Fade to Black: A Book of Movie Obituaries Read online

  CAUSE: Alberni died aged 76 in Hollywood, California. He is buried in Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park, 10621 Victory Boulevard, Burbank, California 91606.

  Hans Albers

  Born September 22, 1891

  Died July 24, 1960

  German leading man. Born in Hamburg, the youngest son of six children, to William Philipp Albers, a master butcher, and his wife Johanna Dorothea, Hans Philipp August Albers began working as a teacher in 1907 but secretly took acting lessons. In 1911 he failed an audition to join a theatre company and began work in a Frankfurt silk factory. However, he was spotted by theatre manager Arthur Hellmer and made his stage début on September 20, 1911 in Frankfurt. In 1913 Albers began to take on major roles in the Altona and Thalia Theatres. In 1915 he was called up to serve in the German army during the First World War but was invalided out two years later with a wounded leg. While recovering from his injuries he resumed his theatrical career on the Berlin stage. When the war ended Albers found himself without regular work and concentrated on the theatre. His first success was as a light comedian before turning to more dramatic roles and then, as he aged, character parts. In 1925 Albers began a relationship with the half-Jewish actress Hansi Burg (d. 1975) and in 1928 he received acclaim for his work on the play The Criminals in the Berlin Theatre. He had also by this time made innumerable silent films and is probably best known to British audiences for his role as Mazeppa in Der Blaue Engel (1930) opposite Marlene Dietrich. He reached the apogee of his stage career in 1931 with the play Liliom. His most successful film to that time as a leading man was F.P.1 Antwortet Nicht (1932) in which he played Ellissen. He also sang ‘The Flier Song’ in the movie and it became a popular hit. In 1938, Hansi Burg fled into exile in Switzerland to escape the Nazis while Albers stayed behind. Five years later, Albers starred in Münchhausen, an early German colour film that was intended to be the movie that showed Hitler’s Germany could compete with Hollywood in terms of producing lavish spectacles. During the filming of his next movie Große Freiheit Nr 7 (1944), for which he was paid DM460,000 to play Hannes Kroeger, Albers came under pressure from German propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels who disapproved of the content as well as the bombs falling on Hamburg. Albers turned to the bottle to cope. During one scene the director Helmut Kaeutner asked Albers to remove his hat but the actor refused, “I can’t. I forgot to put my toupee on today.” Following the end of the Second World War, Albers returned to the theatre and reprised his role in Liliom at the Hebbel Theatre in Berlin. In 1946 Hansi Burg returned to Germany and they resumed their relationship. His first post-war film was … Und Uber Uns Der Himmel (1947) in which he played Hans Richter but mostly his career after the Second World War was a disappointment. In 1958 he spoke out against the rearmament of West Germany. His films include: Jahreszeiten Des Lebens (1915), Das Spitzentuch Der Fürstin Wolkowska (1917), Rauschgold (1917), Rache Des Gefallenen (1917), Die Prinzessin Von Urbino (1918), Irrwege Der Liebe (1918), Der Fluch Des Nuri (1918), Baroneßchen Auf Strafurlaub (1918), Taumel (1919), Madeleine (1919), Lola Montez 2 (1919), Taschendiebe (1920), Die Marquise Von O. (1920), Schieber (1921), Die Große Und Die Kleine Welt (1921), Der Fürst (1921), Der Falschspieler (1921), Der Böse Geist (1922), Der Falsche Dimitri (1922), Versunkene Welten (1922), Der Tiger Des Zirkus Farini (1922), Söhne Der Nacht (1922), Menschenopfer (1922), Lydia Sanin (1922), Die Geliebte Des Königs (1922), Fräulein Raffke (1923), Inge Larsen (1923), Das Schöne Abenteuer (1924), Das Testament Des Joe Sivers (1924), Ein Sommernachtstraum (1924) as Demetrius, Guillotine (1924), Gehetzte Menschen (1924), Auf Befehl Der Pompadour (1924), Luxusweibchen (1925), Halbseide (1925), Vorderhaus Und Hinterhaus (1925), Die Venus Von Montmartre (1925), Der Mann Aus Dem Jenseits (1925), Der König Und Das Kleine Mädchen (1925), Die Gesunkenen (1925), Deutsche Herzen Am Deutschen Rhein (1925), Der Bankraub Unter Den Linden (1925), Athleten (1925), Mein Freund Der Chauffeur (1926), Der Prinz Und Die Tänzerin (1926), Wir Sind Vom K.U.K. Infanterie-Regiment (1926) as Oberleutnant Ahrens, Ich Hatt’ Einen Kameraden (1926), Versunkene Flotte (1926), Der Soldat Der Marie (1926), Seeschlacht Beim Skagerrak (1926), Schatz, Mach’ Kasse (1926), Der Lachende Ehemann (1926), Jagd Auf Menschen (1926), Husarenliebe (1926), Die Frau Die Nicht Nein Sagen Kann (1926), Die Drei Mannequins (1926), An Der Schönen Blauen Donau (1926), Eine Dubarry Von Heute (1927) as Toinette’s first lover, Bara En Danserska (1927), Primanerliebe (1927), En Perfekt Gentleman (1927) as Jacques Renard, Eine Kleine Freundin Braucht Jeder Mann (1927), Der Größte Gauner Des Jahrhunderts (1927), Der Goldene Abgrund (1927) as Baron Armand, Die Dollarprinzessin Und Ihre Sechs Freier (1927), Frauenarzt, Dr Schäfer (1928), Ein Tag Film (1928) as Hilfsregisseur, Saxophon-Susi (1928), Dornenweg Einer Fürstin (1928), Weib In Flammen (1928), Rasputins Liebesabenteuer (1928) as Offizier, Prinzessin Olala (1928) as René Chichotte’s friend, Asphalt (1929) as Ein Dieb, Mascottchen (1929) as Antoine, Vererbte Triebe (1929), Der Rote Kreis (1929), Die Nacht Gehört Uns (1929) as Harry Bredow, Möblierte Zimmer (1929), Ja, Ja, Die Frauen Sind Meine Schwache Seite (1929), Drei Machen Ihr Glück (1929), Der Greifer (1930) as Sergeant Harry Cross, Hans In Allen Gassen (1930) as Hans Steindecker, Bomben Auf Monte Carlo (1931) as Craddock, Der Draufgänger (1931) as Hans Röder, Drei Tage Liebe (1931) as Franz, Der Sieger (1932) as Hans Kühnert, Monte Carlo Madness (1932) as Captain Erickson, Quick (1932) as Quick, Der Weiße Dämon (1932) as Heini Gildemeister, Flüchtlinge (1933) as Arneth, Heut Kommt’s Drauf An (1933) as Hannes Eckmann, Ein Gewisser Herr Gran (1933) as Ein Gewisser Herr Gran, Gold (1934) as Werner Holk, Peer Gynt (1934) as Peer Gynt, Varieté (1935) as Pierre, Henker, Frauen Und Soldaten (1935) as Rittmeister Michael von Prack/General Alexej Alexandrowitsch von Prack, Savoy-Hotel 217 (1936) as Andrei Volodkin, Unter Heißem Himmel (1936) as Captain Kellersperg, Der Mann, Der Sherlock Holmes War (1937) as Morris Flint alias Sherlock Holmes, Die Gelbe Flagge (1937) as Peter Diercksen, Fahrendes Volk (1938) as Fernand, Sergeant Berry (1938) as Sergeant Mecki Berry alias Mecki Brown, Wasser Für Canitoga (1939) as Oliver, Ein Mann Auf Abwegen (1939) as Percival Pattersson Montstuart, Trenck, Der Pandur (1940) as Trenck, Carl Peters (1941) as Dr Carl Peters, Shiva Und Die Galgenblume (1945), Föhn (1950) as Dr Johannes Jensen, Vom Teufel Gejagt (1950) as Dr Blank, Blaubart as Was weisst du denn schon von mir, Nachts Auf Den Straßen as Heinrich Schlueter, Käpt’n Bay-Bay (1953) as Käpt’n Bay-Bay, Jonny Rettet Nebrador (1953) as General Jonny Oronta, An Jedem Finger Zehn (1954) as a singer, Auf Der Reeperbahn Nachts Um Halb Eins (1954) as Hannes Wedderkamp, Der Letzte Mann (1955) as Karl Knesebeck, Vor Sonnenuntergang (1956) as Generaldirektor Clausen, Das Herz Von St Pauli (1957) as Käpt’n Jonny Jensen, Der Tolle Bomberg (1957) as Rittmeister Baron Gisbert von Bomberg, I Fidanzati Della Morte (1957), Der Mann Im Strom (1958) as Paul Hinrichs, Dreizehn Alte Esel (1958) as Josef Krapp and Der Greifer (1958) as Otto Friedrich Dennert.

  CAUSE: In February 1960 Albers became sick in Vienna with flu and was committed to hospital. In April he returned to his country home on Lake Starnberger. While filming Kein Engel Ist So Rein (1960) in which he plays Dr Zilinsky, he fell ill suffering from heavy internal bleeding. He died in a sanatorium in Kempfenhausen, Bavaria, Germany. He was buried in Ohlsdorfer cemetery in Hamburg on July 29, 1960 in a ceremony attended by Hansi Burg, three of his sisters, Max Schmeling and Paul Verhoeven. Curt Jurgens sent a wreath.

  Frank Albertson

  Born February 2, 1909

  Died February 29, 1964

  Wisecracker. Born in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, 5́ 9˝ Albertson was educated in Puyallup, Washington and Hollywood. He made his film début shortly after joining the industry as a prop boy in 1922. Albertson, no relation to Jack, never quite attained stardom and played quick-witted roles as policemen or taxi-drivers. He was rarely out of work in the Twenties and Thirties. His films included: The Covered Wagon (1923), The Farmer’s Daughter (1928) as Allan Boardman Jr, Prep And Pep (1928) as Bunk Hill, Blue Skies (1929) as Richard Lewis, Words And Music (1929) as Skeet Mulroy, Salute (1929) as Midshipman Albert Edward Pri
ce, Men Without Women as Ensign Albert Edward Price, The Big Party (1930) as Jack Hunter, Son Of The Gods (1930) as Kicker, Spring Is Here (1930) as Stacy Haden, Born Reckless (1930) as Frank Sheldon, So This Is London (1930) as Junior Draper, Wild Company (1930) as Larry Grayson, Just Imagine (1930) as RT-42, A Connecticut Yankee (1931) as Clarence, Big Business Girl (1931) as Johnny Saunders, Traveling Husbands as Barry Greene, The Brat (1931) as Stephen Forester, The Tiger’s Son (1931), Way Back Home (1932) as David Clark, Racing Youth (1932) as Teddy, Blue Huddle (1932) as Larry Wilson, Who, Me? (1932), Airmail as Tommy Bogan, Boys Will Be Boys (1932), The Lost Special (1932) as Tom Hood, Billion Dollar Scandal as Babe Partos, Should Crooners Marry? (1933), The Cohens And Kellys In Trouble (1933) as Bob Graham, Room Mates (1933), Ann Carver’s Profession (1933) as Jim Thompson, Dangerous Crossroads (1933), Midshipman Jack (1933) as Russell Burns, ’Tis Spring (1933), Ever In My Heart (1933) as Sam Archer, Rainbow Over Broadway (1933) as Don Hayes, King For A Night (1933) as Dick, Love Detectives (1934), The Last Gentleman (1934) as Allan, Stars In The Making (1934), The Life Of Vergie Winters (1934) as Ranny Truesdale, a publicist in Hollywood Hoodlum (1934), Tripping Through The Tropics (1934) as Jack, Bachelor Of Arts (1934) as Pete Illings, Enter Madame (1935) as John Fitzgerald, Doubting Thomas (1935) as Jimmy Brown, Alice Adams (1935) as Walter Adams, Personal Maid’s Secret (1935) as Kent Fletcher, Waterfront Lady (1935) as Ronny Hillyer a.k.a. Bill, East Of Java (1935) as Larry, Kind Lady (1935) as Peter Santard, Ah, Wilderness! (1935) as Arthur Miller, The Farmer In The Dell (1936) as Davy Davenport, Fury (1936) as Charlie Wilson, a young trooper in The Plainsman (1937), Navy Blue And Gold (1937) as Weeks, Hold That Kiss (1938) as Steven Evans, The Magician’s Daughter (1938) as Bob Wilson, Mother Carey’s Chickens (1938) as Tom Hamilton, Jr, Fugitives For A Night (1938) as Matt Ryan, Room Service (1938) as Leo Davis, Spring Madness (1938) as Hat Hatton, The Shining Hour (1938) as Benny Collins, Bachelor Mother (1939) as Freddie Miller, Framed (1940) as Henry T. ‘Hank’ Parker, The Ghost Comes Home (1940) as Ernest, Dr Christian Meets The Women (1940) as Bill Ferris, When The Daltons Rode (1940) as Emmett Dalton, Behind The News (1940) as Jeff Flavin, Ellery Queen’s Penthouse Mystery (1941) as Sanders, Man Made Monster (1941) as Mark Adams, Father Steps Out (1941) as Jimmy Dugan, Citadel Of Crime (1941) as Jim Rogers, Burma Convoy (1941) as Mike Weldon, Flying Cadets as Bob Ames, Louisiana Purchase (1941) as Robert Davis, Jr, Man From Headquarters (1942) as Larry Doyle, Shepherd Of The Ozarks as Jimmy Maloney, Junior G-Men Of The Air (1942) as Jerry Markham, Wake Island (1942) as Johnny Rudd, City Of Silent Men as Gil Davis, Underground Agent (1942) as Johnny Davis, Silent Witness (1943) as Bruce Strong, Keep ’Em Slugging (1943) as Frank, Here Comes Elmer (1943) as Joe Maxwell, Mystery Broadcast (1943) as Michael Jerome, O, My Darling Clementine as Dan Franklin, Rosie The Riveter (1944) as Charlie Doran, And The Angels Sing (1944) as Oliver, Arson Squad (1945) as Tom Mitchell, How Doooo You Do!!! (1945) as Tom Brandon, Gay Blades (1946) as Frankie Dowell, They Made Me A Killer (1946) as Al, It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) as Sam Wainwright, How Do You Do (1946), Ginger (1947) as Barney O’Hara, Killer Dill (1947) as William T. Allen, The Hucksters (1947) as Max Herman, Shed No Tears (1948) as Hutton, Girl On The Run (1953) as Hank, Nightfall (1957) as Dr Edward Gurston, The Enemy Below (1957) as Lieutenant Crain, The Last Hurrah (1958) as Jack Mangan, Psycho (1960) as Tom Cassidy, Don’t Knock The Twist (1962) as Herb Walcott, a gambler in Papa’s Delicate Condition (1963), Bye Bye Birdie (1963) as Sam and Johnny Cool (1963) as Bill Blakely. In 1931 he married Virginia Shelley but that ended in divorce and he was remarried to Grace Gillern.

  CAUSE: He died in Santa Monica, California, 27 days after his 55th birthday.

  Jack Albertson

  Born June 16, 1907

  Died November 25, 1981

  Dependable second lead. Born in Malden, Massachusetts, Albertson began his professional life in vaudeville and burlesque before moving on to the legitimate stage. He began making films in 1937 and won an Oscar for The Subject Was Roses (1968) in which he played John Cleary. He also played Grandpa Bucket in Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971) and in later life appeared in the hit TV show Chico And The Man for which he won an Emmy.