Ben Turpin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ben Turpin
Turpin in the 1920s
Birth name	Bernard Turpin
Born	(1869-09-19)September 19, 1869 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	July 1, 1940(1940-07-01) (aged 70) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California
Medium	Comedian, actor
Years active	1907–1940
Genres	Silent films
Spouse	Carrie Lemieux ​ ​ (m. 1907; her death 1925)​ Babette Dietz ​ (m. 1926)​

Bernard "Ben" Turpin (born September 19, 1869 – died July 1, 1940) was a famous American comedian and actor. He is best known for his work in silent films, which were movies without sound.

Ben Turpin's special trademarks were his crossed eyes and his amazing skills at physical comedy. He worked with other well-known stars like Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy. He was also part of the team at Mack Sennett's movie studio. Many people believe he was the first person to get a "pie in the face" in a movie! When movies started having sound, Turpin decided to retire. He had made smart investments in real estate, so he didn't need to work anymore. However, he still made a few short appearances in movies.

About Ben Turpin's Life

Ben Turpin in 1891.

An old ad for the candy store where Ben Turpin worked as a child.

Ben Turpin was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on September 19, 1869. His father, Ernest Turpin, owned a candy store.

Ben Turpin married his first wife, Carrie Lemieux, in 1907. In 1923, Carrie became very sick and lost her hearing. Ben was very sad and even put his acting career on hold to take care of her. Carrie passed away in 1925. Ben Turpin married again in 1926 to Babette Dietz.

He was a Roman Catholic and a member of his church in Beverly Hills, California.

His Early Career in Vaudeville

Before movies, Ben Turpin performed in vaudeville shows, burlesque (a type of comedy show), and circuses. He had a very unique look: a small, thin body, a brush mustache, and his famous crossed eyes.

Turpin said his eyes only became crossed after an accident when he was a young adult. He truly believed that his crossed eyes were key to his comedy career. His co-workers would joke that after he got hit on the head, he would immediately check in a mirror to make sure his eyes hadn't uncrossed!

He even bought a special insurance policy for $25,000 (which later stories said was $100,000). This money would be paid to him if his eyes ever became uncrossed!

Ben Turpin was also known for his energetic physical comedy. He could do amazing comic falls that even impressed other stunt performers. One of his special moves was called the "hundred an' eight." It was a forward somersault where he would kick one leg up, turn 180 degrees, and land flat on his back or sitting down.

Ben Turpin in Movies

Ben Turpin first appeared in movies in 1907 for a company called Essanay Studios in Chicago. He played small parts and did funny bits. Besides acting, he also worked as a carpenter and janitor for the studio. In a 1909 movie called Mr. Flip, Ben Turpin is believed to have been the first person to get a pie thrown in their face on film!

In 1915, Charlie Chaplin joined Essanay. The studio made Turpin Chaplin's comedy partner. Chaplin liked to work slowly and carefully, but Turpin was impatient. Turpin understood simple, silly comedy (slapstick) more than Chaplin's deeper humor. Their partnership didn't last long, and Chaplin soon moved to California.

After Chaplin left, Essanay Studios didn't last much longer. Ben Turpin then moved to the Vogue comedy company, where he starred in many short comedies.

Becoming a Star with Mack Sennett

In 1917, Ben Turpin joined the most famous comedy company of the time, the Mack Sennett studio. Turpin's talent for silly, physical comedy was perfect for Sennett's style. Sennett's writers often gave the funny-looking Turpin roles that were the opposite of what you'd expect, like a tough miner or a smooth romantic hero. This made his performances even funnier!

Throughout the 1920s, Ben Turpin often made fun of serious actors and famous people of the time. For example, he played "The Shriek" to make fun of "The Sheik." He became one of the most popular comedians in movies. He was so happy with his success that he would often introduce himself by saying, "I'm Ben Turpin; I make $3,000 a week."

Promotional card for Ben Turpin from 1921.

In 1928, Mack Sennett closed his studio to get ready for the new "talking pictures." Turpin then signed with a smaller company called Weiss Bros.-Artclass. He made 10 short comedies for them in one year. These movies often used his unique vision in their titles, like Idle Eyes and The Eyes Have It.

Ben Turpin in the Sound Era

By 1929, many silent film stars were unsure about their future because talking pictures were becoming popular. These new movies needed different skills. Ben Turpin decided to retire. He had invested his money wisely in real estate and was financially secure.

However, movie producers still wanted him for short, funny appearances. Ben Turpin's speaking voice was a rough, raspy sound that still had hints of his New Orleans accent. He charged a flat fee of $1,000 for each appearance, even if it was just a quick cameo with no speaking lines.

Some of his most memorable short appearances were in the comedy Cracked Nuts (where he played a cross-eyed bombardier) and Million Dollar Legs (1932) with W. C. Fields. Turpin also provided comedy in the 1934 adventure series The Law of the Wild.

Turpin starred in only one more full movie, a short film called Keystone Hotel (1935). This movie brought together many comedians from the silent film era. His very last movie was Laurel and Hardy's Saps at Sea in 1940. In this film, his crossed-eyed face was used as a funny punchline. He was paid $1,000 for just one quick shot of his face and only 16 words of dialogue. He was supposed to appear in Charlie Chaplin's movie The Great Dictator, but he passed away before he could.

His Later Years and Death

Ben Turpin died on July 1, 1940, from a heart attack. He was buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. A special church service was held for him. He was remembered as "a fine member of his church, strong in his faith." His friends and fellow comedians, including Andy Clyde and James Finlayson, were among those who carried his coffin.

Ben Turpin's Crossed Eyes: A Closer Look

The grave of Ben Turpin at Forest Lawn Glendale.

In the 1939 movie Hollywood Cavalcade, which was partly about the silent film era, Ben Turpin and Mack Sennett played themselves. In one scene, Turpin gets ready for filming. In his dressing room, he looks in a mirror and purposely crosses his eyes as much as he can. This scene showed that his left eye was actually normal when he wasn't performing. He intentionally crossed it to match his other eye as part of his funny character.

In the 1969 film The Comic, actor Mickey Rooney played a fictional silent film comedian named "Cockeye Van Buren," who was genuinely cross-eyed. While this character wasn't exactly like Turpin, the idea of a cross-eyed comedian was clearly inspired by him.

Filmography

See also

• Age fabrication