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Romaine Callender

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Alfred Romaine Callender, more commonly referred to as Romaine Callender and also known professionally as A. Romaine Callendar and Alfred Callender (February 17, 1883,·Sheffield, England – February 5, 1976, New York City) was an English born American actor of stage and screen. He should not be confused with several other men in his family also known publicly as Romaine Callendar, including his father, the stage actor Edwin Romaine Callendar (1845-1922), and his uncle, the music educator, conductor, composer, organ builder, and book author William Romaine Callendar (1859-1930).

Callender began his career as a stage actor in 1906 performing with Robert B. Mantell's Shakespeare company. He had a prolific career as an actor on Broadway from 1910 through 1935. He simultaneously worked periodically in film; making his screen debut in the silent film My Wife in 1918. While predominantly a stage actor during the silent film era, in 1935 he transitioned away from the theatre and became am actor in sound films under contract with Columbia Pictures; starring as a character actor in almost 50 feature films from 1935-1945.[1]

Early life and stage career

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Alfred Romaine Callender was born on 17 February 1883 in Sheffield, England. He was the son of actor Edward Romaine Callender and Florence Callender (nee Chapman).[2] His father was known as Romaine Callender and E. Romaine Callendar on the stage.[3] His uncle, the composer, conductor, and music educator William Romaine Callendar, was the director of the Metropolitan College of Music in Philadelphia and was also known publicly as Romaine Callendar.[4] When his uncle died in 1930, it was initially incorrectly reported in the press that the actor Alfred Romaine Callender was the one who died because both men were known publicly as Romaine Callender.[4]

Callender began performing on the stage as Alfred Callendar in 1906 with Robert B. Mantell's theatre company for performances in Montreal, Buffalo, New York, and Boston. He made his debut with that company at His Majesty's Theatre, Montreal as the Duke of Albany in William Shakespeare's King Lear on September 5, 1906.[5] Other roles he portrayed with that company in the 1906-1907 season included Gratiano in Othello,[6] Sir Robert Brackenbury in Richard III,[7][8] Salanio in The Merchant of Venice,[9] and Tillius Cimber in Julius Caesar.[10]

When Callender made his Broadway debut at the Empire Theatre in 1910 as Rideout in Arthur Wing Pinero's Mid-Channel he was now billed as A. Romaine Callender.[11] Following this production he joined William Gillette's theatre troupe; portraying the role of Gordon Hayne in a national tour of Gillette's five act war drama Held by the Enemy.[12] He returned to Broadway as Don Mackenzie in Thompson Buchanan's The Rack (1911, Playhouse Theatre).[13] Bonnaire in Pierre Wolff's Les Marionnettes (1911-1912, Lyceum Theatre),[14] Ibrahim in J. B. Fagan's Bella Donna (1912, Empire Theatre; 1913, Wallack's Theatre)[15] and Achille in Edward Sheldon's The Song of Songs (1914-1915, Eltinge 42nd Street Theatre).[16]

In 1918 Callendar enlisted in the United States Navy and was in service during the latter part of World War I.[17] After the war he returned to Broadway in Arnold Bennett's Sacred and Profane Love (1920, Morosco Theatre), as El Nacional in Tom Cushing's Blood and Sand (1921, Empire Theatre), and as J. Sloane Henshaw in George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly's Merton of the Movies (1922-1923, Cort Theatre).

Callender continued to appear on the stage as A. Romaine Callender until after the death of his father in 1922. Not long after this he took his father's stage name of Romaine Callender; first appearing on Broadway under that name as Snake in the 1925 revival of The School for Scandal at the Knickerbocker Theatre. In 1927 he portrayed Asst. State's Attorney Welch in the original production of Bartlett Cormack's The Racket at the Ambassador Theatre. His other later Broadway credits include the roles of Malacoda in Mima (1928), Dr. Otternschlag in Grand Hotel (1930), Fernand Demoncey in The Man Who Reclaimed His Head (1932), Dr. Frederick Swan in Keeper of the Keys (1933), Cesar Poustiano in Another Love (1934), General Michael Rakovski in Judgment Day (1934), and Wesley Cartwright Post Road (1934-1935).

Film career

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In 1935, Callender left New York City for Hollywood and became a contract player with Columbia Pictures.[1] His first film with Columbia was the 1935 screwball comedy If You Could Only Cook in which he portrayed Jennings, the butler. Film historian and The Washington Post critic John Dileo wrote that this film's "droll highpoint has Marsall seeking instruction from his own butler (well-named Romaine Callender) on how to be a butler; it's a memorably civilized bit of role reversal."[18] Callender portrayed butlers, often with humorous impact, in several more Columbia pictures; including the films The Music Goes 'Round (1936),[19] Pepper (1936),[20] Life Begins with Love (1937),[21] The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938),[22] Wuthering Heights (1939),[23] and It's a Date (1940). As a character actor, Callender starred in almost 50 feature films from 1935-1945; most of them for Columbia.[1]

Death

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Romaine Callender died in New York City on February 5, 1976.[24]

Partial filmography

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Year Film Role Director Reference
1918 My Wife Valstock Dell Henderson [25]
1918 The Floor Below Ziegler Clarence G. Badger [26]
1935 If You Could Only Cook Jennings William A. Seiter [27]
1936 Adventure in Manhattan Old Taxi Driver Edward Ludwig [28]
Alibi for Murder E.J. Easton D. Ross Lederman [29]
The Music Goes 'Round Butler Victor Schertzinger [19]
And So They Were Married Mr. Snirley Elliott Nugent [30]
36 Hours to Kill Simpkins Eugene Forde [31]
High Tension F. Willoughby Tuttle Allan Dwan [32]
Pepper Butler James Tinling [20]
1937 45 Fathers Hastings James Tinling [33]
Life Begins with Love Winterbloom Ray McCarey [21]
Wild and Woolly Doctor Alfred L. Werker [34]
1938 Sharpshooters Consul's Assistant James Tinling [35]
One Wild Night Ogden Hepple Eugene Forde [36]
Passport Husband Judge James Tinling [37]
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse Roberts Anatole Litvak [22]
1939 Wuthering Heights Robert William Wyler [23]
Pardon Our Nerve Escort Bureau Man H. Bruce Humberstone [1]
1940 Victory Missionary John Cromwell [38]
It's a Date Evans William A. Seiter [39]
Second Chorus Waiter H. C. Potter [40]
Captain Caution English Officer Richard Wallace [41]
Susan and God Oliver Leeds George Cukor [42]
I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby O'Toole Albert S. Rogell [1]
1941 Honolulu Lu Hotel manager Charles Barton [33]
The Body Disappears Prof. Barkley D. Ross Lederman [1]
Appointment for Love Mr. Waterbury William A. Seiter [39]
Kisses for Breakfast Dr. George Burroughs Lewis Seiler [43]
Flight from Destiny Psychiatrist Vincent Sherman [1]
1942 Lucky Legs Crump Charles Barton
You're Telling Me J.T. Dorsett Charles Lamont
The Wife Takes a Flyer Zanten Richard Wallace
The Lady Is Willing Bald-headed man Mitchell Leisen
1943 There's Something About a Soldier Chaplain Alfred E. Green
My Kingdom for a Cook Clifton Richard Wallace
Yanks Ahoy Col. Elliot Kurt Neumann
Two Señoritas from Chicago Miffins Frank Woodruff
1944 Mademoiselle Fifi Manufacturer Robert Wise
It Happened Tomorrow Andrew René Clair
1945 Road to Utopia Man in Top Hat Hal Walker

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Parish, p. 64
  2. ^ , 1891 England Census; The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Class: RG12; Piece: 4218; Folio: 32; Page: 4
  3. ^ "Obituary; Callendar". New York Star. 27: Page 7. February 25, 1922.
  4. ^ a b "ROMAINE CALLENDER.; Head of the Metropolitan College of Music Dies in Philadelphia". The New York Times. July 3, 1930. p. 14.
  5. ^ "Robert Mantell and Company in King Lear At His Majesty's". The Montreal Star. September 25, 1906. p. 11.
  6. ^ "Amusements. His Majesty's Theatre; Shakespeare's Tragedy of Othello". The Montreal Star. September 1906. p. 10.
  7. ^ "Richard III". The Boston Globe. March 9, 1907. p. 5.
  8. ^ "At the Theatres: Mr. Mantell is a Superb Personation of Richard III". The Buffalo News. October 23, 1906. p. 6.
  9. ^ "Music and Drama". Boston Evening Transcript. March 1907. p. 13.
  10. ^ "Drama and Music; "Julius Caesar" Played By Mantell". The Boston Globe. March 14, 1907. p. 2.
  11. ^ "The Plays of the Week; Empire, Mid-Channel". New York Dramatic Mirror: 8. February 12, 1910.
  12. ^ "Gillete's Fine Portrayal of War Correspondent". The Buffalo Enquirer. October 28, 1910. p. 2.
  13. ^ Hine and Hanaford, p. 412
  14. ^ Mason, p. 210
  15. ^ Hine and Hanaford, p. 454
  16. ^ "Sheldon Play Has Cumulative Force". The New York Times. Vol. 64, no. 20, 787. December 23, 1914. p. 13.
  17. ^ "Theatrical Activities of the Week; Here and There". New York Dramatic Mirror: 637. May 4, 1918.
  18. ^ DiLeo, John (2017). Ten Movies at a Time: A 350-Film Journey Through Hollywood and America 1930-1970. Hansen Publishing Group. ISBN 9781601826534.
  19. ^ a b Ramsaye, p. 94
  20. ^ a b Fetrow, p. 503
  21. ^ a b Ankerich, p.109
  22. ^ a b Beck, p. 27
  23. ^ a b Bolton, p. 95
  24. ^ Alfred Romaine Callender in the U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010, SSN 340017084
  25. ^ Nash, Jay Robert; Connelly, Robert; Ross, Stanley Ralph (1985). "My Wife". The Motion Picture Guide: Silent film, 1910-1936. Cinebook.
  26. ^ Kaplan, p. 4
  27. ^ Nash & Ross, p. 3802
  28. ^ Ness, p. 147
  29. ^ Fetrow, p. 11
  30. ^ Ankerich, p. 109
  31. ^ Ness, p. 166
  32. ^ Nash & Ross, p. 1230
  33. ^ a b Martin, p. 145
  34. ^ Pitts, p. 397
  35. ^ Nash & Ross, p. 2867
  36. ^ Nash & Ross, p. 2276
  37. ^ Gevinson, p. 766
  38. ^ American Film Institute, p. 2696
  39. ^ a b Katchmer, p. 760
  40. ^ Lowe, p. 188
  41. ^ Nash & Ross, p. 349
  42. ^ Nash & Ross, p. 3226
  43. ^ Nash & Ross, p. 1552

Bibliography

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