BAT Beauties 3rd Series No47 Enid Bennet 1893-1969

Australian-born in Born in York, Western Australia. Enid Bennett appeared on stage in Sydney about 1911 (her sisters, Catherine Bennett and Marjorie Bennett, were also actresses).

 

She was noted by silent movie Director Fred Niblo who put her in a lead role in her first Silent Movie 'Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford' (1916). 'Officer 666' (1916) was her last Australian Movie.

 

Coaxed to Hollywood where she appeared in 'The Aryan' (1916) with William S. Hart. Followed by 'Princess of the Dark' (1917) where she was the female lead to John Gilbert.

 

She married American director Sidney Franklin early in her career, but they were divorced shortly thereafter.

 

So in 1918 she married director Fred Niblo, who later directed the second film version of Ben Hur. In 1922, she starred in only three films, but one of those became her most famous role, the female lead of "Maid Marian" in 'Robin Hood' with Douglas Fairbanks.

 

She made a great many silent movies of which I have only tagged a few.

Her very first transition to Sound was in 'Good Medicine' (1929) with Edward Everett Horton.

'Skippy' (1931) with Jackie Cooper was her second sound venture.

 

'Strike Up the Band' (1940) with Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland was to be her last but one sound venture.

'The Big Store' (1941) with the Marx Brothers where she had an uncredited part as a Clerk in the movie, it was to be her last.

 

She retired after 1941, eventually residing with her family in Malibu, California, where she died in 1969 from a heart attack, aged 75.

 

 

Done