Frederick Roger Imhof (August 15, 1875 – April 15, 1958) was an American film actor,

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...

performer, sketch writer, and songwriter.

Early years

Imhof was born in

Rock Island, Illinois Rock Island is a city in and the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The original Rock Island, from which the city name is derived, is now called Rock Island Arsenal, Arsenal Island. The popul ...

on April 15, 1875 to Nicholas Imhoff, from Switzerland, and Susan McCluen Imhoff, from Ireland.

Career

Imhof began his career as a clown with the Mills Orton Circus, and as an "Irish" comedian. He "toured in vaudeville and burlesque between 1895 and 1930." By 1897, he was "teamed with Charles Osborne in a comedy contortion and burlesque acrobatics act." Around this time, he dropped an "f" from his last name. In the 1902–1903 season, he first worked with longtime vaudeville partner Hugh Conn, an association that lasted into the 1920s or possibly 1930s. Marcel Corinne (died 1977), sometimes spelled Coreene, joined the act sometime in the 1910s. She and Imhof married in 1913. The trio of Imhof, Conn and Corinne toured in two comic sketches, "The Pest House" and "Surgeon Louder, U.S.A.", the latter "a military comedy" Imhof had written. "The Pest House" was "the most popular and longest running of several sketches starring the portly pair Roger Imhof and Marcel Corinne". According to an October 1920 edition of the ''Oregon Daily Journal'', the sketch involved Imhof playing an Irish peddler who spends a mishap-filled night at an inn. In 1923, he appeared in the Broadway play ''Jack and Jill''. He reportedly invested in Chicago and Los Angeles real estate, but lost most of his money in the stock market and during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. He became involved early on in the nascent

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

film industry, apparently "as a presenter, promoter, or agent". As an actor, he appeared in films from 1932 to 1944, including ''

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

'' (1936), '' Drums Along the Mohawk'' (1939), ''

The Grapes of Wrath ''The Grapes of Wrath'' is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize ...

'' (1940) and '' This Gun for Hire'' (1942). Of the songs he composed, eleven are extant, including the 1906 "Old Broadway". Imhof died on April 15, 1958, and was buried in

Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 10621 Victory Boulevard in North Hollywood and Burbank, California. The cemetery has an entrance called the Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation that is the final resting place for aviation ...

Papers

Collections of his papers and other material are held by the

Green Library The Cecil H. Green Library (commonly known as Green Library) is the main library on the Stanford University campus and is part of the SUL system. It is named for Cecil H. Green. Green Library houses 4 million volumes, most of which are relate ...

br>(Special Collections M0611)
Department of Special Collections, Stanford University, and the Spencer Research Librar
(MS 121)
University of Kansas.

Partial filmography

*'' Me and My Gal'' (1932) - Down and Outer (uncredited) *'' Paddy the Next Best Thing'' (1933) - Micky *''

Charlie Chan's Greatest Case ''Charlie Chan's Greatest Case'' (1933) is an American pre-Code murder mystery film starring Warner Oland as the Oriental detective Charlie Chan. It was based on the Earl Derr Biggers novel ''The House Without a Key'' (1925). Oland made a serie ...

'' (1933) - The Beachcomber *''

Hoop-La ''Hoop-La'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by Frank Lloyd, and starring Clara Bow (in her final film role), Preston Foster, Richard Cromwell and Minna Gombell also in the cast. The film is based on the play ''The Barker'' by Ke ...

'' (1933) - Colonel Gowdy *''

David Harum ''David Harum; A Story of American Life'' is a best-selling novel of 1898 by Edward Noyes Westcott, whose principal legacy is the colloquial use of the term ''horse trading''. Literary significance and criticism Written by retired Syracuse, Ne ...

'' (1934) - Edwards *'' Ever Since Eve'' (1934) - Dave Martin *''Sleepers East'' (1934) - MacGowan *'' Wild Gold'' (1934) - James 'Pop' Benson *''

Grand Canary Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa which is part of Spain. the island had a population of that c ...

'' (1934) - Jimmie Corcoran *'' Handy Andy'' (1934) - Doc Burmeister *'' Judge Priest'' (1934) - Billy Gaynor *''Love Time'' (1934) - Innkeeper *'' Music in the Air'' (1934) - Burgomaster *'' Under Pressure'' (1935) - George Breck *''

One More Spring ''One More Spring'' is a 1935 American comedy drama film about three people, played by Janet Gaynor, Warner Baxter, and Walter Woolf King, living together in a tool room at Central Park as an alternative to being homeless. The film was written by ...

'' (1935) - Mr. Sweeney *'' Life Begins at 40'' (1935) - Pappy Smithers *''

George White's 1935 Scandals ''George White's 1935 Scandals'' is an American musical film, written by Jack Yellen and produced in 1935 by Fox Film Corporation. It was a follow-up to (but not a sequel to) the 1934 release, ''George White's Scandals''. Plot The film centers ...

'' (1935) - Officer Riley (uncredited) *''

The Farmer Takes a Wife ''The Farmer Takes a Wife'' is a 1934 play by Frank B. Elser and Marc Connelly based on the 1929 novel '' Rome Haul'' by Walter D. Edmonds. It was well-received upon its opening night on Broadway on October 30, 1934, at the 46th Street Theatre ...

'' (1935) - Samson 'Sam' Weaver *''

Steamboat Round the Bend ''Steamboat Round the Bend'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by John Ford, released by 20th Century Fox and produced by Fox Film Corporation, based on the 1933 novel of the same name by author Ben Lucien Burman. It was the final film mad ...

'' (1935) - Pappy *'' Riffraff'' (1936) - 'Pops' *'' Three Godfathers'' (1936) - Sheriff *''

Roaming Lady ''Roaming Lady'' is a 1936 American comedy action film directed by Albert S. Rogell and starring Fay Wray, Ralph Bellamy and Thurston Hall.Kinnard & Crnkovich p.147 Main cast * Fay Wray as Joyce Reid * Ralph Bellamy as Daniel S. 'Dan' Bailey * ...

'' (1936) - Captain Murchison *''

'' (1936) - Alaska *''

A Son Comes Home ''A Son Comes Home'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by E.A. Dupont and starring Mary Boland, Julie Haydon and Donald Woods (actor), Donald Woods. It was one of three films made by Dupont for Paramount Pictures.St. Pierre p.23 Plot Partia ...

'' (1936) - Detective Kennedy *''In His Steps'' (1936) - Adams *'' North of Nome'' (1936) - Judge Bridle *'' Red Lights Ahead'' (1936) - Pa Wallace *''

Girl Loves Boy ''Girl Loves Boy'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by W. Duncan Mansfield and written by W. Duncan Mansfield and Carroll Graham. The film stars Eric Linden, Cecilia Parker, Roger Imhof, Dorothy Peterson, Pedro de Cordoba and Bernadene Ha ...

'' (1937) - Charles Conrad *''

Sweetheart of the Navy ''Sweetheart of the Navy'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by W. Duncan Mansfield and written by Carroll Graham. The film stars Eric Linden, Cecilia Parker, Roger Imhof, Bernadene Hayes, Don Barclay and Etta McDaniel. The film was relea ...

'' (1937) - Commander Lodge *''

High, Wide, and Handsome ''High, Wide and Handsome'' is a 1937 American musical Western film starring Irene Dunne, Randolph Scott, Alan Hale, Sr., Charles Bickford and Dorothy Lamour. The film was directed by Rouben Mamoulian and written by Oscar Hammerstein II and Geor ...

'' (1937) - Pop Bowers *'' There Goes the Groom'' (1937) - Hank *'' Every Day's a Holiday'' (1937) - Trigger Mike *'' The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1939) - Judge Logan at Jim's Trial (uncredited) *''

Tell No Tales ''Tell No Tales'' is the third studio album by the Norwegian hard rock band TNT. It was the best-selling TNT album in the U.S., according to their bass guitarist Morty Black. This album diverted from the power metal style of ''Knights of the New ...

'' (1939) - Taxi Driver (uncredited) *'' Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter'' (1939) - Sheriff Barney Riggs *''

They Shall Have Music ''They Shall Have Music'' is a 1939 musical film directed by Archie Mayo and starring famed violinist Jascha Heifetz (as himself), Joel McCrea, Andrea Leeds, and Gene Reynolds. The screenplay concerns a young runaway finds his purpose in life afte ...

'' (1939) - Michael - Deputy (uncredited) *'' No Place to Go'' (1939) - Old Soldier (uncredited) *'' Drums Along the Mohawk'' (1939) - Gen. Nicholas Herkimer *'' Abe Lincoln in Illinois'' (1940) - Mr. Crimmin *''

'' (1940) - Mr. Thomas *'' Little Old New York'' (1940) - John Jacob Astor *''

I Was an Adventuress ''I Was an Adventuress'' is a 1940 American drama film directed by Gregory Ratoff, starring Vera Zorina, Richard Greene, Erich von Stroheim, and Peter Lorre. Actress/ballerina Countess Tanya Vronsky (Vera Zorina) works as decoy for two internati ...

'' (1940) - Henrich Von Korgen *''

The Way of All Flesh ''The Way of All Flesh'' (sometimes called ''Ernest Pontifex, or the Way of All Flesh'') is a semi-autobiographical novel by Samuel Butler that attacks Victorian-era hypocrisy. Written between 1873 and 1884, it traces four generations of the ...

'' (1940) - Franz Henzel *'' Lady with Red Hair'' (1940) - Pat - the Lamplighter (uncredited) *''

Victory The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal Duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitu ...

'' (1940) - Captain Davidson (uncredited) *''

The Lady from Cheyenne ''The Lady from Cheyenne'' is a 1941 American comedy western film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Loretta Young, Robert Preston and Edward Arnold. Plot In the 1860s, after receiving an inheritance a Philadelphia Quaker school teacher h ...

'' (1941) - Uncle Bill *'' Man Hunt'' (1941) - Captain Jensen *'' Mystery Ship'' (1941) - Capt. Randall *'' This Woman is Mine'' (1941) - John Jacob Astor (replaced by Sig Ruman) (uncredited) *'' This Gun for Hire'' (1942) - Senator Burnett *'' It Happened in Flatbush'' (1942) - Mr. Maguire *''

Tennessee Johnson ''Tennessee Johnson'' is a 1942 American film about Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by William Dieterle and written by Milton Gunzburg, Alvin Meyers, John Balderston, and We ...

'' (1942) - Hannibal Hamlin (uncredited) *''

Casanova in Burlesque ''Casanova in Burlesque'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Leslie Goodwins and written by Frank Gill Jr.. The film stars Joe E. Brown, June Havoc, Dale Evans, Marjorie Gateson, Lucien Littlefield and Ian Keith. The film was released o ...

'' (1944) - Joseph M. Kelly Sr. *''

Home in Indiana ''Home in Indiana'' is a 1944 Technicolor film directed by Henry Hathaway. The film, that stars Walter Brennan, Lon McCallister, Jeanne Crain, June Haver and Charlotte Greenwood, is based on the novel ''The Phantom Filly'' by George Agnew Chamber ...

'' (1944) - Roger - Old Timer (uncredited) *''

Wilson Wilson may refer to: People * Wilson (name) ** List of people with given name Wilson ** List of people with surname Wilson * Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender * Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson Ro ...

'' (1944) - Minor Role (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links