Olaf Holger Axel Fønss (17 October 1882 – 11 March 1949) was a Danish
actor
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
,
director
Director may refer to:
Literature
* ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine
* ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker
* ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty
Music
* Director (band), an Irish rock band
* ''D ...
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
silent film
A silent film is a film without 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, w ...
era.
Career
Fønss' leading role in the 1913 Danish classic ''
Atlantis
Atlantis () is a fictional island mentioned in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and ''Critias'' as part of an allegory on the hubris of nations. In the story, Atlantis is described as a naval empire that ruled all Western parts of the known world ...
'' made his face recognizable to movie fans. It was his role as the artificial creature in the 1916
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
science fiction film series, ''
Homunculus
A homunculus ( , , ; "little person", : homunculi , , ) is a small human being. Popularized in 16th-century alchemy and 19th-century fiction, it has historically referred to the creation of a miniature, fully formed human. The concept has root ...
'', that earned Fønss status as a top matinee idol. In the 1930s, Fønss became politically active by directing two films for Denmark's Socialdemokratiske Parti (Social Democracy Party), ''Den Store Dag'' (1930) and ''Under Den Gamle Fane'' (1932). He was president of the Danish Actor's Union from 1933–1947 and was a censor for the National Film Censor of Denmark for 14 years. Fønss was the older brother of actors Johannes and
Aage Fønss
Aage Fønss (12 December 1887, in Arhus – 30 September 1976) was a Denmark, Danish opera singer and actor. He was the younger brother of actor Johannes Fønss and director/producer Olaf Fønss.
Selected filmography
*''Kapergasten'' – 1910
...
Die Waise von Lowood
''Orphan of Lowood'' (German: ''Die Waise von Lowood'') is a 1926 German silent drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Evelyn Holt, Olaf Fønss and Dina Diercks. It is based on the 1847 British novel ''Jane Eyre'' by Charlotte B ...
'' (1926) ... a.k.a. '' Orphan of Lowood'' (International: English title)
* ''
Lace
Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is split into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...
Fra Piazza del Popolo
Fra is a title of a friar.
Fra or FRA may also refer to:
Codes
* fra, the ISO 639-2 code for the French language
* FRA, the ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 code for France
* FRA, the IOC country code for France at the Olympics
* Framingham station, Amtra ...
Das Unbekannte Morgen
Das or DAS may refer to:
Organizations
* Dame Allan's Schools, Fenham, Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
* Danish Aviation Systems, a supplier and developer of unmanned aerial vehicles.
* Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad, a former Colomb ...
'' (1923) ... a.k.a. ''
The Unknown Tomorrow
''The Unknown Tomorrow'' (German: ''Das unbekannte Morgen'') is a 1923 German silent drama film directed by Alexander Korda
Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; ; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)Das Indische Grabmal: Die Sendung des Yoghi'' (1921) ... a.k.a. ''The Indian Tomb: Part I, the Mission of the Yogi'' (USA: video title)
*'' A Debt of Honour'' (1921)
*''
Der Gang in die Nacht
''Journey into the Night'' () is a 1921 silent German drama film directed by F. W. Murnau. Prints of the film still survive, thus making it the earliest surviving F. W. Murnau film.
Plot
An upright, straight-laced physician, Dr. Eigil Börne ...
'' (1921) ... a.k.a. ''
The Dark Road
''There is No Escape'' (also known as ''The Dark Road'' and ''The Thurston Story'') is a 1948 British second feature ('B') drama film directed by Alfred J. Goulding and starring Farnham Baxter, Cyril Chamberlain, Sydney Bromley and Stanley Thurs ...
Hendes Fortid
Andis (, also Romanized as Andīs; also known as Hendes, Hendīs, Hindis, and Īndes) is a village in Qareh Chay Rural District, in the Central District of Saveh County, Markazi Province, Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of ...
Homunculus
A homunculus ( , , ; "little person", : homunculi , , ) is a small human being. Popularized in 16th-century alchemy and 19th-century fiction, it has historically referred to the creation of a miniature, fully formed human. The concept has root ...
Atlantis
Atlantis () is a fictional island mentioned in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and ''Critias'' as part of an allegory on the hubris of nations. In the story, Atlantis is described as a naval empire that ruled all Western parts of the known world ...