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Edward Van Sloan

 
Actor: Edward Van Sloan
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  • Born: Nov 01, 1881 in San Francisco, California
  • Died: May 06, 1964 in San Francisco, California
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '30s-'40s
  • Major Genres: Drama, Romance
  • Career Highlights: Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy
  • First Major Screen Credit: Dracula (1931)

Biography

His Teutonic cadence has led many to assume that Edward Van Sloan was German-born, but in fact he hailed from San Francisco. After a lengthy career as a commercial artist, Van Sloan turned to the stage in the World War I years. He came to Hollywood in 1930 to repeat his stage role as dour vampire hunter Professor Van Helsing in Dracula (1930), a role he'd reprised in 1936's Dracula's Daughter. Surprisingly, this most famous of Van Sloan's screen characterizations was his least favorite: he considered himself hopelessly hammy as Van Helsing (even though he seems a model of restraint opposite the florid Bela Lugosi). Van Sloan went on to essay Van Helsing-type characters in Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), and Before I Hang (1940). He also was given a few opportunities to play the evil side of the fence as the "surprise killer" in such quickies as Behind the Mask (1932) and Death Kiss (1933). For the most part, Van Sloan's film career was limited to bit roles; he was especially busy during World War II, playing everything from resistance leaders to Nazi diplomats. Edward Van Sloan retired in 1947, emerging publicly only to grant an interview or two during his remaining 15 years on earth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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Wikipedia: Edward Van Sloan
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Edward Van Sloan (1 November 1882, Minnesota – 6 March 1964, California)[1][2][3][4][5] was an American film character actor best remembered for his roles in Universal Studios horror films.

Those roles date from the 1930s, including Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931) and The Mummy (1932). In the first of these, he played Abraham Van Helsing, the famous vampire-hunter, a role he had first taken in the successful touring production of Dracula by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston. He played essentially the same role as Professor Muller in the The Mummy. He again played Van Helsing (inexplicably renamed 'Von Helsing') in the 1936 film Dracula's Daughter. In Frankenstein he stepped out in front of a curtain before the film's opening credits to warn the audience that they now had a chance to escape the theatre if they were too squeamish.

Van Sloan had a style of playing horror roles that was unmistakably his, speaking his lines in a slow, exaggerated style of elocution with rolling r 's.

His grave is located in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania's Boehm Cemetery.

References

  1. ^ 1885 Minnesota Census, County of Carver, p. 182, line 40.
  2. ^ 1910 U.S. Census, State of California, County of San Francisco, enumeration district 163, p. 12-A, line 2.
  3. ^ 1920 U.S. Census, State of New York, County of New York, enumeration district 955, p. 14-B, line 74.
  4. ^ Edward P. Vansloun, in: California Death Index, 1940-1997.
  5. ^ Edward Vansloun, in: Social Security Death Index.

See also

External links

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