Occupation Film, stage actor Name Ben Bard | Role Movie actor | |
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Born January 26, 1893 ( 1893-01-26 ) Milwaukee, Wisconsin Resting place Forest Lawn Memorial ParkGreat MausoleumAzalea TerraceRuth Roland's family crypt Died May 17, 1974, Los Angeles, California, United States Spouse Jackie Lynn Taylor (m. 1948–1954) Children Bryan Barak Bard, Bartley Bard, Brenda "Brandi" Bard Movies 7th Heaven, Black Angel, The Bat Whispers, Hollywood Party, The Son‑Daughter Similar People Ruth Roland, Jackie Lynn Taylor, Frank Borzage, Roy William Neill, Irving Cummings | ||
Ben Bard (January 26, 1893 – May 17, 1974) was an American movie actor, stage actor, and acting teacher. With comedian Jack Pearl, Bard worked in a comedy duo in vaudeville.
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In 1926, Bard, Pearl, and Sascha Beaumont appeared in a short film made in Lee DeForest's Phonofilm sound-on-film process. He had a small role in The Bat Whispers (1930). Later in the decade, he ran a leading Hollywood acting school, Ben Bard Drama. He married the serial film star Ruth Roland in 1929, and was married to Roland until her death in 1937.
Bard was recruited to be a leading man at Fox Film Corporation. However, he was typecast as a "Suave Heavy"—a smooth-talking, well-dressed fellow with a dark side. An example of this type is his portrayal of "Mr. Brun" in The Seventh Victim (1943). Also in 1943, Bard appeared in two other Val Lewton-produced horror films: The Leopard Man, as Robles, the Police Chief, and The Ghost Ship, as First Officer Bowns.
Personal life
Death
Bard died in Los Angeles in 1974, aged 81. His resting place is with Ruth Roland in an unmarked grave at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. He is survived by his two sons, Bryan Barak Bard, a video documentary artist, and Bartley Bard, a professional director and screenwriter.