Carl Brisson (24 December 1893 – 25 September 1958),
born Carl Frederik Ejnar Pedersen, was a Danish film actor and singer. He appeared in 13 films between 1918 and 1935, including two
silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...
s directed by
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
. In the 1934 film ''
Murder at the Vanities
''Murder at the Vanities'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code musical film based on the 1933 Broadway show with music by Victor Young. It was released by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Mitchell Leisen, stars Victor McLaglen, Carl Brisson, Jack ...
'', he introduced the popular song "
Cocktails for Two
"Cocktails for Two" is a song from the Big Band era, written by Arthur Johnston and Sam Coslow. The song debuted in the movie ''Murder at the Vanities'' (1934), where it was introduced by the Danish singer and actor Carl Brisson. Duke Ellington' ...
".
Life and career
Before his acting and singing career, Brisson was a prizefighter for a few short spells between 1912 and 1915. He attracted attention when he appeared as Prince Danilo in the 1923 London production of ''
The Merry Widow
''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt t ...
'' at Daly's. He appeared in the same role when it was revived at the
Lyceum Theatre the following year, and frequently reprised.
[e.g. August 1932, Diary of an English Debutante in Nazi Germany, https://debsdiaries.wordpress.com/]
In August 1924, Brisson toured the provinces as Karl in ''Katja the Dancer'', eventually returning to London to appear in ''The Apache'' at the
London Palladium
The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 an ...
, and later made his British screen debut in Hitchcock's ''
The Ring''.
Brisson was married to Cleo Willard Brisson from 1915 to his death, and was the father of producer Frederick Brisson and father-in-law of Frederick's wife, actress
Rosalind Russell
Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907November 28, 1976) was an American actress, comedienne, screenwriter, and singer,Obituary ''Variety'', December 1, 1976, p. 79. known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in the H ...
. He died of jaundice in Copenhagen.
Filmography
* ''
The Mysterious Footprints'' (1918)
* ''
The Ring'' (1927)
* ''
The Manxman
''The Manxman'' is a 1929 British silent romance film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Anny Ondra, Carl Brisson and Malcolm Keen. The film is based on a popular 1894 romantic novel '' The Manxman'' by Hall Caine, which had previousl ...
'' (1929)
* ''
The Triumph of the Heart
''The Triumph of the Heart'' (Swedish: ''Hjärtats triumf'') is a 1929 Swedish silent film, silent drama film directed by Gustaf Molander and starring Carl Brisson, Lissy Arna and Edvin Adolphson.Gustafsson p.185 It was shot at the Råsunda Studio ...
'' (1929)
* ''
The American Prisoner
''The American Prisoner'' is a British novel written by Eden Phillpotts and published in 1904
and adapted into a film by the same name in 1929. The story concerns an English woman who lives at Fox Tor farm, and an American captured during ...
'' (1929)
* ''
Knowing Men
''Knowing Men'' is a 1930 British romantic comedy film directed by Elinor Glyn and starring Carl Brisson, Elissa Landi and Helen Haye. It was made at Elstree StudiosWood p.67 and based on one of Glyn's own novels. Originally shot using an experim ...
'' (1930)
* ''
Song of Soho
''Song of Soho'' is a 1930 British musical film directed by Harry Lachman and starring Carl Brisson, Edna Davies and Donald Calthrop. The screenplay concerns an ex-French Foreign Legion soldier who comes to Soho and ends up as a singer in a cafe ...
'' (1930)
* ''
Prince of Arcadia
''Prince of Arcadia'' is a 1933 British musical comedy film directed by Hanns Schwarz and starring Carl Brisson, Margot Grahame, Ida Lupino and Peter Gawthorne. The screenplay concerns a Ruritanian Prince who is due to marry a princess with ac ...
'' (1933)
* ''
Two Hearts in Waltz Time
2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...
'' (1934)
* ''
Murder at the Vanities
''Murder at the Vanities'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code musical film based on the 1933 Broadway show with music by Victor Young. It was released by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Mitchell Leisen, stars Victor McLaglen, Carl Brisson, Jack ...
'' (1934)
* ''
All the King's Horses'' (1935)
* ''
Ship Cafe
''Ship Cafe'' is a 1935 American musical film directed by Robert Florey.
Cast
* Carl Brisson as Chris Anderson
* Arline Judge as Ruby
* Mady Christians as Countess Boranoff
* William Frawley as Briney O'Brien
* Eddie Davis as Eddie Davis
* I ...
'' (1935)
References
External links
*
Carl Brissonat Theatricalia
Carl Brissonat Virtual History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brisson, Carl
1893 births
1958 deaths
20th-century Danish male actors
Danish male film actors
Danish male silent film actors
Male actors from Copenhagen
Apollo Records artists