Rolf Loer (born Lawrence F. Koehler; 19 January 1892 – 12 October 1964) was an American

film actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

of the

silent era A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

whose career was most prominent in German cinema. He played the character of Phantomas in a series of films, replacing

Erich Kaiser-Titz Heinrich Felix Erich Kaiser-Titz (7 October 1875 – 22 November 1928) was a German stage and film actor. Selected filmography * '' Tales of Hoffmann'' (1916) * '' His Coquettish Wife'' (1916) * '' The Knitting Needles'' (1916) * '' The Night Ta ...

who had previously played the role. Loer was also a violinist who, later in his career, performed with the

Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra The Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded originally as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1903, the Minnesota Orchestra plays most of its concerts at Minneapolis's Orchestra Hall. History Th ...

Origins

He was born January 19, 1892, in

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, Minnesota, as Lawrence F. Koehler to German immigrant parents Friedrich Ernst Georg Koehler, a musician and conductor, and the former Magdalena Obert. His brother was the composer C. Franz Koehler. Showing promise in the violin, his father sent him to Germany to study at the

Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory The Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory () was a music institute in Berlin, established in 1893, which for decades (until 1960) was one of the most internationally renowned schools of music. It was formed from the existing schools of music of Xaver ...

under the guidance of Arrigio Serato in 1909. He remained there to pursue his studies through the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Death

He returned to the United States prior to the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He first played as violinist at the

, then moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, where he gave private lessons."Violin Lessons to be Given in New Pfalz", ''New Pfalz Independent & Times'', Sep. 9, 1953, p. 6 He died in

Jackson Heights Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the northwestern part of the borough of Queens in New York City. Jackson Heights is neighbored by North Corona to the east, Elmhurst to the south, Woodside to the west, and today northern Astoria ( Ditm ...

, New York, on October 12, 1964. He is buried at the Flushing Cemetery.

Selected filmography

* ''

The Lady in the Car ''The Lady in the Car'' (German: ''Die Dame im Auto'') is a 1919 German silent crime film directed by Adolf Gärtner.Bock & Bergfelder p.167 It was one of a series of films featuring Rolf Loer as Phantomas. Cast In alphabetical order * Rolf L ...

'' (1919) * '' The Double Face'' (1920) * '' The Man in the Fog'' (1920) * ''

Professor Larousse ''Professor Larousse'' is a 1920 German silent crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine w ...

'' (1920) * ''

Destiny Destiny, sometimes also called fate (), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often used interchangeably, the words ''fate'' and ''destiny'' ...

'' (1925)

References

Bibliography

* Soister, John T. ''Conrad Veidt on Screen: A Comprehensive Illustrated Filmography''. McFarland, 2002.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Loer, Rolf 1892 births 1964 deaths American expatriates in Germany American classical violinists German classical violinists American people of German descent Burials at Flushing Cemetery 20th-century American male musicians