Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthdate
1901-09-30
Day of Death
1975-05-09
Place of Birth
Scheveningen, 's-Gravenhage, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Philip Dorn
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 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.
Filmography (36)
Salto Mortale
1954
Dreaming Lips
1953
Türme des Schweigens
1952
Behind Monastery Walls
1952
Sealed Cargo
1951
Spy Hunt
1950
The Fighting Kentuckian
1949
I Remember Mama
1948
I've Always Loved You
1946
Escape in the Desert
1945
Blonde Fever
1944
Passage to Marseille
1944
Twenty Years After
1944
Paris After Dark
1943
