Enid Bennett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Enid Bennett
Bennett in 1918
Born	(1893-07-15)15 July 1893 York, Western Australia, Australia
Died	14 May 1969(1969-05-14) (aged 75) Malibu, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1916–1941
Spouse(s)	Fred Niblo ​ ​ (m. 1918; died 1948)​ Sidney Franklin ​ (m. 1963)​
Children	3
Relatives	Marjorie Bennett (sister)

Enid Eulalie Bennett (born July 15, 1893 – died May 14, 1969) was a famous actress from Australia. She starred in many silent films, mostly in America. Silent films were movies without spoken dialogue. Actors used their expressions and body language to tell the story.

Early Life of Enid Bennett

Enid Bennett was born on July 15, 1893, in York, Western Australia. Her parents were Nellie Mary Louise and Frank Bennett. She had an older brother named Francis Reginald, or "Reg." She also had a younger sister, Marjorie Bennett, who also became an actress.

Her father, Frank, became the headmaster at Guildford Grammar School in 1896. Sadly, he passed away in 1898. Her mother, Nellie, later married the new headmaster, Alexander Gillespie. They had two more children, Catherine and Alexander. After Alexander Gillespie died in 1903, Nellie worked as a school matron to support her five children.

Enid took acting classes in Perth. She was encouraged by a visiting actress in 1910. Soon after, she joined a touring acting group. By 1912, Enid joined the Fred Niblo-Josephine Cohan touring company. She performed comedies across Australia. She was also a backup actress for Josephine Cohan. People often praised her performances. Her family had moved to Sydney by this time. In 1917, her brother Reg was killed during a battle in World War I.

Enid Bennett's Acting Career

In 1915, a theater company decided to make short films. They wanted to show their popular plays on screen. They chose Fred Niblo to direct these films. Enid Bennett appeared in two of them: Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford and Officer 666.

Bennett around 1920

Bennett with her husband Fred Niblo in 1926

Parts of Officer 666 can still be seen today. Film experts say it was a simple movie. Both films were released in Australia after Enid moved to the United States. She traveled there with Fred Niblo and Josephine Cohan in June 1915.

Her first acting job in the U.S. was in a play. It was called Cock o' the Walk on Broadway in late 1915. After that, she got bigger roles in movies. One important early film was The Little Brother in 1917. She acted alongside William Garwood. This movie helped her get noticed by film studios. Thomas H. Ince signed her to the Triangle Film Corporation.

From 1918 to 1921, Enid starred in 23 films. She became a very well-known actress. She received a lot of attention and good reviews. In 1922, she made three more films. One of them became her most famous role. She played Maid Marian in Robin Hood. She starred with Douglas Fairbanks. Enid said playing Maid Marian was wonderful. She felt Fairbanks was inspiring to work with.

After Josephine Cohan passed away, Enid married Fred Niblo in 1918. In 1924, she acted with Ramon Novarro in Niblo's film Red Lily. Her career slowed down between 1923 and 1928. She appeared in fewer main roles. She successfully moved into "talkies," which were movies with sound. She was in two films with Jackie Cooper in 1931. These were Skippy and its sequel Sooky. Skippy was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.

Later, in the late 1930s, she had a few smaller roles. Her last movie was The Big Store in 1941. This film starred the Marx Brothers. Fred Niblo retired in 1933, and it seems Enid did too.

Her sister, Marjorie Bennett, later shared that she was encouraged to join Enid in the U.S. to keep her company. By the mid-1920s, Enid's mother, both sisters, and her surviving brother lived in the U.S. In 1934, her brother Alexander married actress Frances Lee. Many famous people from Hollywood attended the wedding. These included Gloria Swanson and Greta Garbo.

Personal Life and Passing

In 1918, Enid Bennett married Fred Niblo. They had their first child, a daughter named Loris, in 1922. A son, Peter, was born later that same year. Their third child, a daughter named Judith, was born in 1928. Fred Niblo passed away in 1948.

In 1963, Enid married American film director Sidney Franklin. In her later years, she lived in Malibu, California.

Enid Bennett in They're Off ad from Motion Picture News, 1917

Niblo and Bennett had a house designed by architect Wallace Neff. They called it Misty Mountain. It was finished in 1926. They sold the house in 1940.

Enid Bennett passed away at her home in Malibu, California, on May 14, 1969. She was 75 years old.

Partial Filmography

Fuss and Feathers (1918)