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Danish–American actor (1875–1930) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anders Randolf (December 18, 1875 – July 2, 1930) was a Danish-American actor in American films from 1913 to 1930.[1]
Anders Randolf | |
|---|---|
Randolf in 1921 | |
| Born | December 18, 1870 |
| Died | July 2, 1930 (aged 59) Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Frederiksberg Cemetery, Copenhagen |
| Nationality | Danish American |
| Other names | Anders Randolph |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1913–1930 |
| Spouse | Dorthea Jorgensen (m. ?–1930) |
Anders Randolf was born in Viborg, Denmark on December 18, 1875.[2] As a youth he attended a military academy, graduated Maitre d’Arms and served with the Royal Danish Hussars, earning a reputation as a world-class swordsman.[3][4]
He emigrated to the United States in 1893[5] and joined the U.S. Army, serving with the 17th US Infantry.[6]
Harboring a lifelong passion for the theater, Rudolf performed with an acting troupe in Columbus, Ohio before joining a number of touring companies including William Farnum All-Star Company and the Vaughan Glaser Company. He co-starred in a highly regarded production of As You Like It (1599) opposite Henrietta Crosman.[7]
In 1914, Anders Randolf began appearing in 1- or 2-reelers with the Vitagraph Studios stock company, and earned critical praise in his first feature film The Wheels of Justice (1915) in the role of Tug’ Riley, a convict. A reviewer in the New York Dramatic Mirror wrote: “Anders Randolf as Tug Riley is undoubtedly the most real in the excellent cast.”[8]
Randolf continued working with Vitagraph until 1919 even as the production company’s fortunes declined. The company was acquired by Warner Bros. studios in 1925.[9] As a freelance performer, Rudolf was provided with “top supporting roles in high production features. He worked for Cosmopolitan productions, co-starring with Marion Davies in The Cinema Murder (1919), Buried Treasure (1921), and Enchantment. Regarded as “one of Hollywood’s most respected heavies,” he was often cast to play villains.[10] A versatile actor, Randolf could expertly play comedic roles, for example, as a incompetent banker in In Hollywood with Potash and Perlmutter (1923); and Mary Pickford’s father in Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall (1924).[11]
At the pinnacle of his career, the 50-year-old Randolf was cast as the pirate captain in The Black Pirate (1924), a swashbuckler starring Douglas Fairbanks. His outstanding skills as a swordsman were on display in the final duel sequence. Critic Mordaunt Hall in the New York Times congratulated Randolf on his “cunning and brutal” interpretation of the role.[12]
Randolf’s health was in decline in the late 1920s, but his work schedule did not slacken. His transition to sound films in a number of Warner Bros. productions in 1929 and 1930 were untroubled, as Randolf carried little trace of a Danish accent.[13] His final film appearances were in comedy shorts: Laurel and Hardy’s The Night Owls (1930) and Joe E. Brown’s Maybe It’s Love (1930). His final films, Going Wild (1931) and West of the Rockies (1931) were released posthumously.[14]
Randolf died on July 3, 1930 following a relapse after a kidney operation. He was later interred at Frederiksberg Cemetery in Copenhagen, Denmark.[15] [16]
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