Michael Bentine

Michael Bentine (January 26 1922 - November 26 1996) was a comedian, comic actor, and member of the Goons.

Related Topics:
January 26 - 1922 - November 26 - 1996 - Goons

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bentine was born in Watford, of Anglo-Peruvian parentage and grew-up in Folkestone, Kent. He was educated in Eton College. In World War II he served as an RAF Intelligence officer, and took part in the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. He had acted before the war, and afterwards he decided to become a comedian, specialising in off-the-wall humour, often involving cartoons and other types of animation. For example, a prominent feature of his series, It's a Square World, was the imaginary flea-circus.

Related Topics:
Watford - Anglo - Peru - Folkestone - Kent - Eton College - World War II - RAF - Bergen-Belsen - Concentration camp - Animation

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He was also a television presenter and writer.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He appeared in the Goon Show film Down Among the Z Men, and at the time seemed perhaps the most comfortable of the cast in working in a visual medium.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During the 1960's he also took part in the first Hovercraft expedition up the Amazon river.

Related Topics:
Hovercraft - Expedition - Amazon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In later life, his interests included parapsychology; this partly arose as a result of the premature death of his son.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Appeared in:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• The Goon Show (1950-52)
• Round the Bend in Thirty Minutes (1959)
• It's a Square World (1960-64)
• The Golden Silents (1965)
• Michael Bentine's Potty Time (1973-80)
• ...and many other programmes
 
Michael Bentine: External link ►