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Ben Carter (February 10, 1910[1]/1907[2] – December 12, 1946[3]) was an American actor and casting agent. He appeared in numerous Hollywood feature films including The Harvey Girls, Dixie Jamboree, Crash Dive, and Born to Sing.
Ben Carter | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 10, 1910 Fairfield, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | December 12, 1946 (aged 36) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, casting agent |
| Years active | 1934–1946 |
Carter was born in Fairfield, Iowa. His father was a barber and his mother was a housemaid. He graduated from high school in Aurora, Illinois.[1]
Carter headed to Los Angeles to work in movies. As a booking agent he focused on African American performers in New York City and Los Angeles.[1] He was one of the first African American performers to land a seven-year contract at 20th Century-Fox.[2] He opened his agency office in 1935.[1]
Carter appeared in Gone With the Wind (1939) as well as casting all the other African American actors and actresses in it,[1] Maryland (1940) and Tin Pan Alley (1940).[2] Carter often performed in comic roles and in scenes which allowed him to display his singing ability such as in The Harvey Girls (1946) and A Day at the Races (1937). Among his most prominent roles were in the Charlie Chan movies The Scarlet Clue (1945) and Dark Alibi (1946). A notable role of his was in the World War II movie Crash Dive (1943) where his character rises above racial stereotypes and is portrayed as an valuable member of a submarine's crew.
Carter was a member of the Hollywood Victory Committee[1] and was a civil rights activist.[2]
He resided at 2133 S. Harvard Blvd. in West Adams, Los Angeles, California, in 1942.[1]
Carter suffered from diphtheria.[2] He died of the disease on December 12, 1946, in New York City.[3]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Hollywood Party | Elevator Operator | Uncredited |
| 1935 | Transient Lady | Barbershop Patron | Uncredited |
| 1935 | Kentucky Blue Streak | Waiter / Colored Octette Leader | |
| 1936 | The Green Pastures | Gambler | Uncredited |
| 1936 | Missing Girls | Pokey | |
| 1937 | A Day at the Races | Black Singer | Uncredited |
| 1937 | Adventure's End | Stantul, Black Sailor | |
| 1938 | Having Wonderful Time | Minor Role | (scenes deleted) |
| 1939 | Gone With the Wind | Uncredited | |
| 1940 | Little Old New York | Noah | |
| 1940 | Safari | Happy | |
| 1940 | New Moon | Singer - Member of Jericho Choir | Uncredited |
| 1940 | Maryland | Shadrach | |
| 1940 | Carolina Moon | Wheeler's Butler | Uncredited |
| 1940 | South to Karanga | Higgins | |
| 1940 | Earl of Puddlestone | Homer | |
| 1940 | Tin Pan Alley | Boy | |
| 1940 | Chad Hanna | Bell Boy | |
| 1941 | Sleepers West | Leander Jones - Porter | |
| 1941 | Ride on Vaquero | Watchman Bullfinch | |
| 1941 | Dressed to Kill | Sam | |
| 1942 | Young America | Abraham | |
| 1942 | Born to Sing | 'Eight-Ball' | |
| 1942 | Reap the Wild Wind | Chinkapin | |
| 1942 | Her Cardboard Lover | Elevator Operator | Uncredited |
| 1942 | Daring Young Man | Pinky | |
| 1943 | Happy Go Lucky | Joe Brown | Uncredited |
| 1943 | Crash Dive | Oliver Cromwell Jones | |
| 1943 | Redhead from Manhattan | Mark Anthony Brown | Uncredited |
| 1943 | Mister Big | Ben Carter - Choir Leader | |
| 1944 | This Is the Life | Himself | |
| 1944 | Stars on Parade | Ben Carter Choir Leader | |
| 1944 | Dixie Jamboree | Sam the Deckhand | |
| 1944 | Bowery to Broadway | No-More | |
| 1945 | The Scarlet Clue | Ben Carter | |
| 1945 | The Great John L. | Thaddeus | Uncredited |
| 1945 | Lady on a Train | Maxwell | |
| 1945 | She Went to the Races | Groom | Uncredited |
| 1946 | The Harvey Girls | John Henry | |
| 1946 | Riverboat Rhythm | Benjamin | |
| 1946 | Dark Alibi | Benjamin Brown |
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