Karl Dane Biographer Interview
Allan Ellenberger interviews biographer Laura Petersen Balogh, whose book on silent-film comedian Karl Dane has just been published by McFarland.
Here’s a brief snippet:
Why Karl Dane? What is it about him and his story that moved you to write a biography?
I had always known who Karl Dane was, being a silent film buff my whole life, but he never really made that much of an impression on me. I had read different Hollywood scandal books which said his voice was not suited to the talkies, but pretty much thought that was the end of the story. It wasn’t until December 2005, when my husband Dan and I were watching the 1933 early sound serial The Whispering Shadow, co-starring Karl and Bela Lugosi, that I sat up and took notice–I was hearing his voice for the first time and was suddenly intrigued. It didn’t seem to me that his accent was that much of a barrier–it fit his physical persona and seemed easy enough to understand. I decided to find out more about him, but there were no biographies available. After awhile, I remained so curious and motivated that I decided to take on the project myself. I felt a sense of empathy for him, too, and wanted to find out what really happened.
***
Dane, a former machinist who starred in several MGM B-comedies opposite George K. Arthur in the late 1920s, killed himself in 1934. His best-remembered film appearance is a supporting role in King Vidor’s 1925 anti-war blockbuster The Big Parade, as one of John Gilbert’s fellow soldiers.
On Sunday, Oct. 18, at 5 p.m., Laura Petersen Balogh will be at Grauman’s Egyptian Theater in Hollywood to autograph books and talk about Dane’s life and career. That will be followed by a screening of The Big Parade, the biggest domestic box-office hit of the 1920s, with accompaniment by Robert Israel.
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Tags: Allan Ellenberger, Books, George K. Arthur, Karl Dane, Laura Petersen Balogh, Los Angeles Screenings, Silent Films, The Big Parade
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