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1-11 of 11
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Fair-haired, youthfully handsome Swedish-American actor Eric Linden, who enjoyed pre-Code, Depression-era Hollywood stardom in boyish leads, was discovered for films by director Wesley Ruggles when Ruggles cast the New York-based actor in a lead role in the film Are These Our Children (1931).
Born in New York City, his Swedish father, Philip Linden, was an actor with Stockholm's Royal Theatre who migrated to America, then later abandoned his wife and five children when Eric was still young. His mother made ends meet by working at a church parish. He attended the Paul Hoffman Jr. School where he made appearances in the school's plays. A one-time usher at the Riverside, Riviera and Roxy Theatres in New York, he took English and literature classes at Columbia University at one point.
Eric was invited into the Theatre Guild membership and appeared in such productions as "Marco's Millions" and "Strange Interlude". He also began appearing on Broadway and performed in repertory around the East coast. Earning a RKO Hollywood contract at the onset of talking films, he made an auspicious debut as the self-important, trouble-making Eddie Brand in Are These Our Children (1931). From there he appeared opposite Hollywood's finest leading ladies in quality fare: Helen Twelvetrees in Young Bride (1932), Joan Blondell in Big City Blues (1932), and Loretta Young in Life Begins (1932), to name a few.
Initially promoted by RKO as "The Boy Sensation of the Theatre Guild," he later was pegged as Hollywood's tragic boy actor on the screen. Other fine roles came with The Crowd Roars (1932) as James Cagney's hero-worshiping brother, a collegiate lead in The Age of Consent (1932), the callow son of Lionel Barrymore in Sweepings (1933), the young male lead in The Past of Mary Holmes (1933), the dominated son of Laura Hope Crews in The Silver Cord (1933) and then performed one of his last good film roles in Ah Wilderness! (1935) opposite Barrymore again, Wallace Beery and Mickey Rooney. One of his biggest disappointments at the time was losing the part of Laurie in the classic Alcott tearjerker Little Women (1933).
Good parts declined into the late 1930s and, following diminishing work in such films as Robin Hood of El Dorado (1936), The Good Old Soak (1937), Here's Flash Casey (1938) (title role), Everything's on Ice (1939) and, his last, Criminals Within (1941), Eric left films for good. During this time, he also had a very small role as a Civil War amputee in Gone with the Wind (1939).
Linden fared better under the theatre lights in later years with prime roles as Joe Bonaparte in "Golden Boy" and in "Another Language," "The Philadelphia Story" (with Diana Barrymore), "Mr. and Mrs. North" and "My Sister Eileen". Following a stint with the Armed Forces during WWII, he again returned to the stage but his career was in serious decline. Eric married late in life in 1955, age 46; he and wife Jo, an artist, settled in Laguna Beach, California and had three children: Karen, David and Andrea. They divorced in 1977. In later years, he worked for the County of Orange in California. He died on July 14, 1994, at age 84.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Jack Raine was born on 18 May 1897 in Willesden, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Julius Caesar (1953), The Middle Watch (1930) and Not as a Stranger (1955). He was married to Theodora Moreau Wilson, Sonia Somers and Binnie Hale. He died on 30 May 1979 in South Laguna, California, USA.- Mildred Gertrude von Hollen was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA on December 26, 1891. Her father was Bernhard von Hollen and mother was Katherine Kitty Scheib. Her career in show business began as an actress with stock companies and progressed to radio drama in the 1920's. She married fellow actor Herbert Harrison Heyes on September 12, 1913 in Eldora, Hardin County, Iowa, USA. They had two children: Herbert Harrison Heyes, Jr., born on July 26, 1915 in Illinois, died January 5, 1999 in Laguna Hills, Orange Co., CA, USA, and Douglas Howard Heyes, born on October 27, 1919 in California, died February 8, 1993 in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Douglas Heyes was known as a writer/director for Maverick and Twilight Zone. Mildred and Herbert divorced around 1930 and she became a full-time working mother. The 1930 U.S. Census locates her residence as a rented apartment with her sons at the Guardian Arms in Los Angeles, CA, USA. A decade later the 1940 U.S Census identifies her as working in sales at a department store. In the 1950's she returned to acting and appeared in seventeen television programs representing nine series, most notably eight episodes of Rin Tin Tin. She appeared in two episodes of Dragnet and is remembered for a 1964 movie that was her final role, a sales lady, in Kitten with a Whip. Mildred passed away on August 22, 1971 in Laguna Hills, Orange County, CA, USA. Her internment was at El Toro Memorial Park, Lake Forest, Orange County, CA, USA.
- Actress
Childhood friends with Jane Withers, Eleanor first appeared on stage in "Fly Away Home" (May 1940) and then "Zero Hour" (Nov 1940) with Richard Gaines. Her first film was "You'll Find Out" (1940) with Kay Kryser. In 1942 she had a leading role in "Man With Two Lives" with Edward Norris. After a two year stint with the USO Show she came back to have a minor role (the "Freshman") in the movie "Take Care Of My Little Girl" (1951) with Mitzi Gaynor. She continued to model until her marriage to Robert Lawson in 1953.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Born in Virginia and educated in Europe, Edward H. Griffith started out as a newspaper reporter, then switched to magazine writing. He took to the Broadway stage, and entered films as an actor/writer for the Edison Co. in 1915. He soon began directing two-reelers, graduating to features in 1917. Though the majority of his output was routine, he did turn out a string of smooth, successful romantic comedies in the late 1930s, several showcasing the icy, regal beauty of Madeleine Carroll.- America Chedister was born on 21 October 1895 in St. Clair Township, Iowa, USA. She was an actress, known for The Sea Raiders (1922), Atta Boy (1926) and Dawn of the East (1921). She was married to Edward H. Griffith. She died on 1 November 1975 in South Laguna, California, USA.
- Actor
- Art Director
- Additional Crew
Morris Strassberg was born on 18 April 1897 in Lemberg, Galicia, Austria-Hungary [now Lviv, Ukraine]. He was an actor and art director, known for Klute (1971), Overture to Glory (1940) and Mothers of Today (1939). He was married to May Misbinsky. He died on 8 February 1974 in South Laguna Beach, California, USA.- Rose Coghlan was born on 28 June 1918 in Concord, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress, known for Hot Saturday (1932), Finishing School (1934) and Nelly Was a Lady (1947). She died on 3 November 1986 in South Laguna, California, USA.
- Clarence Upson Young was born on 14 October 1895 in Michigan, USA. He was a writer, known for Madame Spy (1942), Night Monster (1942) and The Girl and the Gambler (1939). He died on 22 January 1969 in South Laguna, California, USA.
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Director
- Writer
Richard Harlan was born in Lima, Peru, where his father was an attaché at the American Embassy in Lima. At the age of three he was taken to Havana, Cuba and received part of his education at the La Salle School in that city. At 15 attended the Clason Point Military Academy in New York City and when he was 17 studied medicine at Pennsylvania University for three years. At 20, studied sculpturing under such famous artists as Gurzon Borglum and Paul Manship. He met Richard Barthelmess and got a job as first assistant director on "The Bright Shawl." From 1919 to 1923 was a first assistant director, was a director/producer from 1924 to 1926 and from 1927 to 1929 back to assistant director jobs. In 1930, he directed the Spanish versions of "Freindship", "Man Who Came Back", "The Valiant" and "East Lynne" for Fox Films, and the Spanish version of "East Borneo" for Universal Pictures. Continued on from 1930 to 1938 as Technical Director, First Assistant Director and Literary Collaborator. Started directing Spanish-language pictures in 1938 for Dario Productions releasing through Paramount Pictures. Finished his film work as assistant director of many Monogram pictures through 1948.- Additional Crew
- Actor
Leicester Wagner was a Los Angeles newspaperman who occasionally took bit parts in silent films. He was a press agent during the silent era and later in the 1930s for 20th Century-Fox. He was the son of silent film director and magazine publisher Rob Wagner. He was the cousin of actor Max Wagner, cameraman Blake Wagner and screenwriter Jack Wagner. He made his screen debut in 1911 in The Artist's Sons (1911), which was written by his father. In the 1920s, he appeared in numerous Santa Barbara Community Theater productions before taking parts as an extra or bit player in Hollywood films. He helped edit Rob Wagner's Script, a literary film magazine, in 1929 and 1942-44.