Benjie Bancroft

Benjie Bancroft is another example of somebody whose entire career was dedicated to the motion picture industry. After Bancroft got out of high school, he got hired as a test flyer for various aviation companies. He had a marriage that quickly ended in a divorce so instead of getting drafted, Bancroft decided to enlist in the Army Air Corps. During this time, Hollywood studios were making countless military films that needed authentic military scenes because your average movie go was a veteran and could tell the difference between a real training sequence, and ones that weren't believable to the average filmgoer. It was only natural for Bancroft with his appearance and the ability he acquired from his military training to find work during this era in countless films. He could usually be seen upfront by the main characters where his appearance was able to help provide a certain level of authenticity to the film without distracting the viewer from the main story. By the early 1950s, Bancroft started to transition into doing more television westerns. By the mid-1950s, Bancroft became friends with Ozzie and Harriet Nelson. This connection led Bancroft and his wife June Fenley to make frequent appearances in various roles for the series. During the 1960s, Bancroft's stern appearance and high level of professionalism lead him to develop a niche for himself as a police officer in films. He purchased a motorcycle and he developed a cop character that would gain him steady work for the next 20 years. Thanks to Bancroft's never-aging face, he was able to appear in these roles constantly through the 1970s while also receiving stunt credit for doubling people who couldn't ride a motorcycle but whose character was required to by the script. By the 1980s, Bancroft's work started to dwindle. By the mid-1980s, Bancroft decided to retire so that he and his wife could enjoy their retirement together. Benjie Bancroft is a prime of somebody whose longevity in the motion picture industry was predicated on him changing with the times and adjusting to whatever films the studios were making at the time. Throughout his career, he played bailiffs, cowboys, recruits, or whatever the studio needed at the time. He passed away in 2007 leaving behind a long legacy of film work and long-lasting respect for his professionalism.