James Booth


James Booth 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. He was in the cast of Sparrers Can't Sing, and musical Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be which 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. In Zulu, the film for which he is best remembered, he was billed above Michael Caine. 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 1986.
In later life Booth moved back to Britain. He never retired from performing.

Personal life

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

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1956The Narrowing CircleBit RoleUncredited
1957The Girl in the PictureOffice boyCredited as David Greever
1960Jazz BoatSpider Kelly
Let's Get MarriedPhotographer-
The Trials of Oscar WildeAlfred Wood-
In the NickSpider Kelly-
1961The HellionsJubal
1961In the DoghouseBob Skeffington
1963Sparrows Can't SingCharlie Gooding
1964ZuluPrivate Henry Hook VC
1964French DressingJim
1965Ninety Degrees in the ShadeVorell
1965The Secret of My SuccessArthur Tate
1967RobberyInspector George Langdon
1968The Bliss of Mrs. BlossomAmbrose Tuttle
1969Fräulein DoktorMeyer
1970Adam's WomanDyson
1970Darker than AmberBurk
1970Macho CallahanHarry Wheeler
1970The Man Who Had Power Over WomenVal Pringle
1971RevengeJim Radford
1972RentadickSimon Hamilton
1973That'll Be The DayMr MacLaine
1973Penny GoldMatthews
1974Percy's ProgressJeffcott
1975BranniganCharlie the Handle
1976I'm Not Feeling Myself TonightS.J. Nutbrown
1977Airport '77Ralph Crawford
1978Evening in ByzantiumJack Conrad
1980CaboblancoJohn Baker
1980The Jazz SingerPaul Rossini
1981Zorro, The Gay BladeValasquez
1985Pray for DeathWillie Limehouse
1986Bad GuysLord Percy
1986Avenging ForceAdmiral Brown
1987The RetaliatorDr Brockaka Programmed to Kill
1988Deep SpaceDr Forsyth
1990Mulgrew
1994Inner Sanctum IIDetective Hooper
2001The BreedFleming
2004The PoolPatrick
2005Keeping MumMr Brown

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1958-59The Adventures of William TellVarious3 episodes
1964First NightNewtonEpisode: Stray Cats and Empty Bottles
1971Shirley's WorldEdmund RembergEpisode: A Mother's Touch
1972BonanzaReverendEpisode: "Second Sight"
1975The SweeneyVic LabbettEpisode: Poppy
1978WheelsSir Phillip SturdevantMiniseries
1982The Fall GuyIan GrahamEpisode: Child's Play
1985-93MinderGodfrey and Toby 'Jug' Johnson2 episodes: Give Us This Daley's Bread and Gone with the Winchester
1986Auf Wiedersehen, PetKenny Ames8 episodes
1990-91Twin PeaksErnie Niles5 episodes
1991LovejoyMordechai Frobel1 episode
2000The BillFreddy WalkerEpisode: Crime and Punishment

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotes
1956-57Richard IIIOld Vic, London
1958The HostageIRA officerJoan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop
1958A Christmas CarolBob CratchitFor the Theatre Workshop
1959Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'BeTosherTheatre Royal, Stratford
1959The HostageIRA officerWyndham's Theatre
1961-62The Fire RaisersRoyal Court Theatre
1962The CaretakerMick
1962The Comedy of ErrorsRSC, Stratford-on-Avon
1962King LearEdmundRSC, Stratford-on-Avon
1965Twang!Robin HoodShaftesbury
1973The EntertainerArchie Rice
1975-76TravestiesJames JoyceRSC & Noel Coward Theatre, London & Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York
1987-88Peter PanMr Darling/Captain James HookTyne Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne and Opera House