1. At the peak of his career, Dane earned $1,500 a week.
41 Facts About Karl Dane
1. 2.
Karl Dane attempted to pursue work in other fields but found no success.
3.
Karl Dane had two brothers: Reinald Marius and Viggo Eiler.
4.
In 1903, Karl Dane's parents divorced, leaving him in the custody of his mother.
5.
Karl Dane's father was a glove maker by trade but enjoyed the theatre.
6.
Karl Dane's father worked as a curtain puller at the local theatre, to which his two sons accompanied him.
7.
Karl Dane was promoted to lance corporal in June 1908.
8.
On 25 January 1916, Karl Dane headed for the United States alone.
9.
Karl Dane boarded the SS Oscar II with $25 in his pocket and speaking no English.
10.
Karl Dane passed immigrant inspection and moved to 345 Court Street in Brooklyn with a friend named Charles Lindgren.
11.
In late 1917, Karl Dane made his film debut in a bit part in a Vitagraph Studios short filmed in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
12.
In 1920, Karl Dane portrayed "The Wolf" in another 15-chapter serial The Whirlwind.
13.
In early 1921, Karl Dane met a Swedish immigrant named Helen Benson.
14.
Karl Dane then quit acting and moved with Benson to Van Nuys, California, where they opened a chicken farm.
15.
In December 1923, Karl Dane ran into his old friend Charles Hutchison who convinced him to appear in a serial he was then producing.
16.
Karl Dane was selected to play the part of Slim, alongside John Gilbert and Renee Adoree.
17.
Karl Dane began to appear in comic relief roles in several films including The Scarlet Letter, La Boheme, and Alias Jimmy Valentine with William Haines and Leila Hyams.
18.
Karl Dane developed a serious case of bronchial pneumonia but eventually recovered and went back to work.
19.
At the peak of his success and popularity, Karl Dane earned $1500 a week.
20.
In 1930, Karl Dane had a supporting role in Montana Moon, a musical Western starring Joan Crawford and Johnny Mack Brown.
21.
Karl Dane followed with another supporting role in the prison drama The Big House, starring Robert Montgomery, Wallace Beery and Chester Morris.
22.
Later that year MGM terminated Karl Dane's contract, citing his Danish accent.
23.
Karl Dane's act was panned by critics and apparently short-lived.
24.
Karl Dane's final film appearance was a bit role as a dispatcher in the 1933 thriller The Whispering Shadow, starring Bela Lugosi.
25.
Karl Dane's only living children were born during this union; son Ejlert Carl, in 1911 and daughter Ingeborg Helene in 1912.
26.
When Karl Dane immigrated to the US, in 1916, he intended to send for his family later.
27.
However, by the time his career became successful, Karl Dane had begun to lose touch with his family.
28.
Unable to cope with the loss of his wife and daughter, Karl Dane rushed into a marriage with telephone operator supervisor Emma Awilda Peabody Sawyer, seven years his senior.
29.
In June 1928, Karl Dane reportedly fell in love with a Russian dancer, Thais Valdemar.
30.
Karl Dane spent three months driving up and down the West Coast trying to find a good mining deal.
31.
In September 1933, Karl Dane lost $1,100 on a mining deal that failed to gain traction and advance.
32.
Deeply depressed by this lack of success, Karl Dane subsequently worked as a mechanic and as a carpenter, but he was unable to stay employed for an extended period.
33.
In 1933, Karl Dane began working as a waiter in a "tiny cafe" in Westwood, Los Angeles.
34.
Karl Dane eventually bought a stake in the cafe after the owner thought that having a former film star as a co-owner would drum up business.
35.
Karl Dane then tried to seek work as carpenter or as an extra at MGM and Paramount Pictures.
36.
Karl Dane was reportedly turned down for extra work because his body type and look were too distracting.
37.
On 13 April 1934, Karl Dane was pickpocketed of all the money he had: $18.
38.
Karl Dane went to his apartment and with the assistance of the landlady, they were able to open the door.
39.
When she was revived, Leake found Karl Dane's suicide note on a nearby table, next to a scrapbook filled with memorabilia, including photos, reviews and contracts, from his acting career.
40.
At the time of his death, Karl Dane's estate was valued at $197.
41.
Karl Dane received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to film, which is located at 6140 Hollywood Blvd.