BB
Bruce Bennett
Actor, Writer
Born May 19, 1906Died February 24, 2007 (100 years)
Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix) was an American actor and Olympic silver medalist shot putter. His first career was as an athlete. At the University of Washington, where he majored in economics, he played football (tackle) in the 1926 Rose Bowl and was a track-and-field star. Two years later, he won the Silver medal for the shot put in the 1928 Olympic Games. Brix moved to Los Angeles in 1929 after being invited to compete for the Los Angeles Athletic Club and befriended actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr., who arranged a screen test for him at Paramount.
In 1931, MGM, adapting author Edgar Rice Burroughs's popular Tarzan adventures for the screen, selected Brix to play the title character. Brix, however, broke his shoulder filming the 1931 football film Touchdown, so swimming champion Johnny Weissmuller replaced Brix and became a major star. After Ashton Dearholt convinced Burroughs to allow him to form Burroughs-Tarzan Enterprises, Inc., and make a Tarzan serial film, Dearholt cast Brix in the lead. Pressbook copy has it that Burroughs made the choice himself, but, in fact, in his biography, Brix confirmed that Burroughs never even saw him until after the contract was signed, and then only briefly. The film was begun on location in Guatemala, under rugged conditions (jungle diseases and cash shortages were frequent). Brix did his own stunts, including a fall to rocky cliffs below. The Washington Post quoted Gabe Essoe's passage from his book Tarzan of the Movies: "Brix's portrayal was the only time between the silents and the 1960s that Tarzan was accurately depicted in films. He was mannered, cultured, soft-spoken, a well educated English lord who spoke several languages, and didn't grunt."[4]
Brix shown in the opening credits of the serial The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935). Due to financial mismanagement, Dearholt had to complete filming of much of the serial back in Hollywood, and Brix, although his travel and daily living expenses in Guatemala were covered throughout the shoot, never received his contracted salary, along with the rest of the cast. The finished film, The New Adventures of Tarzan, was released in 1935 by Burroughs-Tarzan, and offered to theatres as a 12-chapter serial or a seven-reel feature. A second feature, Tarzan and the Green Goddess, was culled from the footage in 1938.
In 1931, MGM, adapting author Edgar Rice Burroughs's popular Tarzan adventures for the screen, selected Brix to play the title character. Brix, however, broke his shoulder filming the 1931 football film Touchdown, so swimming champion Johnny Weissmuller replaced Brix and became a major star. After Ashton Dearholt convinced Burroughs to allow him to form Burroughs-Tarzan Enterprises, Inc., and make a Tarzan serial film, Dearholt cast Brix in the lead. Pressbook copy has it that Burroughs made the choice himself, but, in fact, in his biography, Brix confirmed that Burroughs never even saw him until after the contract was signed, and then only briefly. The film was begun on location in Guatemala, under rugged conditions (jungle diseases and cash shortages were frequent). Brix did his own stunts, including a fall to rocky cliffs below. The Washington Post quoted Gabe Essoe's passage from his book Tarzan of the Movies: "Brix's portrayal was the only time between the silents and the 1960s that Tarzan was accurately depicted in films. He was mannered, cultured, soft-spoken, a well educated English lord who spoke several languages, and didn't grunt."[4]
Brix shown in the opening credits of the serial The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935). Due to financial mismanagement, Dearholt had to complete filming of much of the serial back in Hollywood, and Brix, although his travel and daily living expenses in Guatemala were covered throughout the shoot, never received his contracted salary, along with the rest of the cast. The finished film, The New Adventures of Tarzan, was released in 1935 by Burroughs-Tarzan, and offered to theatres as a 12-chapter serial or a seven-reel feature. A second feature, Tarzan and the Green Goddess, was culled from the footage in 1938.
Known For
Filmography
| 2003 | Discovering Treasure: The Story of the Treasure of the Sierra Madre · as James Cody (archive Footage) |
| 1980 | Laat de dokter maar schuiven · as John |
| 1973 | The Clones · as Clone Lab Assistant |
| 1972 | Deadhead Miles · as Johnny Mesquitero |
| 1971 | O'Hara, U.S. Treasury (TV Series) · as S.a.c. Myers |
| 1970 | Lassie: Well of Love · as Bert Daniels |
| 1966 | Daktari (TV Series) · as Charlie Rone |
| 1965 | Branded (TV Series) |
| 1963 | Kraft Suspense Theatre (TV Series) · as Gen. Adams |
| 1962 | The Virginian (TV Series) · as Silas Graham |
| 1961 | The Outsider · as Gen. Bridges |
| 1960 | The Fiend of Dope Island · as Charlie Davis |
| 1960 | The Case of the Dangerous Robin (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1959 | Laramie (TV Series) · as Tom Creighton |
| 1959 | The Alligator People · as Dr. Eric Lorimer |
| 1959 | The Cosmic Man · as Dr. Karl Sorenson |
| 1958 | 77 Sunset Strip (TV Series) |
| 1958 | The Texan (TV Series) |
| 1958 | Rescue 8 (TV Series) · as Riley Jackson |
| 1957 | Perry Mason (TV Series) · as Dan Morgan |
| 1957 | Tales of Wells Fargo (TV Series) · as Clyde Bender |
| 1957 | Panic (TV Series) |
| 1957 | Whirlybirds (TV Series) · as Dan Long |
| 1956 | Three Violent People · as Commissioner Harrison |
| 1956 | Love Me Tender · as Maj. Kincaid |
| 1956 | Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer · as Daniel Boone |
| 1956 | West Point (TV Series) |
| 1956 | Playhouse 90 (TV Series) · as Lt. Col. Steven Granville |
| 1956 | The Bottom of the Bottle · as Brand |
| 1956 | The Three Outlaws · as Charlie Trenton |
| 1956 | Hidden Guns · as Stragg |
| 1955 | Crossroads (1955) (TV Series) · as Reverend Newman C. Hogle |
| 1955 | Robbers' Roost · as 'bull' Herrick |
| 1955 | Damon Runyon Theater (TV Series) · as Professor Woodhead |
| 1955 | Science Fiction Theatre (TV Series) · as Dr. Hugh Bentley |
| 1955 | Strategic Air Command · as Gen. Espy |
| 1955 | The Big Tip Off · as Bob Gilmore |
| 1954 | Lassie (TV Series) |
| 1954 | Stories of the Century (TV Series) · as William Clark Charles Quantrill |
| 1953 | Dragonfly Squadron · as Dr. Stephen Cottrell |
| 1953 | The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse (TV Series) · as Peter Triton |
| 1953 | The Loretta Young Show (TV Series) · as Seth Ranson |
| 1953 | Dream Wife · as Charlie Elkwood |
| 1952 | Ford Theatre: All Star Theatre (TV Series) · as Dr. Norman Allen |
| 1952 | Cavalcade of America (TV Series) · as Abe Lincoln |
| 1952 | Sudden Fear · as Steve Kearney |
| 1951 | Angels in the Outfield · as Saul Hellman |
| 1951 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (TV Series) · as Judge Paul Maston |
| 1951 | The Last Outpost · as Col. Jeb Britton |
| 1951 | The Great Missouri Raid · as Cole Younger |
| 1950 | The Second Face · as Paul Curtis |
| 1950 | The Lux Video Theatre (TV Series) · as Dr. Grant |
| 1950 | Shakedown · as David Glover |
| 1950 | Mystery Street · as Dr. Mcadoo |
| 1949 | Undertow · as Reckling |
| 1949 | Without Honor · as Fred Bandle |
| 1949 | The Doctor and the Girl · as Dr. Alfred Norton |
| 1949 | The House Across the Street · as Matthew J. Keever |
| 1949 | Task Force · as Mccluskey |
| 1949 | The Younger Brothers · as Jim Younger |
| 1949 | Fireside Theatre (TV Series) · as Bill Stewart |
| 1948 | Smart Girls Don't Talk · as Marty Fain |
| 1948 | Silver River · as Stanley Moore |
| 1948 | To the Victor · as Henderson |
| 1948 | The Treasure of the Sierra Madre · as James Cody |
| 1947 | Dark Passage · as Bob |
| 1947 | Cheyenne · as Ed Landers |
| 1947 | Nora Prentiss · as Dr. Joel Merriam |
| 1946 | The Man I Love · as San Thomas |
| 1946 | A Stolen Life · as Jack R. Talbot |
| 1946 | Beer Barrel Polecats · as Prison Guard (archive Footage) |
| 1945 | Danger Signal · as Dr. Andrew Lang |
| 1945 | Mildred Pierce · as Albert 'bert' Pierce |
| 1944 | I'm from Arkansas · as Bob Hamlin |
| 1943 | There's Something About a Soldier · as Frank Molloy |
| 1943 | Sahara · as Waco Hoyt |
| 1943 | The More the Merrier · as Fbi Agent Evans |
| 1943 | Murder in Times Square · as Supai George |
| 1942 | Atlantic Convoy · as Capt. Morgan |
| 1942 | Submarine Raider · as 1st Office Russell |
| 1941 | Honolulu Lu · as Skelly |
| 1941 | Three Girls About Town · as Reporter |
| 1941 | Dutiful But Dumb · as Vulgarian Soldier In General's Office (uncredited) |
| 1941 | So Long Mr. Chumps · as Prison Guard / Truck Driver (uncredited) |
| 1940 | The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date · as Scotty |
| 1940 | No Census, No Feeling · as Football Player #20 (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Glamour for Sale · as Cop (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Before I Hang · as Dr. Paul Ames |
| 1940 | How High Is Up? · as Workman With Leaky Lunchpail (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Girls of the Road · as Officer Sullavan |
| 1940 | Babies for Sale · as Policeman |
| 1940 | The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady · as Mcmanus |
| 1940 | Island of Doomed Men · as Hazen - Guard (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Escape to Glory · as Ship's Gunnery Officer |
| 1940 | The Man from Tumbleweeds · as Prison Warden |
| 1940 | The Man with Nine Lives · as State Trooper (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Hi-Yo Silver · as Bert Rogers |
| 1940 | The Heckler · as Ole Margarine |
| 1940 | Five Little Peppers at Home · as Jim - King's Chauffeur |
| 1940 | Convicted Woman · as Reporter (uncredited) |
| 1940 | Cafe Hostess · as Budge |
| 1939 | Invisible Stripes · as Rich Man (uncredited) |
| 1939 | My Son Is Guilty · as Lefty |
| 1939 | Blondie Brings Up Baby · as Mason's Chauffeur (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Five Little Peppers and How They Grew · as Tom - King's Chauffeur |
| 1939 | Daredevils of the Red Circle · as Tiny Dawson |
| 1938 | Hawk of the Wilderness · as Lincoln Rand Jr / Kioga |
| 1938 | The Fighting Devil Dogs · as Lieutenant Frank Corby |
| 1938 | Tarzan and the Green Goddess · as Tarzan |
| 1938 | The Lone Ranger · as Bert Rogers |
| 1937 | Amateur Crook · as Jimmy Baxter |
| 1937 | Danger Patrol · as Joe |
| 1937 | Sky Racket · as Eric Lane - Agent 17 |
| 1937 | Flying Fists · as Hal "chopper' Donovan, Aka Hal Smith |
| 1937 | Blake of Scotland Yard · as Gang Member |
| 1937 | Blake of Scotland Yard · as Adolph - Henchman With Eyepatch |
| 1936 | A Million to One · as Johnny Kent |
| 1936 | Silks and Saddles · as Jimmy Shay |
| 1936 | Two Minutes to Play · as Martin Granville |
| 1936 | Shadow of Chinatown · as Martin Andrews |
| 1936 | Shadow of Chinatown · as Martin Andrews |
| 1935 | The New Adventures of Tarzan · as Tarzan |
| 1935 | The New Adventures of Tarzan · as Tarzan |
| 1934 | Student Tour · as Hercules |
| 1934 | Death on the Diamond · as Man On Ticket Line (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Treasure Island · as Man At Tavern (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Riptide · as Man At Cannes Bar (uncredited) |
| 1934 | Lazy River · as Sailor |
| 1934 | You Can't Buy Everything · as Bank Clerk |
| 1933 | Meet the Baron · as Train Passenger (uncredited) |
| 1933 | College Humor · as Student |
| 1932 | Movie Crazy · as Dinner Guest (uncredited) |
| 1932 | Million Dollar Legs · as Klopstokian Athlete (uncredited) |