Brooks Benedict

Brooks Benedict (born Harold J. Mann, February 6, 1896 – January 1, 1968) was an American actor of the silent and sound film eras, when he played supporting and utility roles in over 300 films, mostly uncredited.

Brooks Benedict
Born
Harold J. Mann

(1896-02-06)February 6, 1896
New York City, U.S.
DiedJanuary 1, 1968(1968-01-01) (aged 71)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1923–1958

Life

He was born to Alice Julian and Samuel Mann.[1] He attended Princeton University for two years,[2] and was a member of its football team.[3]

He then joined the American Ambulance Corps in France for six months at the height of the First World War.[4] Upon return and after the Selective Service Act of 1917, he enlisted and served as a private in the U.S. Army Air Service (632 Aero Sq., 144 Aero Sq., Sq. I Kelly Field, Sq. C Gerstner Field; Flying School Detachment).[5]

Benedict then went to Hollywood and pursued different jobs until his starting role in William Wellman's movie Cupid's Fireman (1923) at Fox Film Corporation. His first major role came later opposite Harold Lloyd in The Freshman / College Days (1925) as the Campus Cad.[3] He continued to appear with Lloyd and other prominent silent era stars in the 1920s During World War II and throughout the 1940s, he appeared in more than 130 movies, where he was limited to utility roles in all but three. During this time, in an interview published in the Prescott Evening Courier, he and Howard R. Philbrick (Chief Casting Executive) explain the challenges faced by some 7000 extras in 1940 Hollywood.[6] In later stages of his career, he extended his work to television, appearing as a regular in such series as the Four Star Playhouse (1956). His last performance was in the movie Houseboat (1958).

As of 1940, he was married to Marjorie Benedict in Los Angeles.[2]

He died at 12:05 am January 1, 1968, in Bellaire General Hospital in Houston, Texas, due to myocardial infarction after a history of arteriosclerosis and rheumatic heart disease.[1]

  • Harold J. Mann (Brooks Benedict) Army Registration Card 1917
    Harold J. Mann (Brooks Benedict) Army Registration Card 1917
  • Harold J. Mann Army Air Service # 1,139,375
    Harold J. Mann Army Air Service # 1,139,375

Selected filmography

References
  1. Benedict, Brooks. "Texas, Death Certificate No. 03491". FamilySearch. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  2. Benedict, Brooks. "United States Census, 1940". FamilySearch. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  3. "Without a Kick". Daily Telegraph. Launceston, Tasmania. XLVI (252): 15. October 23, 1926.
  4. Mann, Harold. "World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards (1917–1918); United States, Selective Service System". M1509, 4, 582 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. Mann, Harold (1917–1919). "Abstracts of World War I Military Service". New York State Archives. Albany, New York: New York State. Adjutant General's Office. (Series B0808).
  6. "Few Film Extras Make a Living and Still Fewer Become Stars". Prescott Evening Courier (Arizona). Western Newspapers. LVIII (160): 9. July 5, 1940.
  7. Great Movie Musicals on DVD - A Classic Movie Fan's Guide by John Howard Reid - Google search with book preview
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