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entley

John Bentley Dies
Written by Mike Watkins
Friday, 14 August 2009 18:01

ATV / ITVFrom episode 86 in 1965 through to 1977 actor John Bentley became a
housewives favourite as Crossroads' Hugh Mortimer. He also helped the soap
reach its biggest-ever ratings in 1975 when he married Meg Richardson, the
matriarch of the Crossroads Motel since episode one in 1964. John also had a
successful movie, theatre and television career outside of soap, which
included his own series, African Patrol.

In Crossroads, as businessman Hugh Mortimer, he became the lead male
opposite, as Terry Lloyd - reporting for ITN on her death commented, 'The
Queen of British Soaps' Noele Gordon. Noele as Meg had won every soap award
possible in her reign as the owner of a small motel in the fictional Midland
village of Kings Oak. With her popularity, John's increased too. However,
not always to his advantage.

Speaking to the Crossroads Fan Club in 2006 he commented: "I recall one
point Hugh was very popular with the fans and a certain gentleman engaged me
for a couple of nights cabaret work in Birmingham. He didn't seem interested
whether I could actually sing or do a turn, he simply hired me because Hugh
was popular and would fill the club.It was all going well, with further
bookings. Until one day the phone rang, the promoter said he'd have to
cancel my cabaret bookings. It seems in the series Hugh had "done the dirty"
on Meg and the audience were furious with him. I persuaded the promoter that
the event was still worth doing, as people would know the difference between
Hugh Mortimer and John Bentley. Come the night of the cabaret, the greeting
to yours truly was incredible - for all the wrong reasons! I stepped out
onto the stage to be greeted with jeers and very loud booing. It was
petrifying at the time, but it does show the power of Crossroads. I won the
audience over in the end, although how I don't know."

John was also greatly proud of the 'social awareness' Crossroads brought to
its viewers. In the storylines he suffered numerous heart-attacks which won
praise from Medical bodies for the portrait of how to deal promptly and
correctly with an attack, and also how to improve lifestyle afterwards. In
1975 18 million watched the on-screen wedding of Hugh and Meg, while fans of
the show brought Birmingham city centre to a halt to watch the recording at
the city's Cathedral.

He was also a strong defender of the programme, again commenting in 2006:
"The press may have disliked us because Crossroads was not very British in
production style or values. ATV originally boasted that we were using an
American idea and format. The press, I think, didn't like that at all. But
of course the things they mocked happened in every other programme of the
era too. Every "as live" programme had the same problems and mistakes. I
don't know why we were singled out from the rest."

Outside of the soap opera world he had a long and varied career. From acting
in movies alongside Diana Dors to leading a cast in the police drama African
Patrol back in the 1950s. John first got his break by singing as he recalled
to the Crossroads Fan Club:

"Apart from the odd school play, I had very little interest in the
theatrical world until I was sixteen and that was quite by accident. I got
into the business through radio producer Martyn C. Webster. On one of his
radio broadcasts he offered listeners to come to his studio and audition.
Those who were good enough would be offered work at the station.

I actually decided that I would be quite a good singer, so armed with a 78
record to accompany my performance, I sang for Martyn. He liked what he
heard and offered me a part in a radio musical. And that is where the
singing evolved into acting. Other radio dramas soon followed thankfully."

ATV

In the 1950s he began featuring on ATV programming, including the popular
daytime live chat show, Lunch Box where he was one of the guest singers.
This show just happened to be produced by Reg Watson, who later went on to
create Crossroads and was hosted by Midland icon, Noele Gordon.

"When a few years later they were casting the part of Hugh Mortimer, Noele
Gordon suggested me for the role to Reg, and they both agreed I was the
perfect choice."

John Bentley was born in Birmingham on 2 December 1916, died 13 August 2009
in Petworth, Sussex. He had been suffering from a long illness.