Jump to content

Ben Carruthers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ben Carruthers
Carruthers in 1967
Born(1936-08-14)August 14, 1936
DiedSeptember 27, 1983(1983-09-27) (aged 47)
Los Angeles, California, US
OccupationActor
Years active1957–1971
Children2

Benito F. Carruthers (August 14, 1936 – September 27, 1983) was an American film actor, most notable for his role in John Cassavetes' debut feature film Shadows (1959). His other films included A High Wind in Jamaica (1965), Robert Aldrich's The Dirty Dozen (1967) as Glenn Gilpin, Fearless Frank (1967), To Grab the Ring (1968), The Lost Continent (1968), Riot (1969) as the unpredictable and psychotic Joe Surefoot,[1] Man in the Wilderness (1971), and Universal Soldier (1971).[2]

Personal life

[edit]

Carruthers was born in Illinois, United States.[citation needed]

He stood 6' 1".[3]

His first son, Caine Carruthers, was a bass player and was in ska band The Untouchables.[4] Dijon Carruthers, his second son, was Megadeth's first drummer in 1983.[5]

According to his son, Ben Carruthers died of spinal cancer in 1983 at the premature age of forty-seven, not liver failure as is often stated as his father’s cause of death.[citation needed]

Musical career

[edit]

As lead singer of Ben Carruthers and the Deep, he recorded the track "Jack O' Diamonds" in 1965, a song he co-wrote using lyrics given to him by Bob Dylan.[6]

Filmography

[edit]
Feature films
Year Title Role Notes
1958 The Beast of Budapest Sentry Uncredited
1959 Shadows Ben
1961 Guns of the Trees Ben
1964 Goldstein Jay
Lilith Benito Uncredited
1965 Love 65 Benito
A High Wind in Jamaica Alberto
Scruggs Ben
1967 Fearless Frank The Cat
The Unknown Man of Shandigor Manual / Manuel
The Dirty Dozen Glenn Gilpin
1968 To Grab the Ring Alfred Lowell, Acteur
The Lost Continent Ricaldi
1969 Riot Surefoot
1971 Man in the Wilderness Longbow
Universal Soldier Jesse

Television

[edit]
Television Appearances
Year Title Role Notes
1958 Gunsmoke Rufe Tucker Episode: "The Cast"

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Turners Classic Movies Jim Brown & Gene Hackman in Riot on DVD
  2. ^ OV Guide Ben Carruthers Video | Celebrity Interview and Paparazzi Archived 2017-10-02 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ OV Guide Ben Carruthers Video | Celebrity Interview and Paparazzi Archived 2017-10-02 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ The Scorpion (March 14, 2017). "Scorpion Q+A 342". Megadeth. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
  5. ^ "David Ellefson & Jeff Young: Megadeth's 'So Far, So Good…So What!" Album: The Origin Story of Megadeth – 2022 – Kings of Thrash". Full in Bloom. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
  6. ^ "Ben Carruthers and the Deep". 31 July 2014.
[edit]