Holland Bennett(1902-1984)
- Actor
"Tim" Holland Bennett was born on August 19, 1902 in Surbiton, Surrey, England as Sidney Eric Holland Bennett. His mother's brother was William Holland, 1st Baron Rotherham.
Bennett began his acting career in 1925 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, appearing in 13 of Sir Barry Jackson's productions. In 1928 he played Richard in "The Farmer's Wife", alongside fellow actor Christine Lindsay in the part of Petronelle. The pair married in April 1929, and thereafter performed together seasonally with the Perranporth Players in Cornwall.
In addition to stage work, Holland Bennett appeared in a number of radio and televised programs. His notable movie and television appearances include Androcles and the Lion (1938), Charley's Aunt (1938), and The Adventures of Dick Turpin (1929).
Bennett moved away from acting during WWII, and in 1940 became involved in production for BBC radio. He transferred to BBC London in 1944 to take charge of production for armed forces programming. After the war he covered the Nuremburg trials for BBC radio.
In 1946 Holland Bennett became the booking manager for the BBC's television service, which was restarting after a wartime shutdown. He was responsible for a well-published BBC deal, signing Harry Belafonte to a 5-year worldwide television exclusive contract in 1958. He retired from the BBC in 1965 and took up a position with ABC-TV (a predecessor to Thames Television).
Holland Bennett died November 19, 1984 in Horsham, West Sussex, England.
Bennett began his acting career in 1925 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, appearing in 13 of Sir Barry Jackson's productions. In 1928 he played Richard in "The Farmer's Wife", alongside fellow actor Christine Lindsay in the part of Petronelle. The pair married in April 1929, and thereafter performed together seasonally with the Perranporth Players in Cornwall.
In addition to stage work, Holland Bennett appeared in a number of radio and televised programs. His notable movie and television appearances include Androcles and the Lion (1938), Charley's Aunt (1938), and The Adventures of Dick Turpin (1929).
Bennett moved away from acting during WWII, and in 1940 became involved in production for BBC radio. He transferred to BBC London in 1944 to take charge of production for armed forces programming. After the war he covered the Nuremburg trials for BBC radio.
In 1946 Holland Bennett became the booking manager for the BBC's television service, which was restarting after a wartime shutdown. He was responsible for a well-published BBC deal, signing Harry Belafonte to a 5-year worldwide television exclusive contract in 1958. He retired from the BBC in 1965 and took up a position with ABC-TV (a predecessor to Thames Television).
Holland Bennett died November 19, 1984 in Horsham, West Sussex, England.
