From Wikipedia
Born in York, Western Australia, Bennett started her film
acting career in 1916, first starring in Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford, with two
other films that same year. She married American director Sidney Franklin early
in her career, but they were divorced shortly thereafter.
In 1917, she starred in five films, the most important of
which was The Little Brother opposite William Garwood. That film brought her to
the attention of studios and led to an increasing number of acting roles. From
1918 to 1921, she starred in twenty-three films, becoming well known and
recognizable as an actress. In 1918 she married director Fred Niblo, who later
directed the second film version of Ben Hur. In 1922, she starred in only three
films, but one of those became her most famous role, the female lead of
"Maid Marian" in Robin Hood with Douglas Fairbanks.
From 1923 to 1928, she starred in only ten films, as her
career had slowed to a crawl. She was a mother by that time, as she and Niblo
eventually had three children together.
In 1929, her brother Alexander Bennett married actress
Frances Lee. The wedding was attended by some of Hollywood's biggest names,
including Gloria Swanson and Greta Garbo. That year Bennett starred in only one
film, Good Medicine, opposite Edward Everett Horton.
Bennett's sisters Marjorie (1896-1982) and Catherine
(1901–1978) were also Hollywood film actresses.
She made a semi-successful transition to sound films, but
saw fewer roles come her way. From 1931 to 1941 she had roles in only seven
films, the last of which was uncredited.
She retired after 1941, eventually residing with her family
in Malibu, California, where she died in 1969 from a heart attack, aged 75.
