Stardom
In December 1924 Robert McIntyre (who had first cast Dane back at Vitagraph), the casting director at MGM recommended Dane for a role in King Vidor's latest project.[29] 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).[30]
He worked alongside Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Banky in Son of the Sheik as 'Ramadan'.[31] The film was a success and after Valentino's death it was re-released several more times well into the late 30s.[32]
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 Boheme (again directed by Vidor, and starring Gish, Gilbert and Adorée), and Alias Jimmy Valentine with William Haines and Leila Hyams.[33]
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 lasted only six more talkies ending with "China Bound" in 1929.[38]
Five films later, in 1930 Dane lost his contract with MGM. He would later claim this was due to a nervous breakdown on his behalf and he needed a rest.[39] However by December Paramount offered Dane & Arthur a 23 week 'Publix Theatre' vaudeville tour.[40] The pair had made a few shorts for Paramount and RKO as well. The pair 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.[41] 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.[42]
In December 1932 Dane's last film, "The Whispering Shadow" starring Bela Lugosi was released.[43]
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.[44] However he ended up losing $1,100 in September 1933 and the venture never took off. [45] Deeply depressed and broken down Dane took on several jobs including a mechanic, a waiter, and carpenter. He was unable to hold any of these jobs.[46]
Suicide
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.[47] 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.[48]
On April 13 Dane was pick pocketed of all the money he had: $18.[49] On April 14 he was supposed met with a young woman named Frances Leake, supposedly to see a movie and cheer him up.[50] However he never showed and Leake became worried. She immediately arrived at his apartment (located 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 shirt, pants, and slippers. He was slumped in his chair, with a revolver at his feet.[51] 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."[52]
Dane had committed suicide by shooting himself in the head with a revolver.[53]
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.[54]
Fellow Danish actor Jean Hersholt stepped forward and insisted MGM pay for a funeral and burial.[55] MGM agreed and on April 18 a funeral was held open to the public. Among the fifty attendees, mostly those of Scandinavian descent, Hersholt was a pallbearer, as well as Tom O'Brien.[56] Dane was interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery with a modest headstone.[57]