Scott Kolk
American actor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 and Secret Agent X-9.[citation needed] During his years as an entertainer at clubs, he was sometimes billed as Walter Kolk.[1][2]
Scot Kolk | |
|---|---|
| Born | Walter Scott Kolk May 16, 1905 |
| Died | December 1, 1993 (aged 88) Canton, Maine, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1924–1938 |
| Spouses | Azadia Newman
(m. 1938; div. 1943)
|
Early years
Kolk was born on May 16, 1905,[3] in Baltimore, Maryland, but he considered Maine his home state. He attended Summer Street Grammar School in South Portland, Maine, Maine, before going bck to Maryland for four years at a military school.[4] His mother was Mrs. Anna E. Kolk, and he had two sisters[5] and a brother.[6]
Career
Kolk was a professional musician before he became an actor. He played drums for orchestras on the Keith Circuit[5] and for Meyer Davis's orchestra and introduced the Black Bottom dance to Washington, D. C., when that orchestra played at Club Chanticleer there.[7] 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.[8]
Actress Marion Davies 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. As a result of those tests, he was cast in Davies's first sound film.[5]
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."[9] 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 1+1⁄2 years later, he returned to Hollywood.[9]
Kolk's Broadway roles include Lieutenant Dale in Take the Air (1928) and George Armstrong in Baby Pompadour (1934).[3] His work in films included having the starring role in the 12-part serial Secret Agent X-9 (1937).[6]
Death
Kolk died on December 1, 1993, in Canton, Maine.[3]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Marianne | Lieutenant Frane | (silent and musical versions) |
| 1929 | Hold Your Man | Jack | |
| 1929 | Dynamite | Radio Announcer | Uncredited |
| 1930 | All Quiet on the Western Front | Leer | |
| 1930 | For the Defense | Jack Defoe | |
| 1931 | My Sin | Larry Gordon | |
| 1937 | Secret Agent X-9 | Agent Dexter (X-9) | Serial |
| 1937 | The Wildcatter | 'Lucky' Conlon | |
| 1937 | It's All Yours | 2nd Photographer | Uncredited |
| 1937 | The Awful Truth | Mr. Barnsley | Uncredited |
| 1937 | Murder in Greenwich Village | Larry Foster | |
| 1937 | All American Sweetheart | Lance Corbett | |
| 1938 | Little Miss Roughneck | Al Patridge | |
| 1938 | Women in Prison | Bob Wayne | |
| 1938 | Extortion | Larry Campbell | |
| 1938 | I Am the Law | Law Student | Uncredited, (final film role) |