Henry Kolker

Henry Kolker
Kolker, c. 1910
Born
Joseph Henry Kolker

(1874-12-13)December 13, 1874
Berlin, Germany
DiedJuly 15, 1947(1947-07-15) (aged 72)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor
Film director
Years active1914–1947
Spouse(s)Margaret Bruenn (1926–1947; her death)
Lillian Carroll (?–1926)(suicide 1935)[1]

Joseph Henry Kolker (November 13, 1874[2] – July 15, 1947) was an American stage and film actor and director.

Early years

Kolker was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1874.[3] (Some sources say 1870.) He came to America at age five and was educated by Franciscan Monks[4] at Quincy, Illinois.[5]

Career

Kolker had a substantial stage career before entering silent films.[6] He began acting professionally in stock theater in 1895.[5] On stage he appeared opposite actresses such as Edith Wynne Matthison, Bertha Kalich and Ruth Chatterton.

Kolker began acting in films in 1915.[5] He is best remembered for his movie roles, including one in the ground-breaking Pre-Code film Baby Face (1933) as an elderly CEO. Another well-remembered part is as Mr. Seton, father of Katharine Hepburn and Lew Ayres in the 1938 film Holiday directed by George Cukor.

Kolker also directed. His best-known effort is Disraeli (1921), starring George Arliss, which is now a mostly lost film with only one reel remaining,[7] and not to be confused with a later sound era portrayal by Arliss of the same name.

Personal life

Kolker was married to Lillian Carroll; they divorced in 1926. Soon after the divorce, he married Margaret Bruen.[8]

Kolker died on July 15, 1947, aged 72.

Selected filmography

As actor

  • The Bigger Man (1915) as John Stoddard
  • The Warning (1915) as Robert Denman
  • How Molly Made Good (1915, cameo as himself)
  • Gloria's Romance (1916) as Dr. Stephen Royce
  • The Shell Game (1918) as Lawrence Gray
  • Social Hypocrites (1918) as Dr. Frank Simpson
  • The House of Mirth (1918) as Lawrence Selden
  • The Great Victory (1918) as Kaiser Wilhelm II
  • The Parisian Tigress (1919) as Henri Dutray
  • Blackie's Redemption (1919) as Fred the Count
  • The Red Lantern (1919)
  • Tangled Threads (1919) as Dr. MacGregor
  • The Brat (1919) as A Dandy
  • Her Purchase Price (1919) as Duke of Wryden
  • A Man of Stone (1921)
  • Any Woman (1925) as Egbert Phillips
  • Sally, Irene and Mary (1925) as Marcus Morton
  • The Palace of Pleasure (1926) as Premier
  • Hell's Four Hundred (1926) as John Gilmore
  • Winning the Futurity (1926) (scenes deleted)
  • Wet Paint (1926) as A Husband
  • A Kiss in a Taxi (1927) as Leon Lambert
  • Annie Laurie (1927) as King's Representative
  • Rough House Rosie (1927) as W.S. Davids
  • Soft Living (1928) as Roidney S. Bowen
  • Midnight Rose (1928) as Corbin
  • The Charge of the Gauchos (1928) as Viceroy Cisneros
  • Don't Marry (1928) as Gen. Willoughby
  • Coquette (1929) as Jasper Carter
  • The Valiant (1929) as Judge
  • Pleasure Crazed (1929) as Col. Farquar
  • Love, Live and Laugh (1929) as Enrico
  • The Bad One (1930) as Prosecutor
  • East Is West (1930) as Butler
  • Abraham Lincoln (1930) as New Englander
  • The Way of All Men (1930) as Sharp
  • Du Barry, Woman of Passion (1930) as D'Aiguillon
  • East Is West (1930) as Mr. Benson
  • One Heavenly Night (1931) as Prefect of Police
  • Don't Bet on Women (1931) as Butterfield
  • Doctors' Wives (1931) as Hospital Official
  • Quick Millions (1931) as District Attorney
  • Indiscreet (1931) as Mr. Woodward
  • The Spy (1931) as Tchijinski
  • I Like Your Nerve (1931) as Areal Pacheco
  • The Unholy Garden (1931) as Col. Lautrac
  • The Yellow Ticket (1931) as Passport Clerk
  • The Washington Masquerade (1932) as Stapleton
  • Jewel Robbery (1932) as Baron Franz
  • The First Year (1932) as Peter Barstow
  • Devil and the Deep (1932) as Hutton
  • Down to Earth (1932) as Randolph
  • The Crash (1932) as John Fair
  • Faithless (1932) as Mr. Carter
  • Rasputin and the Empress (1932) as Chief of Secret Police
  • The Keyhole (1933) as Schuyler Brooks
  • Gabriel Over the White House (1933) as Sen. Langham – Senate Majority Leader
  • Hello, Sister! (1933) as Jameson Brewster, Bank President
  • A Bedtime Story (1933) as Agent de Police
  • Hell Below (1933) as Adm. Sir Hugh Higby
  • The Narrow Corner (1933) as Mr. Blake, Fred's Father
  • Baby Face (1933) as Carter
  • Notorious But Nice (1933) as Defense Attorney Clark
  • The Power and the Glory (1933) as Mr. Borden
  • Bureau of Missing Persons (1933) as Theodore Arno
  • Golden Harvest (1933) as Henry Flint
  • I Loved a Woman (1933) as Mr. Sanborn
  • Love, Honor, and Oh Baby! (1933) as The Judge
  • Gigolettes of Paris (1933) as Police Interrogator
  • Meet the Baron (1933) as Baron Munchausen
  • Blood Money (1933) as Newspaper Managing Editor
  • Massacre (1934) as Sen. Woolsey
  • Bedside (1934) as Maritza's Manager
  • I've Got Your Number (1934) as Robert Kirkland
  • The Cat and the Fiddle (1934) as Theatre Manager
  • Wonder Bar (1934) as Mr. R.H. Renaud
  • Journal of a Crime (1934) as Henri Marcher
  • Success at Any Price (1934) as Hatfield
  • Sisters Under the Skin (1934) as Jones
  • Let's Talk It Over (1934) as Doctor
  • Black Moon (1934) as The Psychiatrist
  • The Hell Cat (1934) as C.W. Sloane
  • Let's Try Again (1934) as Mr. Blake
  • Stamboul Quest (1934) as 'Excellency' German War Office
  • Whom the Gods Destroy (1934) as Carlo, the Puppeteer
  • Blind Date (1934) as J.W. Hartwell, Sr.
  • Name the Woman (1934) as Judge Adams
  • The Girl From Missouri (1934) as Sen. Titcombe
  • She Loves Me Not (1934) as Charles M. Lawton
  • Now and Forever (1934) as Mr. Clark
  • Million Dollar Ransom (1934) Dr. Davis
  • One Exciting Adventure (1934) as Customer
  • A Lost Lady (1934) as John Ormsby
  • Lady by Choice (1934) as Opper
  • Imitation of Life (1934) as Dr. Preston
  • Love Time (1934) as Emperor Francis I
  • Kid Millions (1934) as Attorney
  • The Ghost Walks (1934) as Dr. Kent
  • Sing Sing Nights (1934) as Kurt Nordon
  • The Band Plays On (1934) as Professor Hackett
  • Charlie Chan in Paris (1935) as M. Lamartine
  • Society Doctor (1935) as Dr. Harvey
  • Red Hot Tires (1935) as Martin Sanford
  • The Mystery Man (1935) as Ellwyn A. 'Jo-Jo' Jonas
  • One New York Night (1935) as Arthur Carlisle
  • Times Square Lady (1935) as Mr. Fielding
  • A Dog of Flanders (1935) as Monsieur LaTour, Art Critic
  • The Florentine Dagger (1935) as Auctioneer
  • The Case of the Curious Bride (1935) as District Attorney Stacey
  • Reckless (1935) as Mr. Gearhart
  • Go Into Your Dance (1935) as Doctor
  • Spring Tonic (1935) as Mr. Enix
  • Honeymoon Limited (1935) as Mr. Randall
  • Mad Love (1935) as Prefect Rosset
  • The Black Room (1935) as Baron Frederick de Berghman
  • Here Comes the Band (1935) as Simmon's Attorney
  • Diamond Jim (1935) as J.C. Randolf, Bank President
  • Ladies Love Danger (1935) as Jose Lopez
  • Red Salute (1935) as Dean
  • I Live My Life (1935) as Relative at Mrs. Gage's
  • Shipmates Forever (1935) as The Doctor
  • The Last Days of Pompeii (1935) as Warder
  • Three Kids and a Queen (1935) as Crippets
  • Frisco Waterfront (1935) as District Attorney
  • The Great Impersonation (1935) as Dr. Schmidt
  • Collegiate (1936) as Mr. MacGregor
  • My Marriage (1936) as Maj. Vaile
  • Bullets or Ballots (1936) as Mr. Hollister
  • Romeo and Juliet (1936) as Friar Laurence
  • Sitting on the Moon (1936) as Worthington
  • In His Steps (1936) as Calvin Carver
  • The Man Who Lived Twice (1936) as Judge Henry Treacher
  • Theodora Goes Wild (1936) as Jonathan Grant
  • Great Guy (1936) as Abel Canning
  • Under Cover of Night (1937) as District Attorney Pritchard
  • Once a Doctor (1937) as Dr. Bruce Nordland
  • They Wanted to Marry (1937) as Mr. Hunter
  • Green Light (1937) as Dr. Lane
  • Maid of Salem (1937) as Crown Chief Justice Laughton
  • Let Them Live (1937) as Judge Lederer
  • The Devil Is Driving (1937) as Charles Stevens
  • Conquest (1937) as Sen. Wybitcki
  • Thoroughbreds Don't Cry (1937) as 'Doc' Godfrey
  • The Invisible Menace (1938) as Col. Hackett
  • Love Is a Headache (1938) as Mr. Sam Ellinger
  • The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938) as Nicolo Polo
  • Holiday (1938) as Edward Seton
  • Safety in Numbers (1938) as Dr. Lawrence Edmonds
  • Marie Antoinette (1938) as Court Aide
  • Too Hot to Handle (1938) as "Pearly" Todd
  • The Cowboy and the Lady (1938) as Horace Smith
  • Let Us Live (1939) as Chief of Police
  • Union Pacific (1939) as Asa M. Barrows
  • Should Husbands Work? (1939) as Taylor
  • These Glamour Girls (1939) as Philip S. Griswold II
  • Hidden Power (1939) as Weston
  • The Real Glory (1939) as The General
  • Parents on Trial (1939) as James Wesley
  • Here I Am a Stranger (1939) as R.J. Bennett
  • Main Street Lawyer (1939) as Donnelly, District Attorney
  • Grand Ole Opry (1940) as William C. Scully
  • Money and the Woman (1940) as Mr. Rollins, Barbara's Father
  • Las Vegas Nights (1941) as John Stevens
  • The Man Who Lost Himself (1941) as Mulhausen
  • The Great Swindle (1941) as Stewart Cordell
  • A Woman's Face (1941) as Judge
  • The Parson of Panamint (1941) as Judge Arnold Mason
  • Sing for Your Supper (1941) as Myron T. Hayworth
  • Reunion in France (1942) as General Bartholomew
  • Sarong Girl (1943) as Mr. Jefferson Baxter
  • Bluebeard (1944) as Deschamps
  • The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947) as Dr. Benbow

As director

Kolker directed 18 feature films, most of them lost.

  • Santo Icario (1914)
  • A Man's Country (1919)
  • The Woman Michael Married (1919)
  • The Third Generation (1920)
  • Bright Skies (1920)
  • Heart of Twenty (1920)
  • The Palace of Darkened Windows (1920)
  • The Greatest Love (1920)
  • Bucking the Tiger (1921)
  • Who Am I? (1921)
  • The Fighter (1921)
  • Disraeli (1921)
  • The Leopardess (1923)
  • Sant'Ilario (1923)
  • The Snow Bride (1923)
  • The Purple Highway (1923)
  • I Will Repay (1923)
  • The Great Well (1924)

As writer

  • The Man with the Iron Heart (1915, short)
  • The Third Generation (1920)

References

  1. ^ "Ex-Wife of Film Actor is Found Dead on Beach (January 16, 1935)". December 6, 2023.
  2. ^ Who's Who in Music and Drama: An Encyclopedia of Biography of Notable Men and Women in Music and the Drama, c. 1913, p. 186; edited by Harry Prescott Hanaford, Dixie Lines
  3. ^ Who's Who in Music and Drama p.186 c. 1914 by Dixie Hines and Harry Prescott Hanaford
  4. ^ ...see Who's Who in Music and Drama by Hines and Hanaford
  5. ^ a b c "Henry Kolker, star of stage and screen". The New York Times. Associated Press. July 18, 1947. p. 17. ProQuest 107883991. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  6. ^ "Henry Kolker – Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos – AllMovie".
  7. ^ "Silent Era : Progressive Silent Film List".
  8. ^ "A Forgotten Flirtation – And Now the Veteran Actor Must Pay $40,000 Alimony". The Salt Lake Tribune. Utah, Salt Lake City. King Features Syndicate, Inc. October 20, 1935. p. 7. Retrieved December 11, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
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