Jean Hersholt | |
|---|---|
 Hersholt in 1929 | |
| Born | Jean Pierre Carl Buron[1] (1886-07-12)12 July 1886 Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Died | 2 June 1956(1956-06-02) (aged 69) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California |
| Other names | Jean Pierre Hersholt Jean Buron Hersholt |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1906–1955 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 son |
Jean Pierre Carl Buron (12 July 1886 – 2 June 1956), known professionally asJean Hersholt, was aDanish-American actor. He is most famous for starring on theCBS radio seriesDr. Christian from 1937–1954, which later inspired a TV series with the same name from 1956 to 1957. He also co-starred withShirley Temple in the filmHeidi (1937).[2] When asked how to pronounce his name, he toldThe Literary Digest, "in Englishher'sholt; in Danish,hairs'hult."[3] From 1924 to 1955, he had 140 motion picture credits: 75silent film and 65"talkies"; he directed four.
Hersholt was born Jean Pierre Carl Buron on 12 July 1886 inCopenhagen, the capital of Denmark. He claimed to have been born into a family of actors,[4] but in reality, both of his parents, Henri Pierre Buron and Clara (née Petersen), were hairdressers.Henri was the son of a French Roman Catholic father and a Danish Protestant mother, while Clara was the daughter of a Danish Protestant father and a Danish Jewish mother. Initially, Henri worked as a hairdresser but later became a cigar and wine merchant/vendor.[5] Hersholt appeared in two of the first short films of the Danish film studioNordisk Film in 1906, but did not find much success in his early years in Denmark.[6] Hersholt emigrated to the United States in 1913 and spent the remainder of his acting career in America.
Hersholt is best remembered for his roles in two iconic films. In 1924, he played Marcus Schouler in thesilent film classicGreed directed byErich von Stroheim. A decade later, he co-starred with world-famous child actressShirley Temple as her beloved grandfather living in the remoteAlps in the1937 film version of the classic 1880 children's book,Heidi, written bySwiss authorJohanna Spyri. Throughout his extensive film career, he portrayed a wide range of characters, from villains in earlysilent films to supporting roles where his gentleDanish language accent and pleasant voice made him well-suited to portray a succession of benevolent fathers, doctors, professors, andEuropeannoblemen. Hersholt's final on-screen appearance was in the 1955 movieRun for Cover.[7]
In the 1936 movieThe Country Doctor, starring the famousDionne quintuplets, Hersholt portrayed Dr. John Luke, a character based onDr. Allan Roy Dafoe, theCanadianobstetrician who delivered and cared for the Dionne quintuplets. Two sequels followed the movie. Hersholt wanted to portray the role on radio but could not obtain the rights. He chose to create his own doctor character for radio. Since he was a fan of fairy tale anthology authorHans Christian Andersen, he borrowed that name for his character portrayal. This character, "Dr. Paul Christian," was a philosophical doctor who practiced in the typicalMidwestern town of River's End. He received assistance from Nurse Judy Price and occasionally from others. On 7 November 1937,Dr. Christian debuted on theColumbia Broadcasting System (CBS) radio network as part of the 'Vaseline Program' opening with the theme music, "Rainbow on the River."
The small-town physician's good humor, innate common sense, and scientific training helped drive off a series of villainous types attempting to disrupt the peaceful lifestyle of River's End. The radio series, produced by Dorothy McCann, became a popular and long-running hit. It aired on the CBS network for 17 years until 6 January 1954. Hersholt was so strongly associated with the role that he received mail asking for real-life medical advice. The Dr. Christian series spawned several spin-offs, making it one of the earliest media franchises. For example, Hersholt co-wrote a Dr. Christian novel and starred in a series of six family feature films as Dr. Christian in a franchise spanning two years, from 1939 to 1941. An example of one of these films isDr. Christian Meets the Women released in 1940.
In 1956, two years after the long-running radio program concluded, the character Dr. Christian made the transition totelevision and its uniqueprogramming style. The script for this new television program was written by a youngGene Roddenberry, who would later become famous for creating the original TV series 'Star Trek' in 1966. This led to the renownedscience fiction franchise over the next few decades. The new 'Dr. Christian' TV show differed from the radio series by introducing a new, younger character portrayed byMacdonald Carey as the elder Christian's nephew, "Dr. Mark Christian". The show was syndicated through CBS and its production company,Ziv Television, and ran for two seasons from 1956-1957. It was mostly broadcast at non-traditional times on local stations nationwide, after Jean Hersholt's death in early 1956.
From the late 1930s through the mid-1950s,Neil Reagan, the brother of actor and future U.S. presidentRonald Reagan, worked as a traveling industry spokesman for theGeneral Electric Company. Additionally, Neil directed the earlier CBS radio seriesDr. Christian, with Jean Hersholt.
In 1939, Hersholt broadened his social interests and played a critical role in establishing theMotion Picture Relief Fund, now known as the Motion Picture and Television Fund. This fund provides medical care and support forHollywood industry employees at various levels, offering assistance when experiencing difficulties due to illness, old age, or other challenges. This occurred just four years after the establishment of America's "social safety net" with the passage ofSocial Security old age pension system by theRoosevelt administration. The fund Hersholt supported was used to establish the Motion Picture Country House and Hospital inWoodland Hills, California. After his death in 1956, his philanthropic endeavors led to the establishment of theJean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. This honoraryAcademy Award, also known as the "Oscar," is presented to an "individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry." The fund was later expanded to include those working in thetelevision field.[8]
As president of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Hersholt was actively involved in various activities to promote and preserve American cinema. On March 20, 1948, during the 20th anniversary of the academy's founding, he presented special awards to several pioneers of theAmerican motion pictures/film industry. The recipients included ColonelWilliam N. Selig,Albert E. Smith,George K. Spoor, andThomas Armat. These individuals were often referred to as"the Men Who Invented Hollywood".[9]
Hersholt's extensive collection of books and other materials by the famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen is now housed in the special collections division of theLibrary of Congress inWashington, D.C.. He translated over 160 of Andersen'sfairy tales into English. These were published in 1949 in six volumes asThe Complete Andersen, this work is "... rated asThe standard translation, being one of the best" in English cited by the Hans Christian Andersen Center of theUniversity of Southern Denmark.[10]
Hersholt was appointed a knight of the DanishOrder of the Dannebrog and awarded a medal in 1948, partly due to this literary academic endeavor.[11]
On August 31, 1952, the accomplished elder Hersholt appeared as the mystery guest on the popular long-runningCBS-TV panel/quiz showWhat's My Line? less than four years before his death. The show aired from the 1950s and into the 1960s and was hosted byJohn Charles Daly.
Hersholt married Via Andersen on 11 April 1914. They had one son, Allan Hersholt.
He was the paternal half-uncle (by marriage) of actorLeslie Nielsen and former Canadian Deputy Prime MinisterErik Nielsen.[12]
Hersholt died of cancer inHollywood on the night of 2 June 1956.[13] He is interred inForest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery inGlendale, California. His grave is marked with a statue ofKlods-Hans (English: Clumsy Hans), a Hans Christian Andersen character who left home to find his way in the world — much as Hersholt himself had done.[14]
Hersholt was honored withhonorary Academy Awards for his services to the industry in 1940, 1949, and 1950.[15] In his honor, theJean Hersholt Humanitarian Award was named by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[16] He is one of only 11 people with two stars on theHollywood Walk of Fame. One is located at6501 Hollywood Boulevard for his work in motion pictures, and another one is located at 6701 Hollywood Boulevard for his work in radio.[citation needed]
| Year | Program | Episode/source |
|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre | Men in White[17] |
I did learn very early that when I would mention my uncle, people would look at me as if I were the biggest liar in the world. Then I would take them home and show them 8-by-10 glossies, and things changed quite drastically. So I began to think that maybe this acting business was not a bad idea, much as I was very shy about it and certainly without courage regarding it. My uncle died not too long after I was in a position to know him. I regret that I had not a chance to know him better.
| Non-profit organization positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President of Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences 1945–1949 | Succeeded by |