilson Episode: "Signals at Danger"ITV Play of the Week Mr. Filby Episode: "Ring of Truth"1962 Gerardin Episode: "Coach 7, Seat 15" Dixon of Dock Green Monty Mellon Episode: "Bells in My Ears" Saki Peter Pigeoncote Mini-series1963 Zero One Williams Episode: "Deadly Angels" The Dickie Henderson Show Episode: "The Stamp Collector" The Rag Trade Episode: "Baby Dolls" Tales of Mystery Petershin Episode: "Petershin and Mr. Snide" Drama 61-67 Mr. Lott Episode: "The Lady and the Clerk" No Hiding Place Major Binns Episode: "Deadline for Dummy"1964 Comedy Playhouse Mr. Wilkes Episode: "The Siege of Sydney's Street" The Avengers Reverend Whyper Episode: "Mandrake" Detective Silas Hickler Episode: "The Case of Oscar Brodski"1965 The Man in Room 17 Marcus Oliver Episode: "The Bequest" Danger Man Police Chief Episode: "Have a Glass of Wine" The Wednesday Thriller The Man Episode: "The Regulator" Out of the Unknown Arnold Potterley Episode: "The Dead Past"1966 David Copperfield Richard 'Mr. Dick' Babley Series regular Walter and Connie Reporting Mr. Turner Episode: "The New Lock"1967 Adam Adamant Lives! Timothy Henshaw Episode: "Death Begins at Seventy" Before the Fringe 1 episode The Forsyte Saga Marquess of Shropshire Recurring role The Prisoner Labour Exchange Manager Episode: "Free for All"1968 Half Hour Story Shillinghurst Episode: "Natural Justice" The Mock Doctor Valere Recurring role The World of Beachcomber Recurring role The Root of All Evil? Dick Episode:"The Fireplace Firm" Journey to the Unknown The Vicar Episode: "Paper Dolls" 1969 The Canterbury Tales Chaplain Episode: "The Canon Yeoman's Tale/The Franklin's Tale"1970 The Misfit Henry Episode: "On Being British" Albert and Victoria Dr. Martin Episode: "The Secret of the Attic" Here Come the Double Deckers Caterpillar Episode: "Scooper Strikes Out" The Goodies The Vicar Episode: "The Greenies" 1970-1971 Jackanory Storyteller Series regular1971 The Last of the Baskets Mr. Smithers Episode: "I Gotta Horse" Kate Dr. Naseby Episode: "A Sort of Change" Misleading Cases Mr. Lazenby Episode: "A Tiger in Your Bank" Now Take My Wife Episode: "Claire's Demo" Casanova Uncle Mini-series1972 Jason King Gym Instructor Episode: "If It's Got to Go - It's Got to Go" Six Days of Justice Arnold Watson Episode: "Suddenly... You're in It" 1973 Harriet's Back in Town William Fryer Series regular
Sources Obituary of Mr George Benson, The Times, 21 June 1983 (pg. 12; Issue 61564; col G)
Who's Who in the Theatre, 16th edition, 1977
References
External links
https://theatricalia.com/person/pzp/george-benson