George Benson

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. 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). 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. 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. 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

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