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Ben Alexander

 
Actor: Ben Alexander
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: May 26, 1911 in Goldfield, Nevada
  • Died: Jul 05, 1969 in Westchester, California
  • Occupation: Actor, Writer
  • Active: '20s-'30s, '50s
  • Major Genres: Drama, Comedy
  • Career Highlights: Dragnet, Dragnet, Man in the Shadow
  • First Major Screen Credit: Boy of Mine (1923)

Biography

Fans of the 1950s TV series Dragnet were usually taken aback to discover that Jack Webb's co-star, the rumpled, balding Ben Alexander, had once been a golden-haired child actor. Born in Nevada and raised in California, Alexander made his screen debut at age 5 in Every Pearl a Tear. He went on to portray Lillian Gish's young brother in D.W. Griffith's World War I epic Hearts of the World. It was in another WW I classic, the early-talkie All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), that Alexander made his first positive impression as an adult actor in the role of Kemmerick, the tragic amputation victim. Closing out his movie career in 1940, Alexander became a busy radio actor and announcer, returning to on-camera work with his six-year (1953-1959) stint on TV's Dragnet. As Officer Frank Smith, Alexander helped popularized Jack Webb's laconic "Just the facts, ma'am" style. Occasionally permitted to improvise his dialogue, Alexander once sent the usually stone-faced Webb into convulsions by beginning a conversation with "Joe? Joe? My hair hurts, Joe." Following the cancellation of Dragnet, Alexander briefly emceed the daytime TV game show About Faces. In 1966, Ben Alexander returned to police work as Sergeant Dan Briggs on the weekly ABC cop series Felony Squad. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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Wikipedia: Ben Alexander
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This article is about the actor. For the rugby league player, see Ben Alexander (rugby league), for the rugby union player see Ben Alexander (rugby union).
Ben Alexander

Ben Alexander, 1919
Born Nicholas Benton Alexander IV
May 26, 1911(1911-05-26)
Goldfield, Nevada, U.S.
Died July 5, 1969 (aged 58)
Hollywood, California, U.S.
Other name(s) Bennie Alexander
Benny Alexander
Occupation Actor
Years active 1915–1969

Ben Alexander (May 26, 1911 – July 5, 1969) was an Emmy-nominated American motion picture actor, who started out as a child actor in 1915.

Contents

Life and career

Born Nicholas Benton Alexander IV in Goldfield, Nevada and raised in California, Alexander made his screen debut at age of five in Every Pearl a Tear. He went on to portray Lillian Gish's young brother in D.W. Griffith's Hearts of the World. It was in another World War I classic, All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), that Alexander made his first positive impression as an adult actor in the role of Kemmerick, the tragic amputation victim.

When Alexander's acting career slowed down in the mid-1930s, he found a new career as a successful radio announcer, and in 1952, Jack Webb chose him to replace Herbert Ellis in the role of Officer Frank Smith in the TV series Dragnet. In 1966, Alexander returned to police work as Sergeant Dan Briggs on the weekly ABC cop series Felony Squad.

For his contribution to the entertainment industry Ben Alexander has one star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for television.

His acting career was supplemented by the ownership/operation of his Ford dealership in downtown L.A., currently a BMW/Mini dealership (until recently owned by his son, Nick, now operated by Nick's daughter) in the mid-late 1960s.

Filmography

  • Each Pearl a Tear (1916)
  • The Little American (1917)
  • Little Orphant Annie (1918)
  • The One Woman (1918)
  • Hearts of the World (1918)
  • The Lady of the Dugout (1918)
  • The Heart of Rachael (1918)
  • The Turn in the Road (1919)
  • The White Heather (1919)
  • Josselyn's Wife (1919)
  • The Hushed Hour (1919)
  • The Mayor of Filbert (1919)
  • Tangled Threads (1919)
  • The Better Wife (1919)
  • The Triflers (1920)
  • The Family Honor (1920)
  • The Notorious Mrs. Sands (1920)
  • Through Eyes of Men (1920)
  • Blue Streak McCoy (1920)
  • The Heart Line (1921)
  • In the Name of the Law (1922)
  • Penrod and Sam (1923)
  • The Yankee Spirit (1923)
  • Jealous Husbands (1923)
  • Boy of Mine (1923)
  • Barnum Junior (1924)
  • Junior Partner (1924)
  • A Self-Made Failure (1924)
  • Dirty Hand (1924)
  • Flaming Love] (1925)
  • Pampered Youth (1925/I)
  • Wildcat Willie (1925)
  • The Shining Adventure (1925)
  • The Highbinders (1926)
  • Scotty of the Scouts (1926)
  • Fighting for Fame (1927)
  • Two to One (1927)
  • The Lunkhead (1929)
  • All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
  • A Wise Child (1931)
  • Mystery Ship (1931)
  • Many a Slip (1931)
  • It's a Wise Child (1931)
  • Are These Our Children (1931)
  • Suicide Fleet (1931)
  • High Pressure (1932)
  • Tom Brown of Culver (1932)
  • The Vanishing Frontier (1932)
  • Alias the Professor (1933)
  • Mister Mugg (1933)
  • Roadhouse Queen (1933)
  • Daddy Knows Best (1933)
  • What Price Innocence? (1933)
  • This Day and Age (1933)
  • Stage Mother (1933)
  • Once to Every Woman (1934)
  • The Most Precious Thing in Life (1934)
  • The Life of Vergie Winters (1934)
  • Flirtation (1934)
  • Grand Old Girl (1935)
  • Born to Gamble (1935)
  • Reckless Roads (1935)
  • Annapolis Farewell (1935)
  • The Fire Trap (1935)
  • Hearts in Bondage (1936)
  • Red Lights Ahead (1936)
  • The Legion of Missing Men (1937)
  • The Outer Gate (1937)
  • Western Gold (1937)
  • The Spy Ring (1938)
  • Russian Dressing (1938)
  • Mr. Doodle Kicks Off (1938)
  • Convict's Code (1939)
  • Buried Alive (1939)
  • Criminals Within (1943)
  • Man in the Shadow (1957)

Television

Writer

  • Dragnet (Co-writer, 6 episodes)

External links

v • d • e
Jack Webb/Mark VII Limited
Television series
Dragnet · Noah's Ark · The D.A.'s Man · Pete Kelly's Blues · GE True · 77 Sunset Strip · Adam-12 · The D.A. · O'Hara, U.S. Treasury · Emergency! · Hec Ramsey · Escape · Chase · Sierra · Mobile One · Project UFO · Sam
Radio series
Films
People
Miscellaneous

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