About Ben DeBar
Lived 1812 – 1877 (aged 64–65). Ben DeBar was an actor and stage actor.
Benedict DeBar (1812–1877) was a prominent American actor-manager. He is associated with operating a major theater in St. Louis, and best known for portraying the role of Falstaff. He was also connected by marriage with the Booth family of actors. He was the stage manager for Noah Ludlow and Sol Smith (uncle of Sol Smith Russell) for their St. Charles Theater in New Orleans and, when they retired in 1843, he assumed ownership of their New Orleans and St. Louis theaters.
DeBar is credited for first presenting Emma Maddern, mother of actress Emily Stevens and community theater director Robert Stevens, as an actress. His estate was contested in St. Louis Probate Court by his widow—filed January 24, 1878)—who claimed that a power of attorney given to John G. Priest, executor – which deprived her of her right of dower involving a large amount of real estate claimed by Ben DeBar's creditors – was a forgery.
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Important facts
People in Ben DeBar's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ben DeBar's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ben DeBar?
19th-century actor, theatre manager and producer
When was Ben DeBar born?
Ben DeBar was born in 1812.
When did Ben DeBar die?
Ben DeBar died in 1877.
What was Ben DeBar's occupation?
Ben DeBar was an actor and stage actor.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ben DeBar. https://biography.guide/ben-debar/
MLA: "Ben DeBar." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ben-debar/.
Chicago: "Ben DeBar." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ben-debar/.
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