Karl Dane - My Research
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Acknowledgments

This project would not be possible were it not for the help of so many generous people I have met internationally online. Since my book is a work in progress, this list will no doubt grow.

Hugh Watkins helped to jumpstart my reseach into Karl's family tree. Karl's distant cousin Jakob Gottlieb provided this online family tree, which takes the Gottlieb family back several centuries.

Danes Lise Bendixen, Hedvig Pitzner-Jørgensen, Henrik Andresen, Jacob Peter Phister, Leif Dehnits and Alf Blume helped with research in Denmark. Ned Comstock provided valuable direction regarding the materials in the Special Collections at USC. George Fogelsen also helped with research in California. Christian Hansen, of the Danish Film Institute, was a great source of Danish articles on Karl. American Blake Boulerice helped to translate those articles.

Many authors and film historians have provided me, a first-time author, with helpful insight: Film Historians Kevin Brownlow, Anthony Slide, David Shepard, Rudy Behlmer, Marc Wanamaker, and Stephen Witty; Scott Eyman, author of Lion of Hollywood among others; Gary Don Rhodes, author of Lugosi; Bill Cassara, author of Edgar Kennedy: Master of the Slow Burn Hans J. Wollstein, author of Strangers in Hollywood; Mike Oldham, co-author of Movie Star Homes; E.J. Fleming, author of The Fixers; and Leonard J. Kohl, author of Sinister Serials.

Wendy Brest Sani, the charming daughter of George K. Arthur (Karl's co-star in many films), kindly granted me access to the George K. Arthur Collection at the Museum of Modern Art, which included his very entertaining, unpublished memoirs. Ron Magliozzi and Charles Silver of MoMA provided assistance. David A. Davis, from the Nevada Bureau of Mines & Geology, provided terrific information about mining in the early 1930s, and provided many suggestions about where to look to track Karl's mining deals in those years.

Source materials were provided by The Cleveland Public Library, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, The Margaret Herrick Library, and Bruce Calvert for stills of Karl. Thanks to Jared Case of George Eastman House for being the tireless reel changer the day I viewed four entire feature films at the facility, and to Joe Yranski who provided suggestions from the New York Public Library.

Many thanks to Karl's grandson Bent Harsmann, and Karl's grand nephew Per Gottlieb, for providing invaluable family photos, family tree information, and continuing kind support.


Genealogical Records

Parish birth registry
Rasmus Carl Marius Gottlieb, born June 30, 1858. This was actually not Karl Dane's father, but his uncle, who died as an infant on 22 August 1859 in Horsens. Karl's father, who was given the same name, was born 14 April 1860. See row 72. Thanks to Lene Togeby Gottlieb, who isn't related to Karl but who is a generous contributer, for obtaining this record, and to Jacob Gottlieb, a cousin of Karl's, for clarifying the information.

"His father, Rasmus Therkelsen Gottlieb (Karl’s grandfather), was a dyer (farver). As an apprentice dyer in Horsens, his master was a Rasmus Terkelsen, born in 1811. His mother's name was Jensine Christine Gottlieb. She was the daughter of Jens Christopher Gottlieb. Niels Johan and Jens Christpher were brothers; therefore Rasmus Therkelsen and Jensine Christine were cousins.They were married in Horsens on 12 December 1851."

Parish birth registry
Karl Dane, birthname Rasmus Karl Therkelsen Gottlieb, born 12 October 1886. Thanks to Hugh Watkins, Hedvig Pitzner-Jørgensen and Lene Togeby Gottlieb for obtaining this record. According to Lene:

"Column 1 indicates the number of boys born in the parish that year (there is a similar register for girls). Column 2 is the date of birth (you can see the year, 'aar' in old Danish) on the top of the page). Column 2 also indicates if the child is legitimate or illegitimate ('ægte' or 'uægte' in Danish). Rasmus Carl Marius was legitimate. Column 3 is the full name of the child, while column 4 is the date of baptism. Next are the names of the parents and their professions. At the bottom of the entry for Rasmus Carl Marius you can see the words 36 aar (36 years), the age of the mother. Column 6 lists the names and professions of godfathers and godmothers. The last two columns provide special information: e.g., if the person had withdrawn from the national church or if the family name was changed."

1920 U.S. Census Record
See Line 10. Karl (Carl Gottlieb) lived at 430 Clermont Avenue, Brooklyn, New York. By this time, he was listing his profession as "actor moving pictures". Thanks to Doug Corbin for finding this.
U.S. Draft Registration Card
June, 1917, Karl is listed as Rasmus Karl Therkelsen Gottlieb and working as a machinist for the Robert Gair Company in Brooklyn. Thanks to Doug Corbin for finding this.
Copenhagen Police Emigrant Record
This is the Copenhagen Police Emigrant Record listing the emigration from Denmark of Rasmus Carl (sic) Therkelsen-Gottlieb (Row 11) on January 25, 1916 on the ship the Oskar II, the liner between Copenhagen and New York. He left his wife, Karla Therkelsen-Gottlieb back in Copenhagen at his last address there, Webersgade 17, and had his first address as 345 Court Avenue, Brooklyn NY. This was the address of his friend , Charles Lindgren, who had emigrated earlier.

Much thanks to Henning V Bender, the Director of the Danish Emigration Archive in Aalborg, Denmark, for generously supplying this record.


Gottlieb Family Trees
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Content copyright © 2007 Laura Balogh
Last modified: March 11, 2007