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GERALD MOHR - THE MAN WITH TWO FACES
By Stig Forsberg
Fast shooting and hard riding American Wild West star Gerald Mohr visits Sweden and tops the bill of "Wild West Story".
A fun, quick portrait of a cosmopolitan gentleman who has a warm heart under the sheriff's star and is a dedicated artiste under the Stetson hat.
Picture texts:
Top left:
The revolver and cowboy outfit has followed Gerald Mohr throughout his acting career.
Top right:
Gerald outside his Lidingö residence with stepson and Swedish wife Mai-Britt, whom he met during a previous visit to Sweden.
Bottom right:
Mohr has acted opposite most big stars and is a personal friend of many of them.
Page 4:
Mohr has interests other than film work. He is a serious book collector and has, for example, Anatole France's works in signed first editions.
Main Text
Before Gerald Mohr, the American actor who specialises in Westerns (Gerry to his friends), arrived at the first day of filming for the Swedish Western parody "Wild West Story", he told his Swedish colleagues of an experience he had had during filming.
"It was one of the last scenes of the film. It was recorded just as darkness fell over the location, which was out in the wilds. I was to ride a full speed on a narrow path. To the right I had a 30-metre deep precipice and to the left a mountain wall. I was being chased by two villains. As usual when recording such scenes, the camera would be "undercranked", that is to say, the camera was running slowly so that the riders on the screen would appear to be riding at full speed. I took my starting position. The start signal was a shot from one of the villains. When it sounded my horse went mad. He took the bit between his teeth and bolted. I had time to see the surprise of the crew behind the camera as I galloped by like a rocket! To the right the precipice, to the left the mountain wall. And then suddenly, right in front of me, a truck appeared! The horse was completely insane. At the last moment I tried to jump out of the saddle but the saddle horn got me in the lower abdomen, I fell to the ground and lost consciousness. The first I saw and heard as I came round was the director, who was bent over me, saying reproachfully: 'But you promised to ride by slowly!'"
He knows How
This story went around Råsunda (the location of the Swedish film studio Filmstaden) and, as is often the case with stories, it changed character as it passed from mouth to mouth. When it reached the ears of director Börje Nyberg it sounded like: "Our American star refuses to ride a horse! He is dead scared of horses and, besides, he can't ride!" No wonder Nyberg and his crew waited with fear on the first day of shooting. So, Gerry Mohr arrived, swung onto his horse and performed some tricks that had Carli Tornehave and Carl-Gustaf Lindstedt gasping with admiration.
Of course Gerald Mohr can ride. After more than 100 films set in the American West he knows how. Previously, he even did stunts - rolling down precipices, riding through burning buildings, being ridden over by "Indians" etc. Nowadays he considers himself too valuable for such stunts. To be able to ride and handle a gun are important skills for those who act in Western movies. The latter requires long practice. You cannot pick up a gun like you do a good cigar (sic). Hollywood's special "revolver teacher" is called Rod Redwing - a genuine Indian who knows how to draw a gun and who has taught the art to a couple of generations of Western heroes in the celluloid business.
A Living Paradox
But Gerald Mohr - tall, lean, elegant, with sensitive artist's hands and a face that strongly resembles that of his good friend Humphrey Bogart - has not been driven to become a Western hero out of personal necessity. He is, in fact, a living paradox: as an actor, he has played countless Western heroes, gangsters, Mexicans, swarthy murderers, Spaniards and Sheiks - privately, he is a man with strong roots in European culture, a noted book collector (with, for example, Anatole France's works in first editions signed by the great author), a book and art lover, an expert on French literature, a good pianist; a humorous gentleman who speaks four languages, he is forever searching for the good things in life.
The Problems with Typecasting
The concept of "typecasting" - unknown in England but more common in USA and Sweden - has to some degree become Gerald Mohr's destiny. Almost all of his colleagues in Hollywood have experienced the same problem. Cary Grant, for example, who, after having portrayed a number of charming he-men during the 30s and 40s, tried hard to escape typecasting by portraying a tragic Cockney in "The Lonely Heart". There was nothing wrong with Grant's presentation (after all, he is an excellent actor), but the audience were laughing hysterically and did not take him seriously. Here (in Sweden) "typecasting" can be illustrated by mentioning Sigge Fürst. Starting as a charming revue performer, he broadened his repertoire by portraying both jovial gentlemen and treacherous villains. He is today a respected character actor at Dramatiska teatren (the most prestigious theatre in Stockholm). But only he can fully appreciate how hard the struggle was before he reached that goal.
Friend of Orson Welles
In comparison, Gerald Mohr's attempt at breaking out from typecasting has been more successful. In Sweden he is remembered from several sympathetic roles, among others playing opposite Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford in "Gilda", as a Major with integrity playing opposite Märtha Torén in "Sirocco" and playing opposite Barbara Stanwyck in "Lady of Burlesque", one of Gerry Mohr's first major roles. As the modest man Gerald Mohr is, he mentions that he was not the first actor to be chosen for his breakthrough role in the latter movie. It was his good friend Orson Welles who convinced the producer to give Gerald the role, and it took him 4 hours to do so! Orson Welles (currently of interest through "Processen" after Franz Kafka's novel) is not only a square peg in a round hole in the American movie world, but he is also the salt of the earth. Gerald Mohr knows what he is talking about - he belonged to Welles' well-known Mercury group which, among other performances, gave a radio version of H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" so realistically that the audience thought that Martians really had landed on Earth, and evacuation started in many American cities.
Salt of the Earth
To illustrate the character or Orson Welles, Mohr tells the following story: A director was engaged for one of his films who was also well-known for his alcohol abuse. He got the job after having promised producer Welles complete abstinence while working. In spite of his promise, the director one afternoon appeared on set completely stoned and fell asleep in a corner. Many dollars were wasted because of this. A sound engineer (who obviously was not a 'salt of the earth') recorded the director snoring and played it back to Welles as an explanation of why no recording had been done for several hours. Welles played it for a while, then took the record and broke it in thousands of pieces. "If you think that I'm going to sack a guy after he has worked for 35 years in film, you are mistaken!" Orson Welles said.
A Director's Broken Heart
Another producer, just as well-known as Orson Welles, acted completely differently. This time Gerald Mohr was directly involved. He had just finished the final confrontation with the film's heroine. After a number of rehearsals, the scene was shot successfully. In the pause that followed, Gerald Mohr sat down at the piano. This gave the director, William Howard, an idea. They should do the scene once more and let Gerald deal with the young lady while he nonchalently played the piano. In this way the scene would be much more dramatic. But the producer said no. The first version of the scene was good enough, no point in wasting money! William Howard took this refusal so hard that he went out and got drunk, with fatal consequences for his future career. But he thought he was in the right. "They did not want to invest their money in a wonderful idea." he lamented.
The Iron Duke
Gerald Mohr's grandfather was a teacher in Heidelberg, his father emigrated from Vienna to the USA and settled in New York, where Gerald was born during World War One. He was fortunate enough to be able, at the age of 5, to decide his future profession: he wanted to become an actor! At the age of 16 he left home and went to Los Angeles and Hollywood. Looking like he was 26 and already shaving twice a day, he started as a radio writer and ended up in front of the microphones, first as an announcer and then as an actor.
Early on he got his nickname, which has stayed with him ever since: "The Iron Duke". The first part of the name, of course, had to do with his nerves, the second because he looked like a Spanish grandee. "The Iron Duke" was soon known to never miss a line or an entry and never to hesitate in critical situations. Therefore, there was great delight when he once, at the time when radio programmes were recorded on records instead of tape, made an error no less than 7 times in a row. Every record lasted half an hour. If an error occurred, the entire record had to be re-recorded. In this particular case, "The Iron Duke" had the last line. He was to finish the recording with the proud tirade: "And Queen Wilhelmina extradited the Ex-Kaiser of Prussia out of Holland!"
Whoopee!
Seven times in a row, Gerald Mohr said "Hollywood" instead of "Holland". He could not help it. The movie city obviously had a strong grip on him. On the eighth try he finally managed to say "Holland". At this point, the director became so excited that he had crept up close to Gerald Mohr in order to help him get it right. When he succeeded, the director jumped for joy and cried out "Whoopee!". The record had to be recorded a ninth time!
Communication
Gerald Mohr is one of those actors - particularly rare in the USA - who has studied the theory of his profession. These studies, together with close contacts with some of the more interesting writers and actors of our time and much travelling, has made him a recognised teacher in theatre history and drama. The most important ingredient in all acting is "communication", he says.
The Play on the Floor
And he tells a funny and true story that highlights the importance of teamwork for live theatre.
Maxwell Anderson, one of the more well-known American drama writers of the 20th century, was a typical "writer on marble", that is to say, one who did not allow any modifications to his manuscripts. Once, he got into an argument with the great director Guthrie McClintock, who was to stage Anderson's 'Masque of Kings', a play about the Mayerling drama. Anderson claimed that his play had its value regardless of whether actors played it or not. McClintock claimed the opposite. The two gentlemen made a bet. The one that could prove to the other that he was right would win $1,000. The opening night for 'Masque of Kings' came. When the curtain opened McClintock came on stage, turned to the audience and said: "Ladies and gentlemen! I have the great pleasure of presenting Maxwell Anderson's new play, 'Masque of Kings' to you." He then placed the manuscript on the stage floor and left. Anderson ran down from his box in the theatre and paid McClintock a cheque for $1,000, after which the curtain was opened again to reveal the actors on stage.
The Most Honest
Gerald Mohr has had a wonderful time in our country. He cannot emphasise more strongly his enthusiasm for Sweden, Swedish film studios and Swedish actors. The latter he characterises as "the most honest" he has ever met. His work, particularly with Carl-Gustaf Lindstedt, is amongst his happiest memories. The film "Wild West Story" is written so that Gerald Mohr speaks in American English while Lindstedt answers in the language of glory and heroes (synonym for Swedish). This contrast caused much amusement (which the audience probably will get to see sometime after Christmas).
"Actors are similar all over the world." says Gerald Mohr. "I have acted opposite actors from many coutnries, but I give the Swedes top marks!" It is not the first time that Gerald Mohr has visited the home country of Garbo, the two Bergmans, Hasso and Ekberg. He was part of the foreign film troupe that filmed "Foreign Intrigue" in Stockholm a few years ago, a series in which, amongst others, Ingrid Thulin appeared. It was then that Gerald Mohr met his Swedish-born wife Mai-Britt, who at that time worked as a script girl.
And that was sufficient ...
It was at the "St Göran och draken" statue (St George and the Dragon) in Gamla Stan (the old city of Stockholm), where Köpmangatan ends, a scene was being filmed and Gerald caught sight of Mai-Britt. Mai-Britt smiled. "And that was sufficient!" Gerald Mohr laughs. Simply, love at first sight! "Although I had not any makeup on my face, was dressed in an old coat and had a kerchief over straight hair." adds Mai-Britt who, along with her boys Tim, 10 and Thom, 12, share Gerry Mohr's second visit to Sweden in a villa in Lidingö.
Street Scene with Gerald Mohr
It is not certain when this visit will end at time of writing. His wife, Mai-Britt, has presented some fun new ideas for TV's children's theatre section and Gerald would not object to a new role if he is offered it. But it must be a special role, as Gerald has not had time to learn enough Swedish. However, during the first day he worked here, the little Swedish he already knows came in very handy.
On his way home by car from the studio, he was involved in a crash with a Swedish driver. The Swede was to blame. Consequently, the Swede jumped out of his car and showered the gentle Gerald Mohr with invective. Gerald Mohr of course did not understand a word, but when the angry Swede had been going on for a while he thought that enough was enough, remembered what a Swedish director calls out every time the camera rolls and shouted at the top of his voice: "Tystnad!" (Silence!). "The effect was quite amazing." comments Gerald Mohr. The angry Swede drooped like a faded lily (sic), the crowd that had gathered was scared off and faded away. The sound of his powerful foreign voice, trained in hundreds of movies and theatre plays and thousands of radio programmes, had the desired effect. It was, in itself, a brilliant illustration of its owner's meaning of "communication".
My sincere thanks to Sven Erick Alm for both sending me this article and translating it for me.
bravenet.com