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Louis Calhern

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
74

Gender
Male

Birthday
February 18, 1895 (131 years old)

Place of Birth
Brooklyn [now in New York City], New York, USA

Louis Calhern

Biography

Carl Henry Vogt (February 19, 1895 – May 12, 1956), known professionally as Louis Calhern, was an American stage and screen actor. For portraying Oliver Wendell Holmes in the film The Magnificent Yankee (1950), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Calhern began working in silent films for director Lois Weber in the early 1920s; the most notable being The Blot in 1921. A 1921 newspaper article commented, "The new arrival in stardom is Louis Calhern, who, until Miss Weber engaged him to enact the leading male role in What's Worth While?, had been playing leads in the Morosco Stock company of Los Angeles."

In 1923 Calhern left the movies, but would return to the screen eight years later after the advent of sound pictures. He was primarily cast as a character actor in films while he continued to play leading roles on the stage. He reached his peak in the 1950s as a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player. Among his many memorable screen roles were Ambassador Trentino in the Marx Brothers classic Duck Soup (1933) and three that he appeared in at MGM in 1950: a singing role as Buffalo Bill in the film version of the musical Annie Get Your Gun, the double-crossing lawyer and sugar-daddy to Marilyn Monroe in John Huston's film noir The Asphalt Jungle, and his Oscar-nominated performance as Oliver Wendell Holmes in The Magnificent Yankee (re-creating his role from the Broadway stage). He was also praised for his portrayal of the title role in the John Houseman production of Julius Caesar (adapted from the Shakespeare play) in 1953, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Calhern also played the role of the devious George Caswell, the manipulative board member of Tredway Corporation in the 1954 production of Executive Suite.

Calhern's other film roles included the grandfather in The Red Pony (1949), adapted from the novel by John Steinbeck and starring Robert Mitchum, and the spy boss of Cary Grant in the Alfred Hitchcock suspense classic Notorious (1946). A performance as Uncle Willie in High Society (1956), a musical remake of The Philadelphia Story, turned out to be his final film.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Louis Calhern, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Acting

2022Becoming Marilynas (archive footage)
1976That's Entertainment, Part IIas (archive footage)
1956High Societyas Uncle Willie
1956Forever, Darlingas Charles Y. Bewell
1955The Prodigalas Nahreeb
1955Blackboard Jungleas Jim Murdock
1954Athenaas Grandpa Mulvain
1954Betrayedas Gen. Ten Eyck
1954The Student Princeas King of Karlsberg
1954Men of the Fighting Ladyas James A. Michener
1954Executive Suiteas George Nyle Caswell
1954Rhapsodyas Nicholas Durant
1953Main Street to Broadwayas Self
1953Latin Loversas Grandfather Eduardo Santos
1953Julius Caesaras Julius Caesar
1953Remains to Be Seenas Benjamin Goodman
1953Confidentially Connieas Opie Bedloe
1952The Bad and the Beautifulas Georgia Lorrison's Father (voice) (uncredited)
1952The Prisoner of Zendaas Col. Zapt
1952We're Not Married!as Freddie Melrose
1952Washington Storyas Charles W. Birch
1952Invitationas Simon Bowker
1951The Man with a Cloakas Charles Theverner
1951It's a Big Countryas Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1950The Magnificent Yankeeas Oliver Wendell Holmes
1950Two Weeks with Loveas Horatio Robinson
1950A Life of Her Ownas Jim Leversoe
1950Devil's Doorwayas Verne Coolan
1950Annie Get Your Gunas Col. Buffalo Bill Cody
1950The Asphalt Jungleas Alonzo D. Emmerich
1950Nancy Goes to Rioas Gregory Elliott
1949The Red Danubeas Colonel Piniev
1949The Red Ponyas Grandfather
1948The Ed Sullivan Showas Self
1948Arch of Triumphas Boris Morosov
1946Notoriousas Paul Prescott
1944Up in Armsas Colonel Ashley
1944The Bridge of San Luis Reyas Don Andre - The Viceroy
1943Nobody's Darlingas Curtis Farnsworth
1943Heaven Can Waitas Randolph Van Cleve
1940Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bulletas Dr. Brockdorf
1940I Take This Womanas Dr. Martin Sumner Duveen
1939Charlie McCarthy, Detectiveas Arthur Aldrich
1939Fifth Avenue Girlas Dr. Kessler
1939Juarezas LeMarc
1938Fast Companyas Elias Z. Bannerman
1937The Life of Emile Zolaas Major Dort
1937Her Husband Liesas Joe Sorrell
1936The Gorgeous Hussyas Leroy Sunderland
1935The Last Days of Pompeiias Prefect Allus Martius
1935Woman Wantedas Smiley
1935The Arizonianas Sheriff Jake Mannen
1934Sweet Adelineas Major Jim Day
1934The Count of Monte Cristoas De Villefort Jr.
1934The Affairs of Cellinias Ottaviano
1934The Man with Two Facesas Stanley Vance
1933Duck Soupas Ambassador Trentino
1933Diplomaniacsas Winkelreid
1933The World Gone Madas Christopher Bruno
1933Strictly Personalas Jack Magruder
1933The Woman Accusedas Leo Young
1933Frisco Jennyas Steve Dutton
193220,000 Years in Sing Singas Joe Finn
1932Afraid to Talkas Asst. District Attorney John Wade
1932They Call It Sinas Ford Humphries
1932Night After Nightas Dick Bolton
1932Okay, America!as Mileaway Russell
1931Blonde Crazyas 'Dapper Dan' Barker
1931The Road to Singaporeas Dr. George March
1931Stolen Heavenas Steve Perry
1923The Last Momentas Harry Gaines
1921The Blotas Phil West
1921Too Wise Wivesas David Graham
1921What's Worth While?as 'Squire' Elton

Production