Movies
TV Shows
People

Lou Tellegen

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
38

Gender
Male

Birthday
November 26, 1881 (144 years old)

Place of Birth
Sint-Oedenrode, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands

Lou Tellegen

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lou Tellegen (born Isidor Louis Bernard Edmon van Dommelen, November 26, 1881 – October 29, 1934) was a Dutch-born silent film and stage actor, film director and screenwriter.

Tellegen made his stage debut in Amsterdam in 1903, and over the next few years built a reputation to the point where he was invited to perform in Paris, eventually co-starring in several roles with Sarah Bernhardt, with whom he was involved romantically. In 1910, he made his motion picture debut alongside Bernhardt in La dame aux camélias, a silent film made in France.

In the summer of 1913, Tellegen went to London where he produced and starred in Oscar Wilde's play The Picture of Dorian Gray. Invited back to the United States, Tellegen worked in theatre and made his first American film in 1915, titled The Explorer, followed by The Unknown. Considered one of the best-looking actors on screen, he followed up with three straight films starring with Geraldine Farrar (his wife 1916-1923).

Tellegen married a total of four times. He became an American citizen in 1918.

Tellegen appeared in numerous films before his face was damaged in a fire on Christmas Day 1929, when he fell asleep while smoking. He had extensive plastic surgery in 1931.

Fame fading, employment not forthcoming, and ridden with debt, he filed for bankruptcy. He was diagnosed with cancer, though this information was kept from him, and he became despondent. In 1931, he wrote his autobiography Women Have Been Kind.

On October 29, 1934, while a guest in the Cudahy Mansion at 1844 North Vine Street in Hollywood (now the site of the Vine-Franklin underpass of the Hollywood Freeway), Tellegen locked himself in the bathroom, then shaved and powdered his face. Then, while standing in front of a full-length mirror, he committed suicide by stabbing himself with a pair of sewing scissors seven times. Tellegen was cremated and his remains scattered at sea.

Known For

Acting

1989Death Scenesas Self (archive footage)
1935Together We Liveas Bischofsky
1931Enemies of the Lawas Eddie Swan
1930The Sculptor's Dreamas
1927Married Aliveas James Duxbury
1927The Princess from Hobokenas Prince Anton Balakrieff
1927Stage Madnessas Pierre Doumier
1926Womanpoweras The Broker
19263 Bad Menas Sheriff Layne Hunter
1926The Silver Treasureas Sotillo - the Bandit
1926Siberiaas Egor Kaplan
1926The Outsideras Anton Ragatzy
1925East Lynneas Sir Francis Levison
1925Borrowed Fineryas Harlan
1925Parisian Nightsas Jean
1925With This Ringas Rufus Van Buren
1925Parisian Loveas Pierre Marcel
1925The Sporting Chanceas Darrell Thornton
1925After Business Hoursas John King
1925The Verdictas Victor Ronsard
1925Fair Playas Bruce Elliot
1925The Redeeming Sinas Lupin
1924Greater Than Marriageas John Masters
1924Those Who Judgeas John Dawson
1924The Breath of Scandalas Charles Hale
1924Single Wivesas Martin Prayle
1924Between Friendsas David Drene
1924Let Not Man Put Asunderas
1920The Woman and the Puppetas Don Mateo
1919Flame of the Desertas Sheik Essad
1919The World and Its Womanas Prince Michael Orbeliana
1917The Long Trailas Andre Dubois
1917The Black Wolfas The Black Wolf
1916The Victoria Crossas Maj Ralph Seton
1915The Unknownas Richard Farquhar
1913Adrienne Lecouvreuras
1912Queen Elizabethas Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex
1912Camilleas Armand Duval

Production

1930The Sculptor's Dream...Director
1930The Sculptor's Dream...Writer
1928No Other Woman...Director
1920Blind Youth...Theatre Play
1918The Thing We Love...Director
1917What Money Can't Buy...Director