Walter Scott Kolk (May 16, 1905 – December 1, 1993) was an American actor in the 1920s and 1930s. He is most notable for his roles in ''

All Quiet on the Western Front ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' () is a semi-autobiographical novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I. The book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental trauma during the war as well as the detachme ...

'' and ''

Secret Agent X-9 ''Secret Agent X-9'' is a comic strip created by writer Dashiell Hammett ('' The Maltese Falcon'') and artist Alex Raymond ('' Flash Gordon''). Syndicated by King Features, it ran from January 22, 1934, until February 10, 1996. Premise and ...

''. During his years as an entertainer at clubs, he was sometimes billed as Walter Kolk.

Early years

Kolk was born on May 16, 1905, in Baltimore, Maryland, but he considered Maine his home state. He attended Summer Street Grammar School in

South Portland, Maine South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the List of municipalities in Maine, fourth-most populous city in the state, incorporated in 1898. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population wa ...

, Maine, before going bck to Maryland for four years at a military school. His mother was Mrs. Anna E. Kolk, and he had two sisters and a brother.

Career

Kolk was a professional musician before he became an actor. He played drums for orchestras on the Keith Circuit and for Meyer Davis's orchestra and introduced the Black Bottom dance to Washington, D. C., when that orchestra played at Club Chanticleer there. He also was a "favorite singer and entertainer" at the Le Paradis supper club in Washington, and he headed the first revue at the Silver Slipper supper club when it opened in that city. Actress

Marion Davies Marion Davies (born Marion Cecilia Douras; January 3, 1897 – September 22, 1961) was an American actress, producer, screenwriter, and philanthropist. Educated in a religious convent, Davies left the school to pursue a career as a chorus girl ...

saw Kolk perform musically in Venice, Italy, while she was on a tour of Europe. She suggested that he try performing in films, which led him to take screen tests at

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

. As a result of those tests, he was cast in Davies's first sound film. In the early 1930s, Kolk left the film business. He had grown disenchanted with the lifestyle associated with film people and with himself, saying "I got so I couldn't live with myself." He bought a farm in Maine with his savings and lived alone with minimal contact with neighbors. He spent time with the land, including plowing, harvesting, and hunting. About years later, he returned to Hollywood. Kolk's Broadway roles include Lieutenant Dale in ''Take the Air'' (1928) and George Armstrong in ''Baby Pompadour'' (1934). His work in films included having the starring role in the 12-part serial ''

'' (1937).

Death

Kolk died on December 1, 1993, in

Canton, Maine Canton is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Canton is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 1,125 at the 2020 census. Located beside Lake Anasagunticook, Canton is a ...

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kolk, Scott 1905 births 1993 deaths American male film actors Male actors from Baltimore 20th-century American male actors People from Canton, Maine American male stage actors Broadway theatre people