Background
She was born in Newark, New Jersey into a working-class family. Her father worked as a newspaper editor and her mother was a part-time stenographer and housewife.
She was born in Newark, New Jersey into a working-class family. Her father worked as a newspaper editor and her mother was a part-time stenographer and housewife.
Her biggest trade mark was her long thin lips. Despite the last name likeness she was in no way related to actresses Constance Bennett, Joan Bennett, and Barbara Bennett. In 1931, she made her film debut in an uncredited role in Gentleman"s Fate playing a lunch counter attendant.
Her next role came in the film playing a maid opposite the likes of Marie Dressler and Myrna Loy followed by a role in opposite James Cagney and Loretta Young.
In 1932 alone she appeared in six films. Others being The Purchase Price with Barbara Stanwyck, Tiger Shark, and Doctor X with Lee Tracy and Fay Wray.
In 1933, she appeared as Anna May Wong"s ladies maid in A Study in Scarlet. She was very much a freelancer and floated around Hollywood doing numerous films at such studios as Warner Brothers, Radio-Keith-Orpheum Radio Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
In 1936 she appeared as Edna Hopper in Fury opposite Spencer Tracy and Sylvia Sidney.
lieutenant was her last film appearance.