Karl Dane
Encyclopedia
Karl Dane was a Danish comedian
and actor known for his work in American films, mainly of the silent film
era. He worked alongside Rudolph Valentino
, John Gilbert
, and King Vidor
. In 1926, he teamed up with George K. Arthur
to form the successful comedy duo Dane & Arthur. At the peak of his career, he was making $1500 a week.
In the 1930s, Dane was forced to quit his film career due to a nervous breakdown and trouble with his heavy accent. Unable to find work in the film industry, he eventually killed himself in 1934. His career decline and death have been cited as an example of the fate that befell many silent film stars who were unable to make the transition to sound film
s.
, Denmark
to Rasmus Carl Marius Gottlieb and Anne Cathrine Simonsen Gottlieb. He had two brothers: Reinald Marius and Viggo Eiler. His parents’ marriage was apparently stormy; with his father having trouble with alcohol and money management. In 1903 Dane's parents divorced, leaving him in the custody of his mother. His father was a glove maker by trade but enjoyed the theatre. At the turn of the century, he built a toy theatre which people began to pay to see; during this time, Dane and his brother Reinald would perform for the crowds. His father also worked as a curtain puller at the local theatre, to which his two sons accompanied him. Dane later said this would inspire him to act.
In 1900, Dane and his brother apprenticed as machinists, a job he would perform on and off throughout his life. In 1907, he began compulsory military service in the First Artillery Battalion. He was promoted to lance corporal
. After being discharged from the military, he married dressmaker Carla Dagmar Hagen on September 10, 1910. The marriage produced two children: Ejlert Carl (born 1911) and Ingeborg Helene (1912). With the outbreak of World War I
, Dane was called back to duty. He was eventually promoted to corporal
before being discharged in 1915.
In Denmark, as well as the rest of Europe, employment prospects looked grim. On January 25, 1916, Dane headed for the United States
alone. He intended to send for his family later. He boarded the SS Oscar II with $25 in his pocket and speaking no English
. The ship arrived in February at Ellis Island
. Dane passed immigrant inspection and moved to 345 Court Street in Brooklyn
with a friend named Charles Lindgren. The same day, he found work in a foundry
. Sometime in 1916 he moved to Lincoln, Nebraska
where he worked as an auto mechanic
. By summer 1917, he returned to New York
where he again worked as a mechanic.
short filmed in Fort Lee, New Jersey
. He made $3 a day (as a mechanic he had been making $3 a week) for his part. However, his scenes were cut and the name of this film is not known. Any footage is presumed lost
. Dane then appeared in Warner Brothers anti-German sentiment
film My Four Years in Germany as Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg. This would be the first of many such roles for Dane in his early career. The film was released April 29, 1918 and was a success, making $430,000 at the box office (the film had a budget of $50,000).
His next film was Wolves of Kultur which contained '15 chapters' (running about three hours total). The film was released chapter by chapter between 1918–1919. He then followed that with the June Mathis
-penned film To Hell with the Kaiser, reprising his role as Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg. Before his move to Hollywood, Dane completed three more films; all in the anti-German propaganda style and all released in 1919.
immigrant named Helen Benson. He then quit films, and together the pair moved to Van Nuys, California, where they opened a chicken farm. They married on June 15, 1921. On August 9, 1923, Helen died in childbirth as did the couple's baby girl. In December 1923, Dane ran into old friend Charles Hutchison
who convinced him to appear in a serial he was then producing.
recommended Dane for a role in King Vidor
's latest project. Dane was cast as Slim in The Big Parade
alongside John Gilbert
and Renée Adorée
. The movie was a major success, becoming the second highest grossing silent film of all time making almost $6.5 million (not adjusted for inflation).
He worked with Rudolph Valentino
and Vilma Bánky
in Son of the Sheik
as Ramadan. The film was a success and after Valentino's death it was re-released several more times well into the late 1930s. After working on Son of the Sheik, Dane signed a contract with MGM in June 1926. He began to appear as comic relief in several films, including The Scarlet Letter
(directed by Victor Sjöström
and starring Lillian Gish
), La Bohème
(again directed by Vidor, and starring Gish, Gilbert and Adorée), and Alias Jimmy Valentine
with William Haines
and Leila Hyams
.
. It was on this film that MGM executive Harry Rapf
decided to team Dane with George K. Arthur
as a comedic duo. Together they were dubbed Dane & Arthur. In May 1927, the duo's first film, Rookies opened and was an instant success. By June 1927, MGM signed Dane to a long term contract, making such films as Detectives, Circus Rookies, and The Trail of '98. In April 1928, Dane broke his shoulder on set. He contracted bronchial pneumonia and was in serious condition. He eventually recovered and went back to work on the duo's films.
Five films later, in 1930 Dane lost his contract with MGM. He would later claim this was due to a nervous breakdown, for which he needed a rest. However by December, Paramount
offered Dane & Arthur a 23 week 'Publix Theatre' vaudeville
tour. The pair had made a few shorts for Paramount and RKO as well. The partnership ended with the end of the vaudeville tour.
In November 1931, after the tour, Dane along with some friends formed a mining corporation named Avelina Mines. The venture failed. By February 1932, Dane had turned back to vaudeville, this time as a solo comedic act. It was panned by critics and apparently short-lived. In December 1932, Dane's last film, The Whispering Shadow
starring Bela Lugosi
, was released.
By the summer of 1933, Dane had given up on films and turned desperately to mining. He spent three months driving up and down the West Coast trying to find a good mining deal. However, he ended up losing $1,100 in September 1933 and the venture never took off. Deeply depressed and broken down, Dane took on several jobs, including as a mechanic, a waiter, and carpenter. He was unable to hold any of these jobs.
In early 1921, Dane met Swedish
immigrant Helen Benson. It was then he quit films and moved to Van Nuys. The couple married June 15, 1921. Helen died in childbirth August 9, 1923, as did the couple's baby girl. Unable to cope with the loss of his wife and daughter, Dane rushed into a marriage with telephone operator supervisor Emma Awilda Peabody Sawyer, seven years his senior. The couple married on March 8, 1924, and separated on September 30, 1924. After his success, in May 1926, Emma brought suit against Dane for support. It is not clear if she received it or not.
In June 1928, Dane reportedly fell in love with a Russian dancer, Thais Valdemar. The couple began dating and eventually claimed to be married though they indeed never were (many sources incorrectly state that she was his legal wife). The couple lived together at Dane's Beverly Hills home, until November 1928, when Valdemar moved out. By December, she filed a Breach of Promise
suit against Dane for $75,000, but the case was ultimately dropped in early 1929.
On April 13, Dane was pickpocketed of all the money he had: $18. On April 14, he was to meet with a young woman named Frances Leake, supposedly to see a movie and cheer him up. However, he never showed and Leake became worried. She immediately arrived at his apartment (at 626 South Burnside Avenue) and with the assistance of the landlady, they were able to open the door. There they found Dane, clad in a shirt, trousers and slippers. He was slumped in his chair with a revolver at his feet. Leake fainted at the scene. When she was revived, Leake found Dane's final note on a nearby table, next to a scrapbook he had always kept, filled with his old studio contracts and rave reviews. The short note read, "To Frances and all my friends-goodbye." Dane had committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. He was 47 years old.
No one came forward to claim his body. Police tagged his body with the note, "May have relatives in Denmark. Hold for awhile". For the next few days, authorities attempted to find his family, even placing ads in major Copenhagen newspapers. However, the Gottliebs did not find out about Dane's death until weeks later. Fellow Danish
actor Jean Hersholt
stepped forward and insisted MGM pay for a funeral and burial. MGM agreed, and on April 18 a funeral was held open to the public. There were around 50 attendees. Hersholt was a pallbearer, as well as Tom O'Brien. Dane was interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery
, with a modest headstone.
Dane was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
for his contributions to film located at 6140 Hollywood Blvd (located in front of the 'Henry Fonda Music Box Theater')
Renewed interest has been shown in Dane's career, especially in his native Denmark. On October 12, 2006, Danish weekly paper FOKUS published an article on Dane to commemorate what would have been his 120th birthday. In February 2007, an issue of the monthly Classic Images (#380) included an article on Dane. In the July 2007 biannual publication The Bridge (Volume 30 Number 1 2007), published by the Danish American Heritage Society, featured an article on Dane. In December 2007, the Danish Film Festival Kosmorama
published an article about Dane in their newsletter.
On January 28, 2008, the Danish Film Institute held a 'Karl Dane Retrospective' in Copenhagen, Denmark. A speech was given by Laura Petersen Balogh and featured clips from Dane's films followed by a screening of one of his features. The event was attended by some of Dane's descendants. In 2009, a biography about Dane written by Balogh was released through McFarland & Company
.
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and actor known for his work in American films, mainly of the silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
era. He worked alongside Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino was an Italian actor, and early pop icon. A sex symbol of the 1920s, Valentino was known as the "Latin Lover". He starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik...
, John Gilbert
John Gilbert (actor)
John Gilbert was an American actor and a major star of the silent film era.Known as "the great lover," he rivaled even Rudolph Valentino as a box office draw...
, and King Vidor
King Vidor
King Wallis Vidor was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose career spanned nearly seven decades...
. In 1926, he teamed up with George K. Arthur
George K. Arthur
George K. Arthur was an English actor and producer. He appeared in 59 films between 1919 and 1935. He won an Academy Award for Best Short Film in 1956 for the film The Bespoke Overcoat....
to form the successful comedy duo Dane & Arthur. At the peak of his career, he was making $1500 a week.
In the 1930s, Dane was forced to quit his film career due to a nervous breakdown and trouble with his heavy accent. Unable to find work in the film industry, he eventually killed himself in 1934. His career decline and death have been cited as an example of the fate that befell many silent film stars who were unable to make the transition to sound film
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
s.
Early life
Dane was born Rasmus Karl Therkelsen Gottlieb in Turesensgade 23 in central CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
to Rasmus Carl Marius Gottlieb and Anne Cathrine Simonsen Gottlieb. He had two brothers: Reinald Marius and Viggo Eiler. His parents’ marriage was apparently stormy; with his father having trouble with alcohol and money management. In 1903 Dane's parents divorced, leaving him in the custody of his mother. His father was a glove maker by trade but enjoyed the theatre. At the turn of the century, he built a toy theatre which people began to pay to see; during this time, Dane and his brother Reinald would perform for the crowds. His father also worked as a curtain puller at the local theatre, to which his two sons accompanied him. Dane later said this would inspire him to act.
In 1900, Dane and his brother apprenticed as machinists, a job he would perform on and off throughout his life. In 1907, he began compulsory military service in the First Artillery Battalion. He was promoted to lance corporal
Lance Corporal
Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organizations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer, usually equivalent to the NATO Rank Grade OR-3.- Etymology :The presumed...
. After being discharged from the military, he married dressmaker Carla Dagmar Hagen on September 10, 1910. The marriage produced two children: Ejlert Carl (born 1911) and Ingeborg Helene (1912). With the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Dane was called back to duty. He was eventually promoted to corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
before being discharged in 1915.
In Denmark, as well as the rest of Europe, employment prospects looked grim. On January 25, 1916, Dane headed for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alone. He intended to send for his family later. He boarded the SS Oscar II with $25 in his pocket and speaking no English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The ship arrived in February at Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
. Dane passed immigrant inspection and moved to 345 Court Street in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
with a friend named Charles Lindgren. The same day, he found work in a foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
. Sometime in 1916 he moved to Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
where he worked as an auto mechanic
Auto mechanic
An auto mechanic is a mechanic with a variety of car makes or either in a specific area or in a specific make of car. In repairing cars, their main role is to diagnose the problem accurately and quickly...
. By summer 1917, he returned to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where he again worked as a mechanic.
Early roles
In late 1917, Dane appeared in his first picture. It was a bit part in a Vitagraph StudiosVitagraph Studios
American Vitagraph was a United States movie studio, founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York. By 1907 it was the most prolific American film production company, producing many famous silent films. It was bought by Warner Bros...
short filmed in Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 35,345. Located atop the Hudson Palisades, the borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge...
. He made $3 a day (as a mechanic he had been making $3 a week) for his part. However, his scenes were cut and the name of this film is not known. Any footage is presumed lost
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
. Dane then appeared in Warner Brothers anti-German sentiment
Anti-German sentiment
Anti-German sentiment is defined as an opposition to or fear of Germany, its inhabitants, and the German language. Its opposite is Germanophilia.-Russia:...
film My Four Years in Germany as Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg. This would be the first of many such roles for Dane in his early career. The film was released April 29, 1918 and was a success, making $430,000 at the box office (the film had a budget of $50,000).
His next film was Wolves of Kultur which contained '15 chapters' (running about three hours total). The film was released chapter by chapter between 1918–1919. He then followed that with the June Mathis
June Mathis
June Mathis was an American screenwriter and one of the highest paid Hollywood executives in the 1920s. Mathis was the first female executive for Metro/MGM and at only 35, she was the highest paid executive in Hollywood. In 1926 she was voted the third most influential woman in Hollywood, behind...
-penned film To Hell with the Kaiser, reprising his role as Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg. Before his move to Hollywood, Dane completed three more films; all in the anti-German propaganda style and all released in 1919.
Marriage
In early 1921, Dane met a SwedishSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
immigrant named Helen Benson. He then quit films, and together the pair moved to Van Nuys, California, where they opened a chicken farm. They married on June 15, 1921. On August 9, 1923, Helen died in childbirth as did the couple's baby girl. In December 1923, Dane ran into old friend Charles Hutchison
Charles Hutchison
Charles Hutchison was an American film actor, director and screenwriter. He appeared in 49 films between 1914 and 1944. He also directed 33 films between 1915 and 1938. Though he directed numerous independent silent features, he is best remembered today as Pathé's leading male serial star from...
who convinced him to appear in a serial he was then producing.
Stardom
In December 1924, Robert McIntyre (who had first cast Dane back at Vitagraph), the casting director at MGMMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
recommended Dane for a role in King Vidor
King Vidor
King Wallis Vidor was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose career spanned nearly seven decades...
's latest project. Dane was cast as Slim in The Big Parade
The Big Parade
The Big Parade is a 1925 silent film. It tells the story of an idle rich boy who joins the US Army's Rainbow Division and is sent to France to fight in World War I, becomes friends with two working class men, experiences the horrors of trench warfare, and finds love with a French girl.The film was...
alongside John Gilbert
John Gilbert (actor)
John Gilbert was an American actor and a major star of the silent film era.Known as "the great lover," he rivaled even Rudolph Valentino as a box office draw...
and Renée Adorée
Renée Adorée
Renée Adorée was a French actress who had appeared in Hollywood silent movies during the 1920s.-Early life:...
. The movie was a major success, becoming the second highest grossing silent film of all time making almost $6.5 million (not adjusted for inflation).
He worked with Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino was an Italian actor, and early pop icon. A sex symbol of the 1920s, Valentino was known as the "Latin Lover". He starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik...
and Vilma Bánky
Vilma Bánky
Vilma Bánky was a Hungarian-born American silent film actress, although the early part of her acting career began in Budapest, spreading to France, Austria, and Germany...
in Son of the Sheik
Son of the Sheik (film)
Son of the Sheik is a 1926 silent film produced by United Artists, directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Bánky. It was based on a romance novel by Edith Maude Hull The Sons of the Sheik, a sequel to The Sheik...
as Ramadan. The film was a success and after Valentino's death it was re-released several more times well into the late 1930s. After working on Son of the Sheik, Dane signed a contract with MGM in June 1926. He began to appear as comic relief in several films, including The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter (1926 film)
The Scarlet Letter is a 1926 drama film directed by Victor Sjöström. Louis B. Mayer was reluctant on using Miss Gish, fearing opposition from church groups. The film was announced as "It's a real 'A' picture", taking advantage of the 'A' for Adultery, and proved a box office success...
(directed by Victor Sjöström
Victor Sjöström
Victor Sjöström was a Swedish actor, screenwriter, and film director.- Biography:Born in Silbodal, in the Värmland region of Sweden, he was only a year old when his father, Olof Adolf Sjöström, moved the family to Brooklyn, New York. His mother died when he was seven years old in 1886...
and starring Lillian Gish
Lillian Gish
Lillian Diana Gish was an American stage, screen and television actress whose film acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912 to 1987....
), La Bohème
La Bohème (1926 film)
La Bohème is a 1926 silent drama film directed by King Vidor, based on the opera La bohème by Giacomo Puccini.-Plot:The film takes place in Paris in 1830. Several bohemians try to survive on the streets, living under poor conditions and desiring to one day become famous. One of them is Marcel , a...
(again directed by Vidor, and starring Gish, Gilbert and Adorée), and Alias Jimmy Valentine
Alias Jimmy Valentine
Alias Jimmy Valentine is a 1928 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film directed by Jack Conway, and starring William Haines, Leila Hyams, Lionel Barrymore, and Karl Dane. It is sourced from the O. Henry story,A Retrieved Reformation which was turned into the 1910 play Alias Jimmy Valentine by Paul Armstrong. The...
with William Haines
William Haines
Charles William "Billy" Haines was an American film actor and interior designer. He was a star of the silent era until the 1930s, when Haines' career was cut short by MGM Studios due to his refusal to deny his homosexuality...
and Leila Hyams
Leila Hyams
Leila Hyams was an American film actress. Her relatively short film career began in silent films, and ended in the mid 1930s.-Early life:...
.
Dane & Arthur
Soon after signing his MGM contract, Dane began work on the Vidor film, Bardelys the MagnificentBardelys the Magnificent
Bardelys the Magnificent is a 1926 silent romantic drama film. It was directed by King Vidor starring John Gilbert and Eleanor Boardman, based on a novel by Rafael Sabatini. It was the second film of the 19 year old John Wayne, who had a minor role...
. It was on this film that MGM executive Harry Rapf
Harry Rapf
Harry Rapf was a Jewish American producer. He began his career in 1917, and during a 20 year career became a well-known producer of films for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He created the comedic duo Dane & Arthur featuring Karl Dane and George K...
decided to team Dane with George K. Arthur
George K. Arthur
George K. Arthur was an English actor and producer. He appeared in 59 films between 1919 and 1935. He won an Academy Award for Best Short Film in 1956 for the film The Bespoke Overcoat....
as a comedic duo. Together they were dubbed Dane & Arthur. In May 1927, the duo's first film, Rookies opened and was an instant success. By June 1927, MGM signed Dane to a long term contract, making such films as Detectives, Circus Rookies, and The Trail of '98. In April 1928, Dane broke his shoulder on set. He contracted bronchial pneumonia and was in serious condition. He eventually recovered and went back to work on the duo's films.
Talkies and decline
Dane & Arthur's last silent short was Detectives in 1928. On December 23, 1928 their first talkie, Brotherly Love was released. Arthur was a Scotsman who had a distinct but acceptable British accent. Dane had a thick guttural Danish accent which did not record well and made his English hard to understand. The duo made only six more talkies, ending with China Bound in 1929.Five films later, in 1930 Dane lost his contract with MGM. He would later claim this was due to a nervous breakdown, for which he needed a rest. However by December, Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
offered Dane & Arthur a 23 week 'Publix Theatre' vaudeville
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...
tour. The pair had made a few shorts for Paramount and RKO as well. The partnership ended with the end of the vaudeville tour.
In November 1931, after the tour, Dane along with some friends formed a mining corporation named Avelina Mines. The venture failed. By February 1932, Dane had turned back to vaudeville, this time as a solo comedic act. It was panned by critics and apparently short-lived. In December 1932, Dane's last film, The Whispering Shadow
The Whispering Shadow
The Whispering Shadow is a Serial film, starring Béla Lugosi in his first of five serial roles. Lugosi received $10,000, the highest known salary of his career, for this film. . The serial was filmed in only 12 days...
starring Bela Lugosi
Béla Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
, was released.
By the summer of 1933, Dane had given up on films and turned desperately to mining. He spent three months driving up and down the West Coast trying to find a good mining deal. However, he ended up losing $1,100 in September 1933 and the venture never took off. Deeply depressed and broken down, Dane took on several jobs, including as a mechanic, a waiter, and carpenter. He was unable to hold any of these jobs.
Personal life
Dane was very active during his life. He loved all sports, swimming, horse riding, and bicycling. He loved to play practical jokes and was a daredevil as a child. Dane was an animal lover, rescuing two of the dogs who needed homes after Trail of '98. Dane did not participate much in the Hollywood social scene. He enjoyed carpentry and built his own home in Malibu. He had a home in Beverly Hills as well. Dane officially became an American citizen in 1919. At the same, time he also officially legally changed his name to, "Karl Dane."Later marriages/relationships
Dane's first marriage was to Carla Dagmar Hagen. The couple married September 10, 1910 at Saint Paul’s Church in Copenhagen. Dane's only living children were born during this union; son Ejlert Carl, in 1911 and daughter Ingeborg Helene in 1912. When Dane immigrated to the US, in 1916, he intended to send for his family later. However by his success, in 1918, Dane had begun to lose touch with his family. Carla no longer wanted to join him, as she was suffering from ill health. The pair separated that year.In early 1921, Dane met Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
immigrant Helen Benson. It was then he quit films and moved to Van Nuys. The couple married June 15, 1921. Helen died in childbirth August 9, 1923, as did the couple's baby girl. Unable to cope with the loss of his wife and daughter, Dane rushed into a marriage with telephone operator supervisor Emma Awilda Peabody Sawyer, seven years his senior. The couple married on March 8, 1924, and separated on September 30, 1924. After his success, in May 1926, Emma brought suit against Dane for support. It is not clear if she received it or not.
In June 1928, Dane reportedly fell in love with a Russian dancer, Thais Valdemar. The couple began dating and eventually claimed to be married though they indeed never were (many sources incorrectly state that she was his legal wife). The couple lived together at Dane's Beverly Hills home, until November 1928, when Valdemar moved out. By December, she filed a Breach of Promise
Breach of promise
Breach of promise is a former common law tort.From at least medieval times until the early 20th century, a man's promise of engagement to marry a woman was considered, in many jurisdictions, a legally binding contract...
suit against Dane for $75,000, but the case was ultimately dropped in early 1929.
Death
By the end of 1933, Dane had purchased a stake in a hot dog stand outside MGM Studios. The business failed, as it was shunned by his former friends. Dane then tried to find work with his former studio as an extra or carpenter but was turned away. He had been seeking a job that would pay $5 a day.On April 13, Dane was pickpocketed of all the money he had: $18. On April 14, he was to meet with a young woman named Frances Leake, supposedly to see a movie and cheer him up. However, he never showed and Leake became worried. She immediately arrived at his apartment (at 626 South Burnside Avenue) and with the assistance of the landlady, they were able to open the door. There they found Dane, clad in a shirt, trousers and slippers. He was slumped in his chair with a revolver at his feet. Leake fainted at the scene. When she was revived, Leake found Dane's final note on a nearby table, next to a scrapbook he had always kept, filled with his old studio contracts and rave reviews. The short note read, "To Frances and all my friends-goodbye." Dane had committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. He was 47 years old.
No one came forward to claim his body. Police tagged his body with the note, "May have relatives in Denmark. Hold for awhile". For the next few days, authorities attempted to find his family, even placing ads in major Copenhagen newspapers. However, the Gottliebs did not find out about Dane's death until weeks later. Fellow Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
actor Jean Hersholt
Jean Hersholt
Jean Pierre Hersholt was a Danish-born actor who lived in the United States, where he was a leading film and radio talent, best known for his 17 years starring on radio in Dr. Christian and for playing Shirley Temple's grandfather in Heidi...
stepped forward and insisted MGM pay for a funeral and burial. MGM agreed, and on April 18 a funeral was held open to the public. There were around 50 attendees. Hersholt was a pallbearer, as well as Tom O'Brien. Dane was interred at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery, originally called Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery, is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles, California. It is located at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard in the Hollywood...
, with a modest headstone.
Legacy
Many of Dane's films still exist today and a few are available on DVD including, Son of the Sheik, The Big Parade, The Whispering Shadow. Bardelys the Magnificent was thought lost but around 30 minutes of the film has been found. Many of the Dane & Arthur shorts still exist, including, Brotherly Love, but have yet to see a DVD release.Dane was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
for his contributions to film located at 6140 Hollywood Blvd (located in front of the 'Henry Fonda Music Box Theater')
Renewed interest has been shown in Dane's career, especially in his native Denmark. On October 12, 2006, Danish weekly paper FOKUS published an article on Dane to commemorate what would have been his 120th birthday. In February 2007, an issue of the monthly Classic Images (#380) included an article on Dane. In the July 2007 biannual publication The Bridge (Volume 30 Number 1 2007), published by the Danish American Heritage Society, featured an article on Dane. In December 2007, the Danish Film Festival Kosmorama
Kosmorama
Kosmorama is the annual international film festival in the city of Trondheim, Norway first held in 2005.The eight Kosmorama will take place March 19 - 25th 2012.-Name:...
published an article about Dane in their newsletter.
On January 28, 2008, the Danish Film Institute held a 'Karl Dane Retrospective' in Copenhagen, Denmark. A speech was given by Laura Petersen Balogh and featured clips from Dane's films followed by a screening of one of his features. The event was attended by some of Dane's descendants. In 2009, a biography about Dane written by Balogh was released through McFarland & Company
McFarland & Company
McFarland & Company, Inc. is a book publisher of primarily academic and adult nonfiction based in Jefferson, North Carolina. Its president and editor-in-chief is Robert Franklin, who began the enterprise in 1979...
.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | My Four Years in Germany | Chancellor von Bethmana-Hollweg | |
| 1918 | The Triumph of Venus | Mars | |
| 1918 | To Hell with the Kaiser! | Von Hollweg | |
| 1919 | The Fall of the Hohenzollerns | Von Bethmann Hollweg | |
| 1919 | Daring Hearts | Lieutenant Von Bergheim | |
| 1919 | The Whirlwind | The Wolf | |
| 1925 | The Big Parade The Big Parade The Big Parade is a 1925 silent film. It tells the story of an idle rich boy who joins the US Army's Rainbow Division and is sent to France to fight in World War I, becomes friends with two working class men, experiences the horrors of trench warfare, and finds love with a French girl.The film was... |
Slim | |
| 1925 | Lights of Old Broadway Lights of Old Broadway Lights of Old Broadway is a 1925 drama film directed by Monta Bell. The film stars Marion Davies and Conrad Nagel. It is an adaptation of the play The Merry Wives of Gotham by Laurence Eyre . The play was produced on Broadway at the Henry Miller's Theatre January 16, 1924 - April 1924... |
Roosevelt's Father | Alternative title: Little Old New York |
| 1925 | His Secretary His Secretary His Secretary is a 1925 comedy film directed by Hobart Henley. The film stars Norma Shearer and Lew Cody. It is now a lost film.-Plot:Comedy about an ugly duckling who overhears her boss saying he wouldn't kiss her for a thousand dollars... |
Janitor | |
| 1926 | La Bohème La Bohème (1926 film) La Bohème is a 1926 silent drama film directed by King Vidor, based on the opera La bohème by Giacomo Puccini.-Plot:The film takes place in Paris in 1830. Several bohemians try to survive on the streets, living under poor conditions and desiring to one day become famous. One of them is Marcel , a... |
Benoit | |
| 1926 | The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter (1926 film) The Scarlet Letter is a 1926 drama film directed by Victor Sjöström. Louis B. Mayer was reluctant on using Miss Gish, fearing opposition from church groups. The film was announced as "It's a real 'A' picture", taking advantage of the 'A' for Adultery, and proved a box office success... |
Master Giles | |
| 1926 | Bardelys the Magnificent Bardelys the Magnificent Bardelys the Magnificent is a 1926 silent romantic drama film. It was directed by King Vidor starring John Gilbert and Eleanor Boardman, based on a novel by Rafael Sabatini. It was the second film of the 19 year old John Wayne, who had a minor role... |
Rodenard | |
| 1927 | The Red Mill | Captain Jacop Van Goop | |
| 1927 | Slide, Kelly, Slide Slide, Kelly, Slide Slide, Kelly, Slide is a 1927 comedy film, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Edward Sedgwick, and starring William Haines and Harry Carey.-Cast:* William Haines - Jim Kelly* Sally O'Neil - Mary Munson* Harry Carey - Tom Munson... |
Swede Hansen | |
| 1927 | The Enemy The Enemy (1927 film) The Enemy is a 1927 drama film directed by Fred Niblo, and starring Lillian Gish. The film has been thought to be lost. The MGM library, now controlled by Turner Classic Movies, has a print which is missing the final reel... |
Jan | |
| 1928 | Baby Mine | Oswald Hardy | |
| 1928 | The Trail of '98 The Trail of '98 The Trail of '98 is a 1928 silent drama film featuring Harry Carey. The film was originally released by MGM in a short-lived widescreen process called Fanthom Screen.-Cast:* Dolores del Río as Berna* Ralph Forbes as Larry* Karl Dane as Lars Petersen... |
Lars Petersen | |
| 1928 | Alias Jimmy Valentine Alias Jimmy Valentine Alias Jimmy Valentine is a 1928 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film directed by Jack Conway, and starring William Haines, Leila Hyams, Lionel Barrymore, and Karl Dane. It is sourced from the O. Henry story,A Retrieved Reformation which was turned into the 1910 play Alias Jimmy Valentine by Paul Armstrong. The... |
Swede | |
| 1929 | The Duke Steps Out The Duke Steps Out The Duke Steps Out is a 1929 silent film starring William Haines and Joan Crawford. The film is lost, but the apparent Vitaphone sound discs track survive at UCLA Film and Tv Archives... |
Barney, Duke's Chauffeur | |
| 1929 | Speedway Speedway (1929 film) Speedway is a 1929 silent film about a car racer who clashes with his father, also a driver, at the Indianapolis Speedway.-Cast:*William Haines as Bill Whipple*Anita Page as Patricia Bonner*Ernest Torrence as Jim MacDonald*Karl Dane as Dugan... |
Dugan | |
| 1929 | Navy Blues Navy Blues (1929 film) Navy Blues is a 1929 romance film starring William Haines as a sailor and Anita Page as the girl he romances and leaves. This was Haines' first talking picture.-Cast:*William Haines as Jack Kelly*Anita Page as Alice Brown* Karl Dane as Sven Swanson... |
Sven Swanson | |
| 1930 | Montana Moon Montana Moon Montana Moon is a 1930 film starring Joan Crawford, Johnny Mack Brown , and Ricardo Cortez.-Plot:Joan Prescott, , a vacuous daughter of a wealthy, Montana rancher, meets Larry , a Texas cowboy. Joan and Larry fall for one another and are engaged... |
Hank | |
| 1930 | The Big House | Olsen | |
| 1930 | Billy the Kid Billy the Kid (1930 film) Billy the Kid is a 1930 American film directed in widescreen by King Vidor about the relationship between frontier outlaw Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett , the man who later killed him.-Cast:... |
Swenson | Alternative title: The Highwayman Rides |
| 1931 | A Put Up Job | ||
| 1931 | Dumbbells in Derbies | ||
| 1931 | Lime Juice Nights | ||
| 1932 | Fast Life | Olaf | Uncredited |
| 1933 | The Whispering Shadow The Whispering Shadow The Whispering Shadow is a Serial film, starring Béla Lugosi in his first of five serial roles. Lugosi received $10,000, the highest known salary of his career, for this film. . The serial was filmed in only 12 days... |
Sparks (dispatcher) |
Further reading
- Karl Dane by Laura Petersen Balogh (2009) ISBN 978-0-7864-4207-2