Robert Christian Anderson (July 22, 1890 – June 25, 1963) was an American actor of Danish birth who appeared in silent films.

Biography

Anderson was born in Odense, Denmark. He was also a make-up artist and director (of one short). Anderson and

D.W. Griffith David Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 – July 23, 1948) was an American film director. Considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the motion picture, he pioneered many aspects of film editing and expanded the art of the na ...

were the principal makeup artists on Griffith's monumental classic ''

Intolerance Intolerance may refer to: * Hypersensitivity Hypersensitivity (also called hypersensitivity reaction or intolerance) refers to undesirable reactions produced by the normal immune system, including allergies and autoimmunity. They are usual ...

''. He later appeared in Griffith's

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

propaganda film ''

Hearts of the World ''Hearts of the World'' (also known as ''Love's Struggle'') is a 1918 American silent film, silent World War I propaganda film written, produced and directed by D. W. Griffith. In an effort to change the American public's neutral stance regardin ...

'' (1918). In addition to ''Hearts of the World'' Anderson can be seen today in surviving silent films such as ''

The Heart of Humanity ''The Heart of Humanity'' is a 1918 American silent war propaganda film produced by Universal Pictures and directed by Allen Holubar. The film stars Dorothy Phillips, William Stowell, and Erich von Stroheim. Overview The film "follows the gen ...

'' (1918) another World War I film where he played one of the Patricia brothers. He makes a noteworthy appearance alongside

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

in ''

The Temptress ''The Temptress'' is a 1926 American silent romantic drama film directed by Fred Niblo and starring Greta Garbo, Antonio Moreno, Lionel Barrymore, and Roy D'Arcy. It premiered on October 10, 1926. The film melodrama was based on a novel by ...

'' (1926),

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragedy, ...

's second

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

film. Anderson's is known for his silent film performance as the villain Sebastian in MGM's ''

White Shadows in the South Seas ''White Shadows in the South Seas'' is a 1928 American silent film adventure romance directed by W.S. Van Dyke and starring Monte Blue and Raquel Torres. It was produced by Cosmopolitan Productions in association with MGM and distributed by MGM. ...

'' (1928), lushly filmed in

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...

and the second film to win an Academy Award for cinematography. The film was directed by W.S. "Woody" Van Dyke and starred

Monte Blue Gerard Montgomery Blue (January 11, 1887 – February 18, 1963) was an American film actor who began his career as a romantic lead in the silent era; and for decades after the advent of sound, he continued to perform as a supporting player ...

as the hero. Anderson continued in films a few more years after sound arrived, his last film credit being in 1934. He died in 1963.''Who Was Who on the Screen'' c.1983 3rd edition, by Evelyn Mack Truitt

Selected filmography

References

External links

Robert Anderson at IMDb.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Robert 1890 births 1963 deaths People from Odense American male silent film actors Danish male silent film actors 20th-century Danish male actors Danish emigrants to the United States 20th-century American male actors