Roland Varno (March 15, 1908 – May 24, 1996) was an American character actor from

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Net ...

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 ...

. Varno's father was a tea planter, Martin Fredrick Vuerhard, and his mother was a concert pianist. Although they hoped for him to have a military career, he began acting when he was 16 years old, the youngest member of the royal Dutch theater at that time. After he graduated from college in Leyden, he traveled and continued to study dramatics. He went to Hollywood after a talent scout for MGM saw him in a German film in 1931. Varno worked in vaudeville, performing and designing scenery. He appeared in dozens of films in the 1930s and 1940s. During

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Varno served in the

Office of Strategic Services The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the intelligence agency of the United States during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for all branc ...

, the predecessor to the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

.Dutch actor Roland Varno retired to Ajijic after a glittering Hollywood career
www.lakechapalaartists.com. Retrieved October 28, 2021. Varno also appeared on TV series including '' Space Patrol'', ''

the Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok ''The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok'' is an American Western television series that ran for eight seasons from April 15, 1951, through September 24, 1958. The Screen Gems series began in syndication, but ran on CBS from June 5, 1955, through 19 ...

'' and ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was o ...

''. Born Jacob Frederik Vuerhard, he was the father of Martin Varno, author of the 1958

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

film ''

Night of the Blood Beast ''Night of the Blood Beast'' is a 1958 American science-fiction horror film about a team of scientists who are stalked by an alien creature, which implants its embryos in an astronaut's body during a space flight. Produced by exploitation filmmak ...

''. He was married to Elizabeth Alderson. They also had a daughter, Jillian Mariana. Varno died on May 24, 1996 in

Lancaster, California Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the Antelope Valley of the western Mojave Desert in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 173,516, making Lancaster the 153rd largest city in the United ...

Partial filmography

* '' The First Kiss'' (1928) - Swimmer (film debut, uncredited) * ''Ein kleiner Vorschuß auf die Seligkeit'' (1929) - Eton boy * ''Zwischen vierzehn und siebzehn - Sexualnot der Jugend'' (1929) - Child * ''

Tragedy of Youth ''Tragedy of Youth'' (German: ''Jugendtragödie'') is a 1929 German silent drama film directed by Adolf Trotz and starring Roland Varno, Eva Speyer and Jaro Fürth. The son of a washerwoman is sent to a reform school for a minor crime, but br ...

'' (1929) - Peter * ''

The Blue Angel ''The Blue Angel'' (german: Der blaue Engel) is a 1930 German musical comedy-drama film directed by Josef von Sternberg, and starring Marlene Dietrich, Emil Jannings and Kurt Gerron. Written by Carl Zuckmayer, Karl Vollmöller and Rober ...

'' (1930) - Gymnasiast Lohmann / Pupil * '' The Man in Search of His Murderer'' (1931) * ''

Arsène Lupin Arsène Lupin (French pronunciation: ʁsɛn lypɛ̃ is a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created in 1905 by French writer Maurice Leblanc. The character was first introduced in a series of short stories serialized in the magazi ...

'' (1932) - Jean Moucante (uncredited) * '' As You Desire Me'' (1932) - Albert * ''

Private Jones ''Private Jones'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Russell Mack and written by Prescott Chaplin, Bill Cohen, George Jessel, William N. Robson and Sam Spewack. The film, which stars Lee Tracy, Gloria Stuart, Donald Cook, Emma ...

'' (1933) - Lt. Brinkerhoff (uncredited) * ''

Malle Gevallen '' Malle Gevallen '' is a 1934 Dutch film directed by Jaap Speyer Jaap Speyer (1891–1952) was a Dutch film director. He was married to the German actress Mia Pankau. Selected filmography * '' Hedda's Revenge'' (1919) * '' Entblättert ...

'' (1934) - Student Boy * ''Het meisje met den blauwen hoed'' (1934) - Daantje * '' Three Live Ghosts'' (1936) - German Corporal (uncredited) * '' Sins of Man'' (1936) - Consul Clerk (uncredited) * '' Quality Street'' (1937) - Ens. Blades (uncredited) * '' The Woman I Love'' (1937) (uncredited) * ''

The Emperor's Candlesticks ''The Emperor's Candlesticks'' is an 1899 historical novel by Baroness Orczy. Written soon after the birth of her son John, it is her first book as an author rather than translator and was a commercial failure. As in the Scarlet Pimpernel, the ...

'' (1937) - Czar's Officer (uncredited) * ''

Conquest Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms. Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, ...

'' (1937) - Staos (uncredited) * '' The Great Waltz'' (1938) - Orderly (uncredited) * ''

Gunga Din "Gunga Din" () is an 1890 poem by Rudyard Kipling set in British India. The poem is much remembered for its final line: "You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din". Background The poem is a rhyming narrative from the point of view of a Briti ...

'' (1939) - Lt. Markham (uncredited) * ''

Balalaika The balalaika (russian: link=no, балала́йка, ) is a Russian stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular wooden, hollow body, fretted neck and three strings. Two strings are usually tuned to the same note and the thir ...

'' (1939) - Lt. Nikitin * ''

The Fighting 69th ''The Fighting 69th'' is a 1940 American war film starring James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, and George Brent. The plot is based upon the actual exploits of New York City's 69th Infantry Regiment during World War I. The regiment was given that ni ...

'' (1940) - German Officer (uncredited) * ''

Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islan ...

'' (1940) - Reporter (uncredited) * ''

Three Faces West ''Three Faces West'' is a 1940 American drama film directed by Bernard Vorhaus and starring John Wayne, Sigrid Gurie and Charles Coburn. The film, mainly set in North Dakota was one of a handful of overtly anti-Nazi films produced by Hollywood ...

'' (1940) - Dr. Eric Von Scherer * ''

Mystery Sea Raider ''Mystery Sea Raider'' is a 1940 American drama war film directed by Edward Dmytryk and starring Carole Landis, Henry Wilcoxon and Onslow Stevens. Plot A woman (Carole Landis) and a U.S. captain (Henry Wilcoxon) foil a German spy's (Onslow Stev ...

'' (1940) - Lt. Schmidt * '' Underground'' (1941) - Ernst Demmler * ''

Our Wife Our Wife may refer to: * Our Wife (1931 film) ''Our Wife'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Hal Roach comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy. It was directed by James W. Horne and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Plot Oliver is making plans to be ma ...

'' (1941) - Steward (uncredited) * ''

The Devil Pays Off ''The Devil Pays Off'' is a 1941 American spy film directed by John H. Auer. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Recording ( Charles L. Lootens). Plot The former naval lieutenant Chris Waring is awakened by the police la ...

'' (1941) - Ship's Doctor * '' The Corsican Brothers'' (1941) - De Revenau's Friend at Opera (uncredited) * ''

Paris Calling ''Paris Calling'' is a 1941 war film noir directed by Edwin L. Marin and starring Randolph Scott, Elisabeth Bergner, and Basil Rathbone. Plot Cast * Elisabeth Bergner as Marianne Jannetier * Randolph Scott as Lt. Nicholas 'Nick' Jordan * Basi ...

'' (1941) - German Pilot (uncredited) * ''

Nazi Agent ''Nazi Agent'' is a 1942 American spy film directed by Jules Dassin, in his first feature-length film for MGM. It stars Conrad Veidt playing identical twins, one loyal to the United States (U.S.), the other a dedicated German Nazi. Plot The U.S ...

'' (1942) - Bauer (uncredited) * ''

To Be or Not to Be To Be or Not to Be may refer to: * ''To be, or not to be'', the soliloquy from ''Hamlet''. Films and TV, theatre and books * ''To Be or Not to Be'' (1942 film), directed by Ernst Lubitsch * ''To Be or Not to Be'' (1983 film), a remake produced ...

'' (1942) - Pilot (uncredited) * '' Eagle Squadron'' (1942) - Aide-de-camp (uncredited) * ''

I Married an Angel ''I Married An Angel'' is a 1938 musical comedy by Rodgers and Hart. It was adapted from a play by Hungarian playwright János Vaszary, entitled ''Angyalt Vettem Felesegul''. The book was by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, with music by Rodge ...

'' (1942) - Man (uncredited) * '' Desperate Journey'' (1942) - Unteroffizier (uncredited) * ''

Valley of Hunted Men ''Valley of Hunted Men'' is a 1942 American Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by John English and starring Bob Steele, Tom Tyler, and Jimmie Dodd. Cast * Bob Steele as Tucson Smith * Tom Tyler as Stony Brooke * Jimmie Dodd as L ...

'' (1942) - Carl Baum * '' Hitler's Children'' (1943) - Lieutenant S.A. (uncredited) * ''

Edge of Darkness ''Edge of Darkness'' is a British television drama serial produced by BBC Television in association with Lionheart Television International and originally broadcast in six 55-minute episodes in late 1985. A mixture of crime drama and politica ...

'' (1943) - German Lieutenant (uncredited) * ''

Action in the North Atlantic ''Action in the North Atlantic'', also known as ''Heroes Without Uniforms'', is a 1943 American black-and-white war film from Warner Bros. Pictures, produced by Jerry Wald, directed by Lloyd Bacon, that stars Humphrey Bogart and Raymond Massey as ...

'' (1943) - Gunnery Captain (uncredited) * ''

Hostages A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized, such as a relative, employer, law enforcement or government to act, or r ...

'' (1943) - Jan Pavel * ''

The Return of the Vampire ''The Return of the Vampire'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by Lew Landers and starring Bela Lugosi, Frieda Inescort, Nina Foch, Miles Mander, Roland Varno, and Matt Willis. Its plot follows a vampire named Armand Tesla, who has two en ...

'' (1943) - John Ainsley * ''

Women in Bondage ''Women in Bondage'' is a 1943 World War II film about conditions for women under Hitler's regime directed by Steve Sekely and starring Gail Patrick and Nancy Kelly. The plot involves two women imprisoned for speaking out against the government. ...

'' (1943) - Ernest Bracken * ''

Our Hearts Were Young and Gay ''Our Hearts Were Young and Gay'' is a book by actress Cornelia Otis Skinner and journalist Emily Kimbrough, published in 1942. The book presents a description of their European tour in the 1920s, when they were fresh out of college from Bryn M ...

'' (1944) - Pierre Cambouille (uncredited) * ''

The Unwritten Code ''The Unwritten Code'' is a 1944 American drama film directed by Herman Rotsten and written by Leslie T. White and Charles Kenyon. The film stars Ann Savage, Tom Neal, Roland Varno, Howard Freeman, Mary Currier and Bobby Larson. The film was re ...

'' (1944) - Cpl. Karl Richter * ''

Betrayal from the East ''Betrayal from the East'' is a 1945 American spy drama film starring Lee Tracy and Nancy Kelly. The film was directed by William A. Berke and based on the book ''Betrayal from the East: The Inside Story of Japanese Spies in America'' by Alan ...

'' (1945) - Kurt Guenther * '' The Master Key'' (1945, Serial) - Arnold Hoffman - aka Hoff, M-3 * '' Three's a Crowd'' (1945) - Ronald Drew * '' Paris Underground'' (1945) - Lieutenant Commander Stowe (uncredited) * ''

My Name Is Julia Ross ''My Name Is Julia Ross'' is a 1945 American gothic film noir directed by Joseph H. Lewis, and starring Nina Foch, Dame May Whitty, and George Macready. Its plot follows a young woman in England who is hired as a live-in secretary for an ailing ...

'' (1945) - Dennis Bruce * ''

Follow That Woman ''Follow That Woman'' is a 1945 crime film starring William Gargan, Nancy Kelly, and Regis Toomey. The movie was directed by Lew Landers. Plot summary Nancy spends the evening with her boyfriend at the Downtown Club, a notorious hangout for me ...

'' (1945) - Minor Role * ''

Flight to Nowhere ''Flight to Nowhere'' is a 1946 American film noir crime film directed by William Rowland and stars Alan Curtis (American actor), Alan Curtis and Evelyn Ankers. ''Flight to Nowhere'' was one of the first postwar productions to deal with the atom ...

'' (1946) - James Van Bush * '' Scared to Death'' (1947) - Ward Van Ee * ''

Letter from an Unknown Woman ''Letter from an Unknown Woman'' (german: Brief einer Unbekannten) is a novella by Stefan Zweig. Published in 1922, it tells the story of an author who, while reading a letter written by a woman he does not remember, gets glimpses into her life ...

'' (1948) - Stefan's Second (uncredited) * '' Act of Violence'' (1949) - German (voice, uncredited) * '' Battleground'' (1949) - German Lieutenant (uncredited) * ''

Mask of the Avenger ''Mask of the Avenger'' is a 1951 American historical adventure film directed by Phil Karlson starring John Derek, Anthony Quinn and Jody Lawrance. Derek portrays Renatu Dimorna, the son of an Italian aristocrat, who vows revenge after his fathe ...

'' (1951) - Lieutenant (uncredited) * ''

Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok ''The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok'' is an American Western television series that ran for eight seasons from April 15, 1951, through September 24, 1958. The Screen Gems series began in syndication, but ran on CBS from June 5, 1955, through 195 ...

'' (1951-1952, TV Series) - Cleary / Clem (uncredited) * ''

Back at the Front ''Back at the Front'' (titled ''Willie and Joe in Tokyo'' in the UK) is a 1952 American comedy film directed by George Sherman and starring Tom Ewell, Harvey Lembeck and Mari Blanchard, very loosely based on the characters ''Willie and Joe'' by B ...

'' (1952) - Smuggler Vishmirov (uncredited) * '' Dangerous Assignment'' (1952) - Manter/Bela (uncredited) * '' Space Patrol'' (1952-1953, TV Series) - Doc / Dr. S. Buehl (uncredited) * '' The Mad Magician'' (1954) - Master of Ceremonies (uncredited) * '' Topper'' (1954, TV Series) - Matre'd (uncredited) * ''Public Defender'' (1954, TV Series) - George Morgan * '' Cavalcade of America'' (1954) - Captain Von Holst * ''

Jump Into Hell ''Jump into Hell'' is a 1955 war film directed by David Butler. The film stars Jacques Sernas and Kurt Kasznar. As the first Hollywood film based on the war in French Indochina, the story is a fictionalized account of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. ...

'' (1955) - Col. Lonjunier (uncredited) * ''Crusader'' (1955, TV Series) - MVD Man * '' You Are There'' (1956, TV Series) - Lt. Gerhardt * '' Science Fiction Theatre'' (1956, TV Series) - Scientist * ''

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

'' (1957) - Mr. Florian (final film) * ''

'' (1959, TV Series) - Rolfe Berne (final appearance)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Varno, Roland 1908 births 1996 deaths 20th-century American male actors Actors from Utrecht (city) American military personnel of World War II American male film actors Dutch emigrants to the United States Dutch male film actors People of the Office of Strategic Services