Enid Bennett

from York, Western Australia, Australia

Artwork for Robin HoodImage of Enid Bennett

Biography

From Wikipedia

Born in York, Western Australia, Enid Bennett started her film acting career in 1916, first starring in Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford, with two other films that same year. She married American director Sidney Franklin early in her career, but they were divorced shortly thereafter.

In 1917, she starred in five films, the most important of which was The Little Brother opposite William Garwood. That film brought her to the attention of studios and led to an increasing number of acting roles. From 1918 to 1921, she starred in twenty-three films, becoming well known and recognizable as an actress. In 1918 she married director Fred Niblo, who later directed the second film version of Ben Hur. In 1922, she starred in only three films, but one of those became her most famous role, the female lead of "Maid Marian" in Robin Hood with Douglas Fairbanks.

From 1923 to 1928, she starred in only ten films, as her career had slowed to a crawl. She was a mother by that time, as she and Niblo eventually had three children together.

In 1929, her brother Alexander Bennett married actress Frances Lee. The wedding was attended by some of Hollywood's biggest names, including Gloria Swanson and Greta Garbo. That year Bennett starred in only one film, Good Medicine, opposite Edward Everett Horton.

Bennett's sisters Marjorie (1896-1982) and Catherine (1901–1978) were also Hollywood film actresses.

She made a semi-successful transition to sound films, but saw fewer roles come her way. From 1931 to 1941 she had roles in only seven films, the last of which was uncredited.

She retired after 1941, eventually residing with her family in Malibu, California, where she died in 1969 from a heart attack, aged 75.

Timeline

1941Aged 48

  • Poster for The Big Store

    Clerk (uncredited)

1940Aged 47

  • Poster for Strike Up the Band

    Mrs. Morgan

1939Aged 46

  • Poster for Intermezzo: A Love Story

    Greta Stenborg

  • Poster for Meet Dr. Christian

    Anne Hewitt

1931Aged 38

  • Poster for Skippy

    Ellen Skinner

  • Poster for Waterloo Bridge

    Mary Cronin Wetherby

  • Poster for Sooky

    Helen Skinner

1927Aged 34

  • Poster for The Wrong Mr. Wright

    Henrietta

  • Poster for The Flag: A Story Inspired by the Tradition of Betsy Ross

    Betsy Ross

1924Aged 31

  • Poster for The Sea Hawk

    Lady Rosamund Godolphin

  • Poster for The Red Lily

    Marise La Noue

1923Aged 30

  • Poster for Your Friend and Mine

    Patricia Stanton

  • Poster for Strangers of the Night

    Poppy Faire

  • Poster for The Bad Man

    Mrs. Morgan Pell

  • Poster for The Courtship of Miles Standish

    Priscilla Mullens

1922Aged 29

1920Aged 27

1919Aged 26

  • Poster for Happy Though Married

    Millicent Lee

  • Poster for Partners Three

    Agnes Cuyler

  • Poster for The Law of Men

    Laura Dayne

  • Poster for The Virtuous Thief

    Shirley Armitage

  • Poster for Stepping Out

    Mrs. Robert Hillary

  • Poster for What Every Woman Learns

    Amy Fortesque

  • Poster for The Haunted Bedroom

    Betsy Thorne

1918Aged 25

  • Poster for The Keys of the Righteous

    Mary Manning

  • Poster for The Biggest Show on Earth

    Roxie Kemp

  • Poster for A Desert Wooing

    Avice Bereton

  • Poster for The Vamp

    Nancy Lyons

  • Coals of Fire

    Nell Bradley

  • Poster for The Marriage Ring

    Anne Mertons

  • Poster for When Do We Eat?

    Nora

  • Poster for Fuss and Feathers

    Susie Baldwin

1917Aged 24

1916Aged 23

  • Poster for The Aryan

    Undetermined Secondary Role