Dagmar Oakland
Encyclopedia
Dagmar Oakland (née Edna Andersen) was an American actress of stage and screen from San Francisco, California
. Twice she was a member of the Ziegfeld Follies
.
, Norway
and Anna Marthine Olsen, also of Norway
. Her siblings' names were Edward, Herbert (née Hagbart), and Vivian. Her sister performed on Broadway and in motion pictures. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
Anna Marthine Andersen, a widow since 1898, moved the family to Oakland, California
.
as the Anker sisters (an old family name). They changed their surname to Oakland in tribute to their hometown. They performed as the Oakland Sisters in the Boston Juveniles, a vaudeville group. They traveled the west coast as far as Seattle, Washington
. The sisters ended up in New York City
, appearing with the Ziegfeld Follies
and other shows. In 1915 Oakland began a solo stage career. In November 1924 she had an important role in Heidelberg, the musical version of a play made famous by Richard Mansfield
.
selected Oakland as their Poppy Girl during National Poppy
Week in May 1925. Her portrait appeared on banners and display cards to raise money throughout America.
(1930) directed by Edmund Joseph. She was cast with Joan Blondell
, Gloria Shea, and Walter Kinsella
. She played a reporter Wedding Present
(1936) and a nurse in Hit Parade of 1937. Oakland's film career lasted into the late 1940s with uncredited roles in Tonight and Every Night
(1945), Thrill of a Romance
(1945), and Riverboat Rhythm (1946).
. Their romance began in 1917 when Oakland was playing in a Broadway theater production. The actress became engaged to English actor Thomas Oliver Neville Clark. Clark was deported from America in June 1935 because he overstayed his visitor's permit.
Vivian met and married actor John Murry. The couple had a daughter named Joan. They continued their careers in movies and relocated to southern California. The Murry's operated a small bookshop on Ventura Boulevard
in the 1940s. Dagmar Oakland died in Burbank, California
in 1989.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. Twice she was a member of the Ziegfeld Follies
Ziegfeld Follies
The Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
.
Family
Oakland's parents were Edward Andersen of FredrikstadFredrikstad
is a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Anna Marthine Olsen, also of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Her siblings' names were Edward, Herbert (née Hagbart), and Vivian. Her sister performed on Broadway and in motion pictures. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
Anna Marthine Andersen, a widow since 1898, moved the family to Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
.
Stage Actress
Edna and Vivian appeared in vaudevilleVaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
as the Anker sisters (an old family name). They changed their surname to Oakland in tribute to their hometown. They performed as the Oakland Sisters in the Boston Juveniles, a vaudeville group. They traveled the west coast as far as Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. The sisters ended up in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, appearing with the Ziegfeld Follies
Ziegfeld Follies
The Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
and other shows. In 1915 Oakland began a solo stage career. In November 1924 she had an important role in Heidelberg, the musical version of a play made famous by Richard Mansfield
Richard Mansfield
Richard Mansfield was an English actor-manager best known for his performances in Shakespeare plays, Gilbert and Sullivan operas and for his portrayal of the dual title roles in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
.
VFW honor
The Veterans of Foreign WarsVeterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
selected Oakland as their Poppy Girl during National Poppy
Poppy
A poppy is one of a group of a flowering plants in the poppy family, many of which are grown in gardens for their colorful flowers. Poppies are sometimes used for symbolic reasons, such as in remembrance of soldiers who have died during wartime....
Week in May 1925. Her portrait appeared on banners and display cards to raise money throughout America.
Film career
Beginning in 1930 Oakland performed in Hollywood motion pictures. Her first feature was The Heart BreakerThe Heart Breaker
The Heart Breaker is a 1925 American short comedy film directed by Philadelphian director, Benjamin Stoloff.-Cast:*Judy King*Jerry Madden as Little boy*Sid Smith*Dagmar Oakland...
(1930) directed by Edmund Joseph. She was cast with Joan Blondell
Joan Blondell
Rose Joan Blondell was an American actress who performed in movies and on television for five decades as Joan Blondell.After winning a beauty pageant, Blondell embarked upon a film career...
, Gloria Shea, and Walter Kinsella
Walter Kinsella (actor)
Walter Kinsella was an American theater, television and radio actor. His first Broadway stage appearance was in 1924, in What Price Glory? Kinsella's most noted television role was Happy McMann in NBC's detective drama Martin Kane, Private Eye...
. She played a reporter Wedding Present
Wedding Present (1936 film)
Wedding Present is a 1936 romantic comedy film made by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Richard Wallace, and starred Joan Bennett and Cary Grant...
(1936) and a nurse in Hit Parade of 1937. Oakland's film career lasted into the late 1940s with uncredited roles in Tonight and Every Night
Tonight and Every Night
Tonight and Every Night is a 1945 musical film starring Rita Hayworth and Lee Bowman, about wartime romance and tragedy in a London music hall that was determined not to miss a single performance during the Blitz...
(1945), Thrill of a Romance
Thrill of a Romance
Thrill of a Romance was an American romance film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1945, starring Van Johnson, Esther Williams and Carleton G. Young, with musical performances by opera singer Lauritz Melchior...
(1945), and Riverboat Rhythm (1946).
Marriage
She was married to Captain Garnet Rotan who served with distinction in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Their romance began in 1917 when Oakland was playing in a Broadway theater production. The actress became engaged to English actor Thomas Oliver Neville Clark. Clark was deported from America in June 1935 because he overstayed his visitor's permit.
Vivian met and married actor John Murry. The couple had a daughter named Joan. They continued their careers in movies and relocated to southern California. The Murry's operated a small bookshop on Ventura Boulevard
Ventura Boulevard
Ventura Boulevard is one of the primary east–west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley, USA; as it was originally a part of the El Camino Real , Ventura Boulevard is one of the oldest routes in the San Fernando Valley. It was also U.S...
in the 1940s. Dagmar Oakland died in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
in 1989.