Richard Benedict

Acting

Richard Benedict

Born 1920-01-08 · Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Richard "Pepe" Benedict (born Riccardo Benedetto, January 8, 1920 – April 29, 1984) was an Italian-American television and film actor and director. He was born in Palermo, Italy. He appeared in dozens of television programs and movies from the 1940s to the 1960s, most notably Ace in the Hole (1951), directed by Billy Wilder. Benedict appeared with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack in the 1960 movie Ocean's 11 as one of the 11 men who rob five Las Vegas casinos on the same night. He also played the commander of the Mars rescue ship in the 1958 B sci-fi movie It! The Terror from Beyond Space. Benedict's television appearances included Adventures of Superman, The Lone Ranger, Perry Mason, Zorro, Dragnet, Peter Gunn and Hawaii Five-O. His directing credits included Impasse, an adventure film starring Burt Reynolds. He died of a heart attack at Studio City, Los Angeles, on April 29, 1984, and was interred in Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery, in the Churchyard section. He was the father of three children, including actor Nick Benedict.

Acting credits

Ocean's Eleven poster
6.4

Danny Ocean and his gang attempt to rob the five biggest casinos in Las Vegas in one night.

Ocean's Eleven

1960

Ace in the Hole poster
7.8

An arrogant reporter exploits a story about a man trapped in a cave to revitalize his career.

Ace in the Hole

1951

Rookie Fireman poster
7.5

Merchant seaman Joe Blake, in love with Peggy Walters, takes the job of a rookie fireman in a big city department. His commander is strict-disciplinarian Fire Captain Jess Henshaw.

Rookie Fireman

1950

Crossfire poster
6.7

A man is murdered, apparently by one of a group of soldiers just out of the army. But which one? And why?

Crossfire

1947

City Across the River poster
6.0

Brooklyn youth Frank Cusack, good son and brother by day, is a gang member by night. The Dukes, seemingly likable dead-end-kids, are dangerously involved with racketeer Gaggsy Steens. Despite the efforts of Franks's parents, he and pal Benny get involved in a serious crime. Can Stan Albert, head of the community center, prevent them from becoming full-time crooks?

City Across the River

1949

It! The Terror from Beyond Space poster
5.8

The first manned expedition to Mars is invaded by an unknown life form, which stows away on the rescue ship.

It! The Terror from Beyond Space

1958

Impasse poster
4.8

Adventurers search for World War II gold in the Philippines.

Impasse

1969

The Window poster
7.0

An imaginative boy who frequently makes things up witnesses a murder, but can't get his parents or the police to believe him. The only people taking him seriously are the killers - who live upstairs, know that he saw what they did, and are out to permanently silence him.

The Window

1949

Okinawa poster
5.6

On the eve of their return to the states, the crew of the U.S.S. Blake is unpleasantly surprised when their new captain, Lt. Commander Hale, announces that they've been reassigned to the upcoming invasion of Okinawa. With the news turning the crew against him, Hale must rise to the occasion to keep his men inline.

Okinawa

1952

A Walk in the Sun poster
5.9

It's 1943 and the allied landings in and around the town of Salerno,Italy are underway.A platoon from the U.S 36th Infantry Division is tasked with advancing 6 miles inland to blow a bridge before clearing a nearby farmhouse, with the hope of blocking an expected counter attack on the Division's bridgehead.

A Walk in the Sun

1945

Spring Reunion poster
6.2

A spinster finally finds the right man when she returns to her alma mater after 15 years for a class reunion.

Spring Reunion

1957

Shockproof poster
6.3

Jenny Marsh, recently released from prison for killing a man, finds herself under the watchful eye of her parole officer, Griff Marat, who helps her secure a job caring for his ailing mother.

Shockproof

1949

Act of Love poster
6.9

While on holiday on the French Riviera, former soldier Robert Teller recounts his time in WWII-era France, where he meets and falls in love with a poor girl named Lise. However, they're unable to marry when Lise is accused of prostitution and Teller's commanding officer forbids the match. The couple's love is again tested when Teller learns the truth about his would-be wife's whereabouts.

Act of Love

1953

Till the End of Time poster
6.4

Three former marines have a hard time readjusting to civilian life. Perry can't deal with the loss of the use of his legs. William is in trouble with bad debts. And Cliff can't decide what he wants to do with his life, although he gets encouragement from war widow Pat Ruscomb.

Till the End of Time

1946

Wiretapper poster
5.5

A cash-strapped electrical engineer with a criminal past vows to go straight when he marries his longtime girlfriend, but he has second thoughts when the mob offers big money for his wiretapping services.

Wiretapper

1955

Somewhere in the Night poster
6.7

George Taylor returns from WWII with amnesia. Back home in Los Angeles, while trying to track down his old identity, he stumbles onto a three year old murder case and a hunt for a missing $2 million.

Somewhere in the Night

1946

Jalopy poster
5.3

Slip has entered the Boys' rattletrap car in a souped-up jalopy race, but has no chance of winning until Satch, with the aid of a scientist acquaintance, comes up with a chemical concoction that acts as a super-fuel; but a rival entrant in the race learns of this and tries to get the formula for himself.

Jalopy

1953

Mark, I Love You poster
8.0

A distraught widower is caught in a bitter custody battle with his late wife's parents over his 10-year-old son, following his plans to remarry and move off to California with the boy.

Mark, I Love You

1980

The Juggler poster
6.8

A Holocaust survivor moves to Israel and experiences difficulty adjusting to life.

The Juggler

1953

The Midnight Story poster
6.1

Beloved priest Father Thomasino is murdered in a San Francisco alley, and the police have few clues. But traffic cop Joe Martini becomes obsessed with finding the killer; he suspects Sylvio Malatesta. Ordered off the case, Joe turns in his badge and investigates alone. Soon he is a close friend of the Malatesta family, all delightful people, especially lovely cousin Anna. Uncertain whether Sylvio is guilty or innocent, Joe is now torn between old and new loyalties.

The Midnight Story

1957

Smart Girls Don't Talk poster
5.7

A society woman gets involved with a gangster only to find he has hidden plans.

Smart Girls Don't Talk

1948

Triple Trouble poster
7.0

Slip and Sach take the rap for a robbery they did not commit in order to uncover the real robbers, whom they suspect are led by a convict who gives orders to his gang outside via a short-wave radio stashed somewhere in the prison.

Triple Trouble

1950

Scene of the Crime poster
6.1

A cop investigates the shooting of another policeman... that may have been involved in crooked activities.

Scene of the Crime

1949

The Arizona Ranger poster
6.7

A disgraced veteran wanders the West alone until he decides to help a battered woman.

The Arizona Ranger

1948

Behind the camera