Philip Dorn (born Hein van der Niet; 30 September 1901 – 9 May 1975), sometimes billed as Frits van Dongen (his screen name for German films prior to World War II), was a

Dutch American Dutch Americans ( nl, Nederlandse Amerikanen) are Americans of Dutch descent whose ancestors came from the Netherlands in the recent or distant past. Dutch settlement in the Americas started in 1613 with New Amsterdam, which was exchanged with ...

actor who had a career in

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) * Hollywoo ...

. He was best known for portraying the father in the film '' I Remember Mama'' (1948).

Early years

Dorn was born in

Scheveningen Scheveningen is one of the eight districts of The Hague, Netherlands, as well as a subdistrict (''wijk'') of that city. Scheveningen is a modern seaside resort with a long, sandy beach, an esplanade, a pier, and a lighthouse. The beach is ...

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...

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 ...

in 1901 and made his stage début at age 14 in Dutch productions. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in Scheveningen. He served in Queen Wilhelmina's Royal Guards.

Career

Netherlands

Dorn made his debut under the name of Frits van Dongen in '' Op Hoop van Zegen'' (1934) directed by

Alex Benno Alex Benno (2 November 1873 – 2 April 1952) was a Dutch film actor, screenwriter and director of the silent era. He appeared in 15 films between 1913 and 1920. Filmography * ''John Heriot's Wife'' (1920) * '' Schakels'' (1920) * ''Brot ...

. He had lead roles in '' De Big van het Regiment'' (1935), ''

The Cross-Patch ''The Cross-Patch'' ( nl, De Kribbebijter) is a 1935 Dutch film directed by Henry Koster and Ernst Winar. It is based upon the German three-act play "Willis Frau" ("Willy's Wife") by Max Reimann and Otto Schwartz. Plot In a Dutch mansion lives ...

'' (1935), ''

Op Stap '' Op Stap '' is a 1935 Dutch musical comedy film directed by Ernst Winar. Cast * Jan Blok * Frans Boogaers *Heintje Davids ... Mrs. Fortuin *Louis Davids... Piano Tuner * Fien de la Mar ... Bella Ramona * Alex De Meester *Philip Dor ...

'' (1936), and ''

Rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...

'' (1936). He appeared on stage in ''Camille'', ''Ghosts'' and ''Journey's End''. He also toured Java with a theatrical company.

Germany

Dorn moved to Germany where he appeared in '' The Tiger of Eschnapur'' (1938) and its sequel '' The Indian Tomb'' (1938). He was also in ''

Covered Tracks ''Covered Tracks'' (german: Verwehte Spuren) is a 1938 German historical drama film directed by Veit Harlan and starring Kristina Söderbaum, Philip Dorn, and Charlotte Schultz. It was shot at the EFA Studios in Berlin's Halensee and the Bavar ...

'' (1938) and ''

The Journey to Tilsit ''The Journey to Tilsit'' (German: ''Die Reise nach Tilsit'') is a 1939 German drama film directed by Veit Harlan and starring Kristina Söderbaum, Philip Dorn and Anna Dammann. Synopsis Elske faithfully loves her husband Endrik as he is seduced ...

'' (1939).

Hollywood

He moved to

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

in August 1939, just a fortnight before

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 ...

broke out. He went there at the urging of

Henry Koster Henry Koster (born Hermann Kosterlitz, May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988) was a German-born film director. He was the husband of actress Peggy Moran. Early life Koster was born to Jewish parents in Berlin, Germany. He was introduced to ci ...

who had directed him in Holland. Koster was at Universal and Dorn made three films for that studio: ''

Enemy Agent ''Enemy Agent'' is a 1940 American spy thriller film directed by Lew Landers and starring Richard Cromwell, Helen Vinson, and Robert Armstrong.McLaughlin p.325 The supporting cast includes Jack La Rue, Jack Carson, Philip Dorn and Milburn ...

'' (1940), '' Ski Patrol'' (1940), and ''

Diamond Frontier ''Diamond Frontier'' is a 1940 American adventure film directed by Harold D. Schuster and starring Victor McLaglen, John Loder and Anne Nagel. It was based on the story ''A Modern Monte Cristo'' by Stanley Rubin and Edmund L. Hartmann. The film ...

'' (1940). Dorn went over to MGM where he had support roles in ''

Escape Escape or Escaping may refer to: Computing * Escape character, in computing and telecommunication, a character which signifies that what follows takes an alternative interpretation ** Escape sequence, a series of characters used to trigger some s ...

'' (1940) and ''

Ziegfeld Girl Ziegfeld Girls were the chorus girls and showgirls from Florenz Ziegfeld's theatrical Broadway revue spectaculars known as the '' Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), in New York City, which were based on the Folies Bergère of Paris. Desc ...

'' (1941). Warners borrowed him to play the lead in '' Underground'' (1941). At MGM he had a support in '' Tarzan's Secret Treasure'' (1941) and they put him in a Dr. Kildare film, ''Born to be Bad'', that had to be reshot when star

Lew Ayres Lewis Frederick Ayres III (December 28, 1908 – December 30, 1996) was an American actor whose film and television career spanned 65 years. He is best known for starring as German soldier Paul Bäumer in the film ''All Quiet on the Western Fro ...

was fired due to being a conscientious objector. Dorn replaced him as a new doctor and the film was called '' Calling Dr. Gillespie'' (1942). He had a support part in '' Random Harvest'' (1942) and was third billed in '' Reunion in France'' (1942).

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

gave him the lead role in '' Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas'' (1943), playing

Draža Mihailović Dragoljub "Draža" Mihailović ( sr-Cyrl, Драгољуб Дража Михаиловић; 27 April 1893 – 17 July 1946) was a Yugoslav Serb general during World War II. He was the leader of the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Ar ...

. That studio kept him on to star in ''

Paris After Dark ''Paris After Dark'' is a 1943 American war drama film directed by Léonide Moguy and starring George Sanders, Philip Dorn and Brenda Marshall. It portrays the activities of the French resistance in occupied Paris during World War II. The port ...

'' (1943). At Warner Bros he was fourth billed in '' Passage to Marseille'' (1944). MGM gave him the lead in a B, '' Blonde Fever'' (1944). At Warners he starred in ''

Escape in the Desert ''Escape in the Desert'' is a 1945 American drama film directed by Edward A. Blatt and written by Marvin Borowsky and Thomas Job. The film stars Jean Sullivan, Philip Dorn, Irene Manning, Helmut Dantine, Alan Hale, Sr. and Samuel S. Hinds. The f ...

'' (1945), a remake of ''The Petrified Forest'' replacing

Zachary Scott Zachary Scott (February 21, 1914 – October 3, 1965)Obituary '' Variety'', October 6, 1965. was an American actor who was known for his roles as villains and "mystery men". Early life Scott was born in Austin, Texas, the son of Sallie L ...

. At Republic, Dorn had the lead in '' I've Always Loved You'' (1946), an expensive musical. In 1946, he appeared onstage with

Claire Trevor Claire Trevor ( Wemlinger; March 8, 1910April 8, 2000) was an American actress. She appeared in 65 feature films from 1933 to 1982, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ''Key Largo'' (1948), and received nomina ...

in ''The Big Two''. He was going to feature in ''

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

'' but had to pull out when he fell ill with pneumonia. He appeared in '' I Remember Mama'' (1948) at RKO, then did ''

The Fighting Kentuckian ''The Fighting Kentuckian'' is a 1949 American Adventure Western film written and directed by George Waggner and starring John Wayne, who also produced the film. The supporting cast featured Vera Ralston; Philip Dorn; Oliver Hardy (of Laurel & ...

'' (1949) with John Wayne at Republic. He had supporting roles in '' Spy Hunt'' (1950) at Universal and '' Sealed Cargo'' (1951) at RKO.

Return to Germany

Back in Germany, Dorn starred in '' Behind Monastery Walls'' (1952), '' Towers of Silence'' (1952), '' Dreaming Lips'' (1953) and '' Salto Mortale'' (1953).

Personal life

Dorn suffered from

phlebitis Phlebitis (or Venitis) is inflammation of a vein, usually in the legs. It most commonly occurs in superficial veins. Phlebitis often occurs in conjunction with thrombosis and is then called thrombophlebitis or superficial thrombophlebitis. Unlike ...

, requiring surgery and causing a number of

stroke A stroke is a disease, medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemorr ...

s. After an accident on stage, he retired in 1965 and spent the next 10 years of his life in his home in California."Philip Dorn, Film Actor, Dies; Co-Star in 'I Remember Mama'", ''New York Times'', 10 May 1975: p. 32. He was married twice. His first wife (from 1921 to 1930) was Cornelia Maria Twilt. His second wife was Dutch actress Marianne van Dam. They were married from 1933 until his death in 1975.

Death

Dorn died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in

Woodland Hills, Los Angeles Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Geography Woodland Hills is in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, which is located east of Ca ...

, California, on 9 May 1975. He was 73 years old. He was survived by his wife and a daughter.

Partial filmography

as Frits van Dongen

*'' Op hoop van zegen'' (1934) – Geert – haar zoon *'' De Big van het Regiment'' (1935) – Berkhage *''

'' or ''De Kribbebijter'' (1935) – Willy *''

'' (1935) – George van Reen *''

'' (1936) – John van Laer *'' The Tiger of Eschnapur'' (1938) – Maharadscha von Eschnapur *'' Waltz Melodies'' (1938) or ''Immer wenn ich glücklich bin..!'' – Hans v. Waldenau *'' The Indian Tomb'' (1938) or ''Das indische Grabmal'' – Maharadscha von Eschnapur *''

'' (1938) or ''Verwehte Spuren'' – Dr. Fernand Morot *'' The Jumping Jack'' or ''Der Hampelmann'' (1938) – Peter *''

'' or ''Die Reise nach Tilsit '' (1939) – Endrik Settegast

as Philip Dorn

*''

'' (1940) – Doctor Jeffry Arnold *'' Ski Patrol'' (1940) – Lt. Viktor Ryder *''

'' (1940) – Jan Stafford De Winter *''

'' (1940) – Dr. Ditten *''

'' (1941) – Franz Kolter *'' Underground'' (1941) – Eric Franken *'' Tarzan's Secret Treasure'' (1941) – Vandermeer *'' Calling Dr. Gillespie'' (1942) – Dr. John Hunter Gerniede *'' Random Harvest'' (1942) – Dr. Jonathan Benet *'' Reunion in France'' (1942) – Robert Cortot *'' Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas'' (1943) – Draza Mihailovic *''

'' (1943) – Jean Blanchard *'' Passage to Marseille'' (1944) – Renault *'' Blonde Fever'' (1944) – Peter Donay *''

'' (1945) – Philip Artveld *'' I've Always Loved You'' (1946) – Leopold Goronoff *'' I Remember Mama'' (1948) – Papa *''

'' (1949) – Col. Georges Geraud *'' Spy Hunt'' (1950) – Paul Kopel *'' Sealed Cargo'' (1951) – Konrad *'' Behind Monastery Walls'' (1952) – Thomas Holinka *'' The Unholy Intruders'' (1952, or ''Hinter Klostermauern'') – Thomas Holinka

as Frits van Dongen

*'' Towers of Silence'' or ''Türme des Schweigens'' (1952) – Captain de Vries *'' Dreaming Lips'' or ''Der träumende Mund'' (1953) – Michael *'' Salto Mortale'' (1953) – Cadenos (final film role)

Bibliography

* Ingo Schiweck/Hans Toonen '' Maharadscha, Tschetnik, Kriegsheimkehrer : der Schauspieler Frits van Dongen oder Philip Dorn '', Osnabrück 2003. * Hans Toonen "Nederlands Eerste Hollywood-Ster * Leo Deege "From Nazi Occupied Holland to the Jungles of Vietnam-An Immigrant Story, Denver, Colorado, 2015.

References

External links

*
Photographs of Philip Dorn
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorn, Philip 1901 births 1975 deaths Dutch male film actors Dutch male stage actors Male actors from The Hague Dutch expatriates in the United States Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery 20th-century German male actors Expatriate male actors in the United States