Richard Bennett (actor)
| Richard Bennett | |
|---|---|
As Father Anselm in A Royal Family
Photograph by Otto Sarony, 1900 |
|
| Born |
Clarence Charles William Henry Richard Bennett May 21, 1870 Deer Creek Township, Cass County, Indiana, USA |
| Died | October 22, 1944 (aged 74) Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1891–1943 |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | |
Clarence Charles William Henry Richard Bennett (May 21, 1870 – October 22, 1944) was an American actor who became a stage and silent screen matinee idol over the early decades of the 20th century. He was the father of actresses Constance Bennett, Barbara Bennett and Joan Bennett by his second wife, actress Adrienne Morrison.
Bennett was born in Deer Creek Township, Cass County, Indiana, in May 1870. Called Clarence until he was 10, he was the eldest child of George Washington Bennett and Eliza Leonora Bennett. His younger sister was Ina Blanche Bennett. For a time, he was a sailor on Great Lakes steamer, a professional boxer, medicine showman, troubadour and night clerk in a hotel in Chicago.
Bennett made his stage debut May 10, 1891, in Chicago, in the The Limited Mail. He went to New York, where his Broadway debut was in His Excellency the Governor (1899), which was produced by Charles Frohman. In his third Broadway production, he played the role as Father Anselm in Frohman's production of A Royal Family (1901–02).
Bennett was married to Grena Heller in 1901 in San Francisco. They soon separated, and were divorced in 1903. Using her married name, she starred in a few plays on Broadway, and went on to a successful career as a music critic for Hearst's New York American.
On November 8, 1903, Bennett and actress Adrienne Morrison were married in Jersey City. They had three daughters, all notable actresses: Constance Bennett, Barbara Bennett and Joan Bennett.
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