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Ben Blue, born on September 12, 1901, in Montréal, Québec, Canada, was a comedian known for his work in movies and television. After emigrating to the United States, he became a dance instructor, owned a dance school, and ran nightclubs. His film career began in 1926 with short subjects for Warner Brothers, followed by work at Hal Roach Studios, Paramount, and MGM. Like his co-star Bob Hope in The Big Broadcast of 1938, Blue was also a radio comedian. In 1950, he starred in his own TV series, The Ben Blue Show, and was a regular on The Frank Sinatra Show.
By 1951, Blue shifted his focus to managing and performing in nightclubs he owned in Hollywood and San Francisco. He appeared on the cover of TV Guide’s June 11, 1954 Special Issue alongside Alan Young, highlighting that season’s summer replacement shows. Blue made several appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956 and 1957 and appeared occasionally on other programs, including The Jack Benny Program in 1960.
In 1958, he filmed a pilot for the CBS series Ben Blue's Brothers, which was not picked up but aired later in 1965. After a brief hiatus, he returned to acting with a small role in Stanley Kramer's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) and made cameo appearances in comedy films. He also held a regular role on Jerry Van Dyke's short-lived series Accidental Family (1967). His final film role was in the Doris Day comedy Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? (1968), and his last television appearance was on Land of the Giants in 1969.
Ben Blue passed away in 1975. His career papers from 1935 to 1955 are archived in the Special Collections of the UCLA Library.
