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Warner Oland


1880 - 1938

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Warner Oland was born in Umea/Sweden as Johan Verner Ölund. In 1892 he emigrated with his parents to America. 
His first experiences as an actor he gathered at the theater and also in the cinema he early gained a foothold. Already in 1915 he played for the first time in a movie called "The Romance of Elaine". 60 further silent movies and 36 sound films followed.

To his well-known silent movies belong "The Rise of Susan" (16), "The Mysterious Client" (18), "The Avalanche" (19), "East Is West" (22), "Don Juan (26), "When a Man Loves" (27), "Old San Francisco" (27) and "The Scarlet Lady" (28).

Among other things Warner Oland played in the movie "The Jazz Singer" (1927) in the role of the father of Al Jolson. This movie is called as the first sound film in the history of the film. 

His great breakthrough he had only in the charismatic role of Charlie Chan. He learned the Chinese speech and even visited China in order to become acquainted with this culture. The stories frequently took place at exotic places and Warner Oland went into film history with this Chinese detective. Altogehter he impersonated him in sixteen movies, among them "Charlie Chan Carries On" (31), "Charlie Chan's Greatest Case" (33), "Charlie Chan in London" (34), "Charlie Chan in Paris" (35), "Charlie Chan in Egypt" (35) and "Charlie Chan at the Opera" (37).

In this successful time Warner Oland played in other well-known pictures too like "Shanghai Express" (1932) with Marlene Dietrich or "The Painted 
Veil" (1934) with Greta Garbo. 

Privat Warner Oland was a very impressive personality. He was able to speak severes speeches, he was a scholar of philosophy, of classic music and of art. He translated the works of Strindberg and he got married with the artist Edith Shearn. 

Unfortunately problems with alcohol destroyed his marriage, finally his life.
One day in 1937 he left the filmworld and America during the shooting for "Charlie Chan at the Ringside" and never came back. He sailed to Sweden where he tried to find back to himself. One year later the likeable actor died because of a pneumonia.
 

Other movies with Warner Oland:
Sin (15) Unfaithful Wife (15) Destruction (15) The Reapers (16) The Eternal Sappho (16) The Eternal Question (16) Beatrice Fairfax (16) The Fatal Ring (17) The Cigarette Girl (17) Patria (17) Convict 993 (18) The Naulahka (18) The Yellow Ticket (18) The Lightning Raider (19) Mandarin's Gold (19) The Twin Pawns (19) The Witness for the Defense (19) The Third Eye (20) The Phantom Foe (20) The Yellow Arm (21) Hurricane Hutch (21) The Pride of Palomar (22) His Children's Children (23) The Fighting American (24) One Night in Rome (24) So This Is Marriage? (24) Curlytop (24) Riders of the Purple Sage (25) Don Q Son of Zorro (25) Flower of Night (25) The Winding Stair (25) Infatuation (25) The Mystery Club (26) The Marriage Clause (26) Twinkletoes (26) Tell It to the Marines (26) Man of the Forest (26) A Million Bid (27) What Happened to Father? (27) Sailor Izzy Murphy (27) Good Time Charley (27) Stand and Deliver (28) Wheel of Chance (28) Dream of Love (28) The Faker (29) Chinatown Nights (29) The Studio Murder Mystery (29) The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (29) The Mighty (29) Dangerous Paradise (30) The Vagabond King (30) Paramount on Parade (30) The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu (30) Drums of Jeopardy (31 Dishonoered (31) The Black Camel (31) Daughter of the Dragon (31) The Big Gamble (31) Charlie Chan's Chance (32) A Passport to Hell (32) The Son-Daughter (32) Before Dawn (33) Mandalay (34) Charlie Chan's Courage (34) Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back (34) As Husbands Go (34) Werewolf of London (35) Shanghai (35) Charlie Chan in Shanghai (35) Charlie Chan's Secret (36) Charlie Chan at the Circus (36) Charlie Chan at the Race Track (36) Charlie Chan at the Olympics (37) Charlie Chan on Broadway (37) Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo (37)


 
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