Nils Olaf Chrisander (born Waldemar Olaf Chrisander, 14 February 1884 – 5 June 1947) was a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

actor and film director in the early part of the twentieth century.

Biography

Chrisander's first screen appearances as an actor were in German and Swedish silent films in the mid-1910s. His first motion picture role was in the 1915 Carl Schönfeld-directed German

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 ...

drama ''Um ein Weib''. As an actor, Chrisander is possibly best recalled for starring as "Erik the Phantom" in the now

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

1916 Ernst Matray-directed German adaptation '' Das Phantom der Oper'', based on

Gaston Leroux Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux (6 May 186815 April 1927) was a French journalist and author of detective fiction. In the English-speaking world, he is best known for writing the novel '' The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, ...

's novel ''

The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...

'' opposite Norwegian actress

Aud Egede-Nissen Aud Egede-Nissen (30 May 1893 – 15 November 1974) was a Norwegian actress, director and producer. She appeared in many early 20th-century German silent films. Early life Born in Bergen, Norway in 1893, Egede-Nissen was a daughter of Norwegi ...

. Matray's version is the first film adaptation of Leroux's 1909–1910 serialized novel. In 1917, he appeared opposite the popular Polish film actress

Pola Negri Pola Negri (; born Apolonia Chalupec ; 3 January 1897 – 1 August 1987) was a Polish stage and film actress and singer. She achieved worldwide fame during the silent and golden eras of Hollywood and European film for her tragedienne and femme ...

in her first role in a German production, ''Nicht lange täuschte mich das Glück''. In 1919, he co-directed the German silent film ''Alraune und der Golem'' with actor and director

Paul Wegener Paul Wegener (11 December 1874 – 13 September 1948) was a German actor, writer, and film director known for his pioneering role in German expressionist cinema. Acting career At the age of 20, Wegener decided to end his law studies and conce ...

. After performing in a film serial for director Karl Gerhardt opposite actress Lil Dagover from 1920 to 1921, Chrisander began his career in Germany as a director. In total, he directed three films in Germany, before relocating to the United States where he directed two dramatic films: 1927's ''

Fighting Love ''Fighting Love'' is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by Nils Olaf Chrisander and starring Jetta Goudal, Victor Varconi and Henry B. Walthall. The film survives complete. It is based on the 1925 novel '' If the Gods Laugh'' by the B ...

'', starring

Jetta Goudal Jetta Goudal (, born Julie Henriette Goudeket; July 12, 1891 – January 14, 1985) was a Dutch-American actress, successful in Hollywood films of the silent film era. Early life Goudal was born on July 12, 1891, the daughter of Geertruida (' ...

Victor Varconi Victor Varconi (born Mihály Várkonyi; March 31, 1891 – June 6, 1976) was a Hungarian actor who initially found success in his native country, as well as in Germany and Austria, in silent films, before relocating to the United States, where ...

and

Henry B. Walthall Henry Brazeale Walthall (March 16, 1878 – June 17, 1936) was an American stage and film actor. He appeared as the Little Colonel in D. W. Griffith's ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915). Early life Henry B. Walthall was born March 16, 1878 on a ...

for Cecil B. DeMille Pictures, and that same year, ''

The Heart Thief ''The Heart Thief'' is a 1927 American silent romantic drama film directed by Nils Olaf Chrisander and starring Joseph Schildkraut, Lya De Putti, and Robert Edeson.Bock & Bergfelder, p. 83 Cast * Joseph Schildkraut as Paul Kurt * Lya De Pu ...

'', starring

Joseph Schildkraut Joseph Schildkraut (22 March 1896 – 21 January 1964) was an Austrian-American actor. He won an Oscar for his performance as Captain Alfred Dreyfus in the film ''The Life of Emile Zola'' (1937); later, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for h ...

and Lya De Putti. By 1930, he was living at S. Gramercy Place in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

.Movieland Directory - United States Census, 1930
/ref> He died in 1947 in

Skurup Skurup is a locality Locality may refer to: * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localities (Australia), in which a locality i ...

, Sweden.

Selected filmography

Actor

* '' Das Phantom der Oper'' (1916) * '' The White Roses of Ravensberg'' (1919) * ''

The Hunt for Death ''The Hunt for Death'' (german: Die Jagd nach dem Tode) is a 1920 German silent film directed by Karl Gerhardt (director), Karl Gerhardt and starring Lil Dagover.Expressionism Reassessed p. 93 It was followed by three sequels. The film's art dir ...

'' (1920)

Director

* ''

Alraune und der Golem ''Alraune'' (German language, German for ) is a novel by German novelist Hanns Heinz Ewers published in 1911. It is also the name of the female lead character. The book originally featured illustrations by Ilna Ewers-Wunderwald. Legend The basi ...

'' (1919, co-director) * '' The White Roses of Ravensberg'' (1919) * ''

Death the Victor ''Death the Victor'' (German:''Sieger Tod'') is a 1920 German silent film directed by Nils Olaf Chrisander and starring Uschi Elleot, Werner Krauss and Johannes Riemann. Cast In alphabetical order * Uschi Elleot as Eva * Werner Krauss as Dr. ...

'' (1920) * ''

'' (1927) * ''

'' (1927)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chrisander, Nils Olaf 1884 births 1947 deaths Swedish male film actors Swedish male silent film actors Swedish film directors Male actors from Stockholm 20th-century Swedish male actors