Ben Carter

Ben Carter (February 10, 1910 ) was an American actor and casting agent. He appeared in numerous Hollywood feature films including The Harvey Girls, Tin Pan Alley, Crash Dive, Born to Sing, and Dixie Jamboree.

Early life 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. 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). 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 a valuable member of a submarine's crew.

Comedy team Ben Carter teamed with the African American comedian Mantan Moreland, and perfected an "incomplete sentence" act, where they conducted entire conversations while speaking only in fragments:

MORELAND: I saw old --

CARTER: Is he still out there?

MORELAND: Yeah.

CARTER: I thought he was --

MORELAND: He was, but he got out.

CARTER: You know what I heard?

MORELAND: Not until Christmas!

CARTER: No?

MORELAND: I never did believe --

CARTER: I don't believe anything he says, either.

They performed this routine in two Charlie Chan pictures, The Scarlet Clue and Dark Alibi, and in the musical comedy Bowery to Broadway. Carter and Moreland were so popular that they embarked on a personal-appearance tour in 1946.

Personal life Carter was a member of the Hollywood Victory Committee

Carter suffered from diphtheria. He died of the disease on December 12, 1946, in New York City.

Filmography