Orme Caldara (born Frank Slocum;[1] February 9, 1875 – October 21, 1925)[2][3][4] was an American stage actor. He was married to actress Julia Dean from 1906 to 1913. Caldara appeared in one movie, The Spreading Dawn with Jane Cowl. He often appeared with Cowl in the theatre co-starring with her in several influential Broadway plays, including Within the Law (1912–1913), Common Clay (1915–1916), Lilac Time (1917), and Smilin' Through (1919–1920).

Orme Caldara
Orme Caldara and Jane Cowl in Within the Law
Born
Frank Slocum

(1875-02-09)February 9, 1875
DiedOctober 21, 1925(1925-10-21) (aged 50)
Resting placePine Ridge Cemetery, Saranac Lake, Essex County, New York
OccupationActor
Years active1904–1919
Spouse
(m. 1906; div. 1913)

Caldara contracted tuberculosis in the early 1920s, and his ailing health forced him to retire from his stage career. He died of the disease in a sanatorium in Saranac Lake, New York, in 1925.

Biography edit

Caldara was born Frank Slocum on February 9, 1875 in Empire City, Oregon.[2] His father, Caleb Slocum, was a native of Peoria, Illinois.[5] Caldara was working as a stage actor by 1898, when he was a leading member of the Lorraine Hollis Company.[6] He began appearing on Broadway in 1904, and performed in numerous productions until 1920.[7]

In addition to acting, Caldara was also a professional swimmer.[6]

Death edit

Caldara contracted tuberculosis in the early 1920s, and his ailing health forced him into an early retirement.[8] He died of the disease in a tuberculosis sanatorium in Saranac Lake, New York,[9][8] on October 21, 1925.

Filmography edit

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1917 The Spreading Dawn Anthony Vanderpyl

Select stage credits edit

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1904 The Sorceress New Amsterdam Theatre [7]
1905 Friquet Savoy Theatre [7]
1907 The Aero Club Jack Chandler Criterion Theatre [7]
1907 The Round Up Jack Payson New Amsterdam Theatre; Broadway Theatre [7]
1912–1913 Within the Law Richard Gilder Eltinge 42nd Street Theatre [7]
1915–1916 Common Clay Hugh Fullerton Theatre Republic [7]
1919–1920 Smilin' Through Kenneth Wayne / Jeremiah Wayne Broadhurst Theatre [7]

References edit

  1. ^ The New York Times DIVORCE FOR JULIA DEAN; Actress's Decree Made Final in Westchester Court; [May 17, 1913]..PDF
  2. ^ a b "Orme Caldara". Playbill. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  3. ^ Wearing 1979, p. 173.
  4. ^ Vazzana 2001, pp. 75–76.
  5. ^ United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925: Orme Caldara, 1921; citing Passport Application, New York, United States, source certificate #57901, Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925, 1670, NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). Archived copy of Caldara's passport application.
  6. ^ a b "An Actor-Swimmer". Ottawa Citizen. August 3, 1898. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h "Orme Caldara". Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Bordman 1987, p. 107.
  9. ^ "Noel Coward Drama Picked For Nazimova". Los Angeles Evening Express. November 20, 1925. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.

Sources edit

  • Bordman, Gerald Martin (1987). The Concise Oxford Companion to American Theatre. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-195-16986-7.
  • Vazzana, Eugene Michael (2001). Silent Film Necrology. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 978-0-786-41059-0.
  • Wearing, J. P. (1979). American and British Theatrical Biography. Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-1201-0.

External links edit