Ben Alexander's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) Dragnet (1951) Officer Fra… About Faces Host

Main Movie Roles 1954 - Dragnet 1937 - Shall We Dance 1930 - All Quiet on the Western Front

BIOGRAPHY:

Starting out as a child actor in 1915, Ben Alexander's first roles were played in the films of such directors as Cecil B. DeMille and D.W. Griffith. He later graduated to juvenile leads and supporting parts in sound films, most notably in All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). When his acting career slowed down in the mid-'30s, he found a new career as a successful radio announcer. Alexander was more or less retired when producer Jack Webb (I) picked him for the part of his detective partner in the TV series "Dragnet" (1951). Alexander later played another detective on Howard Duff (I)'s TV series "Felony Squad" (1966) .


TRIVIA:

• Grandfather of Amelia Nelson.
• Played Officer Frank Smith on NBC Radio's "Dragnet" (1952-1957).
• Cast member on NBC Radio's "The Martin and Lewis Show" (1949-1953).
• Owned and operated the Ben Alexander Ford dealership in Highland Park, California (Northeast Los Angeles) from circa 1953 until his death in 1969.