Clarence Kolb
Encyclopedia
Clarence William Kolb was an American vaudeville
performer and actor
.
He was born in Cleveland, Ohio
, the only child of second generation Austrian parents who owned a local meat company.
Kolb started out as one half of a vaudeville comedy team, Kolb and Dill, with Max Dill
. They styled their act on the famous team Weber and Fields
. In addition to their stage work, they appeared in a series of movie
shorts and a feature length
movie in 1917. Afterwards, Kolb made a return to vaudeville, and he only returned to the movies in the late 1930s.
He became famous for portraying the same type of character in many movies, namely a politician or businessman. He is best remembered for his role as the grumpy father in the multi-Academy Awards nominated hit comedy film Merrily We Live
(1938
), the corrupt mayor in the comedy His Girl Friday
(1940
), and as Mr. Honeywell in the television
sitcom
My Little Margie
(1952
). Kolb played himself in his last movie appearance, Man of a Thousand Faces
(1957
), opposite Danny Beck (who played the late Max Dill).
Clarence Kolb died at age 90 from a stroke at the Orchard Gables Sanitarium at 1277 North Wilcox Avenue in Hollywood
. He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
.
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
performer and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
He was born in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, the only child of second generation Austrian parents who owned a local meat company.
Kolb started out as one half of a vaudeville comedy team, Kolb and Dill, with Max Dill
Max Dill
Max M. Dill was an American silent film actor who starred briefly in film between 1916 and 1917.His short career in film began relatively late at the age of 39....
. They styled their act on the famous team Weber and Fields
Weber and Fields
Weber and Fields refers to the vaudeville team of:* Joe Weberand:* Lew Fields....
. In addition to their stage work, they appeared in a series of movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
shorts and a feature length
Feature length
Feature length is motion picture terminology referring to the length of a feature film. According to the rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a feature length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes to be eligible for an Academy Award.The term may also...
movie in 1917. Afterwards, Kolb made a return to vaudeville, and he only returned to the movies in the late 1930s.
He became famous for portraying the same type of character in many movies, namely a politician or businessman. He is best remembered for his role as the grumpy father in the multi-Academy Awards nominated hit comedy film Merrily We Live
Merrily We Live
Merrily We Live is a 1938 comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod. It stars Constance Bennett and Brian Aherne and features Ann Dvorak, Bonita Granville, Billie Burke, Tom Brown, Alan Mowbray, Clarence Kolb and Patsy Kelly. The film was produced by Hal Roach for Hal Roach Studios, and was...
(1938
1938 in film
The year 1938 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of "Dorothy" in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. Ray Bolger is cast as the "Tinman" and Buddy Ebsen is cast as the "Scarecrow". At Bolger's insistence,...
), the corrupt mayor in the comedy His Girl Friday
His Girl Friday
His Girl Friday is a 1940 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, an adaptation by Charles Lederer, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur of the play The Front Page by Hecht and MacArthur...
(1940
1940 in film
The year 1940 in film involved some significant events, including the premieres of the Walt Disney classics Pinocchio and Fantasia.-Events:*February 7 - Walt Disney's animated film Pinocchio is released....
), and as Mr. Honeywell in the television
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
My Little Margie
My Little Margie
My Little Margie is an American situation comedy that alternated between CBS and NBC from 1952 to 1955. The series was created by Frank Fox and produced in Los Angeles, California at Hal Roach Studios by Hal Roach, Jr. and Roland D...
(1952
1952 in television
The year 1952 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1952.-Events:*January 14 – NBC's Today show debuts, with host Dave Garroway, newsreader Jim Fleming and announcer Jack Lescoulie....
). Kolb played himself in his last movie appearance, Man of a Thousand Faces
Man of a Thousand Faces
Man of a Thousand Faces is a film detailing the life of silent movie actor Lon Chaney, in which the title role is played by James Cagney.Directed by Joseph Pevney, the film's cast included Dorothy Malone, Jane Greer and Jim Backus...
(1957
1957 in film
The year 1957 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 21 - The movie Jailhouse Rock, starring Elvis Presley, opens.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue-Awards:...
), opposite Danny Beck (who played the late Max Dill).
Clarence Kolb died at age 90 from a stroke at the Orchard Gables Sanitarium at 1277 North Wilcox Avenue in Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
. He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
.
Selected filmography
- The Toast of New YorkThe Toast of New YorkThe Toast of New York is a 1937 American biopic starring Edward Arnold, Cary Grant, Frances Farmer, and Jack Oakie. The film is a fictionalized account of the lives of financiers James Fisk and Edward S. Stokes...
(1937) - Merrily We LiveMerrily We LiveMerrily We Live is a 1938 comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod. It stars Constance Bennett and Brian Aherne and features Ann Dvorak, Bonita Granville, Billie Burke, Tom Brown, Alan Mowbray, Clarence Kolb and Patsy Kelly. The film was produced by Hal Roach for Hal Roach Studios, and was...
(1938) - CarefreeCarefree (film)Carefree is a 1938 musical film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. With a plot similar to screwball comedies of the period, Carefree is the shortest of the Astaire-Rogers films, featuring only four musical numbers...
(1938) - Give Me a SailorGive Me a SailorGive Me a Sailor is a 1938 film directed by Elliott Nugent. It stars Martha Raye and Bob Hope.-Cast:*Martha Raye as Lett Larkin*Bob Hope as Jim Brewster*Betty Grable as Nancy Larkin*Jack Whiting as Walter Brewster*Clarence Kolb as Captain Tallant...
(1938) - The Amazing Mr. Williams (1939)
- Honolulu (1939)
- His Girl FridayHis Girl FridayHis Girl Friday is a 1940 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, an adaptation by Charles Lederer, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur of the play The Front Page by Hecht and MacArthur...
(1940) - No Time for ComedyNo Time for ComedyNo Time for Comedy is a 1940 comedy-drama film based on the play of the same name by S. N. Behrman, starring James Stewart, Rosalind Russell, Genevieve Tobin and Charles Ruggles.-Plot summary:...
(1940) - Nothing But The TruthNothing But the Truth (1941 film)Nothing But the Truth is a comedy film starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard, their third movie together in three years. The movie was directed by Elliott Nugent....
(1941) - Caught in the DraftCaught in the DraftCaught in the Draft is a 1941 comedy/war film, directed by David Butler.-Plot:Don Bolton is a famous Hollywood star who tries to get married in order to avoid the draft, as he feels it will interfere with his career...
(1941) - Hellzapoppin'Hellzapoppin' (film)Hellzapoppin' is a 1941 Universal Pictures adaptation of the musical of the same name directed by H.C. Potter. The cast includes Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson , Martha Raye, Mischa Auer, Shemp Howard, and The Six Hits.The credits for the movie assert that "any resemblance between Hellzapoppin and a...
(1941) - The Falcon in Danger (1943)
- The Sky's the Limit (1943)
- Three Is a FamilyThree Is a FamilyThree Is a Family is a 1944 comedy film directed by Edward Ludwig. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Sound Recording .-Cast:* Marjorie Reynolds as Kitty Mitchell* Charles Ruggles as Sam Whitaker...
(1944) - Where There's LifeWhere There's LifeWhere There's Life is a 1947 comedy film. The film's title derives from a line in Don Quixote .-Plot:...
(1947) - Impact (1949)
- Adam's RibAdam's RibAdam's Rib is a 1949 American film written by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin and directed by George Cukor. It stars Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn as married lawyers who come to oppose each other in court. Judy Holliday co-stars in her first substantial film role...
(1949) - The Rose Bowl Story (1952)