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Ben Lyon

Ben Lyon

Known for: Acting

Born 06/02/1901
Died 1979-03-22
Place of birth Atlanta, Georgia, USA

From Wikipedia Ben Lyon (February 6, 1901 – March 22, 1979) was an American actor and a studio executive at 20th Century Fox. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, 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 most 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. 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 an heroic World War I aviator was also highly regarded. 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.[2] After his first meeting with her he stated that she was "Jean Harlow all over again!". He organized a color screen test for the actress, renamed her, and finally signed her as Marilyn Monroe to her first studio contract. During World War II, Lyons 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 had a run on BBC and independent television from 1954 until 1960. Lyon married actress Bebe Daniels in June 1930. They had two children: daughter Barbara in 1932 and a son Richard whom they adopted. 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. In 1974, Lyon married the actress Marian Nixon whom he had known since the 1920s. 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 is interred in the Chapel Columbarium at Hollywood Forever Cemetery next to his first wife, Bebe. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Ben Lyon has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1724 Vine Street.

Filmography

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Series ★ 7,5

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Self

1962

Hell's Angels Film ★ 6,6

Hell's Angels

Monte Rutledge

1930

Hi Gang! Film ★ 6,7

Hi Gang!

Her Other Half

1941

Painted People Film ★ 10,0

Painted People

Don Lane

1924

The Stolen Jools Film ★ 5,6

The Stolen Jools

Ben Lyon

1931

Lady with a Past Film ★ 6,3

Lady with a Past

Guy Bryson

1932

Her Majesty, Love Film ★ 6,7

Her Majesty, Love

Fred von Wellingen

1931

Night Nurse Film ★ 6,8

Night Nurse

Mortie

1931

Film ★ 5,3

Down to the Sea

Steve Londos

1936

Alias French Gertie Film ★ 6,3

Alias French Gertie

Jimmy Hartigan

1930

Wages of Virtue Film ★ 8,0

Wages of Virtue

Marvin

1924

The Air Legion Film ★ 9,0

The Air Legion

Dave Grayson

1929

One Way Street Film ★ 9,0

One Way Street

Bobby Austin

1925

Hat Check Girl Film ★ 7,5

Hat Check Girl

Buster Collins

1932

The Reckless Lady Film ★ 10,0

The Reckless Lady

Ralph Hilliwe

1926

Dancing Feet Film ★ 6,0

Dancing Feet

Peyton Wells

1936

The Women in His Life Film ★ 4,3

The Women in His Life

Roger McKane

1933

I Cover the Waterfront Film ★ 5,1

I Cover the Waterfront

H. Joseph 'Joe' Miller

1933

Crimson Romance Film ★ 5,5

Crimson Romance

Bob Wilson

1934

Frisco Waterfront Film ★ 9,0

Frisco Waterfront

Glenn Burton

1935

Hollywood on Parade No. A-1 Film ★ 4,0

Hollywood on Parade No. A-1

Self

1932

Flaming Youth Film ★ 3,8

Flaming Youth

Monty Standish

1923

My Past Film ★ 4,0

My Past

Robert 'Bob' Byrne

1931

Hollywood on Parade No. A-3 Film ★ 10,0

Hollywood on Parade No. A-3

Self

1932

The White Moth Film ★ 6,1

The White Moth

Douglas Vantine

1924

By Whose Hand? Film ★ 6,6

By Whose Hand?

Jimmy Hawley

1932

What Men Want Film ★ 3,3

What Men Want

Kendall James

1930

Wine of Youth Film ★ 8,3

Wine of Youth

Lynn Talbot

1924

Das tanzende Wien Film ★ 10,0

Das tanzende Wien

Jonny Conzaga

1927

The Perfect Sap Film ★ 7,0

The Perfect Sap

Herbert Alden

1927

Winds of Chance Film ★ 6,5

Winds of Chance

Pierce Phillips

1925

Bluebeard's Seven Wives Film ★ 10,0

Bluebeard's Seven Wives

John Hart / Don Juan Hartez

1926

Bought! Film ★ 8,0

Bought!

Nick Amory

1931

The Savage Film ★ 9,0

The Savage

Danny Terry

1926

The Crooked Circle Film ★ 5,2

The Crooked Circle

Brand Osborne

1932

The Dark Tower Film ★ 6,2

The Dark Tower

Phil Danton

1943

A Soldier's Plaything Film ★ 5,4

A Soldier's Plaything

Georgie

1930

Girl Missing Film ★ 5,2

Girl Missing

Henry Gibson

1933

The Hot Heiress Film ★ 6,3

The Hot Heiress

Hap Harrigan

1931

Navy Wife Film ★ 6,0

Navy Wife

Dr. Peter Milford

1935

I Spy Film ★ 7,0

I Spy

Wally Sawyer

1934

The Quitter Film ★ 8,0

The Quitter

Neal Abbott

1929

Misbehaving Ladies Film ★ 9,0

Misbehaving Ladies

Phil Hunter

1931

Film ★ 10,0

The Tender Hour

Wally McKenzie

1927

So Big Film ★ 9,0

So Big

Dirk DeJong

1924

For the Love of Mike Film ★ 7,0

For the Love of Mike

Mike

1927

The Lyons in Paris Film ★ 5,0

The Lyons in Paris

Ben

1955

Potash and Perlmutter Film ★ 9,0

Potash and Perlmutter

Boris Andrieff

1923

Together We Live Film ★ 7,0

Together We Live

Max

1935

Indiscreet Film ★ 6,2

Indiscreet

Tony Blake

1931

Lightning Strikes Twice Film ★ 5,3

Lightning Strikes Twice

Steve Brewster

1934

The Flying Marine Film ★ 8,0

The Flying Marine

Steve Moran

1929

Aloha Film ★ 8,0

Aloha

Jimmy Bradford

1931

Lily of the Dust Film ★ 8,0

Lily of the Dust

Lt. Prell

1924

The Great Deception Film ★ 7,0

The Great Deception

Cyril Mansfield

1926

The Necessary Evil Film ★ 8,0

The Necessary Evil

Frank Jerome

1925

The Big Timer Film ★ 4,6

The Big Timer

Cooky Bradford

1932

The Prince of Tempters Film ★ 9,0

The Prince of Tempters

Francis

1926

Life with the Lyons Film ★ 7,3

Life with the Lyons

Ben Lyon

1954

The Pace That Thrills Film ★ 9,0

The Pace That Thrills

Danny Wade

1925

Life in Hollywood No. 2 Film ★ 9,0

Life in Hollywood No. 2

Himself

1927

This Was Paris Film ★ 5,9

This Was Paris

Butch, Sydney Chronicle Reporter

1942

Film ★ 6,0

Confidential Lady

Jim Brent

1939

All Faces West Film ★ 9,0

All Faces West

Matthew

1929

Lummox Film ★ 8,0

Lummox

Rollo Farley

1930

Compromised Film ★ 4,0

Compromised

Sidney Brock

1931

Film ★ 7,0

I Killed the Count

Bernard Froy

1939

Stardust Film ★ 5,3

Stardust

Roy Harley

1938

Open Your Eyes Film ★ 5,3

Open Your Eyes

Harold Connors

1919

Week Ends Only Film ★ 10,0

Week Ends Only

Jack Williams

1932

Film ★ 7,0

The Heart of Maryland

Bob Telfair

1921

Film

Screen Snapshots Series 14, No. 8

1935

The New Commandment Film ★ 10,0

The New Commandment

Billy Morrow

1925

The Custard Cup Film ★ 10,0

The Custard Cup

Dick Chase

1923