This Is Your Life: Michael Bentine

Michael BENTINE (1922-1996)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Michael Bentine, comedian, actor and writer, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Theatre, having been led to believe he was there to film a trailer for his forthcoming television programme.

Michael, who was born in Watford and educated at Eton College, began his acting career in 1940, before being called up for service in the RAF. After the war, he worked at London's Windmill Theatre, where he met Harry Secombe, with whom he co-founded the BBC radio comedy programme The Goon Show along with Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers.

Having parted amicably from The Goons, Michael established a career specialising in off-the-wall humour, often involving cartoons and other types of animations, including the children's television series The Bumblies and the comedy series It's a Square World, which won a BAFTA award in 1962.

programme details...

Edition No: 224
Subject No: 225
Broadcast date: Tue 30 Apr 1963
Broadcast time: 7.55-8.25pm
Recorded: Sun 21 Apr 1963 9.00pm
Venue: BBC Television Theatre
Series: 8
Edition: 29

on the guest list...

David Tomlinson
William Hope-Jones
Helen Cherry
Osmund Kelsick
Clementina - wife
Eddie Vitch
Marylla - daughter
Stuart - son
Richard - son
Serena - daughter
Frances Forbes
David Hughes
Anne Hughes
Andrew De Briger
Frank Thornton

production team...

Researcher: unknown
Writer: unknown
Director: Vere Lorrimer
Producer: T Leslie Jackson

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

It's a Funny Old Life

it's all about the comedy

Frank Thornton

Photographs of Michael Bentine This Is Your Life

Michael Bentine recalls his experience of This Is Your Life in his autobiography, The Long Banana Skin...

The last week of Pop's life had been filled with incident.

He was always upset that I had gone on the boards, even though he himself had been a keen and accomplished amateur actor. And he regretted my not having continued on the scientific course that he had set me.

But in this last week of his life he had seen my edition of This Is Your Life, and thoroughly enjoyed it - because even though I had always sworn that I'd never get caught on that show, Eamonn and Clementina had so planned it.

The excuse given to allay my suspicions was so logical that I didn't question it.

John Street had told me that he wanted to make a trailer, that is to say a preview, of our next show, at the BBC Television Theatre at Shepherd's Bush.

This, of course, was standard operating procedure and I had suggested interviewing typical members of the British public, who lived in the Shepherd's Bush area, about their reactions to Square World.

The gag was to be that all of them were either Indian, Chinese, Japanese, or Arabs - in fact anything but the old archetypal British public.

John and I had been filming all day down at the seaside and I was exhausted when we arrived outside the television theatre, which had lights and cameras already set up, with my team done up as Arabs, etc.

As this seemed to be what we intended to do I didn't think it out of the ordinary when, led by Frank Thornton, they rushed forward and picked me up. I thought it was all part of the gag, which in the case of trailers we often ad-libbed.

Even the presence of an audience inside the theatre didn't wise me up to what was really happening, because we often used other shows' studio audiences, to get a reaction for a trailer.

Only when I came face to face with a grinning Eamonn Andrews, whom I had known for years, did the penny drop.

All I could say was: 'You rotten bog-Irish bastard!'

To which the dacent boy replied: 'You bloody mad Peruvian!'

Sadly, neither of these immortal quotations appeared on the programme.

Eamonn quickly added: 'We've brought your friends from all over the world for this one Mike!'

So what the hell can you do?

The BBC had treated me well over this programme, bringing Andrew Briger from Australia, as well as many friends, including my beloved tutor, Bill Hope Jones, and many others.

It was really a very wonderful experience, though I told Clementina that I'd never fully trust her afterwards - as she'd been far too successful in hiding it all from me for about six weeks beforehand.

M'Tutor summed it up for me when he said: 'I haven't had so much fun since the headmaster's braces burst!'

Pop, however, was too ill to take part in it and watched it, delightedly, from his bed at home.

Michael Bentine recalls his experience of This Is Your Life in his autobiography, The Reluctant Jester...

Just after Square World's extraordinary success at Montreux, I found myself trapped on This Is Your Life, presented by Eamonn Andrews.

Pop was delghted by the recognition I was receiving.

He told me, 'I realise that, through your comedy, you will be able to open many doors, and use your clairvoyance and prevision to help people in many ways. After all, that is what I trained you for.'

A week later, he died in his sleep.

Series 8 subjects