Tweet Karl Dane biography out now!

http://www.tcm.com/movienews/index/?cid=270985
http://karl-dane.com
http://www.amazon.com/Karl-Dane-Laura-Petersen-Balogh/dp/0786442077/

Laura Petersen Balogh's biography on comedian Karl Dane is out now. Laura spent quite a few years researching it and I hear its quite thorough. I'll be getting my copy October 18th at the signing at The Egyptian (with a screening of "The Big Parade" YAY!)

Karl is one of those stars you would know if you thought about it. He has minor yet key roles in several Gish/Gilbert/Vidor films as well as many many popular films from the late 20s (Ramadan in Son of the Sheik will always be my favorite, he steals the show!) And quite obviously one of his biggest roles was as Slim in The Big Parade.

He formed a comedic duo with George K. Arthur (Dane & Arthur) and he did transition talkies, though popular belief holds he didnt. A lot of factors were at work against him and after losing much of his fortune to a bad business partner (and unable to take even mundane jobs such as a waiter...the owner fired him when a former movie star didnt draw in customers) he killed himself in 1934. No its not as simple as Kenneth Anger said. But it is just as sad.[/url]

I forgot about his early death--that's one of the really sad fallout stories. Olive Borden's is pretty bad too.

Karl seems to really have an appeal with ladies; maybe because he makes them laugh? If I remember right an ex-girlfriend of mine had a crush on him. Regardless, I'm glad to see that he's gotten a good bio.

I forgot about his early death--that's one of the really sad fallout stories. Olive Borden's is pretty bad too.

In Britain we had Lillian Hall-Davis...... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillian_Hall-Davis

Meh everyone had been killing themselves in the most interesting and depressing ways since Olive Thomas.

Karl's story to me is so very sad because he just kept getting screwed over by one person after another...and not even necessarily movie folk. Literally something like 4-5 real world job attempts fell through on him because people either swindled him or resented he had been in film. The day before he died someone pickpocketed him of all the money had: $18. That was probably the final straw.

I wouldnt call him traditionally handsome, but he was very talented and funny. He kind of reminds me lookwise of an Uncle of mine. But I dare anyone not to watch Son of the Sheik and not love him...I mean if anyone can divert my eyes from Valentino I consider that a job well done!

I wouldnt call him traditionally handsome, but he was very talented and funny. He kind of reminds me lookwise of an Uncle of mine. But I dare anyone not to watch Son of the Sheik and not love him...I mean if anyone can divert my eyes from Valentino I consider that a job well done!

I'll say! Distracting ladies' attention away from Rudy is definitely an accomplishment! But I still think it's because girls like guys that can make them laugh.

I wouldnt call him traditionally handsome, but he was very talented and funny. He kind of reminds me lookwise of an Uncle of mine. But I dare anyone not to watch Son of the Sheik and not love him...I mean if anyone can divert my eyes from Valentino I consider that a job well done!

I'll say! Distracting ladies' attention away from Rudy is definitely an accomplishment! But I still think it's because girls like guys that can make them laugh.

I think you generalize 'girls' too much. I hate when men think they know all about what all women like. Some women love jerks (why would anyone marry Wallace Beery for example?) I find it more a religious experience with my lord and savior Charlie Chaplin, praise be his name!

However beyond Charlie I cant say many of those comedians were good looking...there's something about Buster Keaton I find too impolite to say on this board, and Harold Lloyd was okay looking but nah. I'll stick with Rudy

I should add contrary to my decision my copy of the Karl book just arrived! I'm excited it looks great and I'll probably try and read it in one night as is my custom once I'm done with Frederica Sangor Maas. Unlike McFarland's usual fair its pretty good quality for the price, not as chintzy as that Olive Thomas book. I'll add a review when I'm done with it!

Look forward to hearing your thoughts on the book, Hala! You know I love your book reviews; they are very no-nonsense and get to the bottom of whether the book is credible or trash.

Without going off topic too far--jerks and creeps have no trouble getting girls. I've fooled around with the "women like jerks" thing by playing the "I don't care" jerk myself, and have found that to be way too true for its own good. Of course, the girls who fall for the jerk like Pavlov's dog (which is often the rule not the exception) lose all credibility with me; if you really want to get slapped around that bad, you can look elsewhere, thank you very much. I like nice girls that respect themselves.

And I know a lot of gals LOVE Harold Lloyd--Annette, his biographer, can probably tell you a lot more about that than I can.

Look forward to hearing your thoughts on the book, Hala! You know I love your book reviews; they are very no-nonsense and get to the bottom of whether the book is credible or trash.

Without going off topic too far--jerks and creeps have no trouble getting girls. I've fooled around with the "women like jerks" thing by playing the "I don't care" jerk myself, and have found that to be way too true for its own good. Of course, the girls who fall for the jerk like Pavlov's dog (which is often the rule not the exception) lose all credibility with me; if you really want to get slapped around that bad, you can look elsewhere, thank you very much. I like nice girls that respect themselves.

And I know a lot of gals LOVE Harold Lloyd--Annette, his biographer, can probably tell you a lot more about that than I can.

Waaay too off topic. As for Karl yes I think it will be quite good. Laura spent a few years researching it so at the very least I can say she tried very hard. But given the little snippets I've already looked at I'm sure it will be quite good!

I still hate how McFarland charges an arm and a leg for a book though. This book looks about $25 worth to me, but no they tack on another $20 which the author sees so little of. In my opinion it stymies silent film fans and authors...but whatever.

You would know, Hala. It's pretty sad what you went through with that.

my copy of the Karl book just arrived!

misspickford9,

Does the book tell anything about Dane's participation in The Mysterious Island from the late 1920s? Filming started and stopped many times on that movie and the plot was reshuffled constantly but at one point Karl was supposed to have been one of the balloonists that land on the Island (of course, there ultimately were no balloonists in the released print). I've come across several articles that lead me to believe that he was filmed as part of an earlier cast whose footage was jettisoned.

Thanks,

Steve

my copy of the Karl book just arrived!

misspickford9,

Does the book tell anything about Dane's participation in The Mysterious Island from the late 1920s? Filming started and stopped many times on that movie and the plot was reshuffled constantly but at one point Karl was supposed to have been one of the balloonists that land on the Island (of course, there ultimately were no balloonists in the released print). I've come across several articles that lead me to believe that he was filmed as part of an earlier cast whose footage was jettisoned.

Thanks,

Steve

Still cracking it open but I checked the index and yes The Mysterious Island is mentioned quite extensively it seems.

CONTENT REMOVED COPYRIGHT CONCERN

First time I've seen this thread and did not know there was a bio on Karl Dane. Hala, how did you like it?

Thanks,
Maureen

The bio is extremely well done! Laura's a wonderful writer.

[silentfilm]

Yes, it is a very good biography. You know that it will end with Karl Dane's suicide, but Laura really gets you interested in his life.