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Philip Dorn
Acting
Biography
Frits van Dongen (1901–1975), born Hein van der Niet and sometimes billed as Philip Dorn, was a Dutch actor who had a career in Hollywood. As a teenager he moved out of his parental home to perform in an amateur theatre group; his stage name Frits van Dongen already dates from that period. In the early 1920s, Van Dongen ended up in the professional stage, but it was not until 1934 that he starred in his first film: 'Op Hoop van Zegen'. This film marked his breakthrough as a film star in the Netherlands: in 1935 he played in 'De Big van het Regiment', 'De Kribbebijter' and 'Op Stap' and in 1936 in 'Rubber'. Van Dongen then left for Berlin to work with the likes of Veit Harlan and star in a nu…
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Frits van Dongen (1901–1975), born Hein van der Niet and sometimes billed as Philip Dorn, was a Dutch actor who had a career in Hollywood. As a teenager he moved out of his parental home to perform in an amateur theatre group; his stage name Frits van Dongen already dates from that period. In the early 1920s, Van Dongen ended up in the professional stage, but it was not until 1934 that he starred in his first film: 'Op Hoop van Zegen'. This film marked his breakthrough as a film star in the Netherlands: in 1935 he played in 'De Big van het Regiment', 'De Kribbebijter' and 'Op Stap' and in 1936 in 'Rubber'. Van Dongen then left for Berlin to work with the likes of Veit Harlan and star in a number of successful German films. In 1939 Van Dongen and his second wife, Jewish actress Marianne van Dam, left for the United States at the invitation of director Henry Koster, who had directed Van Dongen in 'De Kribbebijter'. When he was given a seven-year contract at MGM, Van Dongen changed his name to Philip Dorn. After making his American debut in 1940 with 'Enemy Agent', he would frequently be cast as continental lover, anti-Nazi German or refugee. In 1952 he returned to Europe for several German films and a Dutch theatre tour with Lily Bouwmeester. In 1953 he quit acting in films, partly due to speech problems due to a concussion. He retired for the rest of his life in California, where he died.
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BODY OF WORK
Philip Dorn's Filmography
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Salto Mortale
as Cadenos
Dreaming Lips
as Michael
Türme des Schweigens
as Captain de Vries
Behind Monastery Walls
as Thomas Holinka
Sealed Cargo
as Konrad
Spy Hunt
as Paul Kopel
The Fighting Kentuckian
as Col. Georges Geraud
I Remember Mama
as Papa
I've Always Loved You
as Leopold Goronoff
Escape in the Desert
as Philip Artveld
Blonde Fever
as Peter Donay
Passage to Marseille
as Renault
Twenty Years After
as (archive footage)
Paris After Dark
as Jean Blanchard
Chetniks!
as Gen. Draja Mihailovitch
Reunion in France
as Robert Cortot
Random Harvest
as Dr. Jonathan Benet
Calling Dr. Gillespie
as Dr. John Hunter Gerniede
Tarzan's Secret Treasure
as Vandermeer
Underground
as Eric Franken
Ziegfeld Girl
as Franz Kolter
Escape
as Dr. Ditten
Diamond Frontier
as Jan Stafford De Winter
Ski Patrol
as Viktor Ryder
Enemy Agent
as Jeffry Arnold
The Journey to Tilsit
as Endrik Settegast
Der Hampelmann
as Peter
Covered Tracks
as Bezirksarzt Dr. Morot
The Indian Tomb
as Chandra, Maharadscha von Eschnapur
Waltz Melodies
as Hans v. Waldenau
The Tiger of Eschnapur
as Maharadscha von Eschnapur
Rubber
as Johannes 'John' van Laer
The Crosspatch
as Willy van Hergershuizen
De big van het regiment
as Berkhage
On the Move
as George van Reen
The Good Hope
as Geert