Eric Linden (September 15, 1909 – July 14, 1994) was an American actor, primarily active during the 1930s.

Early years

Eric Linden was born in New York City to Phillip and Elvira (née Lundborg) Linden, both of Swedish descent. His father was a professional

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

and an actor on stage with the

Royal Dramatic Theatre The Royal Dramatic Theatre (, colloquially ''Dramaten'') is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's five running stages. The theatre has been at its present lo ...

when he lived in Stockholm, Sweden. When Eric was six, Phillip Linden deserted his family in New York City. To help support his mother, sister and two brothers, he began washing dishes at a cafe after school when he was 7 years old. He also sold newspapers on Tenth Avenue. Linden attended and participated in school plays at

DeWitt Clinton High School DeWitt Clinton High School is a public high school located since 1929 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Opened in 1897 in Lower Manhattan as an all-boys school, it maintained that status for 86 years before becoming co-ed in 1983. From i ...

. After graduation, he worked his way through

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. His first job after graduating from Columbia was being a runner for a bank.

Writing

Linden had ambitions of becoming a writer rather than an actor. By the time he was 22 years old, he had written three plays and 40 short stories, but none had been published. He had hoped to have saved enough money by age 30 to retire from acting and spend his time writing.

Stage

Linden trained with the

Theatre Guild The Theatre Guild is a theatrical society founded in New York City in 1918 by Lawrence Langner, Philip Moeller, Helen Westley and Theresa Helburn. Langner's wife, Armina Marshall, then served as a co-director. It evolved out of the work of ...

for two years and went on to appear on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

in addition to acting in stock theater in

Stockbridge, Massachusetts Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,018 at the 2020 census. A year-round resort area, Stockbridg ...

and acting in Paris, France, with the Paris-American Company. He appeared in an adaption of ''Faust'' on Broadway in 1928. Other stage credits included ''The Silver Cord'', ''The Age of Consent'', ''Life Begins'', ''Sweepings'', and ''Big City Blues''.

Film career

Linden made his film debut during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...

' 1931 crime film, ''

Are These Our Children? ''Are These Our Children?'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by Wesley Ruggles and written by Howard Estabrook. The film stars Eric Linden, Ben Alexander, Beryl Mercer, Mary Kornman, Arline Judge, and Rochelle Hudson. The f ...

'', in which he played a young murderer who gets executed. He afterwards appeared in 33 films until 1941, mostly playing boyish second leads with occasional leading roles in smaller pictures. Eric Linden-Jean Arthur in The Past of Mary Holmes

Eric Linden-Jean Arthur in The Past of Mary Holmes

Linden frequently portrayed "sensitive, intellectual, slightly weak-willed juveniles", sometimes with tragic destinies. His notable films include '' Big City Blues'' (1932) with

Joan Blondell Rose Joan Blondell (August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an American actress who performed in film and television for 50 years. Blondell began her career in vaudeville. After winning a beauty pageant, she embarked on a film career, estab ...

, '' Old Hutch'' (1936) opposite

Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in '' Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in '' Grand Hotel'' (1 ...

, ''

Ah, Wilderness! ''Ah, Wilderness!'' is a comedy play by American playwright Eugene O'Neill that premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on October 2, 1933. It differs from a typical O'Neill play in its happy ending for the central character, and depiction o ...

'' (1935) and '' A Family Affair'' (1937), both with

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blyth; 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) ...

and

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Ninnian Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nearly nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last survivi ...

, and '' The Good Old Soak'' (1937), again with Wallace Beery. In 1939, Linden had a small but memorable role in the hospital in ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind ...

'' (1939) as the desperate soldier whose leg has to be amputated without chloroform; Linden's role was originally planned to be more extensive, but his screen time was reduced to less than a minute in post-production. His career petered out and he left Hollywood after his final role, a leading part in the low-budget-picture '' Criminals Within'' (1941). After Hollywood, Linden returned to stage acting, going on to appear in such plays as '' The Philadelphia Story'', ''

My Sister Eileen ''My Sister Eileen'' is a series of autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKenney, originally published in ''The New Yorker'', which eventually inspired many other works: her 1938 book ''My Sister Eileen'', a My Sister Eileen (play), play, ...

'', and '' Brighton Rock''.

Recognition

Linden has a star at 7098 Hollywood Boulevard in the Motion Pictures section of the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1931) - Edward 'Eddie' Brand * ''

Young Bride ''Young Bride'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by William A. Seiter and written by Garrett Fort, Ralph Murphy and Jane Murfin. The film stars Helen Twelvetrees, Eric Linden, Arline Judge, Roscoe Ates and Polly Walters. The ...

'' (1932) - Charlie Riggs * '' The Crowd Roars'' (1932) - Edward 'Eddie' Greer * '' The Roadhouse Murder'' (1932) - Chick Brian * '' The Age of Consent'' (1932) - Duke Galloway * '' Life Begins'' (1932) - Jed Sutton * '' Big City Blues'' (1932) - Bud Reeves * '' Afraid to Talk'' (1932) - Eddie Martin * '' No Other Woman'' (1933) - Joe Zarcovia * '' The Past of Mary Holmes'' (1933) - Geoffrey Holmes * '' Sweepings'' (1933) - Freddie Pardway * '' The Silver Cord'' (1933) - Robert Phelps * ''

Flying Devils ''Flying Devils'' (a.k.a. ''The Flying Circus'' or ''Flying Circus'') is a 1933 American Pre-Code action film dealing with aviation. The film was directed by former Hollywood agent Russell Birdwell and photographed by film noir cinematographer ...

'' (1933) - Bud Murray * '' I Give My Love'' (1934) - Paul Vadja Jr. - at Age 21 * ''

Let 'Em Have It ''Let 'Em Have It'' is a 1935 American gangster film directed by Sam Wood. The film was also known under the title ''False Faces'' in the United Kingdom and ''The Legion of Valour'' in Australia. Plot An FBI agent tracks down a gang leader. Cast ...

'' (1935) - Buddy Spencer * '' Ladies Crave Excitement'' (1935) - Bob Starke * '' Born to Gamble'' (1935) - Earl Mathews * ''

'' (1935) - Richard Miller * '' The Voice of Bugle Ann'' (1936) - Benjy Davis * '' Robin Hood of El Dorado'' (1936) - Johnnie 'Jack' Warren * '' In His Steps'' (1936) - Tom Carver * '' Old Hutch'' (1936) - David 'Dave' Jolly * ''

Career Woman A career woman is a term which describes a woman whose main goal in life is to create a career for herself. At the time that the term was first used in the 1930s American context, it was specifically used to differentiate between women who either ...

'' (1936) - Everett Clark * '' A Family Affair'' (1937) - Wayne Trent III * ''

Girl Loves Boy ''Girl Loves Boy'' is a 1937 American Drama (film and television), 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 ...

'' (1937) - Robert Conrad * '' The Good Old Soak'' (1937) - Clemmie Hawley * '' Sweetheart of the Navy'' (1937) - Eddie Harris * ''

Here's Flash Casey ''Here's Flash Casey'' is a 1937 American film directed by Lynn Shores and starring Eric Linden and Boots Mallory. Plot Flash Casey is able finally to get the job as photographer at Globe Press. And he would like to marry newspaper woman Kay Lann ...

'' (1938) - Flash Casey * '' Midnight Intruder'' (1938) - John Clark Reitter Jr., posing as Jay Rogers * '' Romance of the Limberlost'' (1938) - Wayne * ''

Everything's on Ice ''Everything's on Ice'' is a 1939 American musical film produced by Sol Lesser for RKO Pictures, directed by Erle C. Kenton and stars six year old Irene Dare, Edgar Kennedy and Lynne Roberts. The film was released on October 6, 1939, and is als ...

'' (1939) - Leopold Eddington * ''

'' (1939) - Amputation Case * '' Criminals Within'' (1941) - Cpl. Greg Carroll (final film role)

References

External links

* *
Eric Linden
at Virtual History

{{DEFAULTSORT:Linden, Eric 1909 births 1994 deaths American male film actors American people of Swedish descent Columbia University alumni 20th-century American male actors DeWitt Clinton High School alumni RKO Pictures contract players Warner Bros. contract players Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players