Roderick Ross La Rocque (November 29, 1898 – October 15, 1969) was an American actor.

Biography

La Rocque was born in Chicago, Illinois to Edmund La Rocque and Ann (née Rice) La Rocque. His father was of French-Canadian descent and his mother was of Irish descent. He began appearing in stock theater at the age of seven and eventually ended up at the

Essanay Studios The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an early American motion picture studio. The studio was founded in 1907 in Chicago, and later developed an additional film lot in Niles Canyon, California. Its various stars included Francis X. Bushman, ...

as a teenager in Chicago where he found steady work until the studios closed. He then moved to New York City and worked on the stage until he was noticed by

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmuel Gelbfisz; yi, שמואל געלבפֿיש; August 27, 1882 (claimed) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer. He was best known for being the founding contributor a ...

who took him to Hollywood. Over the next two decades, he appeared in films and made the transition to sound films. Vilma Bánky, Rod La Rocque-no watermark

In 1927, he married Hungarian actress Vilma Bánky in a lavish, highly publicized wedding. They were married until his death in 1969. The couple had no children. He retired from movies in 1941 and became a real estate broker. For his contribution to the film industry, La Rocque was awarded a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

Partial filmography

* ''The Showman'' (1914) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' The Alster Case'' (1915) - Allen Longstreet * ''The Little Shepherd of Bargain Row'' (1916) * ''The Prince of Graustark'' (1916) * ''Efficiency Edgar's Courtship'' (1917) - Wimple * '' Filling His Own Shoes'' (1917) - Dick Downing * ''The Dream Doll'' (1917) - Her Sweetheart * '' Sadie Goes to Heaven'' (1917) - Coal Heaver * '' Uneasy Money'' (1918) - Johnny Gates * '' Ruggles of Red Gap'' (1918) - Belknap Jackson * '' Let's Get a Divorce'' (1918) - Chauffeur * '' The Venus Model'' (1918) - Paul Braddock * ''Money Mad'' (1918) - William Gavin Jr. * '' Hidden Fires'' (1918) - George Landis * '' A Perfect 36'' (1918) - O.P. Dildock * ''A Perfect Lady'' (1918) - Bob Griswold * ''Love and the Woman'' (1919) - Walter Pemberton * '' The Trap'' (1919) - Doc Sloan - the Blackmailer * ''Miss Crusoe'' (1919) - Harold Vance * '' Easy to Get'' (1920) - Dick Elliott * '' The Stolen Kiss'' (1920) - Dudley Hamilt * '' The Garter Girl'' (1920) - Arthur Lyle * ''The Common Sin'' (1920) - Hugh Stanton * ''

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for Cell growth, growth, reaction to Stimu ...

'' (1920) - Tom Burnett * ''The Discarded Woman'' (1920) - Sam Radburn - Gold Digger * '' Paying the Piper'' (1921) - Larry Grahame * ''Suspicious Wives'' (1921) - Bob Standing * ''

Slim Shoulders ''Slim Shoulders'' is a lost 1922 silent film society drama directed by Alan Crosland and starring Irene Castle. Cast * Irene Castle - Naomi Warren *Rod La Rocque Roderick Ross La Rocque (November 29, 1898 – October 15, 1969) was an ...

'' (1922) - Richard Langden * ''

What's Wrong with the Women? ''What's Wrong with the Women?'' is 1922 American silent Jazz Age drama film, directed by Roy William Neill, produced by Daniel Carson Goodman, and starring Wilton Lackaye, Barbara Castleton, and Constance Bennett. It is not known whether ...

'' (1922) - Jack Lee * ''

A Woman's Woman ''A Woman's Woman'' is a 1922 American silent film, silent drama film directed by Charles Giblyn and starring Mary Alden, Dorothy Mackaill and Holmes Herbert.Goble p.1022 Cast * Mary Alden as Densie Plummer * Louise Lee as Harriet Plummer * Dorot ...

'' (1922) - Dean Laddbarry * ''

Notoriety Notorious means well known for a negative trait, characteristic, or action. It may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Notorious'' (1946 film), a thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock * ''Notorious'' (1992 film), a TV film re ...

'' (1922) - Arthur Beal * '' The Challenge'' (1922) - Stanley Roberts * '' Jazzmania'' (1923) - Jerry Langdon * ''

The French Doll ''The French Doll'' is a 1923 American silent comedy drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Mae Murray, Orville Caldwell and Rod La Rocque. It was based on a French-language novel by Paul Armont and Marcel Gerbidon.Goble p.770 ...

'' (1923) - Pedro Carrova * ''

The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ� ...

'' (1923) - Dan McTavish - Her Son * '' Don't Call It Love'' (1923) - Patrick Delaney * ''

Phantom Justice ''Phantom Justice'' is a 1924 American silent crime film directed by Richard Thomas and written by Burnett Manley. The film stars Rod La Rocque, Garry O'Dell, Kathryn McGuire, Frederick Vroom, Lillian Leighton Lillianne Brown Leighton (May ...

'' (1924) - Kingsley * '' A Society Scandal'' (1924) - Daniel Farr * '' Triumph'' (1924) - King Garnet * '' Code of the Sea'' (1924) - Bruce McDow * ''

Feet of Clay Feet of clay is an idiom used to refer to a weakness or character flaw, especially in people of prominence and power. It can also be used to refer to larger groups, such as societies, businesses, and empires. An entity with feet of clay may app ...

'' (1924) - Kerry Harlan * ''

Forbidden Paradise ''Forbidden Paradise'' is a 1924 American silent drama film, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, produced by Famous Players-Lasky, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film is based on a 1922 Broadway play, ''The Czarina'', by Edward Sheldon, who ...

'' (1924) - Capt. Alexei Czerny * ''

The Golden Bed ''The Golden Bed'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It is based on the novel ''Tomorrow's Bread'' by Wallace Irwin. Jeanie MacPherson wrote the screenplay. Plot As described in a review in a film magazine, ...

'' (1925) - Admah Holtz * ''

Night Life of New York ''Night Life of New York'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by Allan Dwan and written by Paul Schofield and Edgar Selwyn. The film stars Rod La Rocque, Ernest Torrence, Dorothy Gish, Helen Lee Worthing, George Hackathorne, and ...

'' (1925) - Ronald Bentley * ''

Wild, Wild Susan ''Wild, Wild Susan'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by A. Edward Sutherland and starring popular Bebe Daniels. Famous Players–Lasky produced and Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film an ...

'' (1925) - Tod Waterbury * '' The Coming of Amos'' (1925) - Amos Burden * '' Braveheart'' (1925) - Braveheart * '' Red Dice'' (1926) - Alan Beckwith * '' Bachelor Brides'' (1926) - Percy Ashfield - Earl of Duncraggan * ''

Gigolo A gigolo () is a male escort or social companion who is supported by a person in a continuing relationship, often living in her residence or having to be present at her beck and call. The term ''gigolo'' usually implies a man who adopts a lifes ...

'' (1926) - Gideon Gory * ''

Cruise of the Jasper B ''Cruise of the Jasper B'' is a 1926 American silent action/adventure comedy film produced by Cecil B. DeMille and directed by James W. Horne. The film is loosely based on the 1916 novel of the same name by American poet Don Marquis, although t ...

'' (1926) - Jerry Cleggett * ''

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, whic ...

'' (1927) - Prince Dimitry Ivanitch Nekhludov * '' The Fighting Eagle'' (1927) - Etienne Gerard * ''

Stand and Deliver ''Stand and Deliver'' is a 1988 American drama film directed by Ramón Menéndez, written by Menéndez and Tom Musca, based on the true story of a high school mathematics teacher, Jaime Escalante. For portraying Escalante, Edward James Olmo ...

'' (1928) - Roger Norman * '' Hold 'Em Yale'' (1928) - Jaime Emmanuel Alvarado Montez * ''

Captain Swagger ''Captain Swagger'' is a 1928 American silent crime drama film directed by Edward H. Griffith and stars Rod La Rocque. The film was produced and distributed by the Pathé Exchange company.

'' (1928) - Captain Swagger / Hugh Drummond * '' Show People'' (1928) - Rod La Rocque (uncredited) * '' Love Over Night'' (1928) - Richard Hill * '' The One Woman Idea'' (1929) - Prince Ahmed * '' The Man and the Moment'' (1929) - Michael Towne * '' Our Modern Maidens'' (1929) - Abbott * '' The Delightful Rogue'' (1929) - Lastro * '' The Locked Door'' (1929) - Frank Devereaux * '' Beau Bandit'' (1930, preserved Library of Congress) - Montero * '' One Romantic Night'' (1930) - Prince Albert * '' Let Us Be Gay'' (1930) - Bob Brown * ''SOS Iceberg'' (1933, English-language version of ''

SOS Eisberg is a Morse code distress signal (), used internationally, that was originally established for maritime use. In formal notation is written with an overscore line, to indicate that the Morse code equivalents for the individual letters of "SOS" ...

'' with

Leni Riefenstahl Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl (; 22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, photographer and actress known for her role in producing Nazi propaganda. A talented swimmer and an artist, Riefenstahl also became in ...

) - Dr. Carl Lawrence * '' Mystery Woman'' (1935) - Jacques Benoit * ''

Hi, Gaucho! ''Hi, Gaucho!'' was a 1935 American comedy film directed by Tommy Atkins (who also wrote the story), from a screenplay by Adele Buffington. Released by RKO Radio Pictures on October 11, 1935, the film stars John Carroll (in his first credited rol ...

'' (1935) - Escurra, aka Captain Garcia * '' Frisco Waterfront'' (1935) - Dan Elliott * ''

Taming the Wild ''Taming the Wild'', also known as ''Madcap'', is a 1936 American Western film directed by Bob Hill for producer Sam Katzman's poverty row studio Victory Pictures and starring Rod La Rocque. Plot Madcap society girl June Bolton has a talent fo ...

'' (1936) - Dick Clayton * '' The Preview Murder Mystery'' (1936) - Neil DuBeck / Joe Walker * '' Till We Meet Again'' (1936) - Carl Schrottle * '' The Drag-Net'' (1936) - Lawrence Thomas Jr. * '' Clothes and the Woman'' (1937) - Eric Thrale * '' The Shadow Strikes'' (1937) - Lamont Granston * '' International Crime'' (1938) - Lamont Cranston * '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (1939) - Phillippe * '' Beyond Tomorrow'' (1940) - Phil Hubert * '' Dr. Christian Meets the Women'' (1940) - Prof. Kenneth Parker * '' Dark Streets of Cairo'' (1941) - Inspector Joachim * '' Meet John Doe'' (1941) - Ted Sheldon (final film role)

References

;Notes ;Bibliography *Schildgen, Rachel A. ''More Than a Dream: Rediscovering the Life & Films of Vilma Banky'' .

External links

* *
Rod La Rocque
at Virtual History
Portraits of Rod La Rocque; NY Public Library, Billy Rose collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:La Rocque, Rod 1898 births 1969 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors Male actors from Chicago American people of French-Canadian descent American people of Irish descent 20th-century American male actors