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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) |
