Martin Benson

• Name — Martin Benson • Birth Name — Martin Benjamin Benson • Born — 10 August 1918 • Birthplace — London, England • Died — 28 February 2010 • Place of death — Markyate, Hertfordshire, England • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1942–2005 • Spouse — * Joan Oliver (?–?) divorced • Joy Swinson-Benson (m. 1977–2010) (his death)

Benson was born in the East End of London, into a Jewish family, the son of a Russian-Jewish grocer and his Polish-Jewish wife who had left Russia at the revolution. After attending Tottenham Grammar School on a scholarship, he served in the 2nd Searchlight, Royal Artillery, during World War II. Stationed in Cairo, Egypt, he and Arthur Lowe founded the repertory company Mercury Theatre in Alexandria.

Benson is remembered for his role as the Kralaholme in the original London production of The King and I, a role he recreated in the Oscar-winning film version. Appearing in films for over six decades, Benson played mostly supporting characters or villains. His films include The Blind Goddess (1948), Wheel of Fate (1953), Interpol (1957), The Strange World of Planet X (1958), Once More, with Feeling! (1959), Exodus (1960), Five Golden Hours (1961), A Shot in the Dark (1964), Pope Joan (1972), The Omen (1976), Mohammad, Messenger of God (also 1976), The Sea Wolves (1980) and Angela's Ashes (1999). Benson also had an uncredited role in MGM's hit historical film, Ivanhoe, and in 1963 he acted in another historic film, as Ramos in Cleopatra (which also starred Elizabeth Taylor). Benson played both serious roles, such as Ali in Killers of Kilimanjaro (1959) and comic roles, such as Maurice in A Shot in the Dark. In 1964, Benson appeared as Mr. Solo, the gangster who is killed by Goldfinger's henchman Oddjob in the James Bond film Goldfinger.

Benson appeared in many roles on television. He played a barrister, using his own name, in the unscripted series The Verdict is Yours which ran for several years in the 1950s. Cases were shown and the previously unknown verdict was given by jury of viewers. In 1957 he made a guest appearance on The Jack Benny Show. In the same year he played the recurring character the Duke de Medici in the children's adventure series Sword of Freedom. In 1960 he appeared in the series Danger Man in the episode entitled "Position of Trust" as Fawzi. In 1981 he appeared in the television production of The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, albeit unrecognisable under the heavy make-up and costume of Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz, leader of the Vogon fleet sent to destroy Earth. His last appearance was in the TV series Casualty in 2005.

Benson died in his sleep on 28 February 2010, from natural causes.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1953–1956 — Rheingold Theatre — Various — 8 episodes • 1954–1957 — The Vise — Carlos/Ambroise Martin — 2 episodes • 1956 — Colonel March of Scotland Yard — Dupont — Episode: "The Silent Vow" • 1956–1957 — Sailor of Fortune — El Sayid/Police Chief — 2 episodes • 1957 — Assignment Foreign Legion — Various — 3 episodes • The Adventures of Aggie — Sheikh Feisal — Episode: "Tarboosh" • The Jack Benny Program — Man Using Telescope — Episode: "Jack in Paris" • The Adventures of Sir Lancelot — Hassim — Episode: "The Mortaise Fair" • Overseas Press Club – Exclusive! — Dimitrios — Episode: "Santa Claus in a Jeep" • The New Adventures of Martin Kane — Episode: "The Missing Daughter Story" • O.S.S. — Tulio — Episode: "Operation Payday" • 1957–1959 — Sword of Freedom — Duke de Medici — 27 episodes • 1958 — The New Adventures of Charlie Chan — Ahmed/Roberto Ricci — 2 episodes • The Invisible Man — Omar — Episode: "Crisis in the Desert" • White Hunter — Piet Ritter — Episode: "Dead Man's Tale" • The Verdict Is Yours — Counsel for the Paintiff — Episode: "The Case of the Offensive General" • 1959 — The Third Man — Karsos — Episode: "An Offering of Pearls" • Dial 999 — Waymac — Episode: "Special Branch" • 1960 — Interpol Calling — Ahmed — Episode: "Mr. George" • The Army Game — Captain Strickley — Episode: "Bowler Hatting of Pocket" • The Four Just Men — Captain Renald — Episode: "The Boy Without a Country" • 1960–1965 — Danger Man — Fawzi/General Ventura — 2 episodes • 1960–1961 — The Charlie Drake Show — Fagin • 1960–1963 — ITV Television Playhouse — Various — 3 episodes • 1961 — One Step Beyond — Klaus Karnak/Dr. Evans — 2 episodes • 1961–1965 — No Hiding Place — Tomas Bexinga/Bernard Huntley • 1962 — Richard the Lionheart — Forked Beard/Jeweller • The Verdict Is Yours — Prosecuting Counsel • 1963 — Ghost Squad — Zervas — Episode: "Death of a Sportsman" • Suspense — John Haythorn — Episode: "The Uncertain Witness" • 1963–1967 — The Saint — Various — 3 episodes • 1965 — BBC Play of the Month — Rezso Kantner — Episode: "The Joel Brand Story" • 1966 — The Wednesday Play — Rudi — Episode: "Why Aren't You Famous?" • Court Martial — Padre Verga — Episode: "Achilles' Heel" • 1967 — Theatre 625 — Eric Jan Hanussen/Joseph Scharff — 2 episodes • 1968 — The Troubleshooters — Major General Hassef — Episode: "The Slight Problem with the Press" • The Champions — Garcian — Episode: "Full Circle" • 1973 — The Adventurer — Nicky Asteri — Episode: "The Case of the Poisoned Pawn" • 1974 — A Little Bit of Wisdom — Sharkie — Episode: "The Magic Monkey of Kubla Khan" • 1976 — Thriller — Spiros Lemke — Episode: "The Next Victim" • 1977 — Jesus of Nazareth — Pharisee — 2 episodes • The Onedin Line — Ranocci — Episode: "The Hostage" • The Professionals — Villa — Episode: "Long Shot" • 1978 — Return of the Saint — Elim — Episode: "One Black September" • 1979 — Telford's Change — Jacques Dupont — 2 episodes • 1980 — BBC2 Playhouse — Schrayer — Episode: "Pews" • 1981 — The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy — Vogon Captain — 2 episodes • Tales of the Unexpected — Vasco — Episode: "The Way to Do It" • 1986 — The Clairvoyant — Browser — 1 episode • 1988 — Wyatt's Watchdogs — Judge Goodman — Episode: "A Clot on the Landscape" • 1989 — Campion — Isaac Melchizadek — Episode: "Look to the Lady" • The Bill — Craven — Episode: "Make My Day" • 1992 — The Camomile Lawn — Pauli — 3 episodes • 1998 — Last of the Summer Wine — The Vicar — Episode: "The Only Disel Saxophone in the Country" • 2005 — Casualty — Rudy Goldspink — Episode: "Aftermath"