Dane Clark


Actor
Dane Clark

About

Also Known As
Bernard Zanville
Birth Place
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Born
February 26, 1912
Died
September 11, 1998
Cause of Death
Cancer

Biography

Bernard Zanville was a hard-working young man in New York City struggling to finance his law degree, when he turned to acting on the advice of friend John Garfield. After appearing on stage for several years, including a stint starring alongside Garfield in the original cast of Clifford Odets' "Waiting for Lefty" (1935), Zanville gave up his dreams of law school and relocated to Hollywoo...

Photos & Videos

God is My Co-Pilot - Movie Poster
Pride of the Marines - Movie Poster
Embraceable You - Movie Poster

Family & Companions

Margaret Yoder
Wife
Painter, sculptor. First wife; died in 1970.
Geraldine Clark
Wife
Married c. 1971; survived him.

Notes

"That was the best break in my life, hooking up with Warners. They don't go much for the 'pretty boy' type there. An average guy like me has a chance to get someplace, to portray people the way they really are, without any frills." --Dane Clark in a 1946 interview

Biography

Bernard Zanville was a hard-working young man in New York City struggling to finance his law degree, when he turned to acting on the advice of friend John Garfield. After appearing on stage for several years, including a stint starring alongside Garfield in the original cast of Clifford Odets' "Waiting for Lefty" (1935), Zanville gave up his dreams of law school and relocated to Hollywood to pursue a movie career. Hooking up with Warner Bros., his name was changed to the more marquee friendly Dane Clark, allegedly by Humphrey Bogart who co-starred with the young actor in what was more or less his star-making performance as merchant marine Johnny Pulaski in 1943's "Action in the North Atlantic." That same year, Clark acted alongside Cary Grant and Garfield in "Destination Tokyo" and went on to convincingly play pugnacious soldiers in war-themed pictures for Warners like "God is My Co-Pilot" and "Pride of the Marines" (both 1945). Movies like "Her Kind of Man" (1946), "Deep Valley," "Embraceable You" and "That Way With Women" (all 1947) featured Clark's tough guy persona put to new use, now as the dangerous leading man, the misunderstood gangster type who gets involved with a nice girl and changes his ways.

Despite his undeniable talent and magnetism, Clark never took off as a star the way his friend John Garfield did, even after his scene-stealing turn in "Hollywood Canteen" (1944), a performance alongside such notables as Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and Jack Benny. His prolific acting career included starring turns in dozens of films in the 40s and 50s, including a memorable portrayal of Abe Saperstein in "Go, Man, Go!" (1954), the story of the creation of basketball's famous Harlem Globetrotters. Clark eventually left Hollywood to work on the stage and in features produced overseas. He worked for J Arthur Rank in London, appearing in 1950's "Highly Dangerous" and 1952's "The Gambler and the Lady." In 1968, he starred in the Denmark/US co-production "Dage i Min Fars Hus/Days in My Father's House."

Clark returned to the stage after achieving film success, starring in many Broadway productions (e.g., "A Thousand Clowns" in which he replaced Jason Robards). He was also a frequent presence on the small screen, first appearing in several of the theater anthology programs that were popular in the medium's early days. Clark made his series debut as legal aid lawyer Richard Adams in the NBC drama "Justice" (1954-56) and headlined the 1959 syndicated series "Bold Venture." Throughout much of the 60s, 70s and 80s, Clark was a familiar face as a guest performer on shows as varied as "The Twilight Zone," "I Spy," "The Mod Squad" and "Murder, She Wrote." He returned to series work as a police lieutenant in the CBS remake "The New Adventures of Perry Mason" (1973-74). Clark made his last film appearance in 1988's "Last Rites" starring Tom Berenger. The veteran actor died in 1998, battling cancer.

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

Last Rites (1988)
Going Hollywood: The War Years (1988)
Himself
The Woman Inside (1981)
Dr Rossner
James Dean (1976)
James Whitmore
Murder on Flight 502 (1975)
The Return of Joe Forrester (1975)
Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole (1972)
Hank Cooper
Family Rico (1972)
Boston Phil
The Face Of Fear (1971)
Tamworth
The McMasters (1970)
Spencer
Outlaw's Son (1957)
Nate Blaine
The Man Is Armed (1956)
Johnny Morrison
Massacre (1956)
Ramón
Toughest Man Alive (1955)
Lee Stevens, also known as Pete Gore
Port of Hell (1954)
Gib Pardee
Paid to Kill (1954)
James Nevill
Go Man Go (1954)
Abe Saperstein
Thunder Pass (1954)
U.S. Cavalry Capt. Storm
Blackout (1954)
Casey Morrow
The Gambler and the Lady (1952)
Jim Forster
Never Trust a Gambler (1951)
Steve Garry
Fort Defiance (1951)
Johnny [Tallon]
Gunman in the Streets (1950)
Eddy Roback
Barricade (1950)
Bob Peters
Backfire (1950)
Ben Arno, also known as Lou Walsh
Without Honor (1949)
Bill Bandle
Whiplash (1948)
Michael Gordon
Embraceable You (1948)
Eddie Novoc
Moonrise (1948)
Danny Hawkins
That Way with Women (1947)
Greg Wilson
Deep Valley (1947)
Barry [Burnett]
A Stolen Life (1946)
Karnock
Her Kind of Man (1946)
Don Corwin
Pride of the Marines (1945)
Lee Diamond
God Is My Co-Pilot (1945)
Johnny Petach
Destination Tokyo (1944)
Tin Can
The Very Thought of You (1944)
"Fixit" Gilman
Hollywood Canteen (1944)
Sergeant Nolan
Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
Johnny Pulaski
The Pride of the Yankees (1943)
Fraternity boy
Sunday Punch (1942)
Bill
Tennessee Johnson (1942)
Wirts
The Glass Key (1942)
Henry Sloss

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

Going Hollywood: The War Years (1988)
Other

Cast (Short)

I Won't Play (1944)
The Rear Gunner (1943)

Cast (TV Mini-Series)

Condominium (1980)
The French Atlantic Affair (1979)

Life Events

1934

Began acting on the Broadway stage

1935

Was in the original cast of Clifford Odets' "Waiting for Lefty", alongside Garfield

1942

Went to Hollywood to start a film career; adopted stage name Dane Clark; appeared in "Sunday Punch", "The Pride of the Yankees", "Wake Island" and "The Glass Key"

1943

Appeared with Garfield and Cary Grant in "Destination Tokyo"

1943

Received critical acclaim for his performance as merchant marine Johnnie Pulaski in "Action in the North Atlantic"

1944

Appeared in the Oscar-winning short "I Won't Play"

1944

Starred in the romantic melodrama "The Very Thought of You" with Eleanor Parker and Dennis Morgan

1944

Garnered notice for his work in "Hollywood Canteen"

1945

Co-starred in the war dramas "God is My Co-Pilot" and "Pride of the Marines"

1946

Acted with Bette Davis and Glenn Ford in the feature "A Stolen Life"

1951

Featured in "Never Trust a Gambler" and "Fort Defiance"

1954

TV debut as regular playing Richard Adams, a legal aid attorney, in the NBC drama series "Justice"

1955

During a performance of "The Shrike" at Los Angeles' Carthay Circle Theatre, co-star Isabel Bonner died of a brian hemorrhage in his arms

1956

Starred in the crime drama "The Man Is Armed" and the Western "Massacre"

1959

Had leading role in the syndicated television series "Bold Venture"

1962

Starred in "Brecht on Brecht" at the Theatre De Lys in Greenwich Village

1968

Starred in the Denmark/USA co-production "Dage i Min Fars Hus/In My Father's House"

1971

Starred in the CBS TV-movie thriller "Face of Fear"

1972

Appeared in the telefilm "Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole", starring Susan Hayward

1975

Featured in the ABC disaster movie "Murder on Flight 502"

1976

Featured in the NBC miniseries "Once an Eagle" starring Sam Elliott

1979

Featured in the miniseries "The French Atlantic Affair" (ABC)

1980

Appeared in the syndicated thriller "Condominium"

1988

Final film appearance with Tom Berenger in "Last Rites"

Photo Collections

God is My Co-Pilot - Movie Poster
Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for God is My Co-Pilot (1945). One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.
Pride of the Marines - Movie Poster
Pride of the Marines - Movie Poster
Embraceable You - Movie Poster
Embraceable You - Movie Poster
Outlaw's Son - Movie Poster
Outlaw's Son - Movie Poster
That Way With Women - Movie Posters
That Way With Women - Movie Posters
Whiplash - Movie Poster
Whiplash - Movie Poster

Videos

Movie Clip

Destination Tokyo (1943) -- (Movie Clip) I Never Seen A Doll On A Submarine Officers under command of Captain Cassidy (Cary Grant) take the U.S.S. Copperfin out, crewmen Tin Can (Dane Clark), Mike (Tom Tully), Cookie (Alan Hale) and Wolf (John Garfield) introduced, in Delmer Daves' Destination Tokyo, 1943.
Hollywood Canteen (1944) -- (Movie Clip) I Thought You Were Ann Sheridan The original Hollywoodland sign appears in a montage of wartime Hollywood, as soldiers Slim and Nolan (Robert Hutton, Dane Clark) begin their adventure, Joe E. Brown the first celebrity met, early in the Warner Bros' salute to the movie industry morale project, Hollywood Canteen, 1944.
Hollywood Canteen (1944) -- (Movie Clip) Dead Ringer For Joan Crawford As fictional Sgt. Nolan, Dane Clark is transfixed by young Janis Paige (who was a popular regular attraction at the real club) who won't give up her name, then having better luck with Joan Crawford, in the Warner Bros' story about the Hollywood Canteen, 1944.
Action In The North Atlantic (1943) -- (Movie Clip) We Didn't Ask For This War Below decks with the crew of the Northern Star, novice Ensign Parker (Dick Hogan) getting schooled by Peter Whitney, Dane Clark, Alan Hale and Sam Levene as Goldberg, then we see there really is a German sub nearby, early in the WWII Merchant Marine story Action In The North Atlantic, 1943.
Action In The North Atlantic (1943) -- (Movie Clip) My Dear Adolf Seven, then twelve days after their Merchant Marine tanker was sunk by a Nazi submarine, the crew of the Northern Star is rescued, Humphrey Bogart, Dane Clark, Raymond Massey the captain, Alan Hale sassing the enemy, in Warner Bros.’ Merchant Marine adventure, Action In The North Atlantic, 1943.
Gambler And The Lady, The (1952) -- (Movie Clip) He Looked Like A Gentleman In a London casino Dave (Meredith Edwards) is the manager, Jaco (George Pastell) the cashier and Lord Peter (Anthony Forwood) paying up, then we meet proprietor Forster (Dane Clark), who appeared to be run down in the street in the opening, in the Hammer Films Noir The Gambler And The Lady, 1952.
Gambler And The Lady, The (1952) -- (Movie Clip) They'll Toss You Back Into The Gutter American ex-con Forster (Dane Clark), at his London casino with his Maitre’d (Julian Somers), receives potential rivals (Eric Pohlmann, Enzo Coticchia), forgetting his date with angry girlfriend Pat (Kathleen Byron), who dislikes his social aspirations, in Hammer Films’ The Gambler And The Lady, 1952.
Gambler And The Lady, The (1952) -- (Movie Clip) I Adore Rich Men At his London casino, socially anxious American Forster (Dane Clark) joins the party of nobleman Peter (Anthony Forwood), meeting cruel friend Janey (Jane Griffiths) and kind sister Susan (Naomi Chance), not noticing his jealous girlfriend (Kathleen Byron), in The Gambler And The Lady, 1952.
Paid To Kill (1954) -- (Movie Clip) Who Would I Have To Murder? American Andrea (Thea Gregory) is surprised when old friend Paul (Paul Carpenter) shows up at her London party, learning that her husband, businessman Jim (Dane Clark), whom she doesn't know is in dire straits, invited him, in the Hammer Films drama Paid To Kill, 1954.
Paid To Kill (1954) -- (Movie Clip) I Don't Do Business That Way London-based American businessman Jim (Dane Clark), facing ruin, has to appear before his board, Heisen (Arthur Young) antagonistic, friend Peter (Anthony Forwood) more supportive, and secretary Joan (Cecile Chevreau) befuddled, in the Hammer Films noir Paid To Kill, 1954.
Paid To Kill (1954) -- (Movie Clip) The Deal Is Off Jim (Dane Clark), elated over his rescued business deal, with secretary Joan (Cecile Chevreau) and friend Peter (Anthony Forwood), trying to cancel the contract he put out on himself, and deal with his wife (Thea Gregory), who’s angry over him skipping town, in the Brit-noir Paid To Kill, 1954.
Blackout (1954) -- (Movie Clip) I Might Be Miss Opportunity Opening scene, in a London night club featuring Cleo Laine on stage, we find American Morrow (Dane Clark) about to succumb when unduly interested English Phyllis (Belinda Lee) appears, in the British-made Hammer Films Noir thriller Blackout, 1954, directed by Terence Fisher.

Trailer

Hollywood Canteen -- (Original Trailer) Half of Hollywood pitches in to help a serviceman and a starlet find love at the Hollywood Canteen (1944)
Never Trust a Gambler - (Original Trailer) A small-time gambler goes on the lam from a murder charge in Never Trust a Gambler (1951).
Embraceable You - (Original Trailer) When he accidentally injures a young girl, a gangster risks his freedom to nurse her in Embraceable You (1948).
Deep Valley - (Original Trailer) A farmer's daughter (Ida Lupino) helps an escaped convict (Dane Clark) through the Dark Valley (1947).
God Is My Co-Pilot - (Original Trailer) God Is My Co-Pilot (1945), based on the true story of World War II fighter pilot Col. Robert Lee Scott, Jr.
That Way With Women - (Original Trailer) An elderly millionaire (Sydney Greenstreet) makes a hobby of playing cupid in That Way with Women (1947).
Stolen Life, A - (Original Trailer) Bette Davis plays a nice sister and the evil twin who takes her place and her man in director Curtis Bernhardt's A Stolen Life (1948).
Tennessee Johnson - (Original Trailer) Tennessee Johnson (1942), a biography of Andrew Johnson (Van Heflin), who became the only U.S. president ever to be tried by Congress.
Destination Tokyo - (Original Trailer) A U.S. submarine braves enemy waters during World War II in Destination Tokyo (1944) starring Cary Grant & John Garfield.
Her Kind Of Man - (Original Trailer) A reporter comes between a gangster and his mistress during the Roaring Twenties in Her Kind Of Man (1946) starring Dane Clark and Zachary Scott.
Whiplash - (Original Trailer) Dane Clark makes love to Alexis Smith behind the back of the husband who is teaching him to box in Whiplash (1948).
Very Thought of You, The - (Original Trailer) For the wartime romance The Very Thought Of You (1944), director Delmar Daves shot on location at Cal Tech and the San Diego Navy Yards.

Companions

Margaret Yoder
Wife
Painter, sculptor. First wife; died in 1970.
Geraldine Clark
Wife
Married c. 1971; survived him.

Bibliography

Notes

"That was the best break in my life, hooking up with Warners. They don't go much for the 'pretty boy' type there. An average guy like me has a chance to get someplace, to portray people the way they really are, without any frills." --Dane Clark in a 1946 interview