Carlo Rossini Wieth (born Carl Andersen; 11 December 1885 – 30 June 1943) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

stage and film actor whose career began at the turn of the 20th-century and lasted until his death in 1943.

Early life and stage career

Wieth was born as Carl Andersen in Copenhagen to Marius Hans Lindegaard Andersen, who was a judge, and his wife Jacobine Kirstine Wieth Andersen.Det Danske Film Database
/ref> He would begin his acting career after adding an "o" to his given name of Carl and taking his mother's maiden name. He was educated at the

Royal Danish Theatre The Royal Danish Theatre (RDT, Danish: ') is both the national Danish performing arts institution and a name used to refer to its old purpose-built venue from 1874 located on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The theatre was founded in 1748, first s ...

from 1903 to 1905 and made his stage debut in 1905. He was an actor at the Danish Royal Theatre from 1905 to 1907, 1908 to 1909 and again from 1923 to 1943. From 1907 to 1908 and 1909 to 1910, he was engaged as an actor at the Dagmar Theatre, from 1911 to 1922 at the Folketeatret, and spent a year at the

Betty Nansen Teatret Betty Nansen Teatret (Betty Nansen Theatre) is a theatre situated on Frederiksberg Allé in the Frederiksberg district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It takes its name from the actress Betty Nansen, who managed it from 1917 until her death in 1943. Histo ...

beginning in 1922 before traveling abroad.

Film career

Wieth made his film debut in 1910 for Kinografen before spending nearly the entirety of his film career at

Nordisk Film Nordisk Film A/S (lit. "Nordic Film") is a Danish entertainment company established in 1906 in Copenhagen by filmmaker Ole Olsen. It is the fourth-oldest film studio in the world behind the Gaumont Film Company, Pathé, and Titanus ...

. In 1911, he appeared in the controversial

August Blom August Blom (26 December 1869 – 10 January 1947) was a Danish film director, producer, and pioneer of silent films during the "golden age" of Danish filmmaking from 1910 to 1914. Career Blom began his acting career in 1893 in Kolding, and was ...

-directed ''Mormonens offer'' (''

A Victim of the Mormons ''A Victim of the Mormons'' ( da, Mormonens Offer) is a 1911 Danish silent thriller film directed by August Blom. The film was controversial for demonizing the Mormon religion, and its box-office success is cited for initiating a decade of ant ...

''). The film was controversial for demonizing the

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into severa ...

religion, and its box-office success is cited for initiating a decade of anti-Mormon propaganda films in America. The film tells the story of an attractive young woman who is seduced and kidnapped by a Mormon missionary, then forced to accompany him to

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

to become one of his wives. The film became a hit, in part due to the publicity from

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...

' objections and its failed campaign to ban the film.Wollstein, Hans J
''Mormonens Offer (1911)''
New York Times 2008 Between 1912 and 1914, he appeared in approximately nine Swedish silent films for such directors as

John Ekman John Ekman (15 November 1880 – 22 November 1949) was a Swedish film actor. Biography He first trained as an artist under Richard Bergh (1858-1919). He was employed by various theater companies; Swedish Biograft Theater in Kristianstad (19 ...

Mauritz Stiller Mauritz Stiller (born Moshe Stiller, 17 July 1883 – 18 November 1928) was a Swedish film director of Finnish Jewish origin, best known for discovering Greta Garbo and bringing her to America. Stiller had been a pioneer of the Swedish film ...

and

Victor Sjöström Victor David Sjöström (; 20 September 1879 – 3 January 1960), also known in the United States as Victor Seastrom, was a pioneering Swedish film director, screenwriter, and actor. He began his career in Sweden, before moving to Hollywood in ...

before returning to Denmark and appearing in such films as

Gunnar Sommerfeldt Gunnar Sommerfeldt (4 September 1890 – 30 August 1947) was a Danish actor and film maker. In 1919 he directed '' Saga Borgarættarinnar'', which was released in 1920 and was the first feature film shot in Iceland. Sommerfeldt also wrote the scr ...

's 1918 drama ''En Lykkeper'' in 1918 and in Carl Theodor Dreyer's popular 1921 silent drama ''

Leaves from Satan's Book ''Leaves from Satan's Book'', also known as ''Leaves Out of the Book of Satan'' ( da, Blade af Satans bog), is a 1920 Danish fantasy film directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer and starring Helge Nissen as Satan. This was only the third film directed b ...

'', which tells the tale of Satan's banishment from heaven. ''Leaves Out of the Book of Satan'' would be Wieth's last silent film before returning to the stage. He wouldn't return to the screen until appearing in his first ''

talkie A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

'';

Pál Fejös Pál Fejős (27 January 1897 – 23 April 1963), known professionally as Paul Fejos, was a Hungarian-American film director, director of feature films and documentaries who worked in a number of countries including the United States. He also stu ...

's 1935 ''Det gyldne smil'' (''The Golden Smile'') opposite Bodil Ipsen. He would appear in approximately ten sound films before his death. His last film was in the 1943

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

''Vi kunde ha' det saa rart'', opposite

Bodil Kjer Bodil Kjer (; 2 September 1917 – 1 February 2003) was a Danish actress whose talent and charisma earned her status as a Primadonna and the title of first lady of Danish theater.Piil, Morten, ''Bodil Kjer'' Danske Filmskuespillere, Gyldendal, ...

Personal life

Wieth was at various times a member of the Danish Arts Council, the International Union of Actors, and Vice President of the Danish Actors' Union. Wieth was married twice; his first marriage was to Danish stage and screen actress

Clara Pontoppidan Clara Pontoppidan (23 April 1883 – 22 January 1975), also known as Clara Wieth, was a Danish actress. She worked mainly in Swedish and Danish silent films, including ''A Victim of the Mormons'' (Denmark, 1911). Personal life Clara Ponto ...

from 1906 to 1917. The pair had appeared in several films together. Wieth and Pontoppidan divorced and produced no offspring. His second marriage was to actress Agnes Thorberg Wieth (''née'' Sommer) in 1917. The couple had a son, actor

Mogens Wieth Mogens Wieth (16 September 1919 – 10 September 1962) was a Danish film actor. He appeared in more than 20 films between 1940 and 1962. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to stage and film actors Carlo Wieth and Agnes Thorberg Wieth, and h ...

. Carlo and Agnes would remain married until Wieth's death.

Death

On 30 June 1943, Wieth was on a bicycle excursion in the

Gribskov Gribskov (Grib Forest) is Denmark's fourth largest forest, comprising c. 5,600 ha of woodland situated in northern Zealand, west and south of Lake Esrum. The forest is owned and administered by the State of Denmark, and a part of the Kongernes N ...

forest in the

Hovedstaden The Capital Region of Denmark ( da, Region Hovedstaden, ) is the easternmost administrative region of Denmark. The Capital Region has 29 municipalities and a regional council consisting of 41 elected members. As of 1 August 2021 the chairperson ...

region on

Zealand Zealand ( da, Sjælland ) at 7,031 km2 is the largest and most populous island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 January 2020. It is the 1 ...

when he collapsed from a fatal heart attack, aged 57. He was interred at the

Vestre Cemetery Vestre Cemetery ( da, Vestre Kirkegård, meaning "Western Cemetery") is located in a large park setting in the Kongens Enghave district of Copenhagen, Denmark. With its 54 hectares it is the largest cemetery in Denmark. The cemetery is landscape ...

in Copenhagen.

Partial filmography

*''En rekrut fra 64'' (1910) - Recruit *''Ekspeditricen'' (1911) - Edgar, their son *''

Mormonens offer ''A Victim of the Mormons'' ( da, Mormonens Offer) is a 1911 Danish silent thriller film directed by August Blom. The film was controversial for demonizing the Mormon religion, and its box-office success is cited for initiating a decade of ant ...

'' (''A Victim of the Mormons'') (1911) - Sven Berg *''Anna fra Æbeltoft'' (1911) - Lt. Peter *''Historien om en moder'' (1912) - Son *''Kommandørens døtre'' (1912) - Jan Børresen, kommandørens nevø *''Vennerne fra Officersskolen'' (1913) - Lt. Emile *''På livets ödesvägar'' (1913) - Benjamin Green *'' The Miracle'' (Swedish: ''Miraklet'') (1913) - Armand *''

The Clergyman ''The Clergyman'' ( sv, Prästen) is a 1914 cinema of Sweden, Swedish silent film, silent drama film directed by Victor Sjöström. Cast * Carl Borin * Egil Eide as Priest * Justus Hagman as Older Priest * William Larsson as Clara's Father * Ri ...

'' (Swedish: ''Prästen'') (1914) - Frans *''

Hearts That Meet ''Hearts That Meet'' ( sv, Hjärtan som mötas) is a 1914 Swedish silent drama film directed by Victor Sjöström. Cast * Greta Almroth - Albert's Sister * John Ekman * Alfred Lundberg - Eberling * Richard Lund - Engineer * Karin Molander - M ...

'' (Swedish: ''Hjärtan som mötas'') (1914, Short) - Albert *'' Guilt Redeemed'' (Swedish: ''Sonad skuld'') (1915) - Hennis bror *''Skildpadden'' (1915) - John O'Brien *''Dr. X'' (1915) - Dr. Felix *''Den hvide djævel'' (1916) - C. Herveau - Barrister *''Det unge Blod'' (1916) - Count Preben *''I livets brænding'' (1916) - Ernst *''Truet lykke'' (1916) - Robert Malcolm *''Guldets gift'' (1916) - Karl Breide *''Danserindens hævn'' (1916) - Edvin Sparre *''Maharadjahens yndlingshustru I'' (1917) - Lt. Kuno von Falkenberg *'' Pax aeterna'' (''Eternal Peace'') (1917) - Crown Prince Alexis *''Handelen med Menneskeliv'' (1917) - Emile Bernhard *''Studenterkammeraterne'' (1917) - Kai Frank *''En Lykkeper'' (1918) - Peter Lykke *''Hans Kæreste'' (1918) - Count Paul *''Kærlighedens almagt'' (1919) - Dr. Victor *''Lykkens blændværk'' (1919) - Poul Bang *''Den flyvende Hollænder I-IV'' (1920) - Filip Vanderdecken *'' Blade af Satans bog'' (''Leaves from Satan's Book'') (1920) - Paavo (fourth sequence) *''Jafet, der søger sig en Fader I-IV'' (1922) - Jafet Newland *''Den sidste af slægten'' (1922) - Niels *'' Det gyldne smil'' (''The Golden Smile'') (1935) - Peter Clark *''Kongen bød'' (1938) - Christian Ditlev Reventlow *'' Livet paa Hegnsgaard'' (''Life on the Hegn Farm'') (1938) - Proprietær Nørholm *'' Skilsmissens børn'' (''Children of Divorce'') (1939) - Mr. Lang *'' Nordhavets mænd'' (1939) - Kaptajn Ek *''Elverhøj'' (1939) - Erik Walkendorff *''Natekspressen P903'' (1942) - Politimester Aagesen *'' Tyrannens fald'' (1942) - Skovrider Axel Høegh *''Vi kunde ha' det saa rart'' (1942) - Dr.med. Poul Ryding (final film role)

References

External links

*
Photograph of Carlo WiethDet Danske Filminstitut
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wieth, Carlo 1885 births 1943 deaths 20th-century Danish male actors Danish male stage actors Danish male film actors Danish male silent film actors Male actors from Copenhagen Burials at Vestre Cemetery, Copenhagen Deaths from coronary thrombosis