Louis Bennison

Louis Bennison
Bennison as the title character in Speedy Meade (1919)
Born(1884-10-17)October 17, 1884
Oakland, California, U.S.
DiedJune 9, 1929(1929-06-09) (aged 44)
New York City, New York, U.S.
EducationUniversity of California, Berkeley
OccupationActor
Years active1914–1927

Louis Bennison (October 17, 1884 – June 9, 1929) was an American stage and silent film actor, known for westerns.

Biography

Bennison was born on October 17, 1884, in Oakland, California. He attended the University of California, Berkeley. Bennison performed in plays such as The Unchastened Woman and Johnny Get Your Gun. In 1912, he was a member of the stock company at the Alcazar Theatre in San Francisco.

He had starring film roles and made his motion picture debut in the silent film Damaged Goods in 1914, other films included Pretty Mrs. Smith (1915), Oh, Johnny! (1918) and as the titular character in Speedy Meade (1919).

In the 1920s, Bennison developed a relationship with married Broadway actress Margaret Lawrence, and on June 9, 1929, he shot and murdered Lawrence in her New York apartment before taking his own life. Police believed Bennison to be drunk at the time.

Louis Bennison woodcut c. 1919

Filmography

References

  1. ↑ "'Red Rose' and 'Gamblers' Due". San Francisco Chronicle. January 4, 1912. p. 10 – via Newsbank.
  2. ↑ "Noted Stage Stars in Murder-Suicide". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 10, 1929. p. 1. cont., p. 5
  3. ↑ Frasier, David K. (2005). Suicide in the Entertainment Industry: An Encyclopedia of 840 Twentieth Century Cases. McFarland. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-7864-2333-0.
  4. ↑ "Margaret Lawrence slain by Louis Bennison, actor, who ends life in her home". The New York Times. June 10, 1929.
  5. ↑ Biography of Louis Bennison and His Involvement with Margaret Lawrence Retrieved August 18, 2017