Description:
Starting out as a child actor in 1915, Ben Alexander's first roles were in the films of such directors as Cecil B. DeMille and D.W. Griffith. He later graduated to juvenile leads and supporting parts in sound films, most notably in All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). When his acting career slowed down in the mid-'30s, he found a new career as a successful radio announcer. Alexander was more or less retired when producer Jack Webb picked him for the part of his detective partner in the TV series Dragnet (1951). Alexander later played another detective on Howard Duff's TV series The Felony Squad (1966).
Birthday
May 26, 1911
Born In
Goldfield, Nevada, USA
Alternative names
Bennie Alexander
, Benny Alexander
, Kemmerick
Height
178 cm
Spouse/Ex-
Lesley Smith February 26, 1950 - July 5, 1969 (his death),Elizabeth Robb July 23, 1941 - 1947 (divorced)
Trivia
Owned and operated the Ben Alexander Ford car dealership in Highland Park,
California (northeast of Los Angeles), from c. 1953 until his death in
1969. Owned and operated the Ben Alexander Ford dealership on Potrero Avenue in San Francisco until his death.
Quotes
[on working with Jack Webb in Dragnet (1951)] Jack and I never memorize any of our lines. We can't because we're always working on six pictures at once. We read our lines from a teleprompter.
