A growing source of silent era film information. This listing is from The Progressive Silent Film List by Carl Bennett. Copyright © 1999-2025 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

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Laughing Ben
(1901) United States of America
B&W : Short film
Directed by (unknown)

Cast: (unknown)

American Mutoscope & Biograph Company production; distributed by American Mutoscope & Biograph Company. / Released May 1901. / [?] Mutoscope 68mm spherical 1.36:1 format?

Comedy.

Synopsis: [From Biograph promotional materials] This is the most amusing character in the “Old Plantation,” a negro over eighty years of age, whose one occupation seemed to be laughing. The picture shows just his head and shoulders and “Laughing Ben” is laughing his heartiest. It is a hit wherever shown.

Survival status: (unknown)

Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].

Listing updated: 19 November 2022.

References: Leyda-Before p. 43 : Website-IMDb.