--- name: "Karl Dane" canonical: "https://film.one/person/karl-dane" roles: ["Actor"] born: "10 October 1886" died: "14 April 1934" reviewed_on_fi1m: 2 average_as: "actor" average_over: 1 updated: "2026-09-19T21:38:22.709452+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Karl Dane Actor. Born 10 October 1886 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Died 14 April 1934. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 10 October 1886, Copenhagen, Denmark - **Died:** 14 April 1934 - **Also known as:** Carl Dane, Dane, Rasmus Karl Therkelsen Gottlieb, The Great Dane - **Titles on Fi1m:** 2: 1 acting, 1 other - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1920s 62 (1), 1930s 78 (1) - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Dane, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q918353, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199322/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/29978 ## Streaming the US now - **Tubi:** [*The Big House*](https://film.one/film/the-big-house.md) (78) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Biography Karl Dane was a Danish-American actor and comedian, born Rasmus Karl Therkelsen Gottlieb in Copenhagen, Denmark. He appeared in numerous American silent films, often in supporting comic roles. He gained prominence after portraying Slim in King Vidor's *The Big Parade* (1925). Dane subsequently signed with MGM and formed a comedy partnership with George K. Arthur, appearing together in several films. His credits include *The Big House* (1930) as Olsen. With the advent of sound films, Dane's strong accent limited his opportunities, and his contract with MGM ended in 1930. He died by suicide in Los Angeles on 14 April 1934, aged 47. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, catalog.afi.com, peoplepill.com.* ## On Fi1m (2) ### Performed in (1) — the average rests on these - *The Big House* (1930), Fi1m 78, as Olsen — [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-house.md) ### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited - *The Hollywood Revue of 1929* (1929), Fi1m 62, as Self — [page](https://film.one/film/the-hollywood-revue-of-1929.md) ## Complete filmography (49) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *The Big Parade of Comedy* (1964), as Sharkey Nye in 'China Bound' (archive footage) - *The Whispering Shadow* (1933), as Sparks - *Fast Life* (1932), as Olaf (uncredited) - *Summer Daze* (1932), as Karl - *A Put Up Job* (1932), as Karl - *Lime Juice Nights* (1931), as Karl - *Dumbbells in Derbies* (1931), as Karl - *New Moon* (1930), as Kirghiz Soldier at Fort Darvaz - *Knights Before Christmas* (1930), as Karl - *Crazy House* (1930), as Karl Dane - *Billy the Kid* (1930), as Swenson - *The Big House* (1930), as Olsen — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-house.md) - *Free and Easy* (1930), as Cave Scene - *Montana Moon* (1930), as Hank - *Navy Blues* (1929), as Sven Swanson - *Speedway* (1929), as Dugan - *The Mysterious Island* (1929), as (uncredited) - *China Bound* (1929), as Sharkey Nye - *The Duke Steps Out* (1929), as Barney, Duke's chauffeur - *All at Sea* (1929), Actor - *The Voice of the Storm* (1929), as Spike - *Brotherly Love* (1928), as Oscar - *Alias Jimmy Valentine* (1928), as Swede - *Detectives* (1928), as The House Detective - *Circus Rookies* (1928), as Oscar Thrust - *The Trail of '98* (1928), as Lars Petersen - *Baby Mine* (1928), as Oswald Hardy - *The Enemy* (1927), as Jan - *Rookies* (1927), as Sgt. Diggs - *Slide, Kelly, Slide* (1927), as Swede Hansen - *The Red Mill* (1927), as Jacop Van Goop - *The Scarlet Letter* (1927), as Giles - *War Paint* (1926), as Petersen - *Bardelys the Magnificent* (1926), as Rodenard - *The Son of the Sheik* (1926), as Ramadan - *La Bohème* (1926), as Benoit - Janitor - *Monte Carlo* (1926), as The Doorman - *The Devil's Circus* (1926), Actor - *His Secretary* (1925), as Janitor - *The Everlasting Whisper* (1925), as Jarrold - *The Big Parade* (1925), as 'Slim' Jensen - *Lights of Old Broadway* (1925), as Roosevelt's Father - *The Whirlwind* (1920), as The Wolf - *Daring Hearts* (1919), as Lieutenant Von Bergheim - *The Great Gamble* (1919), as The sea captain - *The Great Victory, Wilson or the Kaiser? The Fall of the Hohenzollerns* (1919), as Von Bethmann Hollweg - *Wolves of Kultur* (1918), as Carter (uncredited) - *To Hell with the Kaiser!* (1918), as Von Hollweg - *My Four Years in Germany* (1918), as Chancellor von Bethmana-Hollweg ## Gallery - ![Karl Dane](https://film.one/media/person/1224491/gallery-7bc990e10f56.jpg) Karl Dane — Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Karl_Dane_1927.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Film actor Karl Dane. Subjects (LCTGM): actors (1929)](https://film.one/media/person/1224491/gallery-f037a5b1c829.jpg) Film actor Karl Dane. Subjects (LCTGM): actors (1929) — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Film_actor_Karl_Dane_%28SAYRE_22151%29.jpg/1280px-Film_actor_Karl_Dane_%28SAYRE_22151%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Film actor Karl Dane. Subjects (LCTGM): actors (1927)](https://film.one/media/person/1224491/gallery-d31d0f59a441.jpg) Film actor Karl Dane. Subjects (LCTGM): actors (1927) — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Film_actor_Karl_Dane_%28SAYRE_21916%29.jpg/1280px-Film_actor_Karl_Dane_%28SAYRE_21916%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Still cut for publication from the American war drama film The Big Parade (1925) with Tom O'Brien, John Gilbert, and Karl Dane, from page 7 of the September 192 (1926)](https://film.one/media/person/1224491/gallery-665b5a66f597.jpg) Still cut for publication from the American war drama film The Big Parade (1925) with Tom O'Brien, John Gilbert, and Karl Dane, from page 7 of the September 192 (1926) — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/The_Big_Parade_%281925%29_-_6.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Karl Dane](https://film.one/media/person/1224491/gallery-8a368979b1cf.jpg) Karl Dane — Image via TMDB - ![Karl Dane](https://film.one/media/person/1224491/gallery-ade33ee21088.jpg) Karl Dane — Image via TMDB - ![Charlotte Greenwood (left) and Karl Dane in Baby Mine (1928)](https://film.one/media/person/1224491/gallery-f2ab199ac37b.jpg) Charlotte Greenwood (left) and Karl Dane in Baby Mine (1928) — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7f/Charlotte_Greenwood_and_Karl_Dane_in_Baby_Mine.jpg/1280px-Charlotte_Greenwood_and_Karl_Dane_in_Baby_Mine.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![(From left) George K. Arthur, Louise Lorraine, Charlotte Greenwood, and Karl Dane in Baby Mine (1928)](https://film.one/media/person/1224491/gallery-e53dfda8eabd.jpg) (From left) George K. Arthur, Louise Lorraine, Charlotte Greenwood, and Karl Dane in Baby Mine (1928) — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/George_K._Arthur%2C_Louise_Lorraine%2C_Charlotte_Greenwood_and_Karl_Dane_in_Baby_Mine.jpg/1280px-George_K._Arthur%2C_Louise_Lorraine%2C_Charlotte_Greenwood_and_Karl_Dane_in_Baby_Mine.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/karl-dane