Thomas Bentley
Born23 February 1884
St George Hanover Square, London, England
Died23 December 1966 (aged 82)
Bournemouth, Dorset, England
OccupationFilm director
Years active1912–1951

Thomas Bentley (23 February 1884 – 23 December 1966) was a British film director. He directed 68 films between 1912 and 1941. He directed three films in the early DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process, The Man in the Street (1926), The Antidote (1927), and Acci-Dental Treatment (1928).

Bentley was born in St George Hanover Square, London and originally trained as an engineer but went on to become a vaudeville performer well known for impersonating the characters from the novels of Charles Dickens on stage, touring Britain and Australia.[1][2] His directing career in silent films began in 1910 after he was signed by Cecil Hepworth to write and direct five adaptations of Dickens' novels.[2] He would go on to helm more Charles Dickens adaptations throughout his career. After his retirement from directing in 1941 he became technical advisor to the British Film Council.

In her typescript-cum-memoir, Mabel Poulton named Bentley as the film director-rapist of a young British starlet who then becomes an alcoholic as a result.[3][4] Poulton starred in two films directed by him: The Old Curiosity Shop (1921) and Not Quite a Lady (1928).

Selected filmography

References

  1. ↑ Pointer, Michael (1996). Charles Dickens on the Screen. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. p. 31; ISBN 0-8108-2960-6.
  2. 1 2 McFarlane, Brian (28 February 2014). The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition. Oxford University Press. p. 66-67; ISBN 9781526111968
  3. ↑ Sweet, Matthew (2005). Shepperton Babylon. Faber & Faber. p. 65-67. ISBN 0-571-21297-2.
  4. ↑ Shepperton Babylon (documentary). BBC Four. 2005.
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