Lou Tellegen
Lou Tellegen, actually Isadore Louis Bernard van Dommelen (* November 26, 1881 in Sint -Oedenrode, Noord- Brabant, Netherlands, † October 29, 1934 in Hollywood, California, United States), was a Dutch theater and silent film actor and director. He was in the years between 1910 and 1920 one of the greatest stage actor of the United States.
Life
Lou Tellegen was born the son of Bernard and Maria van Dommelen in the southern Netherlands. At age five he had already made his stage debut at age 15 he ran away from home. He returned only because his wealthy father had died and had disinherited him. He traveled all over Europe and then worked in a variety of jobs: he worked in Brussels as a tram driver who was a baker journeyman prizefighter, trapeze artists in Berlin. In Moscow he had for a month in prison, because he had sold fake birth certificates. Finally, he went to Paris and was there the famous artist Auguste Rodin sculpture Eternal spring model. There he met his first wife, who know Countess Jeanne de Bronck, with whom he was married from 1903 to 1905. She made him acquainted with the legendary Sarah Bernhardt and became a part of her ensemble. With the ensemble, he went in 1910 in the United States and received by Bernhardt person acting lessons. In France, he also had his film debut. He starred in the movie The Lady of the Camellias, 1911, on the side of Sarah Bernhardt. Among his important friends in Paris included the actor Edouard de Marx.
His first appearance in theaters in the United States he had in Chicago in the play Madame X. There then followed by other appearances in the plays Sister Beatrice, Sapho, Camille. Even in New York City both occurred. And in the United States he became a star: His name was next to that of Bernhardt on all billboards and neon signs. At the end of the tour, he decided to remain in the United States; In 1918 he also received the U.S. citizenship. Then his meteoric rise began in the years between 1910 and 1920, when he played in the most important pieces of the United States and in the most important theaters and many films turned. At the height of his career, he married the well-known opera singer and actress Geraldine Farrar, with whom he was married from 1916 to 1923. After that followed two marriages and one child. As a director, he made four films, among other No other woman and The things we love.
However, the end of the 1920s, his career started to kriseln, and he barely got offers for movies and theater roles and had more bad than good stay afloat. In 1929 he had a serious accident when he fell asleep in a hotel room with a cigarette in his mouth, burns suffered and had to be hospitalized for 3 months. Engagements had to be canceled, what drew him further into depression. To make matters worse was also found with him that he was terminally ill with cancer. His last film was 1935 Together we live. He had acted in over 41 films, mostly in the silent film era.
On October 29, 1934, he committed suicide in the house of an acquaintance with two pairs of scissors, which he located in various parts of the body, including the heart, pushed, committed suicide. As requested, he was cremated and his ashes scattered into the sea.