Lou Tellegen

Lou Tellegen (born Isidor Louis Bernard Edmon van Dommelen; November 26, 1883 – October 29, 1934) was a Dutch-born stage and film actor, film director and screenwriter.

Early life Lou Tellegen was born as Isidor Louis Bernard Edmon van Dommelen in Sint-Oedenrode, the illegitimate child of a separated, but not divorced, lieutenant of the West-Indian Army Isidore Louis Bernard Edmon Tellegen (1836–1902) and his partner Anna Maria van Dommelen (1844–1917), widow of Eduard Hendrik Jan Storm van 's Gravezande.

He made his stage debut in Amsterdam in 1903, and over the next few years built a reputation to the point where he was invited to perform in Paris, eventually co-starring in several roles with Sarah Bernhardt, with whom he was involved romantically. In 1910, he made his motion picture debut alongside Bernhardt in La dame aux camélias, a silent film made in France and based on the play by Alexandre Dumas, fils.

Career

In 1910, Tellegen and Bernhardt travelled to the United States, where The New York Times first published, and then retracted, the announcement of their impending marriage. (She was 39 years his senior.) Back in France, in 1912 they made their second film together, Les Amours de la reine Élisabeth (Queen Elizabeth), and the following year, Adrienne Lecouvreur. The latter is considered a lost film.

In the summer of 1913, Tellegen went to London where he produced and starred in a play based on Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Invited back to the United States, Tellegen worked in theatre and made his first American film in 1915, titled The Explorer, followed by The Unknown, both with Dorothy Davenport as his co-star. Considered one of the best-looking actors on screen, he followed up with three straight films starring alongside Geraldine Farrar. In 1920, Tellegen authored and starred in the play Blind Youth which played on tour in Toronto at the Princess Theatre.

Tellegen with second wife, opera soprano and actress Geraldine Farrar, c. 1916

Personal life Tellegen married a total of four times, first to a sculptor in 1903 (this union produced a daughter), and second to Farrar in 1916. His marriage to Farrar ended in divorce in 1923. His third marriage was to actress Nina Romano (real name: Isabel Craven Dilworth), with whom he had a son. His fourth marriage was to silent film star Eve Casanova (real name Julia Horne).

Manuel Rosenberg for the Cincinnati Post, 1922 On December 25, 1929, Tellegen sustained burns to his face when he fell asleep while smoking. At the time, he was preparing for an out-of-town tryout for a play. To repair the damage, Tellegen underwent extensive plastic surgery.

Later career and death In 1931, he wrote his autobiography Women Have Been Kind.

By 1931, Tellegen’s popularity had declined and he had trouble securing acting work. He was also deeply in debt and filed for bankruptcy. Around this time, Tellegen was diagnosed with cancer, though this information was kept from him. Tellegen soon grew despondent.

On October 29, 1934, while a guest of Edna Cudahy, the widow of meat packing heir Jack Cudahy, at the Cudahy Mansion at 1844 North Vine Street in Hollywood (the site of the Vine-Franklin underpass of the Hollywood Freeway), Tellegen locked himself in the bathroom, then shaved and powdered his face. While standing in front of a full-length mirror, he stabbed himself in the heart seven times with a pair of sewing scissors. Some accounts claim Tellegen was surrounded by newspaper clippings of his career at the time of his suicide.

When asked to comment on Tellegen's death former wife Geraldine Farrar replied "Why should that interest me?" Tellegen was cremated and his remains were scattered at sea.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1911 La Dame aux camélias Armand Duval 1912 Les Amours de la reine Élisabeth Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex Alternative titles: Queen ElizabethLa Reine Élisabeth 1913 Adrienne Lecouvreur Alternative title: An Actress's Romance, lost film 1915 The Explorer Alec McKenzie Credited as Lou-Tellegen, lost film 1915 The Unknown Richard Farquhar 1916 The Victory of Conscience Louis, Count De Tavannes 1916 The Victoria Cross Major Ralph Seton 1917 The Black Wolf The Black WolfLost 1917 The Long Trail Andre Dubois Lost 1917 What Money Can't Buy Director; Lost 1918 The Thing We Love Director, Lost film 1919 The World and Its Woman Prince Michael Orbeliana Alternative title: The Golden Song 1919 Flame of the Desert Sheik Essad 1920 The Woman and the Puppet Don Mateo 1920 Blind Youth Writer, undetermined/presumably Lost 1924 Let Not Man Put Asunder Dick Lechmere Lost film 1924 Between Friends David Drene Lost film 1924 Single Wives Martin Prayle 1924 The Breath of Scandal Charles HaleLost 1924 Those Who Judge John DawsonLost 1924 Greater Than Marriage John Masters 1925 The Redeeming Sin Lupin Lost film 1925 Fair Play Bruce Elliot Alternative title: The Danger Zone 1925 The Verdict Victor Ronsard 1925 Parisian Nights Jean 1925 After Business Hours John King 1925 The Sporting Chance Darrell Thorton 1925 Parisian Love Pierre Marcel 1925 With This Ring Rufus Van Buren 1925 East Lynne Sir Francis Levison 1925 Borrowed Finery Harlan 1926 The Outsider Anton Ragatzy 1926 Siberia Egor Kaplan Lost film 1926 The Silver Treasure Sotillo, the Bandit Lost film 1926 3 Bad Men Sheriff Layne Hunter 1926 Womanpower The Broker 1927 Stage Madness Pierre Doumier 1927 The Princess From Hoboken Prince Anton Balakrieff Lost film 1927 The Little Firebrand Harley Norcross 1927 Married Alive James Duxbury Lost film 1928 No Other Woman Director, lost film 1930 To oneiron tou glyptou Writer, directorAlternative title: Pygmalion kai Galateia 1931 Enemies of the Law Eddie Swan 1934 Caravane Uncredited; French-language version of Fox production Caravan 1935 Together We Live Bischofsky

Footnotes