---
name: "Ben Carruthers"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ben-carruthers"
fi1m_id: "ben-carruthers"
imdb_id: "nm0141092"
tmdb_id: 131110
wikidata_id: "Q2895358"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "14 August 1936"
died: "27 September 1983"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-25T08:59:29.899455+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ben Carruthers

## Identity

Ben Carruthers

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ben-carruthers
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** ben-carruthers
- **IMDb ID:** nm0141092
- **TMDB ID:** 131110
- **Wikidata ID:** Q2895358
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Carruthers, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2895358, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0141092/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/131110

Actor. Born 14 August 1936 in Illinois, USA. Died 27 September 1983.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 14 August 1936, Illinois, USA
- **Died:** 27 September 1983
- **Also known as:** Benito F. Carruthers
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Carruthers, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2895358, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0141092/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/131110

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Shadows*](https://film.one/film/shadows.md) (74)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Ben Carruthers

> Ben Carruthers makes awkwardness worth watching. We value the restraint and uncertainty he brings to *Shadows*, a performance that makes people interesting without making them easy to understand, even when the film itself loses momentum.

In *Shadows* (1960), Ben Carruthers allows Ben to look unsure without explaining every feeling. He plays a moody musician, but does not turn the moodiness into a demand for our attention. His restraint makes room for humour as well as discomfort, and gives us time to become interested in someone who is not especially easy company. It is a persuasive performance in a good film that sometimes wanders long enough to test the patience.

That central role for John Cassavetes was his breakthrough, and the independent work continued with Jonas Mekas's *Guns of the Trees* (1961) and Philip Kaufman's *Goldstein* (1964). Then came supporting parts in larger productions: Alexander Mackendrick's *A High Wind in Jamaica* (1965) and Robert Aldrich's *The Dirty Dozen* (1967). The latter made use of his brooding physical presence within an ensemble. His career after *Shadows* was chiefly in supporting and character parts, so that early leading role remains unusually important when considering his work.

In *Shadows*, Carruthers has useful company in Lelia Goldoni as Lelia and Hugh Hurd as Hugh. All three allow uncertainty to remain in an exchange without stopping to point it out, and the humour is better for that lack of insistence. We were touched by their willingness to seem awkward, because it leaves room for feelings the characters cannot yet explain. Cassavetes gets something valuable from Carruthers here: we can watch Ben struggle to express himself without the performance supplying a neat explanation on his behalf.

There are limits to this approach, and uneven delivery can shade into stiffness. We would not defend every rough edge simply because it belongs to an independent film, nor mistake the wandering pace of *Shadows* for a virtue. Still, Carruthers and his fellow actors give us enough to stay interested when the story stalls. Start there, and allow the people a little more time than the plot seems to deserve.

## Biography

Ben Carruthers, also credited as Benito F. Carruthers, was an American actor. He was born on 14 August 1936 in Illinois and died on 27 September 1983 in Los Angeles, California.

Carruthers is known for his role as Ben in John Cassavetes' *Shadows* (1959). His other film appearances include *The Dirty Dozen* (1967) as Glenn Gilpin, *A High Wind in Jamaica* (1965) as Alberto, *The Lost Continent* (1968) as Ricaldi, and *Man in the Wilderness* (1971) as Longbow. He was married to actress Lelia Goldoni, his co-star in *Shadows*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Shadows* (1960), Fi1m 74, as Ben — [page](https://film.one/film/shadows.md)

## Complete filmography (19)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Universal Soldier* (1972), as Jesse
- *Man in the Wilderness* (1971), as Longbow
- *Fearless Frank* (1969), as The Cat
- *Riot* (1969), as "Surefoot"
- *The Champions* (1968), series, as Perango
- *The Lost Continent* (1968), as Ricaldi
- *To Grab the Ring* (1968), as Alfred Lowell
- *The Dirty Dozen* (1967), as Glenn Gilpin
- *The Unknown Man of Shandigor* (1967), as Manuel
- *The Man Without Papers* (1965), as Roscoe Mortimer
- *Goldstein* (1965), as Jay
- *A High Wind in Jamaica* (1965), as Alberto
- *Love 65* (1965), as Benito
- *Scruggs* (1965), as Ben Scruggs
- *Lilith* (1964), as Benito (uncredited)
- *The Wednesday Play* (1964), series, as Roscoe Mortimer
- *Guns of the Trees* (1961), as Ben
- *Shadows* (1960), as Ben — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/shadows.md)
- *The Beast of Budapest* (1958), as Sentry (uncredited)

## Gallery

- ![Ben Carruthers](https://film.one/media/person/3876891/gallery-c877e10d6ac6.jpg) Ben Carruthers — Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Ben_Carruthers_en_Fran%C3%A7oise_Brion_%28cropped%29_-_Ben_Carruthers.jpg/1280px-Ben_Carruthers_en_Fran%C3%A7oise_Brion_%28cropped%29_-_Ben_Carruthers.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Nieuwe Nederlandse speelfilm, de twee hoofdrolspelers Ben Carruthers e (1967)](https://film.one/media/person/3876891/gallery-99a999e6ac50.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Nieuwe Nederlandse speelfilm, de twee hoofdrolspelers Ben Carruthers e (1967) — Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Nieuwe_Nederlandse_speelfilm%2C_Bestanddeelnr_920-3195.jpg/1280px-Nieuwe_Nederlandse_speelfilm%2C_Bestanddeelnr_920-3195.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Ben Carruthers und Françoise Brion im Mai 1967.](https://film.one/media/person/3876891/gallery-d17050366ae6.jpg) Ben Carruthers und Françoise Brion im Mai 1967. — Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Ben_Carruthers_en_Fran%C3%A7oise_Brion.jpg/1280px-Ben_Carruthers_en_Fran%C3%A7oise_Brion.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Nieuwe Nederlandse speelfilm, de twee hoofdrolspelers Ben Carruthers e (1967)](https://film.one/media/person/3876891/gallery-4bf230d6b7a1.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Nieuwe Nederlandse speelfilm, de twee hoofdrolspelers Ben Carruthers e (1967) — Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Nieuwe_Nederlandse_speelfilm%2C_Bestanddeelnr_920-3196.jpg/1280px-Nieuwe_Nederlandse_speelfilm%2C_Bestanddeelnr_920-3196.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Nieuwe Nederlandse speelfilm, de twee hoofdrolspelers Ben Carruthers e (1967)](https://film.one/media/person/3876891/gallery-4ec82814be1a.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Nieuwe Nederlandse speelfilm, de twee hoofdrolspelers Ben Carruthers e (1967) — Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Nieuwe_Nederlandse_speelfilm%2C_de_twee_hoofdrolspelers_links_Ben_Carrthers_en_Fra%2C_Bestanddeelnr_920-3193.jpg/1280px-Nieuwe_Nederlandse_speelfilm%2C_de_twee_hoofdrolspelers_links_Ben_Carrthers_en_Fra%2C_Bestanddeelnr_920-3193.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Nieuwe Nederlandse speelfilm, de twee hoofdrolspelers Ben Carruthers e (1967)](https://film.one/media/person/3876891/gallery-8e94238ad02b.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Nieuwe Nederlandse speelfilm, de twee hoofdrolspelers Ben Carruthers e (1967) — Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Nieuwe_Nederlandse_speelfilm%2C_Bestanddeelnr_920-3194.jpg/1280px-Nieuwe_Nederlandse_speelfilm%2C_Bestanddeelnr_920-3194.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ben-carruthers