Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix, May 19, 1906â€"February 24,
2007), was an American film and television actor who prior to his
screen career was a highly successful college athlete in football and
in both intercollegiate and international track-and-field
competitions. In 1928 he won the silver medal for the shot put at the
Olympic Games held in Amsterdam. Bennett's acting career spanned more
than 40 years. He worked predominantly in films until the mid-1950s,
when he began to work increasingly in American television
series.Harold Herman Brix was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington,
where he attended Stadium High School from which he graduated in 1924.
He was the fourth child in a family of five of an immigrant couple
from Germany. His eldest brother, and their father's favored son,
Herman, died before Harold's birth; he was given his middle name in
this child's memory. Before finishing high school he had discontinued
using his own first name in favor of his middle name to please his
father, a lumber man who owned a number of logging camps. His first
career was as an athlete. At the University of Washington, where he
majored in economics, he played football (tackle) in the 1926 Rose
Bowl and was a track-and-field star. Two years later, he won the
Silver medal for the shot put in the 1928 Olympic Games. He also won
four consecutive AAU shot put titles (1928â€"31), the NCAA title in
1927, and the AAU indoor titles in 1930 and 1932. In 1930 he set a
world indoor record at 15.61 m (51 ft 3 in). In 1932 he set his
personal best at 16.07 m (52 ft 9 in), but did worse at the Olympic
trials and failed to qualify for the Los Angeles Games.Brix moved to
Los Angeles in 1929 after being invited to compete for the Los Angeles
Athletic Club and befriended actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr., who arranged
a screen test for him at Paramount.
2007), was an American film and television actor who prior to his
screen career was a highly successful college athlete in football and
in both intercollegiate and international track-and-field
competitions. In 1928 he won the silver medal for the shot put at the
Olympic Games held in Amsterdam. Bennett's acting career spanned more
than 40 years. He worked predominantly in films until the mid-1950s,
when he began to work increasingly in American television
series.Harold Herman Brix was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington,
where he attended Stadium High School from which he graduated in 1924.
He was the fourth child in a family of five of an immigrant couple
from Germany. His eldest brother, and their father's favored son,
Herman, died before Harold's birth; he was given his middle name in
this child's memory. Before finishing high school he had discontinued
using his own first name in favor of his middle name to please his
father, a lumber man who owned a number of logging camps. His first
career was as an athlete. At the University of Washington, where he
majored in economics, he played football (tackle) in the 1926 Rose
Bowl and was a track-and-field star. Two years later, he won the
Silver medal for the shot put in the 1928 Olympic Games. He also won
four consecutive AAU shot put titles (1928â€"31), the NCAA title in
1927, and the AAU indoor titles in 1930 and 1932. In 1930 he set a
world indoor record at 15.61 m (51 ft 3 in). In 1932 he set his
personal best at 16.07 m (52 ft 9 in), but did worse at the Olympic
trials and failed to qualify for the Los Angeles Games.Brix moved to
Los Angeles in 1929 after being invited to compete for the Los Angeles
Athletic Club and befriended actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr., who arranged
a screen test for him at Paramount.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.