Karl Dane: A Biography and Filmography [Paperback]

Laura Petersen Balogh (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786442077 | ISBN-13: 978-0786442072 | Publication Date: August 26, 2009

Karl Dane's life was a Cinderella story gone horribly wrong. The immigrant from Copenhagen was rapidly transformed from a machinist to a Hollywood star after his turn as the tobacco-chewing Slim in The Big Parade in 1925. After that, Dane appeared in more than 40 films with such luminaries as Lillian Gish, John Gilbert and William Haines until development of talkies virtually ruined his career. The most famous casualty of the transition from silent to sound film, Dane reportedly lost his career because of his accent. He was broke and alone at the height of the Depression and committed suicide in 1934.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Laura Petersen Balogh is a teacher and writer in Madison, New Jersey. Her research on Karl Dane has been published in various magazines across the United States and Denmark.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: McFarland (August 26, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786442077
• ISBN-13: 978-0786442072
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,103,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!, August 29, 2009

By 

Old Movie Lover (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Karl Dane: A Biography and Filmography (Paperback)

As with most people who've died under tragic circumstances, their death seems to somehow overshadow their life. I was guilty of knowing about Karl Dane's end, but the beginning and everything in between was a mystery to me - until now! All I knew about Karl Dane was the widely known story of "he was tossed out of pictures, he ended up selling hot dogs outside the studio gates and he got so depressed he shot himself."

Well, there's SO much more to know and Laura Petersen Balogh covers it all within her book. She gives a thorough, honest and confronting portrayal of Karl Dane - the man - the actor - NOT - the myth!

If you want to know the WHOLE story of Karl Dane's fascinating life and career don't hesitate to buy this book. I really enjoyed it!!! It's well researched and well written, which makes for a very easy read. Fantastic!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fair-minded Account of a Lost Soul, October 1, 2009

By 

Lon Davis "Author" (Eugene, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Karl Dane: A Biography and Filmography (Paperback)

I heartily recommend "Karl Dane: A Biography and Filmography" by Laura Petersen Balogh. Ms. Balogh has done a superb job of documenting this talented but deeply troubled figure from the silent and early-talkie eras. The book, representing several years of exhaustive research, pulls no punches in telling Dane's tragic tale. This was a complex man, far removed from the jovial bumpkin he so memorably portrayed in the classic anti-war feature, "The Big Parade" (1925). He was, in fact, a man of many faults, some of which led to his eventual downfall. The author, however, employs a balanced, compassionate approach in bringing these negative qualities to light. She also provides a searing look at the harsh realities of the motion picture industry in its so-called "Golden Age." In the end, the reader is left with a deep feeling of sympathy for Karl Dane.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely well researched, incisively written, never boring, November 12, 2009

By 

R. Pyle "R Michael Pyle" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Karl Dane: A Biography and Filmography (Paperback)

I've read a number of 'Hollywood biographies' in the recent months, and many of them are very well researched, but the writing has a lack of incisiveness so that the reader is forced to wade through unnecessary waters. Laura Peterson Balogh's biography of Karl Dane is extremely well researched, too, but she has the gift of being able to put the research to work for the reader as well and write with focus, clarity, incisiveness, and still hold interest.

Karl Dane is necessarily interesting as a person. His life is the definition of pathos. He had nothing, then he had it all, and then he had nothing again, and it could be said (from what's written) that he had nothing really when he had it all. He couldn't cope, he made friends sparingly, and, frankly, people didn't understand him, and in the end he committed suicide.

Understanding Hollywood in the 20s and 30s is fascinating to learn, and Balogh does a fine job with few words relating the ruthlessness, the business, the toughness, and the endless attempts at success all had to go through to 'make it' in those days. Dane was caught up in all this in his attempt to succeed in Hollywood, and though he made it for a while, he didn't have the savvy to keep forging ahead after his setbacks. Rather, they defeated him utterly. Balogh takes us through Dane's life, not with pretended psychology and guesses, but with what facts are known about each incident that seemed to have led to his ongoing stuggles. In the end we feel melancholy, sensing the end is near and knowing it won't be pretty.

Still, the sheer dogged research and the good writing make this book the kind that you can't put down. It's not a long tome, but it thoroughly gets the job done. Very highly recommended!