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Charles Bennett

Charles Bennett

Writer, also director · Died June 15, 1995, aged 95 · Shoreham-by-Sea, England

Born just before the century turned, Charles Bennett made his writing debut as a child in 1911, fought in France during World War I while still a teen and resumed his acting career after the war's end. In 1926 he dropped acting to concentrate on being a playwright, later turning one of his most famous plays, "Blackmail," into a screenplay for production under the direction of Alfred Hitchcock. The affiliation with "Hitch" continued into the early 1940s, by which time both Bennett and the director were working in Hollywood. He wrote for producers ranging from Cecil B. DeMille to Irwin Allen to the penny-pinching folks at AIP. "If I couldn't write, I wouldn't want to live," commented Bennett, who had projects (including a remake of "Blackmail") going right up to the time of his death.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 2, 1899
Died
June 15, 1995 (aged 95)
From
Shoreham-by-Sea, England
Works as
Writer, also director
Titles
34 on MovieCove · 59 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 25% in 30 days

What are Charles Bennett's films like?

Across their 30 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Crime9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 32nd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
42%
Bonds
16%
Survival
15%
Self
9%
Ideas
7%
Society
6%
Power
5%
Justice8 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival8 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception8 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty4 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 30 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 12 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 6

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 15 · Intense 12

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 8 · Shifting 21 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 20 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 22 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 17 · Full focus 5

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 13 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 4

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 24 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
25
Thrilling
9
Romantic
10
Dread
7
Melancholic
6
Other
22

How their films linger

Rousing10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 9 with a twist

  • Happy15
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Charles Bennett's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 18 of their 34 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (16).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Charles Bennett's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

59 credits, 34 with a MovieCove page.

  • A State of Emergency(1986)

    as Charlie

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Land of the Giants(1968)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • The Wild Wild West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • City in the Sea(1965)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea(1964)

    Show 6 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Five Weeks in a Balloon(1962)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea(1961)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Lost World(1960)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Big Circus(1959)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Behind Closed Doors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Curse of the Demon(1957)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Story of Mankind(1957)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Knew Too Much(1956)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Count of Monte Cristo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 11 episodes · Director

  • Casino Royale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Teleplay

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Dangerous Mission(1954)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • No Escape(1953)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Cavalcade of America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Writer

  • The Green Glove(1952)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Kind Lady(1951)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Where Danger Lives(1950)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Lux Video Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 5 episodes · Writer

  • Madness of the Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Black Magic(1949)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Sign of the Ram (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Screenplay

  • Unconquered(1947)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Ivy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Screenplay

  • The Story of Dr. Wassell(1944)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Forever and a Day(1943)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Reap the Wild Wind(1942)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Joan of Paris(1942)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • They Dare Not Love(1941)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Foreign Correspondent(1940)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Balalaika(1939)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The Young in Heart(1938)

    Adaptation

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • King Solomon's Mines(1937)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Young and Innocent(1937)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Sabotage(1936)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Secret Agent(1936)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • All at Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Writer

  • The Clairvoyant(1935)

    Adaptation · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The 39 Steps(1935)

    Adaptation · as Second Passerby Near the Bus (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Night Mail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Writer

  • The Man Who Knew Too Much(1934)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Secret of the Loch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Writer

  • Mannequin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Screenplay

  • The House of Trent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Writer

  • Matinee Idol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Writer

  • Hawleys of High Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Writer

  • Partners Please (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Writer

  • Two Way Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Script · Story

  • Deadlock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Story

  • The Last Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Theatre Play

  • Painted Pictures (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Director · Writer

  • Blackmail(1929)

    Theatre Play

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Rainbow Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    as Amos Divine

  • Hobbled Hearts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Actor

  • John Halifax, Gentleman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    as John as a Child

Career shape

A full career of 59 titles from 1915 to 1986.

Biggest box office

The 39 Steps (1935)

$101K worldwide

Highest rated

The 39 Steps (1935)

Midcredits 95th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting5 of 59: 4 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting5 of 59: 1 only directing, 4 with another roleWriting54 of 59: 48 only writing, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score66thOther crew1 of 59: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

59 titles, 6 with more than one role — writing and acting overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

1910s3 · acting1920s1 · crew1930s21 · 1 acting · 21 crew1940s11 · crew1950s15 · crew1960s7 · crew1980s1 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Charles Bennett's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 32; across their 30 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 62nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Approval · how many liked their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Reach · how many have seen their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 30

Midcredits score across 34 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

22 of their 34 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser22
  • Broadly Agreed7
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

A State of Emergency (1986)

74th percentile spread · 34% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, writer

The 39 Steps (1935)

Midcredits 95th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 48/100 and the plot and story 48/100 in their films, across 30 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Charles Bennett's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and sex & nudity run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles33–43 · median 33 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles2–7 · median 4 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 5 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 32 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 43 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Charles Bennett work with?

People who share at least 2 of Charles Bennett's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alfred Hitchcock shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles