Karl Dane

At the turn of the century, 14-year-old Karl Dane first appeared on stage in the Copenhagen theater owned by his father. During the 1910s he traveled to Hollywood and in 1918 was cast in My Four Years in Germany and To Hell With the Kaiser both silent anti-German propaganda pieces. After his impressive portrayal of a U.S. infantryman in the World War I chronicle The Big Parade (1925) his popularity and film roles declined and he began working as a character comedian, often opposite George K. Arthur. Because he retained his heavy Danish accent, his acting career was finished at the end of the silent-film era. Sadly, at the age of 48, Karl Dane committed suicide.

~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide