Ray Bennett

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 His collection of unpublished works includes a manuscript titled “The Shelter of the Cloth,” which is preserved in the UCLA Library Special Collections.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.

Filmography

Title Release Date Character
The Old Barn Dance 1938-01-29 Henchman Buck
The Return of Daniel Boone 1941-05-07 Leach Killgrain
Romance of the Rio Grande 1941-01-17 Henchman Carver
Undercover Agent 1939-04-19 Pussyfoot – Henchman
Battle of Greed 1937-01-04 Henchman Bates
Prairie Moon 1938-10-07 Henchman Hartley
Forlorn River 1937-07-02 Henchman Bill Hall
The Man from Tumbleweeds 1940-05-02 Powder Kilgore
Dick Tracy Returns 1938-08-19 Trigger Stark
Thundering Frontier 1940-12-05 Ed Filmore
Female Fugitive 1938-04-15 Henchman Burke
The Frame-Up 1937-05-02 Franey Forrester
The Luck of Roaring Camp 1937-11-17 Blaney
Heroes in Blue 1939-11-07 Blackie
Adventure in Sahara 1938-11-15 Ladoux
The Navajo Trail 1945-01-15 Slim Ramsey
The Lone Ranger 1938-02-13 Henchman Taggart
Frontier Revenge 1948-12-26 Duce Rago
Drums of Destiny 1937-06-11 Jenkins
Robbers of the Range 1941-04-17 Sam Daggett
Gun Smoke 1945-02-16 Lucky Baker
Thunder Over the Prairie 1941-07-29 ‘Ace’ Hartley
Gauchos of El Dorado 1941-10-24 Monk Stevens (as Raphael Bennett)
White Heat 1949-09-02 Guard (uncredited)
Texas Trail 1937-11-26 Brad
The Devil’s Saddle Legion 1937-08-14 Sheriff Duke Gorman
Prisoner of Japan 1942-07-22 Lieutenant Morgan
Winchester ’73 1950-07-12 Charles Bender (uncredited)
Range War 1939-09-08 Stokey
Hidden Gold 1940-06-07 Fleming
Colorado 1940-09-15 Fred – Henchman
Dark Command 1940-04-15 Guerrilla
The Medico of Painted Springs 1941-06-26 Ed Gordon
Texas Stampede 1939-02-09 Zack Avery
Doomed Caravan 1941-01-10 Pete Gregg
The Thundering Trail 1951-07-02 Ed West
Midnight Limited 1940-03-20 Jake Pringle (Uncredited)
Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc. 1941-12-27 Brownstone Heavy 1
The Renegade 1943-08-25 Dave Hill
Rustlers of the Badlands 1945