James Booth

For other uses, see James Booth (disambiguation).
James Booth
Born David Geeves
(1927-12-19)19 December 1927
Croydon, Surrey, England
Died 11 August 2005(2005-08-11) (aged 77)
Hadleigh, Essex, England
Other names David Geeves-Booth
Years active 1958-2005
Spouse(s) Paula Delaney (1960-2005; his death; 4 children)

James Booth (born David Geeves; 19 December 1927 – 11 August 2005) was an English film, stage and television actor and screenwriter. Though considered handsome enough to play leading roles, and versatile enough to play a wide variety of character parts, Booth naturally projected a shifty, wolfish, or unpredictable quality that led inevitably to villainous roles and comedy, usually with a cockney flavour. He is probably best known for his role as Private Henry Hook in Zulu.

Early life

He was born in Croydon, Surrey on 19 December 1927, the son of a probation officer. He was educated at Southend Grammar School, which he left aged 17 to join the army. He rose to the rank of Captain. He spent several years working for an international trading company. However, his interest in acting soon took priority. He was trained at RADA and he made his first professional appearance as a member of the Old Vic company, before joining Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East in 1958. The Workshop's musical Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be became a hit and Booth, who played its most pungent character, looked poised for stardom. Producer Irving Allen signed Booth to an exclusive contract with Warwick Films.

Career

The 1960s, and especially the early '60s, represented the most active period of Booth's film career, with Zulu being the film for which he is best remembered. Joseph E. Levine put him under contract. He will also be remembered for playing the part of Kenny Ames, a pornography baron living in enforced exile in Spain, in series 2 of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet in 1985.

Though many observers expected Booth to become a major star, his acting career stalled and nearly died. In interviews, Booth was surprisingly forthcoming about the reasons for his professional difficulties. These included his appearance in the flop stage musical Twang! in 1965, the flop film The Secret of My Success opposite such popular actresses as Honor Blackman and Shirley Jones, his alcoholism, his unaggressive approach to selling himself, his lack of connections and his own failure to work hard because everything came so easily to him at first. Booth also turned down the lead role of Alfie. By 1974 he was bankrupt, heavily in debt and was forced to return to the stage.

When no one would offer Booth an acting job, he tried his hand at screenwriting and found a market for his services in Hollywood. From the mid-'70s to sometime in the '90s, Booth lived in southern California and worked primarily as a screenwriter, making occasional film or TV appearances, including a cameo appearance in the second series of Twin Peaks (1990).[1]

In later life Booth moved back to Britain, where he never retired from performing.

Personal life

He married Paula Delaney in 1960 and they had two sons and two daughters and lived in Hadleigh, Essex[2] where he died on 11 August 2005 aged 77.[3] His last film - Keeping Mum - was dedicated to his memory.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1956 The Narrowing Circle Bit Role Uncredited
1957 The Girl in the Picture Office boy Credited as David Greever
1960 Jazzboat Spider Kelly
Let's Get Married Photographer
The Trials of Oscar Wilde Alfred Wood
In the Nick Spider Kelly
1961 The Hellions Jubal
In the Doghouse Bob Skeffington
1963 Sparrows Can't Sing Charlie Gooding
1964 Zulu Private Henry Hook VC
French Dressing Jim
1965 Ninety Degrees in the Shade Vorell
The Secret of My Success Arthur Tate
1967 Robbery Inspector George Langdon
1968 The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom Ambrose Tuttle
1969 Fräulein Doktor Meyer
1970 Adam's Woman Dyson
Darker than Amber Burk
Macho Callahan Harry Wheeler
The Man Who Had Power Over Women Val Pringle
1971 Revenge Jim Radford
1972 Rentadick Simon Hamilton
1973 That'll Be The Day Mr MacLaine
Penny Gold Matthews
1974 Percy's Progress Jeffcott
1975 Brannigan Charlie the Handle
1976 I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight S.J. Nutbrown
1977 Airport '77 Ralph Crawford
1978 Evening in Byzantium Jack Conrad
1980 Caboblanco John Baker
The Jazz Singer Paul Rossini
1981 Zorro, The Gay Blade Valasquez
1985 Pray for Death Limehouse
1986 Bad Guys Lord Percy
Avenging Force Admiral Brown (also co-wrote)
1988 Deep Space Dr. Forsyth
1990 American Ninja 4: The Annihilation Mulgrew
1994 Inner Sanctum II Detective Hooper
2001 The Breed Fleming
2004 The Pool Patrick
2005 Keeping Mum Mr. Brown (Last appearance)

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1958-59 The Adventures of William Tell Various 3 episodes
1964 First Night Newton Episode: Stray Cats and Empty Bottles
1971 Shirley's World Edmund Remberg Episode: A Mother's Touch
1972 "Bonanza" Reverend Episode: "Second Sight"
1975 The Sweeney Vic Labbett Episode: Poppy
1978 Wheels Sir Phillip Sturdevant Miniseries
1982 The Fall Guy Ian Graham Episode: Child's Play
1985-93 Minder Godfrey and Toby 'Jug' Johnson 2 episodes: Give Us This Daley's Bread and Gone with the Winchester
1986 Auf Wiedersehen, Pet Kenny Ames 8 episodes
1990-91 Twin Peaks Ernie Niles 5 episodes
1991 Lovejoy Mordechai Frobel 1 episode
2000 The Bill Freddy Walker Episode: Crime and Punishment

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
1956-57 Richard III Old Vic, London
1958 The Hostage IRA officer Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop
A Christmas Carol Bob Cratchit For the Theatre Workshop
1959 Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be Tosher Theatre Royal, Stratford
The Hostage IRA officer Wyndham's Theatre
1961-62 The Fire-Raisers Royal Court Theatre
1962 The Caretaker Mick
The Comedy of Errors RSC, Stratford-on-Avon
King Lear Edmund RSC, Stratford-on-Avon
1965 Twang! Robin Hood Shaftesbury
1973 The Entertainer Archie Rice [4]
1975-76 Travesties James Joyce RSC and Noel Coward Theatre, London
1987-88 Peter Pan Mr Darling/Captain James Hook Tyne Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne and Opera House[5]

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ IMDb - Twin Peaks Episode No. 2.8 (1990) - Full Cast & Crew
  2. ↑ The Hadleigh and Thundersley Community Archive Retrieved 2016-10-21.
  3. ↑ Shorter, Eric (16 August 2005). "(Obituary) James Booth". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  4. ↑ Hall, 2005, p. 155
  5. ↑ Hall, 2005, p. 155
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