Actor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the staunch Mr. Tucker in the adventure epic "Raiders from Beneath the Sea" (1964). Born Russell Bender, Jr., he began his career as ghost writer for several major magazines in his native New York City, New York. With the outbreak of World War II, he withdrew from writing and went on to serve in the United States Army. Upon returning to civilian life following the end of the war, he found difficulty in attaining publication of his stories due to a change of taste in marketing and with the use of the G.I. Bill he enrolled at the Actors Studio and chose to embark on a newfound career in acting. Upon attaining his degree, he settled in California and began his career as a stand-in for fellow actor Eddie Albert, whom later befriended him. After Albert was able to arrange a screen and voice test on Bender's behalf, he was able to make his film debut in a minor role in "Paula" (1952) and from there he went on to enjoy a two decade career as a character actor appearing in over 120 features; often typecast as city slickers, con-artists, policemen, scientists, cowboys, sheriffs, fathers, husbands, best friends, neighbors, retail clerks, businessmen, soldiers, corporals, military men, reporters, detectives, eccentrics, henchmen, doctors, educators, farmers, blue-collared guys, public servants, bartenders, and landlords. He appeared in such motion pictures as "The War of the Worlds" (1953), "It Conquered the World" (1956), "Dragstrip Girl" (1957), "Badlands of Montana" (1957), "Beau James" (1957), "Flood Tide" (1958), "Suicide Battalion" (1958), "Hot Rod Gang" (1958), "I Bury the Living" (1958), "The Restless Years" (1958), "No Name on the Bullet" (1959), "Ghost of Dragship Hollow" (1959), "Vice Raid" (1959), "Walk Tall" (1960), "The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come" (1961), "Anatomy of a Psycho" (1961), "That Touch of Mink" (1962), "Air Patrol" (1962), "Panic in Year Zero!" (1962), "Days of Wine and Roses" (1962), "A Gathering of Eagles" (1963), "The Strangler" (1964), "A Tiger Walks" (1964), "Wild on the Beach" (1965), "Space Probe Taurus" (1965), "Devil's Angels" (1967), "Maryjane" (1968), and "The Young Animals" (1968). During the advent of television, he flourished as a household name appearing in various guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "You Are There," "Highway Patrol," "The Adventures of Jim Bowie," "Sugarfoot," "Telephone Time," "Whirlybirds," "Alcoa Theatre," "U.S. Marshal," "Trackdown," "The Rough Riders," "Men of Annapolis," "Frontier Doctor," "The Ann Sothern Show," "Richard Diamond, Private Detective," "Markham," "Zane Grey Theatre," "The David Niven Show," "Johnny Ringo," "Black Saddle," "Overland Trail," "Hotel de Paree," "77 Sunset Strip," "Wanted: Dead or Alive," "Thriller," "The Untouchables," "Gunslinger," "Shannon," "Lassie," "Rawhide," "Have Gun - Will Travel," "Perry Mason," "Leave It to Beaver," "Laramie," "The Twilight Zone," "Ben Casey," "Breaking Point," "Kraft Suspense Theatre," "The Fugitive," "Gunsmoke," "The Virginian," "The F.B.I.," "Iron Horse," "Mission: Impossible," "Green Acres," "Death Valley Days," "The Big Valley," and "Petticoat Junction". During his career, he was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, was supportive of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, was a regular parishioner of the Catholic church, supported the California State Democratic Committee, presided as a chairman for his local charters of the American Red Cross and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, was a prominent script writer for the Pasadena Playhouse, served as a communications instructor for the UCLA, and he was one of the founding members who established the Writers Guild Foundation. After appearing in what would be his final acting role following an appearance in an episode of "Bonanza", Bender, who neither married nor had any children, died unexpectedly following complications of a non-communicable disease.