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Ben Lyon

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Ben Lyon
Lyon in 1936
Born(1901-02-06)February 6, 1901
DiedMarch 22, 1979(1979-03-22) (aged 78)
Resting placeHollywood Forever Cemetery
Years active1918–1955
Spouses
(m. 1930; died 1971)
(m. 1972)
Children2, including Barbara Lyon
AwardsHollywood Walk of Fame

Ben Lyon (February 6, 1901 – March 22, 1979) was an American film actor and a studio executive at 20th Century-Fox who later acted in British radio, films and TV.

Early life and career

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Jean Harlow and Ben Lyon in Hell's Angels (1930)

Lyon was born in Atlanta, Georgia,[1] the son of Alvine W. (Wiseberg) and Ben Lyon, a travelling salesman.[2] His family was Jewish.[3] Lyon entered films in 1918 after a successful appearance on Broadway opposite Jeanne Eagels. He attracted attention in the highly successful film Flaming Youth (1923) and steadily developed into a leading man. He was successfully paired with some of the leading actresses of the silent era, including Pola Negri, Gloria Swanson, Colleen Moore, Barbara La Marr, Viola Dana, Anna Q. Nilsson, Mary Astor and Blanche Sweet. In 1925, a writer for Photoplay wrote of him, "Girls, Ben Lyon looks harmless but we have reliable information that he's irresistible, so watch your step. Besides he's a mighty fine actor and if the ladies must fall in love with him he can't help it."[4]

Lyon in I Cover the Waterfront (1933)

He had success as an actor in the 1930 film Hell's Angels. The film was a major success and brought Jean Harlow to prominence, but Lyon's performance as a heroic World War I aviator was also highly regarded and was a personal friend of Howard Hughes. For the next decade he was constantly in demand, but his popularity began to wane by the early 1940s. By the mid 1940s he was working for 20th Century-Fox. On July 17, 1946, he met a young aspiring actress named Norma Jeane Dougherty.[5] After his first meeting with her, he stated that she was "Jean Harlow all over again!"[6] He organized a color screen test for the actress, renamed her, and finally signed her as Marilyn Monroe to her first studio contract.[5]

During World War II, when the United States was still neutral, Lyon and his wife, actress Bebe Daniels, settled in London. The couple, along with the comedian Vic Oliver, starred in the radio series Hi, Gang!, which ran from 1940 to 1949. Hi Gang was succeeded in 1950 by Life with the Lyons, which also featured their real-life son Richard and daughter Barbara, and spawned a couple of theatrical films as well as a television series on BBC and independent television from 1954 until 1960. Bebe Daniels had top billing in these series, similar to the concurrent American show starring married couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

He was the subject of This Is Your Life in March 1963, when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Theatre.

Military service

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Lyon served as a pilot in the 322nd Pursuit Squadron in the early 1930s. During World War II he served as a lieutenant colonel in the US Army Air Forces Special Services.[7]

Personal life and death

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Lyon married actress Bebe Daniels in June 1930.[8] They had two children, daughter Barbara in 1931 and an adopted son Richard. In an issue of the contemporary magazine Radio Pictorial, Bebe explained how she saw Richard peering through the railings at a London orphanage and instantly thought "A brother for Barbara". Daniels suffered a severe stroke in 1963 and withdrew from public life. She suffered a second stroke in late 1970. She died at the couple's London home in March 1971.[9]

On April 1, 1972, Lyon married the actress Marian Nixon, whom he had known since the 1920s.[10] They remained married until his death.[10] She died five years later, also at age 78.[citation needed]

On March 22, 1979, Lyon and his second wife, Marian Nixon, were vacationing together on the Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship near Honolulu, Hawaii, when Lyon suffered a fatal heart attack. He was 78 years old.[6] His body was cremated and is interred in the Chapel Columbarium at Hollywood Forever Cemetery next to his first wife, Bebe Daniels.[11]

For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Ben Lyon has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1724 Vine Street.[12]

Jill Allgood lived with Bebe and Ben Lyon for many years in their large apartment at Dolphin Square, London. Bebe and Ben Lyon were the godparent to Allgood's niece, Suzanne Allgood.[citation needed]

Filmography

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Year Film Role Director Notes
1918 The Transgressor
1919 Open Your Eyes Harold Connors Gilbert P. Hamilton
1921 The Heart of Maryland Bob Telfair Tom Terriss Lost film
1923 The Custard Cup Dick Chase Herbert Brenon Lost film
Potash and Perlmutter Boris Andrieff Clarence G. Badger Lost film
Flaming Youth Monty Standish John Francis Dillon Incomplete, one reel survives
1924 Painted People Don Lane Clarence G. Badger Lost film
The White Moth Douglas Morley Maurice Tourneur
Wine of Youth Lynn Talbot King Vidor
Lily of the Dust Lt. Prell Dimitri Buchowetzki Lost film
Wages of Virtue Marvin Allan Dwan Lost film
So Big Dirk DeJong Charles Brabin Lost film
1925 One Way Street Bobby Austin John Francis Dillon Lost film
The Necessary Evil Frank Jerome George Archainbaud Lost film
Winds of Chance Pierce Phillips Frank Lloyd
The Pace That Thrills Danny Wade Webster Campbell Lost film
The New Commandment Billy Morrow Howard Higgin Lost film
Bluebeard's Seven Wives John Hart / Don Juan Hartez Alfred Santell Lost film
1926 The Reckless Lady Ralph Hilliwe Howard Higgin Lost film
The Savage Danny Terry Fred C. Newmeyer Lost film
The Great Deception Cyril Mansfield Howard Higgin Lost film
Prince of Tempters Francis Lothar Mendes
1927 The Perfect Sap Herbert Alden Howard Higgin Lost film
High Hat Jerry James Ashmore Creelman
The Tender Hour Wally McKenzie George Fitzmaurice
Dance Magic Leach Norcutt Victor Halperin Lost film
For the Love of Mike Mike Frank Capra Lost film
Dancing Vienna Jonny Conzaga Frederic Zelnik Lost film
1929 The Air Legion Dave Bert Glennon
All Faces West Mathew Raymond K. Johnson
The Quitter Neal Abbott Joseph Henabery
The Flying Marine Steve Moran Albert S. Rogell
1930 Lummox Rollo Farley Ray_Lissner
Alias French Gertie Jimmy Hartigan George Archainbaud
Hell's Angels Monte Rutledge Howard Hughes
James Whale (dialogue)
What Men Want Kendall James Ernst Laemmle
A Soldier's Plaything Georgie Michael Curtiz
1931 The Hot Heiress 'Hap' Harrigan Clarence G. Badger
Misbehaving Ladies Phil Hunter William Beaudine
Indiscreet Tony Blake Leo McCarey
Aloha Jimmy Bradford Albert S. Rogell
My Past Robert 'Bob' Byrne Roy Del Ruth
Night Nurse Mortie William A. Wellman
Bought! Nick Amory Archie Mayo
Her Majesty, Love Fred von Wellingen William Dieterle
Compromised Sidney Brock Ben Silvey Lost film
1932 Lady with a Past Guy Bryson E. J. Babille
The Big Timer Cooky Bradford Edward Buzzell
Week Ends Only Jack Williams Alan Crosland
By Whose Hand? Jimmy Benjamin Stoloff
The Crooked Circle Brand Osborne H. Bruce Humberstone
Hat Check Girl Buster Collins Sidney Lanfield
1933 Girl Missing Henry Gibson Robert Florey
I Cover the Waterfront H. Joseph 'Joe' Miller James Cruze
The Women in His Life Roger McKane George B. Seitz
1934 I Spy Wally Sawyer
Crimson Romance Bob Wilson David Howard
Lightning Strikes Twice Steven 'Steve' Brewster Ben Holmes
1935 Together We Live Max Willard Mack
Navy Wife Dr. Peter Milford Allan Dwan
Frisco Waterfront Glenn Burton Arthur Lubin
1936 Dancing Feet Peyton Wells Joseph Santley
Down to the Sea Steve Londos Lewis D. Collins
Treachery on the High Seas Johnny Hammond Emil-Edwin Reinert
1938 Stardust Royal Harley Melville W. Brown
1939 I Killed the Count Bernard Froy Frederic Zelnik
Confidential Lady Jim Brent Arthur B. Woods Lost film
1941 Hi Gang! Her Other Half Marcel Varnel
1942 This Was Paris Butch, Sydney Chronicle Reporter John Harlow
1943 The Dark Tower Phil Danton John Harlow
1954 Life with the Lyons Himself Val Guest
1955 The Lyons in Paris Ben Val Guest

Bibliography

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  • Allgood, Jill (1975). Bebe and Ben. Robert Hale & Co. ISBN 0-709-14942-5.
  • Daniels, Bebe; Lyons, Ben (1953). Life with the Lyons, the Autobiography of Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon. Odhams Press. ASIN B0000CIGNZ.

References

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  1. ^ Slide, Anthony (2010). Silent Players: A Biographical and Autobiographical Study of 100 Silent Film Actors and Actresses. University Press of Kentucky. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-813-13745-2.
  2. ^ "FamilySearch: Sign In". FamilySearch.
  3. ^ William D. Rubinstein, Michael Jolles, Hilary L. Rubinstein, The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History, Palgrave Macmillan (2011), p. 626
  4. ^ "Ben Lyon". Photoplay. New York: Photoplay Publishing Company. January 1925. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Donnelley, Paul (2003). Fade to Black: A Book of Movie Obituaries. Music Sales Group. p. 487. ISBN 0-711-99512-5.
  6. ^ a b The New York Times Biographical Service, Volume 10. New York Times & Arno Press. 1979. p. 344.
  7. ^ "Welcome to the Website of the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register". dmairfield.org.
  8. ^ Donnelley 2003 p.191
  9. ^ Golden, Eve (2000). Golden Images: 41 Essays on Silent Film Stars. McFarland. p. 21. ISBN 0-786-48354-7.
  10. ^ a b "Marian Nixon". Los Angeles Times.
  11. ^ D'Agostino, Annette M. (2004). The Harold Lloyd Encyclopedia. McFarland. p. 75. ISBN 0-786-41514-2.
  12. ^ "Hollywood Star Walk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
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