Who Are Those Guys? ~ Beni Deus

 

Venancio Deus Mejuto was born in A Coruña, Galicia, Spain on December 12, 1919. Before becoming an actor, he worked as a journalist. In an interview he says he was also a singer and musician.

As Beni Deus, he made his film debut in 1949, then worked steadily in small character roles for the next 32 years. The "I" and "Y" spellings of his name are pretty much evenly split, with no way of telling which should be the official spelling, however a magazine interview uses the "I" spelling, so that seems to indicate that this was his preferred spelling. In the interview he explains that he adopted the nickname in tribute to jazz musician Benny Goodman. Rather strangely he also has quite a few credits where his names are hyphenated.

The tall and robust Spanish small-part actor appeared in over a hundred and fifty films during his career in Spain from the late-1940's until the early-1980's.

Deus was also part of the cast of television series such as ‘Cervantes’, ‘Historias para no dormir’, ‘Los camioneros’ and ‘El pícaro’. He also participated in televised plays in programs such as ‘Estudio 1’ and ‘Novela’.

Beni appeared in sixteen Spaghetti westerns usually playing town officials, lawmen, judges and landowners.

He died in Madrid on March 16th, 1989, aged 77.

DEUS, Beni (aka Beni-Deus, Beny-Deus, Benis Deus, Benny Deus, Beny Deus) (Venancio Deus Mejuto) [12/12/1919, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain – 3/16/1989, Madrid, Madrid, Spain] – journalist, film, TV actor, married to Tita Deus

Torrejón City - 1962 (Doug)

Welcome Padre Murray – 1962 (Mark Herrero)

Heroes of the West - 1963 (Sanchez)

Gunmen of Rio Grande - 1964 (Burton ‘Burt’ Spencer Carroll)

Hour of Death – 1964 (Dan)

Seven from Texas – 1964 (Ben)

Welcome Padre Murray – 1964 (Mark)

Finger on the Trigger - 1965 (O’Brien) [as Benny Deus]

Vengence Ranch – 1965 (Monahan)

Clint the Stranger – 1967 (McKinley)

The Magnificent Texan – 1967 (Judge Wilkins) [as Beny Deus]

Garringo – 1969 (Sheriff Klaus)

When Satan Grips the Colt – 1969 (preacher) [as Ben Deter]

Thunder Over El Paso – 1971 (Barrett)

Sentence of God – 1972

The White, the Yellow, the Black – 1974 (Robson/Robinson brother)