When James Bender died of a heart attack on October 9, 1958, his
obituary in Newsday mentioned that, as an actor, he'd been shot (in
character) over 100 times. He worked during the Golden Age of
Television, when variety shows were brought to viewers' living rooms in
front of a live audience. He had roles in many shows, mostly crime
drama and soap operas. Because of his dark, Latino good looks (although
he was born in Brooklyn of Russian immigrant parents), he often played
the bad guy, which is why he ended up getting shot so often.
Bender grew up in Patchogue, New York, when it was farm and forest. He
met his wife, Ruth Greene (stage name, Ruth Bryant) when he was in his
early 20s and she was, but a waif, of 15 years. They married during WW2
and he was sent to the Philippines, soon after, becoming an MIA. For
two years, there was no sign of him but, upon his return (lucky day!)
he and his wife reunited and, according to Bryant's version of the
story, "got so drunk that they couldn't stand".
They decided not to have children until their acting careers were
established. Both played on Broadway in "Detective Story", directed by
Sidney Kingsley. Bender spent time directing summer stock in Maine and
Massachusettes. In 1952, the first child was born, a daughter, and five
years later, they had a son.
In the summer of 1958, Bender underwent surgery for his gall bladder,
soon becoming very ill. He died a few months later.
