Clarence William Kolb (July 31, 1874 â€" November 25, 1964) was an
American vaudeville performer and actor known for his comedy routines
that featured a Dutch dialect.He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the only
child of second-generation Austrian parents who owned a local meat
company.Kolb started out as one half of a vaudeville comedy team, Kolb
and Dill, with Max Dill. They styled their act on the famous team of
Weber and Fields. In addition to their stage work, they appeared in a
series of short films and a feature-length movie in 1917. Afterwards,
Kolb made a return to vaudeville, only returning to the movies in the
late 1930s.In 1935, Kolb left the act to work in films as a character
actor, eventually appearing in 75 feature films. He became famous for
portraying the same type of character in many films, namely, a
politician or businessman. He is best remembered for his roles as the
grumpy father in the multi-Academy Award-nominated hit comedy film
Merrily We Live (1938), as the corrupt mayor in the comedy His Girl
Friday (1940), and as Mr. Honeywell in the television sitcom My Little
Margie (1952). Kolb played himself in his last movie appearance, Man
of a Thousand Faces (1957), opposite Danny Beck (who played the late
Max Dill).
American vaudeville performer and actor known for his comedy routines
that featured a Dutch dialect.He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the only
child of second-generation Austrian parents who owned a local meat
company.Kolb started out as one half of a vaudeville comedy team, Kolb
and Dill, with Max Dill. They styled their act on the famous team of
Weber and Fields. In addition to their stage work, they appeared in a
series of short films and a feature-length movie in 1917. Afterwards,
Kolb made a return to vaudeville, only returning to the movies in the
late 1930s.In 1935, Kolb left the act to work in films as a character
actor, eventually appearing in 75 feature films. He became famous for
portraying the same type of character in many films, namely, a
politician or businessman. He is best remembered for his roles as the
grumpy father in the multi-Academy Award-nominated hit comedy film
Merrily We Live (1938), as the corrupt mayor in the comedy His Girl
Friday (1940), and as Mr. Honeywell in the television sitcom My Little
Margie (1952). Kolb played himself in his last movie appearance, Man
of a Thousand Faces (1957), opposite Danny Beck (who played the late
Max Dill).
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