Frank Erlanger (March 25, 1882 â€" 1961), also credited as Frank A.
Erlanger or Frank Charles Erlanger was a Hungarian-American silent
film actor best known for his work with the Balboa Amusement Producing
Company.The Erlangers were a well-established Hungarian family living
in what was then Austria-Hungary. Frank's father, Ottmar, was a
colonel in the 7th Regiment of the Imperial and Royal Hussars. His
mother, Theresia de Retsky, was an actress. The family originally
resided in Budapest but relocated to Vienna before or after Frank's
birth. While Frank's family, including sister Elizabeth, remained
there, he was sent to Prague for schooling. After six years at the
Mozart Dramatic College, he joined the military, rising to the rank of
lieutenant in the 7th Hussars.Acceding to his mother's wishes, he
resigned from the military to become an actor. He joined her on the
stage for performances in several European cities, before moving to
Milan, where he received additional study in music and drama at the
Academy of Music before returning to the stage for four years in
Germany.Erlanger took an interest in the film industry, and left the
stage to spend four years with a German film company, the
Kinematographic Kunst Company. He interrupted his acting career to
travel to South America as part of a gold prospecting expedition. His
placer mining there was financially successful, earning him $60,000,
the equivalent of over $1,500,000 in present-day terms. However, he
lost that money over the next two years in unsuccessful prospecting
efforts in California and subsequently returned to film. Erlanger
worked for many of the studios of the silent film era, including
Universal, Kinemacolor, Essanay, Majestic, and the California Motion
Picture Corporation, but he received his greatest fame with the Balboa
Amusement Producing Company.
Erlanger or Frank Charles Erlanger was a Hungarian-American silent
film actor best known for his work with the Balboa Amusement Producing
Company.The Erlangers were a well-established Hungarian family living
in what was then Austria-Hungary. Frank's father, Ottmar, was a
colonel in the 7th Regiment of the Imperial and Royal Hussars. His
mother, Theresia de Retsky, was an actress. The family originally
resided in Budapest but relocated to Vienna before or after Frank's
birth. While Frank's family, including sister Elizabeth, remained
there, he was sent to Prague for schooling. After six years at the
Mozart Dramatic College, he joined the military, rising to the rank of
lieutenant in the 7th Hussars.Acceding to his mother's wishes, he
resigned from the military to become an actor. He joined her on the
stage for performances in several European cities, before moving to
Milan, where he received additional study in music and drama at the
Academy of Music before returning to the stage for four years in
Germany.Erlanger took an interest in the film industry, and left the
stage to spend four years with a German film company, the
Kinematographic Kunst Company. He interrupted his acting career to
travel to South America as part of a gold prospecting expedition. His
placer mining there was financially successful, earning him $60,000,
the equivalent of over $1,500,000 in present-day terms. However, he
lost that money over the next two years in unsuccessful prospecting
efforts in California and subsequently returned to film. Erlanger
worked for many of the studios of the silent film era, including
Universal, Kinemacolor, Essanay, Majestic, and the California Motion
Picture Corporation, but he received his greatest fame with the Balboa
Amusement Producing Company.
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