Nicholas Benton "Ben" Alexander III (June 27, 1911 – July 5, 1969) was an American motion picture actor, who started out as a child actor in 1916. He is best remembered for his role as Officer Frank Smith in the Dragnet franchise.
Known For
All Quiet on the Western Front
(1930)
Franz Kemmerich
Los Angeles Plays Itself
(2004)
Officer Frank Smith in Dragnet (archive footage)
Shall We Dance
(1937)
Evans (uncredited)
Man in the Shadow
(1957)
Ab Begley
Full Filmography
Acting
A Wife on Trial
(1917)
Child (uncredited)
The Little American
(1917)
Bobby Moore
Little Orphant Annie
(1918)
Orphan
Hearts of the World
(1918)
The Boy's Littlest Brother
The Heart of Rachael
(1918)
Jim
The Lady of the Dugout
(1918)
The Lady's son
The White Heather
(1919)
Donald Cameron
The Hushed Hour
(1919)
Gondy
Josselyn's Wife
(1919)
Tommy Josselyn
Blue Streak McCoy
(1920)
Job the child
The Triflers
(1920)
The Family Honor
(1920)
Little Ben Tucker
Boy of Mine
(1923)
Bill Latimer
Penrod and Sam
(1923)
Penrod Schofield
The Highbinders
(1926)
Roy Marshall
Two to One
(1927)
George Minafer as a Child
The Divine Lady
(1928)
Young lieutenant
All Quiet on the Western Front
(1930)
Franz Kemmerich
Are These Our Children?
(1931)
Nicholas 'Nick' Crosby
Suicide Fleet
(1931)
Kid
Many a Slip
(1931)
Ted Coster
It's a Wise Child
(1931)
Bill Stanton
High Pressure
(1932)
Geoffrey Weston
The Wet Parade
(1932)
Evelyn's Friend (uncredited)
Tom Brown of Culver
(1932)
Cpl. John Clarke
Roadhouse Queen
(1933)
Junior Knox
What Price Innocence?
(1933)
Tommy Harrow
This Day and Age
(1933)
Morry Dover
Stage Mother
(1933)
Francis Nolan
The Vanishing Frontier
(1933)
Lucien Winfield
Most Precious Thing in Life
(1934)
Gideon 'Gubby' Gerhart
The Life of Vergie Winters
(1934)
Barry Preston
Flirtation
(1934)
Dudley
Once to Every Woman
(1934)
Joe Wilson
The Fire-Trap
(1935)
Bob Fender
Grand Old Girl
(1935)
Tom Miller
Annapolis Farewell
(1935)
Adams
Born to Gamble
(1935)
Paul Mathews
Red Lights Ahead
(1936)
George Wallace
The Outer Gate
(1937)
Bob Terry
The Life of the Party
(1937)
Orchestra Leader
Western Gold
(1937)
Bart
Shall We Dance
(1937)
Evans (uncredited)
The Legion of Missing Men
(1937)
Don Carter
The Spy Ring
(1938)
Capt. Don Mayhew
Mr. Doodle Kicks Off
(1938)
Larry Weldon
Buried Alive
(1939)
Riley
Convict's Code
(1939)
Jeff Palmer
American Portrait
(1940)
David
The Leather Pushers
(1940)
Dan Brown, Announcer
Criminals Within
(1941)
Sgt. Paul
Dragnet
(1954)
Officer Frank Smith
Man in the Shadow
(1957)
Ab Begley
Los Angeles Plays Itself
(2004)
Officer Frank Smith in Dragnet (archive footage)