Benjamin Joseph Hall (March 18, 1899 – May 20, 1985) was an American actor who started performing as a boy and worked for three and a half decades, mainly in small parts.

Biography

Born in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

as the eldest child of American

stevedore A stevedore (), also called a longshoreman, a docker or a dockworker, is a waterfront manual laborer who is involved in loading and unloading ships, trucks, trains or airplanes. After the shipping container revolution of the 1960s, the number ...

George E. Hall and his English wife Constance L. Fletcher, Ben Hall began making appearances in films when he was little more than ten years old. After a handful of movies, his family moved to

Weehawken, New Jersey Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 17,197.

, and in 1918 Ben took work as a bank clerk in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. But by 1920, Ben and his mother had moved to Los Angeles (where they were joined later by his younger brother George Jr.). Hall worked as a property man for the studios for a time,United States Census records for 1920, Los Angeles, California, Assembly District 63, District 168, sheet 13A but eventually began to get small roles and was eking out a living as an actor again by 1926. He became a minor but fairly frequently-used member of the John Ford Stock Company, and did eight films for

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

between 1929 and 1946. Most memorable among these bit roles was probably that of the barber who slicks down and perfumes

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which la ...

's hair in ''

My Darling Clementine ''My Darling Clementine'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp during the period leading up to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The ensemble cast also features Victor Mature (as Doc Hol ...

'' (1946). Hall left acting in 1949, though he lived for another 36 years. He died in

North Hollywood, California North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The Nor ...

in 1985.

Partial filmography

* '' Kindling'' (1915) * ''

The Prairie Mystery ''The Prairie Mystery'' is a 1922 American silent Western film directed by George Edwardes-Hall and starring Bud Osborne, Pauline Curley and Pearlie Norton.Rainey, p. 130. Given an initial premiere in 1922, it was re-distributed the following ...

'' (1922) * '' Sally, Irene and Mary'' (1925) * '' For Ladies Only'' (1927) * '' Down the Stretch'' (1928) * ''

Hot News ''Hot News'' is a 1928 American silent comedy film produced and distributed by Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation, an amalgamation of Famous Players-Lasky and Paramount Pictures. Clarence Badger directed and Bebe Daniels starred. Cast * Bebe ...

'' (1928) * ''

The Midnight Adventure ''The Midnight Adventure'' is a 1928 American silent mystery film directed by Duke Worne and starring Cullen Landis, Edna Murphy and Ernest Hilliard.Weaver p.201 Synopsis Guests a country mansion all fall under suspicion when a murder is commit ...

'' (1928) * '' Harold Teen'' (1928) * ''

In the Headlines ''In the Headlines'' is a 1929 crime drama film directed by John G. Adolfi and starring Grant Withers and Marian Nixon. It was produced and distributed by the Warner Brothers. Cast * Grant Withers - Nosey Norton * Marion Nixon - Anna Lou Anders ...

'' (1929) * ''

The Girl from Woolworth's ''The Girl from Woolworth's'' is a 1929 American pre-Code romance film directed by William Beaudine and starring Alice White, Gladden James and Bert Moorhouse. It was released both as a sound film and in a slightly shorter silent version.Mars ...

'' (1929) * '' Vanity Street'' (1932) *''

Gorilla Ship ''Gorilla Ship'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Frank Strayer from an original screenplay by George Waggner. Starring Ralph Ince, Vera Reynolds, and Reed Howes, the film was produced by Ralph M. Like, Ltd. and distributed by ...

'' (1932) * ''

Alias Mary Smith ''Alias Mary Smith'' is a 1932 American mystery crime film directed by E. Mason Hopper and starring Blanche Mehaffey, John Darrow and Raymond Hatton.Langman & Finn p.6 It was released by the independent company Mayfair Pictures. Synopsis A y ...

'' (1932) * ''

Love Past Thirty ''Love Past Thirty'' is a 1934 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Vin Moore and starring Aileen Pringle, Theodore von Eltz and Phyllis Barry.Pitts, pg. 158 Synopsis After she is ditched by her boyfriend for her younger niece, a woman deve ...

'' (1934) * ''

Smoke Tree Range ''Smoke Tree Range'' is a 1937 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Frances Guihan. The film stars Buck Jones, Muriel Evans, John Elliott, Dick Jones, Donald Kirke, Ted Adams and Ben Hall. The film was release ...

'' (1937) * ''

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques d ...

'' (1938) * ''

Service de Luxe ''Service de Luxe'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring Constance Bennett, Vincent Price (in his film debut) and Charles Ruggles.Kellow p.211 Plot Helen Murphy, alias Dorothy Madison number 1 (Constance Benne ...

'' (1938) * '' Tillie the Toiler'' (1941) * ''

'' (1946)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Ben 1899 births 1985 deaths People from Brooklyn 20th-century American male actors