John Bentley Movies
Handsome, British stage actor John Bentley entered London's film industry in 1946, where he was immediately put to work grinding out inexpensive detective melodramas. He was seen as radio hero Paul Temple in an entertaining Boy's-Own-Adventure film series, then starred as John Creasey's gentleman sleuth "The Toff" in a brace of second features. Occasionally, Bentley ventured into "A"-picture territory, notably the 1956 Errol Flynn vehicle Istanbul (1956). In 1957, John Bentley starred as Inspector John Derek in the Kenya-filmed TV detective series African Patrol. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 2003
Jon Lovitz makes a return appearance as Steve, the dopey doper whose restaurant Monica (Courteney Cox) auditioned to be a chef for during season one of Friends. Steve turns out to be one of several "candidates" that Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) have chosen as potential sight-unseen dates for Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston). The logic behind this is sublime: by demonstrating how many bad choices there are in the world, Joey and Pheebs hope to bring Ross and Rachel back together. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Lovitz, Sam Pancake, (more)
- 1991
The ongoing debate over parental rights in medical procedures comes to the forefront when a five-year-old girl dies from a relatively minor throat infection. The child's parents, Ted and Nancy Driscoll (Byron Jennings, Kaiulani Lee) are arrested, whereupon they argue that their religious beliefs compelled them to deny medical treatment for their daughter. Incidentally, the unfortunate youngster is played by an uncredited Michelle Trachtenberg, who later co-starred on the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
This Emmy-winning made-for-TV movie, based on a book by Oscar-winning screenwriter Barry Morrow (from his true story), stars Mickey Rooney in the title role of a mentally-challenged adult who has spent his life holed up in a bleak institution. When documentary filmmaker Morrow (Dennis Quaid) and his family invite him into their home to stay with them, Bill is given his first taste of independence in the real world. Together, Bill and the Morrows unexpectedly teach each other valuable lessons about life and themselves. The film was so popular that it spawned a sequel two years later called Bill: On His Own. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 1962
The Fur Collar is the principal clue in a mystery involving an espionage ring. Reporter John Bentley, assigned to the Paris beat, does his best to route out the spies. When his enemies try to assassinate him, Bentley pretends to be dead, the better to work undercover. Martin Benson co-stars as Inspector Legrain, Bentley's friendly enemy. Fur Collar was assembled by the ill-named production firm of Albatross. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
In this mystery, an Oxford archaeologist is murdered while investigating the Kytang Wafers, a valuable find. Not only is he killed, the wafers are also stolen. Now his former peers from the Oriental Research Institute must launch an investigation of their own. Meanwhile, Scotland Yard also begins its own investigation. The Yard detective learns from another that the perpetrator is a Korean-war vet who is working with a Kytang diplomat. The diplomat is preparing to kill the vet when the inspector appears and takes them both to jail. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1961
A strange bet provides the basis of this comedy, a British theater producer decides to make some easy money by betting a psychiatrist, whom he overheard telling a colleague that he could create the perfect child by hypnotizing a pregnant woman, that the shrink has as many holes in his theory as he did in his head. The wager is made, and the producer then talks an actress friend into masquerading as the pregnant woman to ensure his win. Unfortunately for him, the actress and the doctor fall in love. Seeing that her sweethearts theories are being derided by his peers, she decides to help him out and get pregnant for real. To do this, she gets drunk, staggers over to the producer's apartment and demands that he satisfy her right then and there. Unfortunately in the middle of it all, the doctor shows up. Then the producer's fiancee pays a visit and the whole scam falls apart in his living room. Fortunately happiness ensues when the doctor and the actress marry and decide to try the experiment for real. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Agnes Laurent, John Bentley, (more)
- 1961
This unusual western concerns the conflict between a priest and a Mexican bandito from A Night to Remember (1958) director Roy Baker. Father Keogh (John Mills) is a Catholic priest who arrives in the remote Mexican village of Quantano to build a congregation, unaware that the town is terrorized by the ruthless criminal Anacleto (Dirk Bogarde). An atheist, Anacleto has forbidden worship, so when Keogh holds services, Anacleto retaliates by murdering the locals in alphabetical order. Keogh refuses to back down. Impressed by his valor, Anacleto calls his men off and makes the priest an offer -- he'll spare him if he determines which inspires greater good, "the singer" (the priest) or "the song" (religion). Keogh doesn't answer. Meanwhile, one of the clergyman's followers, the young girl Locha (Mylene Demongeot), flees when her family, realizing that she's in love with Keogh, arranges a marriage with someone more suitable. Anacleto finds the girl and offers Keogh another deal. He'll let the girl live if the priest will admit his failure before his congregation. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dirk Bogarde, John Mills, (more)
- 1959
In this WW II actioner, the crew of the Seahawk nearly mutinies when they discover that their new commander is a tactical instructor who has very little experience as a leader. They are quite angry because he refuses to allow them to sink the Japanese warships that are so close to them. Later they change their opinion after learning that he was only following orders. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Bentley, Brett Halsey, (more)
- 1957
In this African adventure, two brothers head to Kenya to lead settlers through the dense jungle. Conflict arises when the two fall in love with the same woman, the daughter of a homesteader. The little band of settlers is eventually joined by a fugitive killer who, along with one of the brothers, tries to convince the travelers to change their plans and go off to find gold. No one is interested, so they set off on their own. In the end, they are killed by angry natives. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1957
In this adventure, a remake of Singapore (1947), a hero finds a bracelet containing 13 precious gems while visiting Istanbul. He soon finds himself pursued by covetous crooks who want those jewels. He is then deported by the Turkish authorities, but not before he has time to hide the bracelet in a hotel. Five years later, the man returns to seek out the stones. Again he is pursued by both authorities and criminals. He must also contend with the reappearance of his wife whom he thought had burned to death on their wedding night. She lived but suffered amnesia. She then remarried. Nat "King" Cole sings "When I Fall in Love". ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Errol Flynn, Cornell Borchers, (more)
- 1956
Sydney Chaplin (son of Charlie) heads the cast of the British meller The Deadliest Sin. Chaplin plays a slimy holdup man named Mike, who has recently double-crossed his partner in crime. When the partner shows up to claim his due, the man is killed by Alan (Peter Hammond), the boy-friend of Mike's sister Louise (Audrey Dalton). Alan is all for confessing his crime, but Mike, realizing that he'll be implicated in the original robbery, murders Alan. Alas, Mike's victim has already spilled the beans to Father Neil (John Welsh), leaving our "hero" no alternative but to knock off the priest as well-and it is this blasphemous decision that results in Mike's downfall. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sydney Chaplin, Audrey Dalton, (more)
- 1956
A man seeking asylum takes desperate actions to prove his sincerity in this drama. The man is an important Hungarian official trying to defect to England. The British are unsure of his true loyalties and ask him to prove his loyalty to them by returning to his home and smuggling out a scientist who also wants to leave. The official does so and returns to England with the scientist. Someone then tries to kill him. He is saved and finally granted asylum. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1956
This video is comprised of two episodes from the suspenseful anthology series, Pendulum. The first "The Price of Vanity," centers on an avaricious art dealer who is delighted when he stumbles across what seems to be a masterpiece. In "Death on the Boards," a ballerina vents her frustration about growing old on her younger rival. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1956
In this African adventure, a big-game hunting millionaire, attempts to track down and shoot his wife and her lover who is also a hunter. The thought of becoming prey is highly offensive to the lover who winds up shooting the millionaire. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1956
The Way Out was originally released in Great Britain as Dial 999. The eponymous telephone number is the emergency line to Scotland Yard, which in this film is represented by detective John Bentley. Hollywood's Gene Nelson plays a philandering husband who tries to hide the fact that he's killed a man. Nelson's wife Mona Freeman and brother-in-law Michael Goodliffe concoct an elaborate scheme to evade the authorities, but it all proves futile in the film's ironic climax. Assembled by Merton Park productions, the low-budget firm later responsible for Edgar Wallace mysteries, Dial 999 was spun off into a 39-week TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Nelson, Mona Freeman, (more)
- 1955
In this light-hearted crime drama, a rivalrous pair of reporters team up to solve the murder of a prominent artist's wife. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
In this crime drama, a sneaky race-car driver wants to kill his wife the heiress. Unfortunately her attorney, who is in love with her, discovers the plan. The driver poisons the lawyer and then tells him all about his elaborate plan to kill them both. But the lawyer is not really poisoned and later shows up aboard the driver's yacht to have a brutal fight that culminates in tragedy for one of the two combatants. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
Hollywood's Danziger brothers dashed off the British The Count of Twelve in approximately two weeks. With only 51 minutes' worth of running time, the storytelling has to be quick and to the point, and it is. The film is divided into two separate but tenuously connected plotlines. In the first, a man tries to avoid being murdered at the stroke of midnight, only to expire from a heart attack. In the second, a doctor's intended adulterous affair comes to an ironic-and tragic-sudden conclusion. One suspects that Count of Twelve was the pilot for a never-produced TV anthology series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1954
The Scarlet Spear was produced by George Breakston and stars John Bentley, the same creative team who later collaborated on the Kenya-filmed TV series African Patrol. Bentley plays African district officer Jim Morrison, while Martha Hyer is cast as girl reporter Christine Together, they try to persuade African chief Morasi from using a poisoned spear to dispatch a rival chief. In doing so, Morrison and Christine run afoul of centuries-old tribal tradition. Much of the film is devoted to the "rites of passage" ceremonies which Morasi must undergo to prove his worthiness to lead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Bentley, Martha Hyer, (more)
- 1954
A newspaper journalist and his irritating assistant team up with the cops to solve a perplexing murder in this comical thriller. Each of the victims was a war veteran. Each one was killed on a July 10th. Soon the amateur sleuths discover that the victims had other common threads and these clues lead to the killer's capture. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1954
A lady photographer clicks a few revealing pix at the home of a wealthy woman. When the home's occupant commits suicide, the photographer is accused of prompting this tragedy. Inspector John Bentley suspects there's more to the case than is readily apparent. It turns out that the dead woman was actually murdered by a local bookie, who rearranged the evidence to suggest suicide. Filmed in London, Double Exposure was produced by Robert Baker and Monty Berman, the same team later responsible for the TV series The Saint. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
