Warner Oland (charlie chan)

Description

This personal portrait portfolio and category name is called “HOLLYWOOD“. I prepared is category to show my versatility and to demonstrate my talent in portrait painting and charcoal drawings.  Most of these performers have inspired me in personality, and talent throughout my life. Anyone who are interested in a commissioned personal portrait from CobbWeb Designs and Illustrations, may get an idea of the artist’s dedication, spirituality, and talent in realism.

Warner Oland, born Johan Verner Ölund (October 3, 1879 – August 6, 1938), in the village of Nyby, Sweden.  Oland was a Swedish-American actor who was most remembered for playing several Chinese and Chinese-American characters: Dr. Fu Manchu; Henry Chang in Shanghai Express and most notably Honolulu Police detective Lieutenant Charlie Chan. His career included time on Broadway and numerous film appearances, including 16 Charlie Chan films.

When he was 13, Oland’s family emigrated to the United States, at New York, in November 1892.  After an initial stay in New York City, the family settled in New Britain, Connecticut. Educated in Boston, Oland spoke English and his native Swedish. As a young man, Oland pursued a career in theater, at first working on set design, while developing his skills as a dramatic actor. In 1906, he was signed to tour the country with the troupe led by Russian-American actress Alla Nazimova. The following year, he met and married the playwright and portrait painter Edith Gardener Shearn. Edith made an ideal partner for Oland. She mastered Swedish, helping him with the translation of Strindberg’s works that they jointly published in book form in 1912. After several years in theater, including appearances on Broadway as Warner Oland, in 1912 he made his silent film debut in Pilgrim’s Progress, a film based on the John Bunyan novel. As a result of his training as a Shakespearean actor and his easy adoption of a sinister look, he was much in demand as a villain and in ethnic roles. Over the next 15 years, he appeared in more than 30 films, including a major role in The Jazz Singer (1927).  The enormous worldwide box office success of his Charlie Chan film led to more, with Oland starring in 16 Chan films in total.