Background
Bennett was born in Tunbridge Wells, England.
Bennett was born in Tunbridge Wells, England.
He is perhaps best known for directing the 1945 film The Seventh Veil and the 1950 version of the film King Solomon"s Mines, an adaptation of an Allan Quatermain story. At the beginning of his career, he worked as a band leader and a commercial artist before trying his hand at amateur filmmaking. One of these early films helped him land a job at Alexander Korda"s London Films in 1932.
There, he became a film editors
Later he would help make instructional and propaganda films for the British armed forces during World World War World War II Bennett"s films tended to be sombre, but were very popular with the moviegoing public. In 1947, Bennett accepted an invitation to go to Hollywood, but his directing style appeared to suffer in the American studio system of the era.
lieutenant was, however, during this time that he directed King Solomon"s Mines. Bennett eventually returned to the United Kingdom. From 1954 to 1957, he left film work to pursue interests in the theatre and television, but produced four films in 1957, After the Ball, Manitoba-Eater, That Woman Opposite and The Flying Scot.
Although he continued to write and direct for film and television, his subsequent productions were not as well received.
Bennett died in Sussex, England at the age of 74.