Carl Benton Reid (August 14, 1893 – March 16, 1973) was an American actor.

Early years

Reid was born in Lansing, Michigan. He used his full name professionally because when he worked in radio, four other people in the business were named Carl Reid.

Career

For seven years, Reid performed in leading-man roles of productions at the

Cleveland Play House Cleveland Play House (CPH) is a professional regional theater company located in Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1915 and built its own noted theater complex in 1927. Currently the company performs at the Allen Theatre in Playhouse Square whe ...

. He achieved fame on the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

stage in 1939 as Oscar Hubbard, one of Regina Giddens's (

Tallulah Bankhead Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several prominent films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's ''Lif ...

) greedy, devious brothers in the play ''

The Little Foxes ''The Little Foxes'' is a 1939 play by Lillian Hellman, considered a classic of 20th century drama. Its title comes from Chapter 2, Verse 15 of the Song of Solomon in the King James version of the Bible, which reads, "Take us the foxes, the litt ...

'', and made his film debut reprising his role opposite

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...

in the 1941 film version. He also appeared in several Shakespeare plays on Broadway, and in the original production of

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earlier ...

's ''

The Iceman Cometh ''The Iceman Cometh'' is a play written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill in 1939. First published in 1946, the play premiered on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on October 9, 1946, directed by Eddie Dowling, where it ran for 136 perfo ...

'', as Harry Slade. His stern, cold demeanor quickly stereotyped him in villainous, and/or unpleasant characters, although he could play a sympathetic role, as he did occasionally in such films as the 1957 TV-movie version of ''

The Pied Piper of Hamelin The Pied Piper of Hamelin (german: der Rattenfänger von Hameln, also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the title character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany. The legend dates back to ...

''. Here he played the Mayor of Middelburg, who unsuccessfully requests help from the Mayor of Hamelin (

Claude Rains William Claude Rains (10 November 188930 May 1967) was a British actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. After his American film debut as Dr. Jack Griffin in ''The Invisible Man'' (1933), he appeared in such highly regarded films as '' ...

), when Hamelin is the victim of a flood. The flood leads to the famous plague of rats which invade Hamelin, and set the main plot in motion. He played the American Admiral, who is leading the peace talks between the Americans and Chinese during the Korean War in

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

's '' Pork Chop Hill''. His last film role was the judge in ''

Madame X ''Madame X'' (original title ''La Femme X'') is a 1908 play by French playwright Alexandre Bisson (1848–1912). It was novelized in English and adapted for the American stage; it was also adapted for the screen twelve times over sixty-five ...

'' (1966). On

old-time radio The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the early ...

, Reid played Roger Allen in the soap opera ''

Big Sister Big Sister may refer to: *An older sister, see birth order *Big Sister (brothel), an online brothel in Prague *The Big Sister (Dexter's Laboratory), "The Big Sister" (Dexter's Laboratory), an episode of ''Dexter's Laboratory'' *"Big Sister," a son ...

''. On television, Reid had the role of the U.S. spymaster known only as The Man in '' Amos Burke, Secret Agent''. He made four guest appearances on ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'' during the show's nine-year run between 1957 and 1966. His final television role was as Claude Townsend in the TV series ''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

''.

Personal life

Reid was married to actress Hazel Harrison, whom he met at the Cleveland Play House. They had a daughter, Shirley Jane.

Death

On March 16, 1973, Reid died at his home in Studio City, California, at age 79. He was survived by his wife and his daughter.

Selected filmography

*''

'' (1941) as Oscar Hubbard *''

Tennessee Johnson ''Tennessee Johnson'' is a 1942 American film about Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by William Dieterle and written by Milton Gunzburg, Alvin Meyers, John Balderston, and We ...

'' (1942) as Congressman Hargrove *'' The North Star'' (1943) as Boris Simonov *''

In a Lonely Place ''In a Lonely Place'' is a 1950 American film noir directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame, produced for Bogart's Santana Productions. The script was written by Andrew P. Solt from Edmund H. North's adaptation o ...

'' (1950) as Capt. Lochner *''

Convicted In law, a conviction is the verdict reached by a court of law finding a defendant guilty of a crime. The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal (that is, "not guilty"). In Scotland, there can also be a verdict of "not proven", which is consid ...

'' (1950) as Capt. Douglas *''

The Fuller Brush Girl ''The Fuller Brush Girl'' is a 1950 slapstick comedy starring Lucille Ball and directed by Lloyd Bacon. Animator Frank Tashlin wrote the script. Ball plays a quirky door-to-door cosmetics saleswoman for the Fuller Brush Company. The film also st ...

'' (1950) as Mr. Christy *''

The Killer That Stalked New York ''The Killer That Stalked New York'' (also known as ''Frightened City'') is a 1950 American film noir directed by Earl McEvoy and starring Evelyn Keyes, Charles Korvin and William Bishop. The film, shot on location and in a semi-documentary styl ...

'' (1950) as Health Commissioner Ellis *''

Stage to Tucson ''Stage to Tucson'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Ralph Murphy and written by Robert Creighton Williams, Frank Burt and Robert Libott. It is based on the 1948 novel ''Lost Stage Valley'' by Frank Bonham. The film stars Rod Came ...

'' (1950) as Dr. Noah Banteen *'' The Flying Missile'' (1950) as Dr. Gates, USN *'' Smuggler's Gold'' (1951) as 'Pop' Hodges *''

The Great Caruso ''The Great Caruso'' is a 1951 biographical film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and starring Mario Lanza as Enrico Caruso. It was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Joe Pasternak with Jesse L. Lasky as associate producer from a screenpla ...

'' (1951) as Park Benjamin *''

Lorna Doone ''Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor'' is a novel by English author Richard Doddridge Blackmore, published in 1869. It is a romance based on a group of historical characters and set in the late 17th century in Devon and Somerset, particularly ar ...

'' (1951) as Sir Ensor Doone *''

Criminal Lawyer A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various ...

'' (1951) as Tucker Bourne *'' The Family Secret'' (1951) as Dr. Steve Reynolds *'' Indian Uprising'' (1952) as John Clemson *''

Boots Malone ''Boots Malone'' is a 1952 American drama film directed by William Dieterle. It stars William Holden as a down-on-his-luck sports agent and Johnny Stewart as a rich runaway who wants to become a jockey. Plot Down on his luck, jockey agent "Boot ...

'' (1952) as John Williams *'' The First Time'' (1952) as Andrew Bennet *'' The Sniper'' (1952) as Mr. Liddell (uncredited) *''

Carbine Williams ''Carbine Williams'' is a 1952 American drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring James Stewart, Jean Hagen and Wendell Corey. The film follows the life of its namesake, David Marshall Williams, who invented the operating principle for th ...

'' (1952) as Claude Williams *'' The Brigand'' (1952) as Prime Minister Triano *'' The Story of Will Rogers'' (1952) as Senator Clem Rogers *''

Main Street to Broadway ''Main Street to Broadway'' is a 1953 American romantic musical comedy-drama film by independent producer Lester Cowan, his final credit, in collaboration with The Council of the Living Theatre, which provided tie-up with a number of well-known ...

'' (1953) as Judge Robbins in Fantasy Sequence *''

Escape from Fort Bravo ''Escape from Fort Bravo'' is a 1953 American Anscocolor Western film set during the American Civil War. It stars William Holden, Eleanor Parker, and John Forsythe. Plot Fort Bravo is a Union prison camp with a strict disciplinarian named Cap ...

'' (1953) as Col. Owens *'' The Command'' (1954) as Col. Janeway *''

Broken Lance ''Broken Lance'' is a 1954 American Western film directed by Edward Dmytryk and produced by Sol C. Siegel. The film stars Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, Jean Peters, Richard Widmark, and Katy Jurado. Shot in Technicolor and CinemaScope, the fil ...

'' (1954) as Clem Lawton *''

The Egyptian ''The Egyptian'' (''Sinuhe egyptiläinen'', Sinuhe the Egyptian) is a historical novel by Mika Waltari. It was first published in Finnish in 1945, and in an abridged English translation by Naomi Walford in 1949, from Swedish rather than Finnish ...

'' (1954) as Senmut *''

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...

'' (1954) as Mr. Griswalde *'' Wichita'' (1955) as Mayor Andrew Hope *''

One Desire ''One Desire'' is a 1955 Technicolor drama (genre), drama romance film directed by Jerry Hopper and starring Anne Baxter, Julie Adams and Rock Hudson. Described as a "rugged story of oil-boom Oklahoma in the early 1900s", it was adapted from Conra ...

'' (1955) as Sen. Kenneth A. Watrous *''

The Left Hand of God ''The Left Hand of God'' is a 1955 American Drama Western film. It was directed by Edward Dmytryk and produced by Buddy Adler, from a screenplay by Alfred Hayes, based on the novel ''The Left Hand of God'', by William Edmund Barrett. Set in a ...

'' (1955) as Father Cornelius *'' The Spoilers'' (1955) as Judge Stillman *''

A Day of Fury ''A Day of Fury'' is a 1956 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Harmon Jones and starring Dale Robertson, Mara Corday and Jock Mahoney. Plot A gunslinger named Jagade happens upon a stranger in trouble on the trail and saves his ...

'' (1956) as Judge John J. McLean *''

The First Texan ''The First Texan'' is a 1956 American Western film in CinemaScope and Technicolor directed by Byron Haskin. It stars Joel McCrea and Felicia Farr.Strange Intruder'' (1956) as James Carmichael *'' The Last Wagon'' (1956) as Gen. Howard *'' Battle Hymn'' (1957) as Deacon Edwards *''

Spoilers of the Forest ''Spoilers of the Forest'' is a 1957 American drama film directed by Joseph Kane, written by Bruce Manning, and starring Rod Cameron, Vera Ralston, Ray Collins, Hillary Brooke, Edgar Buchanan and Carl Benton Reid. It was released on April 5, ...

'' (1957) as John Mitchell *''

Time Limit A time limit or deadline is a narrow field of time, or a particular point in time, by which an objective or task must be accomplished. Once that time has passed, the item may be considered overdue (e.g., for work projects or school assignments). In ...

'' (1957) as Lt. Gen. J. Connors *''

Tarzan's Fight for Life ''Tarzan's Fight for Life'' is a 1958 Metrocolor action adventure film featuring Edgar Rice Burroughs' famous jungle hero Tarzan and starring Gordon Scott, Eve Brent, Rickie Sorensen, Jil Jarmyn, and Cheeta the chimpanzee. The film was directed b ...

'' (1958) as Dr. Sturdy *''

The Last of the Fast Guns ''The Last of the Fast Guns'' is a 1958 American Western film directed by George Sherman and written by David P. Harmon. The film stars Jock Mahoney, Gilbert Roland, Linda Cristal, Eduard Franz, Lorne Greene and Carl Benton Reid. The film wa ...

'' (1958) as John Forbes *'' The Trap'' (1959) as Sheriff Lloyd Anderson *'' Pork Chop Hill'' (1959) as American Admiral at Peace Conference *'' The Bramble Bush'' (1960) as Sam McFie *''

The Gallant Hours ''The Gallant Hours'' is an American docudrama from 1960 about William F. Halsey, Jr. and his efforts in fighting against Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto and the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Guadalcanal campaign of World War II. This film was direc ...

'' (1960) as Vice-Adm. Robert Ghormley *''

The Underwater City ''The Underwater City'' is a 1962 American science fiction film in Eastmancolor, about overcoming engineering obstacles for establishing an underwater living environment. The film was directed by Frank McDonald, produced by Alex Gordon and wri ...

'' (1962) as Dr. Junius Halstead *''

Pressure Point derive from the supposed meridian points in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Indian Ayurveda and Siddha medicine, and martial arts. They refer to areas on the human body that may produce significant pain or other effects when manipulated in a specific ...

'' (1962) as Chief Medical Officer *''

The Ugly American ''The Ugly American'' is a 1958 political novel by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer that depicts the failures of the U.S. diplomatic corps in Southeast Asia. The book caused a sensation in diplomatic circles and had major political implic ...

'' (1963) as Senator at Confirmation Hearing *''

'' (1966) as The Judge

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Carl Benton 1893 births 1973 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male radio actors American male stage actors American male television actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Male actors from Lansing, Michigan Male actors from Michigan