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Fred Kohler

For other people named Fred Kohler, see Fred Kohler (disambiguation).

Fredrick Louis Kohler (April 20, 1888 – October 28, 1938) was an American actor.[1]

Fred Kohler
Kohler in 1920
Born
Fredrick Louis Kohler

(1888-04-20)April 20, 1888
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
DiedOctober 28, 1938(1938-10-28) (aged 50)
Hollywood, California, U.s.
Resting placeInglewood Park Cemetery
OccupationActor
Years active1916–1939
Spouses
Ida Friedman
​
(m. 1910)​
Marguerite Schweikert
​
​
(m. 1921)​
Constance Marjorie Prole
​
​
(m. 1928)​
ChildrenFred Kohler, Jr.

Career

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Fred Kohler was born in Kansas City, Missouri[2] or in Dubuque, Iowa.[3] As a teen, he began to pursue a career in vaudeville, but worked other jobs to support himself. He lost part of his right hand in a mining accident during this time. Eventually he was able to join a touring company, and worked steadily in show business for several years. His son Fred Kohler Jr. also became an actor.[citation needed]

America's budding film industry drew a 20-something Kohler to Hollywood, where he made his start in silent films. His first role was in the 1911 short The Code of Honor, and he had an uncredited role in Cecil B. DeMille's feature film Joan the Woman (1917), but a steady stream of parts did not begin until The Tiger's Trail (1919).

Kohler's stern features earned him a niche playing villains. His role as Bauman in The Iron Horse (1924) is a notable example. With the advent of the talkies, Kohler reprised many of his silent roles in remakes with sound, particularly in Westerns based on novels by Zane Grey.

At the beginning of the sound era, he appeared in the Allan Dwan film Tide of Empire (1929) alongside Renée Adorée and Tom Keene.

Personal life and death

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Kohler was married three times. In 1910 he married Ida Friedman; their son Fred Kohler, Jr., birthname Jesse William Koehler, was born September 4, 1911. In 1921 he was married to actress Marguerite Schweikert. In 1928 he was married to French actress Constance Marjorie Prole.[4][5] He died of a heart attack on October 28, 1938, at age 50. He was buried in an unmarked grave at Inglewood Park Cemetery in South Los Angeles community of Inglewood, California.[2]

Selected filmography

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Still from The Gay Defender (1927). From the left, Kohler, Richard Dix, Thelma Todd. Kohler's damaged right hand is visible.

References

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  1. ^ "Fred Kohler". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2015. Archived from the original on February 11, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Ellenberger, Allan R. (May 1, 2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-7864-5019-0. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  3. ^ Katchmer, George A. (May 20, 2015). A Biographical Dictionary of Silent Film Western Actors and Actresses. McFarland. pp. 193–194. ISBN 978-1-4766-0905-8. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  4. ^ "Film Villain Weds Actress in Secret". Oakland Tribune. Associated Press. February 24, 1928. p. 1. Retrieved February 14, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Fred Kohler, actor, dies in his sleep". The New York Times. October 29, 1938. p. 19. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
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