Ray Bennett was an American actor who is best known for roles in various westerns and serials during the 1930s and 1940s. His birth name was Raphael Fabian Bennett, and he was born on March 21, 1895, in Portland, Oregon, USA. Bennett passed away on December 18, 1957, in Hollywood, California.
Personal and Family Life
Ray Bennett spent his childhood in San Francisco before relocating to Los Angeles, where he eventually settled in Beverly Hills by 1930. He had a close connection to the acting world, as his mother was a well-known drama critic and author. Although he pursued a career in acting and occasionally wrote historical novels, he never married throughout his life.
Career
Bennett began his acting career in stock theater and transitioned to films through stunt work. He often played minor roles, typically as villains or henchmen in westerns, and his work was mainly with lower-budget studios like Republic and Monogram. Throughout his time in the industry, he was credited under both “Ray” and “Raphael” Bennett, depending on the production’s significance.
Death and Legacy
Ray Bennett died of a heart attack on December 18, 1957, at the age of 62. His collection of unpublished works includes a manuscript titled “The Shelter of the Cloth,” which is preserved in the UCLA Library Special Collections. Though he had a modest career in Hollywood, his contributions to the genre of westerns remain noteworthy.