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Thread: Karl Dane

  1. #1
    SistaSara Guest

    Karl Dane

    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]

  2. #2
    SistaSara Guest

  3. #3
    RaRaRamona Guest
    How incredibly sad. I wonder how the public felt about these actors they adored when they realized they didn't sound the way they'd imagined. I guess they weren't very supportive.

  4. #4
    SistaSara Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by RaRaRamona View Post
    How incredibly sad. I wonder how the public felt about these actors they adored when they realized they didn't sound the way they'd imagined. I guess they weren't very supportive.
    So many actors who had great careers were cast to the way side. DeMille kept many on the payroll at Paramount because he felt somewhat responsible for them. And so many silent films have been permanently lost due to the breakdown of old celluloid.

  5. #5
    RaRaRamona Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by SistaSara View Post
    So many actors who had great careers were cast to the way side. DeMille kept many on the payroll at Paramount because he felt somewhat responsible for them. And so many silent films have been permanently lost due to the breakdown of old celluloid.
    He was awesome. It's a shame we've lost so much.

  6. #6
    leevancleef Guest
    One of the saddest Hollywood stories.

  7. #7
    Shamrocker99 Guest
    How awful..can you imagine selling hot dogs outside the studio you used to make movies for? What a tragic story.

  8. #8
    SistaSara Guest
    I went and visited Karl's grave on Saturday. Had to go out of the way too...as he isn't buried where a lot of other notables are. His grave had no candles or coins like many other famous graves. In fact his headstone was covered with dead grass. Has to get down and clear it for a picture. So sad...his death is much like life. Forgotten about. So from now on whenever I'm at H4E...I'm gonna make a point of going to visit Karl.

  9. #9
    leevancleef Guest
    Thats very nice of you Sista. Send my thoughts for him please.

  10. #10
    SistaSara Guest

  11. #11
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    Sad story indeed, poor guy.

    Thanks for the post.

  12. #12
    Musidora Guest
    Hi Everyone,
    I am new to the forum and wanted to say hello. Sista Sara, thanks for the great post on Karl Dane. I have actually been researching his life for the past 3 years and have completed a biography, which will be published by McFarland. If you are interested in finding out some other details about his life, and see some photos, please visit my site at www.karl-dane.com. Any comments would be welcome. Thanks and hope to talk to you soon!
    Best,
    Laura

  13. #13
    Musidora Guest
    Sorry, everyone, I see you already have the Karl site URL. I was a bit too quick on the draw there! :-)
    Laura

  14. #14
    SistaSara Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Musidora View Post
    Sorry, everyone, I see you already have the Karl site URL. I was a bit too quick on the draw there! :-)
    Laura
    welcome Laura!!! How funny....I was gonna write you an e-mail....wanted to lend a hand in your research. If you need anything from California way let me know.
    My friend, Karie, and I are going to adopt Karl for Hollywood Forever's Day of the Dead. Any input into what we should include in his memorial?

  15. #15
    Musidora Guest
    It's so nice of you both to do that! I looked this up online, and what a wonderful idea. You could use any of the photos from the website--I can send you some scans if you wanted.

    And it is *really* great of you to offer to be a contact in California, thank you. The only thing I can think of is not related to Karl himself, but his wife, who died in childbirth. Her name was Helen Benson Dane and she and the baby girl both died in August 1923. They are both at Grandview, and sadly, that cemetery has been (mostly) closed for several years now due to the terrible conditions there. Once that cemetery is up and running again, I'd love to find out if there is a headstone there, Any help would be appreciated.
    Best,
    Laura

  16. #16
    SistaSara Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Musidora View Post
    It's so nice of you both to do that! I looked this up online, and what a wonderful idea. You could use any of the photos from the website--I can send you some scans if you wanted.

    And it is *really* great of you to offer to be a contact in California, thank you. The only thing I can think of is not related to Karl himself, but his wife, who died in childbirth. Her name was Helen Benson Dane and she and the baby girl both died in August 1923. They are both at Grandview, and sadly, that cemetery has been (mostly) closed for several years now due to the terrible conditions there. Once that cemetery is up and running again, I'd love to find out if there is a headstone there, Any help would be appreciated.
    Best,
    Laura
    OMG...
    Judge Anthony Mohr signed court orders at a hearing at the Central Civil West Courthouse in Los Angeles to have the cemetery open Aug. 10 and 24 as well as Sept. 15 and 28.
    http://www.glendalenewspress.com/art...randview30.txt

    I will go on one of those Sundays!!! Thank you so much for the info! Any idea as to where in the cemetery they are? or what their headstone looks like? OMG...I am SO excited!

    http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/grandvi...nformation.asp
    Last edited by SistaSara; 07-31-2008 at 06:58 PM.

  17. #17
    Musidora Guest
    Dear Sara,
    Thank you so much for the info and your willingness to go down there sometime. From what I have managed to find out, Helen Dane and the baby are listed in Section H, but no Plot number is listed. I don't know what the stone looks like or even if any stone was ever placed.
    Talk to you soon--and thanks again so much for caring about this story.
    Best,
    Laura

  18. #18
    SistaSara Guest
    In early 1921 Dane met Swedish immigrant Helen Benson. He then quit films, and together the pair moved to Van Nuys, California where they opened a chicken farm. They married June 15, 1921.[26]
    On August 9, 1923 Helen died in childbirth as did the couple's baby girl.[27]



    I am so going to the library tomorrow to start some research. I LIVE in Van Nuys. Maybe I can find out where their chicken ranch was. It's proably a parking lot now. But what the heck. Also I so wanna go to Grandview and try to find the graves!





  19. #19
    SistaSara Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Musidora View Post
    Dear Sara,
    Thank you so much for the info and your willingness to go down there sometime. From what I have managed to find out, Helen Dane and the baby are listed in Section H, but no Plot number is listed. I don't know what the stone looks like or even if any stone was ever placed.
    Talk to you soon--and thanks again so much for caring about this story.
    Best,
    Laura
    If you want to send me your e-mail address...if I get any pictures I'll mail 'em to you right away. My email addy is: henderson.sara@yahoo.com
    I don't know which date of the four I'm gonna go...but will go for sure. If Karl Dane was alive he'd be there!

  20. #20
    Ron Burgundy Guest
    Sara,

    I believe Dane and his wife ran what became the Runnymeade Farm, which was located off Lindley Ave, just south of what is now CSUN.

    As you surmised, it's long gone, having disappeared in the mid-late 50's I believe.

    P.S. I lived in Van Nuys for over 40yrs.

  21. #21
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    I remember that! Kinda. Hiya Bob!
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]peek-a-boo!!

  22. #22
    SistaSara Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Ron Burgundy View Post
    Sara,

    I believe Dane and his wife ran what became the Runnymeade Farm, which was located off Lindley Ave, just south of what is now CSUN.

    As you surmised, it's long gone, having disappeared in the mid-late 50's I believe.

    P.S. I lived in Van Nuys for over 40yrs.
    Thanks for the GREAT info! (Feel free to brain storm and tell me more Van Nuys tidbits!)

  23. #23
    Ron Burgundy Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by SistaSara View Post
    Thanks for the GREAT info! (Feel free to brain storm and tell me more Van Nuys tidbits!)
    Not sure how long you've been there, but I can tell you that there was a time when Van Nuys was a nice place to live.

    We'll catch up sometime...

  24. #24
    SistaSara Guest
    This is the Karl Dane shrine my friend Karie and I made

  25. #25
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    I have seen some of the Dane/Arthur shorts and I didn't think Karl's voice was bad at all.
    "Everybody is born, and everybody dies. Being born wasn't so bad , was it?"
    Peter the Hermit

  26. #26
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    Very sad story... remember reading about him on a danish movie page some years ago...Before that I never heard of him. strange that his voice was said to be so bad..Was it his accent? Jean Hersholt had a heavy Danish accent in all of his career.. and so did Viktor Borge..
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Love is the answer - and you know that for sure.

  27. #27
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    Stars having "bad voices" in the early talkie era is mostly a myth. Most silent stars had stage experience before films and knew how to talk. The main underlying reason why many silent stars hit the skids is that talking films were a new and expensive technology and that film producers turned their backs on many of their silent stars to avoid the risk and turned to Broadway stars who were then popular to star in the new talkies.

    Another myth about the silent to sound transition is that movie producers used sound at the exact moment the technology became available. 1929 is considered the first real year of the talking era and by that time sound film technology had been around since 1923. What many today don't know is that the movie going populace liked their films silent. It wasn't until the advent of radio that audiences started to demand that the films talk.
    Last edited by MagnusDippytack; 11-06-2008 at 09:26 AM. Reason: I'm mad with power
    "Everybody is born, and everybody dies. Being born wasn't so bad , was it?"
    Peter the Hermit

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