Ben Deeley (January 22, 1878 - September 23, 1924) born J. Bernard Deeley also credited as Ben Deely, was an American actor and composer.

Biography

Born in 1878, Deeley appeared in silent films, never having lived to the talkie era. He composed a popular ragtime song called ''The Kleptomaniac Rag'' in 1913. His best known performance in films is the strange powdered character Mr. Jones in

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Lon Chaney Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...

, Jack Holt, and

Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in ''Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in ''Grand Hotel'' (193 ...

. He was at one time married to Marie Wayne, who costarred with him in ''

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'' (1914), and to actress

Barbara La Marr Barbara La Marr (born Reatha Dale Watson; July 28, 1896 – January 30, 1926) was an American film actress and screenwriter who appeared in twenty-seven films during her career between 1920 and 1926. La Marr was also noted by the medi ...

. Deeley died of

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Selected filmography

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'' (1914) *''

East Lynne ''East Lynne'' is an English sensation novel of 1861 by Ellen Wood, writing as Mrs Henry Wood. A Victorian best-seller, it is remembered chiefly for its elaborate and implausible plot, centring on infidelity and double identities. There have ...

'' (1916) *(with

Theda Bara Theda Bara ( ; born Theodosia Burr Goodman; July 29, 1885 – April 7, 1955) was an American silent film and stage actress. Bara was one of the more popular actresses of the silent era and one of cinema's early sex symbols. Her femme fatal ...

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In Pursuit of Polly ''In Pursuit of Polly'' is a lost 1918 American silent comedy-drama film starring Billie Burke and Thomas Meighan. It was produced by Famous Players-Lasky and released by Paramount Pictures. Plot As described in a film magazine, Polly Marsden ( ...

'' (1918) (*with

Billie Burke Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke (August 7, 1884 – May 14, 1970) was an American actress who was famous on Broadway and radio, and in silent and sound films. She is best known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of the North ...

) *''

'' (1919) *''

Flames of the Flesh ''Flames of the Flesh'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Edward LeSaint, and starring Gladys Brockwell, William Scott, Harry Spingler, Ben Deeley, Charles K. French, Louis Fitzroy, and Rosita Marstini. The film was released by F ...

'' (1920) *''The Tattlers'' (1920) *'' The Iron Heart'' (1920) *''A Sister to Salome'' (1920) *''Would You Forgive?'' (1920) *'' Sowing the Wind'' (1921) *''

Kazan Kazan ( ; rus, Казань, p=kɐˈzanʲ; tt-Cyrl, Казан, ''Qazan'', IPA: ɑzan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka rivers, covering a ...

'' (1921) *''

Molly O ''Molly O'' is a 1921 American silent comedy film starring Mabel Normand and directed by F. Richard Jones. Cast * Mabel Normand as Molly O' * George Nichols as Tim O'Dair *Anna Dodge as Mrs. Tim O'Dair (as Anna Hernandez) *Albert Hackett as ...

'' (1921) *''

Where's My Wandering Boy Tonight? ''Where's My Wandering Boy Tonight?'' is a 1922 American comedy drama silent black-and-white film directed by James P. Hogan and Millard Webb, written by Gerald C. Duffy and produced by B.F. Zeidman. Cast * Cullen Landis as Garry Beeche ...

'' (1922) *''

The Crossroads of New York ''The Crossroads of New York'' is a lost 1922 American silent comedy film directed by F. Richard Jones and an all-star cast of silent comedians. It was produced by Mack Sennett and released through First National Distributors. Plot As describ ...

'' (1922) * '' Lights Out'' (1923) *'' The Acquittal'' (1923) * ''

Passion's Pathway ''Passion's Pathway'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Bertram Bracken and starring Estelle Taylor, Wilfred Lucas and Tully Marshall.Munden p.593 Synopsis After bravely defending a Mexican mine from a sabotage attack, Hugh Keny ...

'' (1924) *'' Winner Take All'' (1924) *''

The Cyclone Rider ''The Cyclone Rider'' is a 1924 American silent adventure film directed by Tom Buckingham. Prints of the film survive in the Czech Film Archive. Cast * Reed Howes as Richard Armstrong * Alma Bennett as Doris Steele * William Bailey as Reynard ...

'' (1924) *'' Never the Twain Shall Meet'' (1925)

References

External links

*
Jane Novak and Ben Deeley in ''Kazan'' (1921)
(archived) {{DEFAULTSORT:Deeley, Ben 1878 births 1924 deaths Male actors from California American male silent film actors 20th-century American male actors American male film actors People from Folsom, California