Mr. Eben

Mr. Eben is the main antagonist of Disney's 1972 live action film The Biscuit Eater. He is Harve McNeil's brutish neighbor as well as Shep's owner.

He was portrayed by the late Clifton James.

Role
After Lonnie offers his pocket knife, six eggs and help with wood stacking in exchange for the dog to Willie Dorsey, the boys then become partners, fifty-fifty, in the canine. Before Text and Lonnie finish stacking the wood, Eben rides by in his wagon and snarls threats at the dog because its father killed one of Eben's sheep and had to be put down. Eben then goes to the McNeil house to warn Harve that he will shoot the dog and teach Lonnie a lesson if the animal comes on his property, after which Harve warns Eben never to lay a finger on his boy.

One day, Moreover runs onto Eben's property looking for eggs and almost is shot by Eben before Harve and Lonnie arrive. Some time later, as Text and Lonnie lovingly bathe Moreover, Charity gives Harve the money Text has saved for his half of the entrance fee for a local bird-dog competition, then realizes that Lonnie had never told his father that he planned to enter the contest. Harve refuses to take the money and that night tells Lonnie how disappointed he is that his son had not informed him about entering Moreover in the event, then forbids him to participate in the competition.

In the middle of the night, Moreover jumps out the window and races to Eben's place, with Text in pursuit. At Eben's, Moreover gets into the henhouse looking for eggs, but when Eben finds him there, he locks the henhouse and threatens to feed him poisoned eggs. Hearing this, a terrified Text runs to the McNeils to summon Harve. When Harve drives to Eben's place, he finds Moreover lying desperately ill in the henhouse. Harve then takes the dog home and gives him medicine, but tells Text and Lonnie that he does not know if Moreover will survive. The boys cry themselves to sleep cuddling Moreover, but the next morning are awakened by Moreover enthusiastically licking their faces. As they are having breakfast, Eben drives his wagon by and Shep jumps off, running onto the McNeil property. Harve leashes the dog and assures Eben that he will not harm him but says that anyone who tries to poison a dog does not deserve to own one. After Eben snarls that Moreover tried to commit suicide, the two men start a fight, which Harve easily wins, much to the delight of the normally placid Mary Lee and Lonnie.