Philip Dorn (born Hein van der Niet; 30 September 1901 – 9 May 1975), sometimes billed as Frits van Dongen (his screen name for German films prior to World War II), was a Dutch American actor who had a career in Hollywood. He was best known for portraying the father in the film '' I Remember Mama'' (1948).

Early years

Dorn was born in Scheveningen,

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in 1901 and made his stage début at age 14 in Dutch productions. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in Scheveningen. He served in Queen Wilhelmina's Royal Guards.

Career

Netherlands

Dorn made his debut under the name of Frits van Dongen in ''

Op Hoop van Zegen '' The Good Hope (''from Dutch: ''Op Hoop van Zegen''; more literally: ''Hoping for the best)'' is a Dutch play written by Herman Heijermans in 1900/1901. It takes place in a fishing village, with the conflict between the fishermen and their em ...

'' (1934) directed by

Alex Benno Alex Benno (2 November 1873 – 2 April 1952) was a Dutch film actor, screenwriter and film director, director of the silent film, silent era. He appeared in 15 films between 1913 and 1920. Filmography * ''John Heriot's Wife'' (1920) * ''S ...

. He had lead roles in '' De Big van het Regiment'' (1935), '' The Cross-Patch'' (1935), '' Op Stap'' (1936), and ''

Rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, an ...

'' (1936). He appeared on stage in ''Camille'', ''Ghosts'' and ''Journey's End''. He also toured Java with a theatrical company.

Germany

Dorn moved to Germany where he appeared in '' The Tiger of Eschnapur'' (1938) and its sequel '' The Indian Tomb'' (1938). He was also in ''

Covered Tracks ''Covered Tracks'' (german: Verwehte Spuren) is a 1938 German historical drama film directed by Veit Harlan and starring Kristina Söderbaum, Philip Dorn, and Charlotte Schultz. It was shot at the EFA Studios in Berlin's Halensee and the Ba ...

'' (1938) and ''

The Journey to Tilsit ''The Journey to Tilsit'' (German: ''Die Reise nach Tilsit'') is a 1939 German drama film directed by Veit Harlan and starring Kristina Söderbaum, Philip Dorn and Anna Dammann. Synopsis Elske faithfully loves her husband Endrik as he is seduc ...

'' (1939).

Hollywood

He moved to

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

in August 1939, just a fortnight before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

broke out. He went there at the urging of

Henry Koster Henry Koster (born Hermann Kosterlitz, May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988) was a German-born film director. He was the husband of actress Peggy Moran. Early life Koster was born to Jewish parents in Berlin, Germany. He was introduced to ci ...

who had directed him in Holland. Koster was at Universal and Dorn made three films for that studio: '' Enemy Agent'' (1940), ''

Ski Patrol Ski patrols are organizations that provide medical, rescue, and hazard prevention services to the injured in ski area boundaries, or sometimes beyond into backcountry settings. Many have technical-medical certifications, such as Outdoor Emergen ...

'' (1940), and ''

Diamond Frontier ''Diamond Frontier'' is a 1940 American adventure film directed by Harold D. Schuster and starring Victor McLaglen, John Loder and Anne Nagel. It was based on the story ''A Modern Monte Cristo'' by Stanley Rubin and Edmund L. Hartmann. The film ...

'' (1940). Dorn went over to MGM where he had support roles in ''

Escape Escape or Escaping may refer to: Computing * Escape character, in computing and telecommunication, a character which signifies that what follows takes an alternative interpretation ** Escape sequence, a series of characters used to trigger some so ...

'' (1940) and ''

Ziegfeld Girl Ziegfeld Girls were the chorus girls and showgirls from Florenz Ziegfeld's theatrical Broadway revue spectaculars known as the '' Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), in New York City, which were based on the Folies Bergère of Paris. Desc ...

'' (1941). Warners borrowed him to play the lead in ''

Underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground ...

'' (1941). At MGM he had a support in ''

Tarzan's Secret Treasure ''Tarzan's Secret Treasure'' is a 1941 Tarzan film directed by Richard Thorpe. Based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, it is the fifth in the MGM ''Tarzan'' series to star Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan. Original print ...

'' (1941) and they put him in a

Dr. Kildare Dr. James Kildare is a fictional American medical doctor, originally created in the 1930s by the author Frederick Schiller Faust under the pen name Max Brand. Shortly after the character's first appearance in a magazine story, Paramount Pictur ...

film, ''Born to be Bad'', that had to be reshot when star

Lew Ayres Lewis Frederick Ayres III (December 28, 1908 – December 30, 1996) was an American actor whose film and television career spanned 65 years. He is best known for starring as German soldier Paul Bäumer in the film '' All Quiet on the Western Fr ...

was fired due to being a conscientious objector. Dorn replaced him as a new doctor and the film was called ''

Calling Dr. Gillespie ''Calling Dr. Gillespie'' is a 1942 drama film directed by Harold S. Bucquet, starring Lionel Barrymore, Donna Reed and Philip Dorn. This was a continuation of the series that had starred Lew Ayres as Dr. Kildare. Ayres, however, had declared c ...

'' (1942). He had a support part in ''

Random Harvest ''Random Harvest'' is a novel written by James Hilton, first published in 1941. Like previous Hilton works, including '' Lost Horizon'' and '' Goodbye, Mr. Chips'', the novel was immensely popular, placing second on ''Publishers Weekly'' li ...

'' (1942) and was third billed in ''

Reunion in France ''Reunion in France'' is a 1942 American war film distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Joan Crawford, John Wayne, and Philip Dorn in a story about a woman in occupied France who, learning her well-heeled lover has German connections, aids ...

'' (1942).

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

gave him the lead role in ''

Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas ''Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas'' is a war film made by Twentieth Century Fox in 1943. The film starred Philip Dorn, Anna Sten, and Martin Kosleck. The film was originally titled ''The Seventh Column''. It was directed by Louis King and i ...

'' (1943), playing Draža Mihailović. That studio kept him on to star in '' Paris After Dark'' (1943). At Warner Bros he was fourth billed in ''

Passage to Marseille ''Passage to Marseille'', also known as ''Message to Marseille'', is a 1944 American war film made by Warner Brothers, directed by Michael Curtiz. The screenplay was by Casey Robinson and Jack Moffitt from the novel ''Sans Patrie'' (''Men Withou ...

'' (1944). MGM gave him the lead in a B, '' Blonde Fever'' (1944). At Warners he starred in '' Escape in the Desert'' (1945), a remake of ''The Petrified Forest'' replacing

Zachary Scott Zachary Scott (February 21, 1914 – October 3, 1965)Obituary '' Variety'', October 6, 1965. was an American actor who was known for his roles as villains and "mystery men". Early life Scott was born in Austin, Texas, the son of Sallie L ...

. At Republic, Dorn had the lead in ''

I've Always Loved You ''I've Always Loved You'' is a 1946 American drama musical film produced and directed by Frank Borzage and written by Borden Chase. The film stars Philip Dorn, Catherine McLeod, William Carter, Maria Ouspenskaya, Felix Bressart and Elizabeth ...

'' (1946), an expensive musical. In 1946, he appeared onstage with

Claire Trevor Claire Trevor ( Wemlinger; March 8, 1910April 8, 2000) was an American actress. She appeared in 65 feature films from 1933 to 1982, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ''Key Largo'' (1948), and received nomina ...

in ''The Big Two''. He was going to feature in ''

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

'' but had to pull out when he fell ill with pneumonia. He appeared in '' I Remember Mama'' (1948) at RKO, then did ''

The Fighting Kentuckian ''The Fighting Kentuckian'' is a 1949 American Adventure Western film written and directed by George Waggner and starring John Wayne, who also produced the film. The supporting cast featured Vera Ralston; Philip Dorn; Oliver Hardy (of Laurel & ...

'' (1949) with John Wayne at Republic. He had supporting roles in '' Spy Hunt'' (1950) at Universal and '' Sealed Cargo'' (1951) at RKO.

Return to Germany

Back in Germany, Dorn starred in '' Behind Monastery Walls'' (1952), '' Towers of Silence'' (1952), '' Dreaming Lips'' (1953) and '' Salto Mortale'' (1953).

Personal life

Dorn suffered from

phlebitis Phlebitis (or Venitis) is inflammation of a vein, usually in the legs. It most commonly occurs in superficial veins. Phlebitis often occurs in conjunction with thrombosis and is then called thrombophlebitis or superficial thrombophlebitis. Unlike ...

, requiring surgery and causing a number of strokes. After an accident on stage, he retired in 1965 and spent the next 10 years of his life in his home in California."Philip Dorn, Film Actor, Dies; Co-Star in 'I Remember Mama'", ''New York Times'', 10 May 1975: p. 32. He was married twice. His first wife (from 1921 to 1930) was Cornelia Maria Twilt. His second wife was Dutch actress Marianne van Dam. They were married from 1933 until his death in 1975.

Death

Dorn died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

at the

Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital In physics, motion is the phenomenon in which an object changes its position with respect to time. Motion is mathematically described in terms of displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration, speed and frame of reference to an observer and me ...

Woodland Hills, Los Angeles Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Geography Woodland Hills is in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, which is located east of Ca ...

, California, on 9 May 1975. He was 73 years old. He was survived by his wife and a daughter.

Partial filmography

as Frits van Dongen

*''

Op hoop van zegen '' The Good Hope (''from Dutch: ''Op Hoop van Zegen''; more literally: ''Hoping for the best)'' is a Dutch play written by Herman Heijermans in 1900/1901. It takes place in a fishing village, with the conflict between the fishermen and their em ...

'' (1934) – Geert – haar zoon *'' De Big van het Regiment'' (1935) – Berkhage *'' The Cross-Patch'' or ''De Kribbebijter'' (1935) – Willy *'' Op Stap'' (1935) – George van Reen *''

'' (1936) – John van Laer *'' The Tiger of Eschnapur'' (1938) – Maharadscha von Eschnapur *'' Waltz Melodies'' (1938) or ''Immer wenn ich glücklich bin..!'' – Hans v. Waldenau *'' The Indian Tomb'' (1938) or ''Das indische Grabmal'' – Maharadscha von Eschnapur *''

'' (1938) or ''Verwehte Spuren'' – Dr. Fernand Morot *'' The Jumping Jack'' or ''Der Hampelmann'' (1938) – Peter *''

'' or ''Die Reise nach Tilsit '' (1939) – Endrik Settegast

as Philip Dorn

*'' Enemy Agent'' (1940) – Doctor Jeffry Arnold *''

'' (1940) – Lt. Viktor Ryder *''

'' (1940) – Jan Stafford De Winter *''

'' (1940) – Dr. Ditten *''

'' (1941) – Franz Kolter *''

'' (1941) – Eric Franken *''

'' (1941) – Vandermeer *''

'' (1942) – Dr. John Hunter Gerniede *''

'' (1942) – Dr. Jonathan Benet *''

'' (1942) – Robert Cortot *''

'' (1943) –

Draza Mihailovic Daraza ( sd, درازا) is a word taken from the Persian "Dar-e-raaz" meaning the door to divine secrets. It was once a state consisting of 17000 acres, and is now a village that is also called Daraza Sharif. This village is located near the ...

*'' Paris After Dark'' (1943) – Jean Blanchard *''

'' (1944) – Renault *'' Blonde Fever'' (1944) – Peter Donay *'' Escape in the Desert'' (1945) – Philip Artveld *''

'' (1946) – Leopold Goronoff *'' I Remember Mama'' (1948) – Papa *''

'' (1949) – Col. Georges Geraud *'' Spy Hunt'' (1950) – Paul Kopel *'' Sealed Cargo'' (1951) – Konrad *'' Behind Monastery Walls'' (1952) – Thomas Holinka *'' The Unholy Intruders'' (1952, or ''Hinter Klostermauern'') – Thomas Holinka

as Frits van Dongen

*'' Towers of Silence'' or ''Türme des Schweigens'' (1952) – Captain de Vries *'' Dreaming Lips'' or ''Der träumende Mund'' (1953) – Michael *'' Salto Mortale'' (1953) – Cadenos (final film role)

Bibliography

* Ingo Schiweck/Hans Toonen '' Maharadscha, Tschetnik, Kriegsheimkehrer : der Schauspieler Frits van Dongen oder Philip Dorn '', Osnabrück 2003. * Hans Toonen "Nederlands Eerste Hollywood-Ster * Leo Deege "From Nazi Occupied Holland to the Jungles of Vietnam-An Immigrant Story, Denver, Colorado, 2015.

References

External links

*
Photographs of Philip Dorn
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorn, Philip 1901 births 1975 deaths Dutch male film actors Dutch male stage actors Male actors from The Hague Dutch expatriates in the United States Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery 20th-century German male actors Expatriate male actors in the United States