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James Booth

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Full Name
  
David Geeves

Role
  
Film actor

Name
  
James Booth

Years active
  
1958-2005

Other names
  
David Geeves-Booth


James Booth Clickautographs search results

Born
  
19 December 1927 (
1927-12-19
)
Croydon, Surrey, England

Died
  
August 11, 2005, Hadleigh, United Kingdom

Spouse
  
Paula Delaney (m. 1960–2005)

Education
  
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art

TV shows
  
Movies
  
Zulu, American Ninja 4: The Anni, Sparrows Can't Sing, Avenging Force, Keeping Mum

Similar People
  
Stanley Baker, Sam Firstenberg, Cy Endfield, Nigel Green, Jack Hawkins

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.

Contents

James Booth Clickautographs autographs James Booth

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 early 1960s 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.

Though many observers expected Booth to become a major star, his acting career stalled and nearly stopped. In interviews, Booth was 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 opportunities in Hollywood. From the mid-1970s to sometime in the 1990s, 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. He played a pornography baron living in enforced exile in Spain in series 2 of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet in 1985.

James Booth Obituary

In later life Booth moved back to Britain. He never retired from performing.

Personal life

James Booth James Booth Mediatly

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



Filmography

Actor
2006
Keeping Mum: Deleted Scenes (Video short) as
Mr. Brown
2005
Keeping Mum as
Mr. Brown
2004
The Pool (Short) as
Patrick
2003
Red Phone 2 (TV Movie) as
Russian Minister
2001
The Breed as
Fleming
2000
The Bill (TV Series) as
Freddy Walker
- Crime and Punishment (2000) - Freddy Walker
1994
Inner Sanctum II as
Detective Hooper
1994
Acapulco H.E.A.T. (TV Series) as
Andre Sokol
- Code Name: Stalemate: Part 2 (1994) - Andre Sokol
- Code Name: Stalemate - Part 1 (1994) - Andre Sokol
1985
Minder (TV Series) as
Toby Jug Johnson / Godfrey
- Gone with the Winchester (1993) - Toby Jug Johnson
- Give Us This Day Arthur Daley's Bread (1985) - Godfrey
1992
Gunsmoke: To the Last Man (TV Movie) as
Zack The Preacher
1991
Lovejoy (TV Series) as
Mordechai Frobel
- The Black Virgin of Vladimir (2 of 2) (1991) - Mordechai Frobel
1990
Twin Peaks (TV Series) as
Ernie Niles
- Checkmate (1991) - Ernie Niles
- The Black Widow (1991) - Ernie Niles
- Masked Ball (1990) - Ernie Niles
- Dispute Between Brothers (1990) - Ernie Niles
- Drive with a Dead Girl (1990) - Ernie Niles
1990
American Ninja 4: The Annihilation as
Mulgrew
1990
Bergerac (TV Series) as
Nicholas Wolfe
- All the Sad Songs (1990) - Nicholas Wolfe
1990
Have a Nice Night (TV Movie) as
Don Warrenton
1988
The Lady and the Highwayman (TV Movie) as
Millionaire
1988
Deep Space as
Dr. Forsythe
1987
Moon in Scorpio as
Dr. Torrence
1987
Programmed to Kill as
Brock
1986
Avenging Force as
Adm. Brown
1986
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (TV Series) as
Kenny Ames
- Quo Vadis, Pet (1986) - Kenny Ames
- For Better or Worse (1986) - Kenny Ames
- Law and Disorder (1986) - Kenny Ames
- Scoop (1986) - Kenny Ames
- No Sex Please, We're Brickies (1986) - Kenny Ames
- Cowboys (1986) - Kenny Ames
- A Home from Home (1986) - Kenny Ames
- Another Country (1986) - Kenny Ames
1986
Bad Guys as
Lord Percy
1985
Pray for Death as
Limehouse
1984
The Cowboy and the Ballerina (TV Movie) as
Col. Gori
1984
Young Lust as
Conrad Main
1982
Hotline (TV Movie) as
Charlie Jackson
1982
The Fall Guy (TV Series) as
Ian Graham
- Child's Play (1982) - Ian Graham
1981
Zorro: The Gay Blade as
Velasquez
1980
The Jazz Singer as
Paul Rossini
1980
Cabo Blanco as
John Baker
1979
Hart to Hart (TV Series) as
Mallicent
- Death in the Slow Lane (1979) - Mallicent
1979
Jennifer: A Woman's Story (TV Movie) as
George Black
1978
The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (TV Series) as
Lt. Buckley
- Assault on the Tower (1978) - Lt. Buckley
1978
Evening in Byzantium (TV Mini Series) as
Jack Conrad
- Part II (1978) - Jack Conrad
- Part I (1978) - Jack Conrad
1978
Wheels (TV Mini Series) as
Sir Phillip Sturdevant
1978
Baretta (TV Series) as
Bristol Bob
- Hot Horse (1978) - Bristol Bob
1977
Murder in Peyton Place (TV Movie) as
Tommy Crimpton
1977
Airport '77 as
Ralph Crawford
1976
I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight as
S.J. Nutbrown
1975
The Sweeney (TV Series) as
Vic Labbett
- Poppy (1975) - Vic Labbett
1975
Brannigan as
Charlie-the-Handle
1975
The Confederacy of Wives (TV Movie) as
Dick Amlet
1974
It's Not the Size That Counts as
Jeffcott
1973
Penny Gold as
Matthews
1973
That'll Be the Day as
Mr. MacLaine
1972
Norman Corwin Presents (TV Series)
- The Moat Farm Murder (1972)
1972
Them (TV Series) as
Cockney
- Episode #1.5 (1972) - Cockney
- Episode #1.4 (1972) - Cockney
- Episode #1.3 (1972) - Cockney
- Episode #1.2 (1972) - Cockney
- Episode #1.1 (1972) - Cockney
1972
Rentadick as
Simon Hamilton
1972
Bonanza (TV Series) as
Rev. Jess Avery
- Second Sight (1972) - Rev. Jess Avery
1971
Shirley's World (TV Series) as
Edward Remberg
- A Mother's Touch (1971) - Edward Remberg
1971
Inn of the Frightened People as
Jim Radford
1970
Macho Callahan as
Harry Wheeler
1970
Darker Than Amber as
Burk
1970
The Man Who Had Power Over Women as
Val Pringle
1970
W. Somerset Maugham (TV Series) as
Ginger Ted
- The Vessel of Wrath (1970) - Ginger Ted
1970
Adam's Woman as
Dyson
1969
Fraulein Doktor as
Meyer
1968
The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom as
Ambrose Tuttle
1967
Robbery as
Inspector George Langdon
1965
The Secret of My Success as
Arthur Tate
1965
90 Degrees in the Shade as
Vorell
1964
French Dressing as
Jim Stephens
1964
Zulu as
Pvt. Henry Hook
1964
First Night (TV Series) as
Newton
- Stray Cats and Empty Bottles (1964) - Newton
1963
Steam, Sanctity and Song (TV Movie) as
Singer
1963
Sparrows Can't Sing as
Charlie
1961
In the Doghouse as
Bob Skeffington
1961
The Hellions as
Jubal Billings
1960
Armchair Theatre (TV Series) as
Edward Agar
- The Great Gold Bullion Robbery (1960) - Edward Agar
1960
BBC Sunday-Night Play (TV Series) as
Ned Trainer
- The Ruffians (1960) - Ned Trainer
1960
In the Nick as
Spider Kelly
1960
The Trials of Oscar Wilde as
Wood
1960
Let's Get Married as
Photographer
1960
Jazz Boat as
Spider
1959
The Invisible Man (TV Series) as
Ali
- The Gun Runners (1959) - Ali
1958
William Tell (TV Series) as
Josef / Karl's Cellmate / Franz
- The Mountain People (1959) - Josef
- The Prisoner (1958) - Karl's Cellmate (uncredited)
- The Hostages (1958) - Franz
1958
ITV Play of the Week (TV Series) as
1st Black and Tan Soldier
- The Iron Harp (1958) - 1st Black and Tan Soldier
1957
The Girl in the Picture as
Office Boy (as David Greeves)
1956
The Narrowing Circle as
Bit Role (uncredited)
Writer
1990
American Ninja 4: The Annihilation (written by - as David Geeves)
1987
American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (screenplay by)
1986
Avenging Force (written by)
1985
Pray for Death (written by)
1985
Stormin' Home (TV Movie) (screenplay) / (story)
1979
Sunburn (screenplay)
Soundtrack
1960
Jazz Boat (performer: "Take It Easy")
Thanks
2005
Keeping Mum (film dedicated to the memory of)
2002
The Making of 'Zulu': Roll of Honour (Video documentary short) (thanks)
2002
The Making of 'Zulu':...and Snappeth the Spear in Sunder (Video documentary short) (thanks)
Self
2002
The Making of 'Zulu': Roll of Honour (Video documentary short) as
Self
1972
Late Night Line-Up (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode dated 15 September 1972 (1972) - Self (uncredited)
1968
Youth Wave (Documentary short) as
Self
1966
The Eamonn Andrews Show (TV Series) as
Self
- Episode #2.18 (1966) - Self
Archive Footage
2012
The Story of Musicals (TV Series documentary) as
Self
- Episode #1.1 (2012) - Self
2002
The Making of 'Zulu':...and Snappeth the Spear in Sunder (Video documentary short) as
Self / Private Henry Hook

References

James Booth Wikipedia


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