Richard Benedict

Richard Pepe Benedict born Riccardo Benedetto January 8 1920 April 29 1984 was an ItalianAmerican television and film actor and director He was born in Palermo Italy He appeared in dozens of television programs and movies from the 1940s to the 1960s most notably Ace in the Hole 1951 directed by Billy Wilder Benedict appeared with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack in the 1960 movie Oceans 11 as one of the 11 men who rob five Las Vegas casinos on the same night He also played the commander of the Mars rescue ship in the 1958 B scifi movie It The Terror from Beyond Space Benedicts television appearances included Adventures of Superman The Lone Ranger Perry Mason Zorro Dragnet Peter Gunn and Hawaii FiveO His directing credits included Impasse an adventure film starring Burt Reynolds He died of a heart attack at Studio City Los Angeles on April 29 1984 and was interred in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills Cemetery in the Churchyard section He was the father of three children including actor Nick Benedict