Ben Bard

Ben Bard (January 26, 1893 – May 17, 1974) was an American movie actor, stage actor, and acting teacher. With comedian Jack Pearl, Bard worked in a comedy duo in vaudeville.

In 1926, Bard, Pearl, and Sascha Beaumont appeared in a short film made in Lee DeForest's Phonofilm sound-on-film process. He had a small role in The Bat Whispers (1930). Later in the decade, he ran a leading Hollywood acting school, Ben Bard Drama.

Bard was recruited to be a leading man at Fox Film Corporation. However, he was typecast as a "Suave Heavy"—a smooth-talking, well-dressed fellow with a dark side. An example of this type is his portrayal of "Mr. Brun" in The Seventh Victim (1943). Also in 1943, Bard appeared in two other Val Lewton-produced horror films: The Leopard Man, as Robles, the Police Chief, and The Ghost Ship, as First Officer Bowns.

Bard became the head of the New Talent Department at Twentieth-Century-Fox in September 1956, eventually resigning in August 1959. He re-opened his school, Ben Bard Drama, in 1960.

Birth and Death Data: Born Milwaukee (city in and county seat of Milwaukee County, and largest city in State of Wisconsin, United States), Died May 17, 1974 (Los Angeles (seat of Los Angeles County, and largest city in California, United States) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1917 - 1930

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, speaker

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-21419 10-in. 1/15/1918 Give me the right to love you all the while Sterling Trio Male vocal trio, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor [Trial 1923-02-03-02] 10-in. 2/3/1923 Troubles Ben Bard ; Jack Pearl Comic dialogue speaker  
Columbia 77323 10-in. 9/10/1917 Give me the right to love you all the while Sterling Trio Male vocal trio, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 77828 10-in. 5/17/1918 Victory Arthur Fields Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Brunswick LAE898 10-in. 11/10/1930 As long as we’re together Abe Lyman’s California Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal; without vocal (take G) lyricist  
Edison 5913 10-in. 12/7/1917 Give me the right to love you Gladys Rice Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Bard, Ben," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111234.

Bard, Ben. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111234.

"Bard, Ben." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111234

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