Jackson Bentley
Encyclopedia
Jackson Bentley was a fictional American journalist
who appeared in the film Lawrence of Arabia
(1962); he is portrayed by Arthur Kennedy
. He is based on famed American journalist Lowell Thomas
.
(Peter O'Toole
) in 1935. Asked for his opinion about Lawrence by a reporter, he remarks:
Then, after the reporter exits, he says to a friend:
He is then accosted by a British Medical Officer (Howard Marion-Crawford
) who protests angrily that Lawrence was "a very great man."
Bentley does not appear in the story proper until the beginning of Act II, when he arrives at Arab- and British-occupied Aqaba
to interview Prince Feisal (Alec Guinness
), writing for the Chicago Courier. He admits that he is "looking for a hero" to inspire his country's entry into World War I
, to which Feisal replies:
Bentley covers one of Lawrence's train raids, interviewing Lawrence, Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif
), and photographing the event - though Auda ibu Tayi
(Anthony Quinn
) takes offense, smashing one of his cameras.
Bentley re-appears as Lawrence returns to Jerusalem, but is prevented from speaking with Lawrence by Dryden (Claude Rains
). He protests that he has a right to see Lawrence due to his role in his fame. Dryden rebuffs him:
Bentley arrives to accompany Lawrence's final campaign against Damascus
, but the car he has rented breaks down and he is forced to accompany the main British column with General Allenby (Jack Hawkins
). He arrives in the aftermath of the Tafas massacre, appalled at the carnage he sees, and addresses a blood-soaked, remorseful Lawrence:
Bentley is in his forties, highly cynical of authority, and regards the ambitions of Lawrence, Ali, and Feisal cynically. He and Lawrence seem to have a somewhat antagonistic relationship, but find each other useful for their respective ends.
. Thomas, along with cameraman Harry Chase, briefly accompanied Lawrence on his exploits in the Arab Revolt
, visited the archaeological site at Petra
, and also spent time with Lawrence, Allenby, and Feisal in Aqaba and Jerusalem (though unlike Bentley, he never met Auda and spent no time on the front lines). After the war (not during it, as the film depicts), he helped make Lawrence a household name with a book and dramatic slide lectures which toured London and New York City. (His being based in Chicago
, and his name being Jackson, Thomas's middle name, are other give-aways.) However, Bentley is a middle-aged man, whereas Thomas was in his twenties during the war. There is also no equivalent to Chase in the film.
Lawrence and Thomas in real life had a friendly relationship that only turned sour after Thomas refused to stop his slide lectures in the early 20s, despite personal requests by Lawrence. Thomas seemed to hold Lawrence in high regard, unlike Bentley, though he famously described Lawrence:
Thomas had approached the film's producer, Sam Spiegel
, with a great deal of research material, which was turned down. Thomas enjoyed the film on its own merits, but felt it was a grossly inaccurate depiction of Lawrence and the Arab Revolt.
Michael Wilson
's original script was based on With Lawrence in Arabia, Thomas's book on the Arab Revolt, and Thomas served as the film's narrator. Robert Bolt
's revision focused on Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom
as its primary source; Thomas's character was scaled down, and his name changed.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
who appeared in the film Lawrence of Arabia
Lawrence of Arabia (film)
Lawrence of Arabia is a 1962 British film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence. It was directed by David Lean and produced by Sam Spiegel through his British company, Horizon Pictures, with the screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. The film stars Peter O'Toole in the title role. It is widely...
(1962); he is portrayed by Arthur Kennedy
Arthur Kennedy (actor)
Arthur Kennedy was an American stage and film actor known for his versatility in supporting film roles and his ability to create "an exceptional honesty and naturalness on stage" especially in the original casts of Arthur Miller plays on Broadway.- Early life and education :Kennedy was born John...
. He is based on famed American journalist Lowell Thomas
Lowell Thomas
Lowell Jackson Thomas was an American writer, broadcaster, and traveler, best known as the man who made Lawrence of Arabia famous...
.
Overview
Bentley first appears at the funeral of T. E. LawrenceT. E. Lawrence
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, CB, DSO , known professionally as T. E. Lawrence, was a British Army officer renowned especially for his liaison role during the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule of 1916–18...
(Peter O'Toole
Peter O'Toole
Peter Seamus Lorcan O'Toole is an Irish actor of stage and screen. O'Toole achieved stardom in 1962 playing T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia, and then went on to become a highly-honoured film and stage actor. He has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, and holds the record for most...
) in 1935. Asked for his opinion about Lawrence by a reporter, he remarks:
- It was my privilege to know him, and to make him known to the world. He was a poet, a scholar, and a might warrior.
Then, after the reporter exits, he says to a friend:
- He was also the most shameless exhibitionist since Barnum and Bailey.
He is then accosted by a British Medical Officer (Howard Marion-Crawford
Howard Marion-Crawford
Howard Marion-Crawford , the grandson of writer F. Marion Crawford, was an English character actor, best known for his portrayal of Dr. Watson in the 1954 television adaptation of Sherlock Holmes...
) who protests angrily that Lawrence was "a very great man."
Bentley does not appear in the story proper until the beginning of Act II, when he arrives at Arab- and British-occupied Aqaba
Aqaba
Aqaba is a coastal city in the far south of Jordan, the capital of Aqaba Governorate at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Aqaba is strategically important to Jordan as it is the country's only seaport. Aqaba is best known today as a diving and beach resort, but industrial activity remains important...
to interview Prince Feisal (Alec Guinness
Alec Guinness
Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE was an English actor. He was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies, including Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight different characters. He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai...
), writing for the Chicago Courier. He admits that he is "looking for a hero" to inspire his country's entry into World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, to which Feisal replies:
- Aurens is your man.
Bentley covers one of Lawrence's train raids, interviewing Lawrence, Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globe Awards.-Early life:...
), and photographing the event - though Auda ibu Tayi
Auda ibu Tayi
Auda ban Harb al-Abo Seed al-Mazro al-Tamame abu Tayi, also Auda ibu Tayi, Awda abu Tayi, etc. was the leader of a section of the Howeitat or Huwaytat tribe of Bedouin Arabs at the time of the Great Arab Revolt during the First World War...
(Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Antonio Rodolfo Quinn-Oaxaca , more commonly known as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican American actor, as well as a painter and writer...
) takes offense, smashing one of his cameras.
Bentley re-appears as Lawrence returns to Jerusalem, but is prevented from speaking with Lawrence by Dryden (Claude Rains
Claude Rains
Claude Rains was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned 66 years. He was known for many roles in Hollywood films, among them the title role in The Invisible Man , a corrupt senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington , Mr...
). He protests that he has a right to see Lawrence due to his role in his fame. Dryden rebuffs him:
- It's a little clash of temperament that's going on there. Inevitably, one of them's half-mad, and the other - wholly unscrupulous.
Bentley arrives to accompany Lawrence's final campaign against Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, but the car he has rented breaks down and he is forced to accompany the main British column with General Allenby (Jack Hawkins
Jack Hawkins
Colonel John Edward "Jack" Hawkins CBE was an English actor of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s.-Career:Hawkins was born at Lyndhurst Road, Wood Green, Middlesex, the son of master builder Thomas George Hawkins and his wife, Phoebe née Goodman. The youngest of four children in a close-knit family,...
). He arrives in the aftermath of the Tafas massacre, appalled at the carnage he sees, and addresses a blood-soaked, remorseful Lawrence:
- Oh, you rotten man. Let me take your rotten bloody picture. . . for the rotten, bloody newspapers!
Bentley is in his forties, highly cynical of authority, and regards the ambitions of Lawrence, Ali, and Feisal cynically. He and Lawrence seem to have a somewhat antagonistic relationship, but find each other useful for their respective ends.
Inspiration
Bentley is obviously inspired by American journalist and explorer Lowell ThomasLowell Thomas
Lowell Jackson Thomas was an American writer, broadcaster, and traveler, best known as the man who made Lawrence of Arabia famous...
. Thomas, along with cameraman Harry Chase, briefly accompanied Lawrence on his exploits in the Arab Revolt
Arab Revolt
The Arab Revolt was initiated by the Sherif Hussein bin Ali with the aim of securing independence from the ruling Ottoman Turks and creating a single unified Arab state spanning from Aleppo in Syria to Aden in Yemen.- Background :...
, visited the archaeological site at Petra
Petra
Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited...
, and also spent time with Lawrence, Allenby, and Feisal in Aqaba and Jerusalem (though unlike Bentley, he never met Auda and spent no time on the front lines). After the war (not during it, as the film depicts), he helped make Lawrence a household name with a book and dramatic slide lectures which toured London and New York City. (His being based in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and his name being Jackson, Thomas's middle name, are other give-aways.) However, Bentley is a middle-aged man, whereas Thomas was in his twenties during the war. There is also no equivalent to Chase in the film.
Lawrence and Thomas in real life had a friendly relationship that only turned sour after Thomas refused to stop his slide lectures in the early 20s, despite personal requests by Lawrence. Thomas seemed to hold Lawrence in high regard, unlike Bentley, though he famously described Lawrence:
- He had a genius of backing into the limelight.
Thomas had approached the film's producer, Sam Spiegel
Sam Spiegel
Sam Spiegel was an Austrian-born American independent film producer.-Life and career:Spiegel was born in Jarosław, Galicia, Austria-Hungary as Samuel P. Spiegel to a German-Jewish father and Polish mother and educated at the University of Vienna. His brother was Shalom Spiegel, a professor of...
, with a great deal of research material, which was turned down. Thomas enjoyed the film on its own merits, but felt it was a grossly inaccurate depiction of Lawrence and the Arab Revolt.
Michael Wilson
Michael Wilson
Michael Wilson may refer to:*Michael Wilson , member of the South Australian House of Assembly, 1977–1985*Michael Wilson , former player of the Harlem Globetrotters and the University of Memphis, also known as 'Wild Thing'*Michael Wilson , American theater director*Michael Wilson , former...
's original script was based on With Lawrence in Arabia, Thomas's book on the Arab Revolt, and Thomas served as the film's narrator. Robert Bolt
Robert Bolt
Robert Oxton Bolt, CBE was an English playwright and a two-time Oscar winning screenwriter.-Career:He was born in Sale, Cheshire. At Manchester Grammar School his affinity for Sir Thomas More first developed. He attended the University of Manchester, and, after war service, the University of...
's revision focused on Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom
Seven Pillars of Wisdom
Seven Pillars of Wisdom is the autobiographical account of the experiences of British soldier T. E. Lawrence , while serving as a liaison officer with rebel forces during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Turks of 1916 to 1918....
as its primary source; Thomas's character was scaled down, and his name changed.