Ben K. Blake

Ben Kahn Blake (* before 1920; † December 25, 1954 in New York ) was an American film producer , film director and screenwriter who was nominated for an Oscar in 1948 for his short film A Voice Is Born .

biography

Blake's name in the film business was first mentioned in 1920 when he was given oversight of the silent film drama Uncle Sam of Freedom Ridge . The following year he directed the silent drama The Porcelain Lamp , where he also appeared in a smaller role.

In 1935, Blake began associating with Columbia Pictures , where he became known through his work as producer and director of the independently produced series Voice of Experience . This led to further series orders , such as Film Vodvil , Community Sing or Candid Microphon . At the same time, Blake also produced musical comedies of both one and two film roles. He also made documentaries that came under the series titles Broadway Follies and Ben Blake Specials .

In 1948 Blake was nominated for an Oscar in the category “Best Short Film” (2 film roles) for his film A Voice Is Born , which tells the story of the Hungarian tenor Miklos Gafni during his time in a concentration camp , but it went to Irving Allen and his Mountain film Climbing the Matterhorn went. In A Voice Is Born: The Story of Niklos Gafni , Blake worked with his son George, who had directed the film. George Blake, who had followed in his father's footsteps, worked with him on several productions.

Blake died in New York State at Christmas 1954 and was buried in the Westchester Hills Cemetery Jewish cemetery.

Filmography (selection)

as a director

• 1920: Uncle Sam of Freedom Ridge (as chaperone)
• 1921: The Porcelain Lamp (also as an actor; as Ben Blake )
• 1928: Deliverance
• 1935: Love Is Never Blind (short film; also as producer + author)
• 1936: Runaway Marriage (short film; also as producer)
• 1937: Drug Store Follies (short film; also as producer, as BK Blake )
• 1938: Cuckoorancho (short film; also as producer)
• 1938: Two Sisters (also as producer)
• 1941: Gay Tunes (short film; also as producer + author)
• 1942: Community Sing: Series 6, No. 5 - Goodfellowship Songs (short film; also as producer)
• 1943: Community Sing No. 9, Series 7: Rosie the Riveter (short film; also as producer + author)
• 1943: Community Sing No. 7, Series 7: Christmas Carols (short film; also as producer)
• 1944: Juke Box Saturday Night (short film; also as producer, as BK Blake )
• 1945: Community Sing No. 12, Volume 10 (short film; also as producer)
• 1945: Community Sing: Cowboy Hit Tunes (short film; also as producer + author)
• 1945: Sweet and Lovely (short film)
• 1946: Community Sing 7655: No Can Do (short film; also as producer)
• 1946: Film Vodvil: Art Mooney and Orchestra (short film; also as producer)
• 1946: Community Sing 7659: Aren't You Glad You're You (short film; also as producer)
• 1946: Film-Vodvil Series 3, No. 6: Let Me Love You Tonight (short film; also as producer)
• 1946: Film Vodvil: Saxie Dowell and His Orchestra (short film)
• 1946: Community Sing 7662: One-zy Two-zy (short film; also as a producer)
• 1946: film Vodvil. Bobby Byrne and Orchestra (short film; also as producer)
• 1947: Community Sing: Managua, Nicaragua (short film; also as producer)
• 1947: Community Sing 9651: Heartaches (short film; also as producer + author)
• 1947: Community Sing 9652: April Showers (short film; also as producer + author)
• 1948: Community Sing 9655 Feudin 'and Fightin' (short film; also as producer + author)
• 1949: Community Sing 1655: June in January (short film; also as producer + author)
• 1952: The Dick Stabile Orchestra (short film, also as producer + author)

as a producer

• 1935: Gus Van's Music Shoppe (short film)
• 1936: Teddy Bergman's International Broadcast (short film)
• 1937: Community Sing: Series 2, No. 3 - College Football Songs (short film)
• 1937: Community Sing: Series 2, No. 4 (short film)
• 1937: Community Sing: Series 2, No. 5 (short film)
• 1938: Community Sing: College Songs (short film)
• 1939: Community Sing: Songs of the West (short film)
• 1939: Community Sing: The Parade of Hits (short film)
• 1939: Community Sing: Strauss Waltzes (short film)
• 1939: Community Sing: Songs of Romance (short film)
• 1939: Community Sing: Old Time Songs (short film)
• 1939: Community Sing: Stephen Foster Songs (short film)
• 1939: Community Sing: Gypsy Songs (short film)
• 1940: Columbia Panoramics: Tomorrow's Stars
• 1940: New York Parade No. 1 (documentary short film)
• 1941: Quiz Reel: Junior IQ Parade (short film)
• 1942: Oddities (documentary short film)
• 1943: My Wife's an Angel
• 1944: Study in Brown (short film; as BK Blake )
• 1945: You Belong to My Heart (short film)
• 1946: Film Vodvil: Three Sets of Twins (short film)
• 1946: Community Sing 7656: That Feeling in the Moonlight (short film)
• 1946: Community Sing: Chickery Chick (short film)
• 1947: For Sentimental Reasons (short film, author of the story)
• 1947: A Voice Is Born (short film)
• 1948: It's a Pity (short film; also as an author)
• 1949: American Heritage of Hospitality (documentary short; as BK Blake )

as a screenwriter

• 1941: Lew White at the Organ (short film)
• 1942: Crooning Melodies (short film)
• 1945: Good, Good, Good (short film)
• 1946: You Won't Be Satisfied Until You Break My Heart (short film)
• 1947: I'll Close My Eyes (short film; story)

Awards

• Academy Awards 1948 : Oscar nomination for A Voice Is Born

Web links

• Ben K. Blake in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Ben K. Blake Productions in the IMDb (English)
• Ben K. Blake at TCM - Turner Classic Movies (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ben Blake on ancestry.com
2. ↑ ^{a b} The Columbia Shorts Department - Ben Blake at columbiashortsdept.weebly.com (English)
3. ↑ The 20th Academy Awards | 1948 at oscars.org (English)