Ben Webster

Biography

Born within the bustle of Victorian London on 2 June 1864, Ben Webster grew into a performer whose presence lit up both silent reels and early talkies. Moviegoers remember his commanding turns in 12.10 (1919), the swashbuckling adventure Drake the Pirate (1935), and the stylish society drama The Gay Lord Quex (1917). Off-screen, he shared his life with fellow player May Whitty. Webster’s final curtain fell in Hollywood, California, on 26 February 1947, closing a career that spanned the Atlantic and the evolution of cinema itself.