Ben Blue | |
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 Press photo of Blue from the 1972 TV specialOnce Upon a Tour. | |
| Born | Benjamin Bernstein (1901-09-12)12 September 1901 Montréal, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | 7 March 1975(1975-03-07) (aged 73) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery,Culver City, California |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1916–1975 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
Ben Blue (bornBenjamin Bernstein; 9 December 1901 – 7 March 1975) was aCanadian-Americanactor andcomedian[1] whose varied career on stage, in movies, and in television appearances, spanned nearly 50 years.
Benjamin Bernstein was born inMontreal,Quebec on 12 September 1901 to David Asher Bernstein and Sadie (née Goldberg), who wereJewish.[1] He emigrated toBaltimore, Maryland, at the age of nine, where he later won a contest for the best impersonation ofCharlie Chaplin.
At age fifteen he was in a touring company, and later became a stage manager and assistant general manager. He became a dance instructor and nightclub proprietor. In the 1920s Blue joined a popular orchestra, Jack White and His Montrealers. The entire band emphasized comedy and would continually interact with the joke-cracking maestro. Blue, the drummer, would sometimes deliver corny jokes while wearing a ridiculously false beard. The band relocated to the United States, and appeared in two early sound musicals — theVitaphone short subjectJack White and His Montrealers and Universal's feature-length2-strip Technicolor revueKing of Jazz (1930).
In 1930, Blue toured with the "Earl Carroll Vanities". He later left the band to establish himself as a solo comedian, portraying a bald-headed dumb-bell with a goofy expression. Around that time he dubbed himself 'Ben Blue', later explaining that it would fit better than 'Bernstein' on theater marquees. ProducerHal Roach featured him in his "Taxi Boys" comedy shorts, but Blue's dopey character was an acquired taste and he was soon replaced by other comedians. Later in the 1930s he worked atParamount Pictures, notably inThe Big Broadcast of 1938, and later atMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer, in films such asEasy to Wed.
In 1950, he had a short-lived TV series,The Ben Blue Show, and was also a regular onThe Frank Sinatra Show.
In 1951, Blue began concentrating on managing and appearing in nightclubs inHollywood andSan Francisco,California. He once appeared in aReno,Nevadanightclub called the Dollhouse where he lost $25,000 to its owner, Bill Welch. Blue andMaxie Rosenbloom owned and performed at Slapsie Maxie's, Hollywood's top nightclub in the 1940s. Again, in the 1960s he opened a nightclub inSanta Monica, California, called Ben Blue's. It quickly became the "in" place and night after night was packed with top celebrities. Blue closed the club three years later because of health problems. Blue made the cover ofTV Guide′s June 11, 1954 Special Issue along withAlan Young, headlining an edition that covered that season's summer replacement shows. He also made appearances in TV shows such asThe Jack Benny Program andThe Milton Berle Show.
In 1958 he had major surgery.[3] In 1958 he starred in a televisionpilot calledBen Blue's Brothers, in which he played four different parts. The show did not get picked up by a network, but the pilot was seen in 1965.
In 1964 Blue was indicted by a federal grand jury on six counts oftax evasion for the non-payment of more than $39,000 (approximately $395,000 today) in income taxes from the nightclub he operated, the Merry-Go-Round, inSanta Monica, California.[4] The case was contested for five years, before he pled no contest to a single count of evading corporate tax. He was fined $1,000, with the payment suspended.[1]
Blue had a recurring role inJerry Van Dyke's television seriesAccidental Family in 1967. His film roles included many cameo appearances. InIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), he portrayed the pilot of theStandard J-1 biplane that flewSid Caesar andEdie Adams. InThe Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966) he played the town drunk. Other film appearances included small roles inThe Busy Body (1967),A Guide for the Married Man (1967) andWhere Were You When the Lights Went Out? (1968). He made one of his last television appearances inLand of the Giantsin 1969. He was also seen the following year in theDora Hall vanity syndicated television special, "Once Upon a Tour".
Blue married his first wife, Mary, in New York in 1922. They had a daughter, Jeanne, in 1923. Mary was granted a divorce from Blue on 3 December 1937 in Los Angeles.[5] He was ordered to pay $600 (approximately $13,000 today) monthly alimony. The judge told him: "You are no exception to the rule that theatrical careers do not last long, and yours already has been a long one."[6] Blue later married Axie Mae Dunlap (1916—1990). Their two children were sons Tom and Robert.[7][8][1][9][10]
Blue died inHollywood, California, on March 7, 1975.[1] He was interred in theHillside Memorial Park Cemetery inCulver City, California.
After his death, his career papers covering 1935 to 1955 were deposited in the Special Collections at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles Library.
Axie Dunlap and Ben Blue were still happily married when Blue died in 1975. Axie Dunlap worked with him in his nightclub and vaudeville acts, and she played many ...
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