George Beban

George Beban (December 13, 1873 – October 5, 1928) was an American actor, director, writer and producer. Beban began as a child performer in San Francisco, California, and became a well-known vaudevillian and stage actor in the 1890s and 1900s. He was best known for his portrayal of Italian immigrant characters, including his starring roles in the play The Sign of the Rose and the 1915 silent film classic The Italian. Though strongly associated with his Italian immigrant roles, Beban was born in San Francisco, could not speak a word of Italian, and was the son of parents from Dalmatia (in modern-day Croatia) and Ireland.