Fred Kohler
Encyclopedia
Fred Kohler was an American actor known for his "heavy" style of character.
. As a teen, he began to pursue a career in vaudeville
, but worked other jobs to support himself. He lost part of his right hand in a mining accident during this time. Eventually he was able to join a touring company, and worked steadily in show business for several years.
As with many actors of his day, America's budding film industry drew a 20-something Kohler to Hollywood
, where he made his start in silent film
s. His first role was in the 1911 short The Code of Honor, and he had an uncredited role in 1917's Joan the Woman, but a steady stream of parts did not begin until 1919's The Tiger's Trail. Kohler's imposing 6-foot physique and stern features earned him a niche playing villains. His 1924 role as Bauman in The Iron Horse
is a notable example. With the advent of the talkies
, Kohler reprised many of his silent roles in remakes with sound, particularly in Westerns based on novels by Zane Gray.
In 1929 he appeared in the Allen Dwan film Tide of Empire
alongside Renee Adoree
and another rugged cowboy Tom Keene.
on October 28, 1938 at age 50. Sadly, decades after Fred Kohler' death, he lies in an unmarked grave at Inglewood Park Cemetery
in South Los Angeles
community of Inglewood, California
.
Career
Fred Kohler was born in Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. As a teen, he began to pursue a career in vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
, but worked other jobs to support himself. He lost part of his right hand in a mining accident during this time. Eventually he was able to join a touring company, and worked steadily in show business for several years.
As with many actors of his day, America's budding film industry drew a 20-something Kohler to Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, where he made his start in silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
s. His first role was in the 1911 short The Code of Honor, and he had an uncredited role in 1917's Joan the Woman, but a steady stream of parts did not begin until 1919's The Tiger's Trail. Kohler's imposing 6-foot physique and stern features earned him a niche playing villains. His 1924 role as Bauman in The Iron Horse
The Iron Horse (film)
The Iron Horse is a silent film directed by John Ford in 1924. It was produced by Fox Film. -Synopsis:The film presents an idealized image of the construction of the American first transcontinental railroad. It culminates with the scene of driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit on May...
is a notable example. With the advent of the talkies
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
, Kohler reprised many of his silent roles in remakes with sound, particularly in Westerns based on novels by Zane Gray.
In 1929 he appeared in the Allen Dwan film Tide of Empire
Tide of Empire
Tide of Empire is an American western film directed by Allan Dwan. The film stars Renee Adoree and Tom Keene. The film was originally slated to star Joan Crawford in the female lead, but the final filming had Renee Adoree instead of Crawford...
alongside Renee Adoree
Renée Adorée
Renée Adorée was a French actress who had appeared in Hollywood silent movies during the 1920s.-Early life:...
and another rugged cowboy Tom Keene.
Death
Kohler died of a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on October 28, 1938 at age 50. Sadly, decades after Fred Kohler' death, he lies in an unmarked grave at Inglewood Park Cemetery
Inglewood Park Cemetery
Inglewood Park Cemetery was founded in 1905 in Inglewood, California. A number of notable people, including entertainment and sports personalities, have been interred or entombed here.-List of notable and celebrity interments at Inglewood Park:...
in South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
community of Inglewood, California
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
.
Selected filmography
- Joan the WomanJoan the WomanJoan the Woman is a 1916 silent drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Geraldine Farrar as Joan of Arc.It was the first film to use the Handschiegl Color Process for certain scenes...
(19171917 in filmThe year 1917 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*Foundation of Universum Film AG , as a propaganda film company, in Berlin.*Technicolor System 1, a two-color process, is introduced...
) - The Tiger's TrailThe Tiger's TrailThe Tiger's Trail is a 1919 adventure film serial starring Ruth Roland, directed by Robert Ellis, Louis J. Gasnier and Paul Hurst.-Plot:A cult of Hindu Tiger Worshippers and a gang of Western outlaws outlaws attempt to cheat Belle Boyd out of the valuable mine that she has inherited from her...
(19191919 in filmThe year 1919 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 5 - Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith launch United Artists...
) - Perils of the YukonPerils of the YukonPerils of the Yukon is a 1922 Northern film serial directed by Jay Marchant, J. P. McGowan and Perry N. Vekroff. This serial is presumably lost.-Cast:* William Desmond - Jack Merrill Sr. / Jack Merrill Jr.* Laura La Plante - Olga...
(19221922 in film-Events:* June 11 - United States première of Robert J. Flaherty's Nanook of the North, the first commercially successful feature length documentary film....
) - With Stanley in AfricaWith Stanley in AfricaWith Stanley in Africa is a 1922 adventure film serial directed by William James Craft and Edward A. Kull. This serial is considered to be a lost film.-Cast:* George Walsh - Henry Morton Stanley* Louise Lorraine* Charles Mason* William Welsh...
(1922) - TrimmedTrimmedTrimmed is a 1922 Western film directed by Harry A. Pollard and featuring Hoot Gibson.-Cast:* Hoot Gibson - Dale Garland* Patsy Ruth Miller - Alice Millard* Alfred Hollingsworth - John Millard* Fred Kohler - Young Bill Young...
(1922) - The Flame of LifeThe Flame of LifeThe Flame of Life is a 1923 film starring Priscilla Dean, Robert Ellis, Kathryn McGuire, and Wallace Beery. The movie was written by Elliott J...
(19231923 in film-Events:*April 15 - Lee De Forest demonstrates the Phonofilm sound-on-film system at the Rivoli Theater in New York with a series of short musical films featuring vaudeville performers.-Top grossing films :-Films released in 1923:U.S.A...
) - North of Hudson BayNorth of Hudson BayNorth of Hudson Bay is a 1923 action film directed by John Ford. Approximately 40 minutes of footage still exist.-Cast:* Tom Mix - Michael Dane* Kathleen Key - Estelle McDonald* Jennie Lee - Dane's mother* Frank Campeau - Cameron McDonald...
(1923) - The Iron HorseThe Iron Horse (film)The Iron Horse is a silent film directed by John Ford in 1924. It was produced by Fox Film. -Synopsis:The film presents an idealized image of the construction of the American first transcontinental railroad. It culminates with the scene of driving of the golden spike at Promontory Summit on May...
(19241924 in film-Events:* Entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer Pictures to create Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
) - The Prairie PirateThe Prairie PirateThe Prairie Pirate is a 1925 Western film featuring Harry Carey.-Cast:* Harry Carey - Brian Delaney* Trilby Clark - Teresa Esteban* Lloyd Whitlock - Howard Steele* Robert Edeson - Don Esteban* Fred Kohler - Aguilar...
(19251925 in film-Events:*November 5: The Big Parade holds its Grand Premier*December 30: premier of Ben-Hur the most expensive silent film ever made costing 4-6 million dollars -Top grossing films :...
) - The Bar-C MysteryThe Bar-C MysteryThe Bar-C Mystery is a 1926 Western film serial directed by Robert F. Hill. It is now considered to be lost.-Cast:* Dorothy Phillips - Jane Cortelyou* Wallace MacDonald - Nevada* Ethel Clayton - Mrs...
(19261926 in film-Events:*August - Warner Brothers debuts the first Vitaphone film, Don Juan. The Vitaphone system used multiple 33⅓ rpm disc records developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories and Western Electric to play back audio synchronized with film....
) - Old Ironsides (19261926 in film-Events:*August - Warner Brothers debuts the first Vitaphone film, Don Juan. The Vitaphone system used multiple 33⅓ rpm disc records developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories and Western Electric to play back audio synchronized with film....
) - UnderworldUnderworld (1927 film)Underworld is a 1927 silent crime film directed by Josef von Sternberg.-Plot:Boisterous gangster kingpin Bull Weed rehabilitates his former lawyer from his alcoholic haze, but complications arise when he falls for Weed's girlfriend.-Cast:* George Bancroft as "Bull" Weed* Evelyn Brent as "Feathers"...
(19271927 in film-Events:*January 10 - Fritz Lang's science-fiction fantasy Metropolis premieres in Germany.*April 7 - Abel Gance's Napoleon often considered his best known and greatest masterpiece, premiers at the Paris Opéra and would demonstrate techniques and equipment that would not be used for years to...
) - The Blood ShipThe Blood ShipThe Blood Ship is a 1927 silent drama film directed by George B. Seitz. The seventh and final reel of the film is missing.-Cast:* Hobart Bosworth as Jim Newman* Jacqueline Logan as Mary Swope Newman* Richard Arlen as John Shreve...
(1927) - The ShowdownThe Showdown (1928 film)The Showdown is a 1928 silent American drama film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Evelyn Brent.- Cast :* George Bancroft as Cardan* Evelyn Brent as Sibyl Shelton* Neil Hamilton as Wilson Shelton* Fred Kohler as Winter...
(1928) - The Dragnet (1928)
- Tide of EmpireTide of EmpireTide of Empire is an American western film directed by Allan Dwan. The film stars Renee Adoree and Tom Keene. The film was originally slated to star Joan Crawford in the female lead, but the final filming had Renee Adoree instead of Crawford...
(19291929 in film-Events:The days of the silent film are numbered. A mad scramble to provide synchronized sound is on.*January 20 - The movie In Old Arizona is released. The film is the first full-length talking film to be filmed outdoors....
) - Hell's HeroesHell's Heroes (film)Hell's Heroes is a western film, one of many adaptations of Peter B. Kyne's novel The Three Godfathers. Three outlaws, played by Charles Bickford, Raymond Hatton, and Fred Kohler, promise a dying woman they will save her newborn child....
(19301930 in film-Events:* November 1: The Big Trail featuring a young John Wayne in his first starring role is released in both 35mm, and a very early form of 70mm film and was the first large scale big-budget film of the sound era costing over $2 million. The film was praised for its aesthetic quality and realism...
) - Fighting CaravansFighting CaravansFighting Caravans is a lavish 1931 western film starring Gary Cooper and Lili Damita. The movie was directed by Otto Brower and David Burton. Although the film is billed as being based on the novel of the same name by Zane Grey, the stories have little in common. The film was actually written by...
(19311931 in film-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Cimarron - MGM*Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul*Best Actor: Wallace Beery - The Champ*Best Actor: Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
) - Woman HungryWoman Hungry (film)Woman Hungry is a 1931 musical western film photographed entirely in Technicolor. It was based on the play The Great Divide which was written by William Vaughn Moody...
(1931) - Little Man, What Now?Little Man, What Now? (film)Little Man, What Now? is a 1934 drama film directed by Frank Borzage and starring Margaret Sullavan. It is based on the novel of the same name.-Cast:* Margaret Sullavan - Emma 'Lammchen' Pinneberg* Douglass Montgomery - Hans Pinneberg...
(19341934 in film-Events:*January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the L. Frank Baum estate for $40,000.*February 19 - Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade...
) - Horses' CollarsHorses' CollarsHorses' Collars is the fifth short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Synopsis:...
(19351935 in film-Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .*Seven year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.*The Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment started in order to educate the Bantu peoples.-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:...
) - Mississippi (1935)
- The Vigilantes Are ComingThe Vigilantes Are ComingThe Vigilantes Are Coming is a 1936 American Republic film serial. It was the third of the sixty six serials made by Republic Pictures ....
(19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
)