John Bentley - Played 'Paul Temple' etc

[Guest]

John Bentley was born in Birmingham on 2 December 1916, died 13 August 2009
in Petworth, Sussex. He had been suffering from a long illness

ATV / ITVFrom episode 86 in 1965 through to 1977 actor John Bentley became a
housewives favourite as Crossroads' Hugh Mortimer. He also helped the soap
reach its biggest-ever ratings in 1975 when he married Meg Richardson, the
matriarch of the Crossroads Motel since episode one in 1964. John also had a
successful movie, theatre and television career outside of soap, which
included his own series, African Patrol.

In Crossroads, as businessman Hugh Mortimer, he became the lead male
opposite, as Terry Lloyd - reporting for ITN on her death commented, 'The
Queen of British Soaps' Noele Gordon. Noele as Meg had won every soap award
possible in her reign as the owner of a small motel in the fictional Midland
village of Kings Oak. With her popularity, John's increased too. However,
not always to his advantage.

Speaking to the Crossroads Fan Club in 2006 he commented: "I recall one
point Hugh was very popular with the fans and a certain gentleman engaged me
for a couple of nights cabaret work in Birmingham. He didn't seem interested
whether I could actually sing or do a turn, he simply hired me because Hugh
was popular and would fill the club.It was all going well, with further
bookings. Until one day the phone rang, the promoter said he'd have to
cancel my cabaret bookings. It seems in the series Hugh had "done the dirty"
on Meg and the audience were furious with him. I persuaded the promoter that
the event was still worth doing, as people would know the difference between
Hugh Mortimer and John Bentley. Come the night of the cabaret, the greeting
to yours truly was incredible - for all the wrong reasons! I stepped out
onto the stage to be greeted with jeers and very loud booing. It was
petrifying at the time, but it does show the power of Crossroads. I won the
audience over in the end, although how I don't know."

John was also greatly proud of the 'social awareness' Crossroads brought to
its viewers. In the storylines he suffered numerous heart-attacks which won
praise from Medical bodies for the portrait of how to deal promptly and
correctly with an attack, and also how to improve lifestyle afterwards. In
1975 18 million watched the on-screen wedding of Hugh and Meg, while fans of
the show brought Birmingham city centre to a halt to watch the recording at
the city's Cathedral.

He was also a strong defender of the programme, again commenting in 2006:
"The press may have disliked us because Crossroads was not very British in
production style or values. ATV originally boasted that we were using an
American idea and format. The press, I think, didn't like that at all. But
of course the things they mocked happened in every other programme of the
era too. Every "as live" programme had the same problems and mistakes. I
don't know why we were singled out from the rest."

Outside of the soap opera world he had a long and varied career. From acting
in movies alongside Diana Dors to leading a cast in the police drama African
Patrol back in the 1950s. John first got his break by singing as he recalled
to the Crossroads Fan Club:

"Apart from the odd school play, I had very little interest in the
theatrical world until I was sixteen and that was quite by accident. I got
into the business through radio producer Martyn C. Webster. On one of his
radio broadcasts he offered listeners to come to his studio and audition.
Those who were good enough would be offered work at the station.

I actually decided that I would be quite a good singer, so armed with a 78
record to accompany my performance, I sang for Martyn. He liked what he
heard and offered me a part in a radio musical. And that is where the
singing evolved into acting. Other radio dramas soon followed thankfully."

ATV

In the 1950s he began featuring on ATV programming, including the popular
daytime live chat show, Lunch Box where he was one of the guest singers.
This show just happened to be produced by Reg Watson, who later went on to
create Crossroads and was hosted by Midland icon, Noele Gordon.

"When a few years later they were casting the part of Hugh Mortimer, Noele
Gordon suggested me for the role to Reg, and they both agreed I was the
perfect choice."

"Crossroads" .... Hugh Mortimer (21 episodes, 1965-1976)
- Episode #1.2660 (1976) TV episode .... Hugh Mortimer
- Episode #1.2622 (1976) TV episode .... Hugh Mortimer
- Episode #1.2603 (1976) TV episode .... Hugh Mortimer
- Episode #1.2602 (1976) TV episode .... Hugh Mortimer
- Episode #1.2451 (1975) TV episode .... Hugh Mortimer
(16 more)
Crossroads: A Celebration (1971) (TV) .... Hugh Mortimer

"Thursday Theatre" .... Malcolm Turnbull (1 episode, 1964)
- Any Other Business (1964) TV episode .... Malcolm Turnbull
"Armchair Mystery Theatre" .... Turner (1 episode, 1964)
- Time Out of Mind (1964) TV episode .... Turner
The Fur Collar (1962) .... Mike Andrews
"The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre" .... Supt. Wills (1 episode, 1961)
... aka "Edgar Wallace" (UK)
... aka "Tales of Edgar Wallace" (UK)
- The Sinister Man (1961) TV episode .... Supt. Wills
Mary Had a Little... (1961) .... Dr. Malcolm Nettel
The Singer Not the Song (1961) .... Police Captain
An heiligen Wassern (1960) .... Lemmy, ein Engländer
... aka Sacred Waters (International: English title)
"Interpol Calling" .... Dave Carson (1 episode, 1960)
- Pipeline (1960) TV episode .... Dave Carson
"Armchair Theatre" (1 episode, 1960)
- Misfire (1960) TV episode

"The Third Man" .... Paul Cessac (1 episode, 1959)
- High Finance (1959) TV episode .... Paul Cessac
"After Hours" (1 episode, 1959)
- Episode #2.3 (1959) TV episode
"African Patrol" .... Chief Insp. Paul Derek (39 episodes, 1958-1959)
- Man and Beast (1959) TV episode .... Chief Insp. Paul Derek
- The Deadly 20 Minutes (1959) TV episode .... Chief Insp. Paul Derek
- A Witness to Murder (1959) TV episode .... Chief Insp. Paul Derek
- Knave of Diamonds (1959) TV episode .... Chief Insp. Paul Derek
- The Trek (1959) TV episode .... Chief Insp. Paul Derek
(34 more)
Submarine Seahawk (1958) .... Lt. Cmdr. Paul Turner
... aka Submarine X-2 (USA)
"ITV Television Playhouse" .... Richard Rollison 'The Toff' (1 episode, 1958)
- Hammer the Toff (1958) TV episode .... Richard Rollison 'The Toff'
Istanbul (1957) .... Insp. Nural
Escape in the Sun (1956) .... Jim Harrison
"Screen Directors Playhouse" .... Dr. Gorwin (1 episode, 1956)
- White Corridors (1956) TV episode .... Dr. Gorwin
"Lux Video Theatre" .... Baroudi (1 episode, 1956)
... aka "Summer Video Theatre" (USA: summer title)
- Temptation (1956) TV episode .... Baroudi
Flight from Vienna (1956) .... Capt. Lawson
... aka Escape from the Iron Curtain (USA)
Dial 999 (1955) .... Det. Sgt. Seagrave
... aka The Way Out (USA)
The Flaw (1955) .... Paul Oliveri
Stolen Assignment (1955) .... Mike Billings
Confession (1955) .... Inspector Kessler
... aka The Deadliest Sin (USA)
"The Vise" .... Dr. Lawrence / ... (2 episodes, 1955)
... aka "Detective's Diary" (USA: rerun title)
... aka "Saber of London" (UK)
... aka "The Vise: Mark Saber" (USA: third and fourth season title)
... aka "Uncovered" (syndication title)
- Death on the Boards (1955) TV episode .... Host
- Blind Man's Bluff (1955) TV episode .... Dr. Lawrence
Count of Twelve (1955) .... Dr. Lawrrence (episode "Blind Man's Bluff")
Final Appointment (1954) .... Mike Billings
... aka The Last Appointment (USA)
Profile (1954) .... Peter Armstrong
Double Exposure (1954) .... Pete Fleming
The Scarlet Spear (1954) .... District Officer Jim T. Barneson
River Beat (1954) .... Det. Insp. Dan Barker
Golden Ivory (1954) .... Paul Dobson
... aka The White Huntress (USA)
Black Orchid (1953) .... Eric Blair
Tread Softly (1952) .... Keith Gilbert
Paul Temple Returns (1952) .... Paul Temple
... aka Bombay Waterfront (USA)
The Lost Hours (1952) .... Clark Sutton
... aka The Big Frame (USA)
Hammer the Toff (1952) .... The Honourable Richard Rollison
The Woman's Angle (1952) .... Renfro Mansell
Salute the Toff (1952) .... The Honourable Richard Rollison
... aka Brighthaven Express (USA)
Men Against the Sun (1952) .... Hawker
She Shall Have Murder (1950) .... Douglas Robjohn
A Christmas Carol (1950) (TV) .... Night Watchman, Young Scrooge
Paul Temple's Triumph (1950) .... Paul Temple
The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950) .... Richard Tassell
Torment (1950) .... Jim Brandon
... aka Paper Gallows (USA)
Bait (1950) .... DuCane

Ten Little Niggers (1949) (TV) .... Philip Lombard
... aka Ten Little Indians
Calling Paul Temple (1948) .... Paul Temple
The Hills of Donegal (1947) .... Terry O'Keefe

Self:
1980s
1950s
"Movie Memories" .... Himself - Guest (1 episode, 1982)
- Episode #2.7 (1982) TV episode .... Himself - Guest

"The Vise" .... Himself, Host / ... (3 episodes, 1955)
... aka "Detective's Diary" (USA: rerun title)
... aka "Saber of London" (UK)
... aka "The Vise: Mark Saber" (USA: third and fourth season title)
... aka "Uncovered" (syndication title)
- Side Entrance (1955) TV episode .... Himself, Host
- Stranglehold (1955) TV episode .... Himself, Host/Peter Stanhope
- Count of Twelve (1955) TV episode .... Himself, Host

[Guest]

[cindyt]

RIP Mr. Bentley