Arthur Lake (actor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur Lake
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Lake in 1920s
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| Born |
Arthur William Silverlake Jr.
April 17, 1905 Corbin, Kentucky, U.S.
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| Died | January 9, 1987 (aged 81) Indian Wells, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actor, Singer |
| Years active | 1917–1957 |
| Spouse(s) |
Patricia Lake
(m. 1937) |
| Children | 2 |
Arthur Lake (born Arthur William Silverlake Jr.) was an American actor. He was born on April 17, 1905, and passed away on January 9, 1987. Arthur Lake was most famous for playing Dagwood Bumstead. Dagwood was the clumsy husband in the popular Blondie comic strip. Lake played this role in movies, on the radio, and on TV.
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Arthur Lake's Early Life and Acting Start
Arthur Lake was born in Corbin, Kentucky. This was on April 17, 1905. His family was part of a circus. His father and uncle were acrobats called "The Flying Silverlakes." His mother was an actress.
His parents performed in vaudeville shows. Arthur first acted as a baby in a play called Uncle Tom's Cabin. By 1910, he and his sister Florence were part of the act. His mother later moved the family to Hollywood. She wanted her children to act in movies. Arthur's first movie was Jack and the Beanstalk in 1917. His sister Florence also became a successful actress.
Joining Universal and RKO Pictures
Universal Pictures signed Arthur Lake. He was still a teenager. He played different characters in Western movies. When he was 19, he started starring in many short comedy films for Universal. These films continued until 1930.
Later, he joined RKO Radio Pictures in 1928. There, he made movies like Dance Hall (1929) and Cheer Up and Smile (1930).
First Talking and Color Films
Movie audiences first heard Arthur Lake speak in 1929. He played the main role, Harold Astor, in On with the Show!. This movie was special. It was the first full-length movie with all talking parts. It also used the Vitaphone process. It was also Warner Bros.' first movie filmed entirely in two-color Technicolor.
In the early days of sound film, Lake often played light, romantic characters. Sometimes, they were a bit like a "Mama's Boy." An example is the 1931 movie Indiscreet. He also had a big role as a bellhop in the 1937 film Topper.
Arthur Lake as Dagwood Bumstead
Arthur Lake is most famous for playing Dagwood Bumstead. Dagwood is the husband of the main character in the Blondie comic strip. Lake played Dagwood in 28 Blondie movies. Columbia Pictures made these films between 1938 and 1950. Penny Singleton played Blondie, and Larry Simms played their son, Baby Dumpling (later Alexander).
Lake also played Dagwood on the Blondie radio show. This show ran at the same time as the movies, from 1938 to 1950. His work earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Many actors on the radio show said Lake was very dedicated. They noted that on broadcast days, he truly became Dagwood Bumstead.
Arthur Lake loved playing Dagwood. He didn't mind being known for just one role. He even played Dagwood in a short-lived Blondie TV series in 1957. He often gave speeches to groups like Rotary clubs. He would happily pose for pictures with a Dagwood sandwich. He continued to do this into the 1960s and beyond. He passed away in 1987.
Other Acting Roles
In 1943, Columbia Pictures stopped making the Blondie movies for a while. They let Penny Singleton go, but kept Arthur Lake. It was wartime, and male actors were hard to find. Lake starred in other comedy films for Columbia, Republic Pictures, and United Artists during this break.
He also lent his voice to military cartoons. Warner Bros. made these for the U.S. Navy in 1945. Lake voiced "Mr. Hook," a sailor learning about war bonds.
Return to Blondie and Film Production
People really wanted the Blondie movies back. So, Columbia brought them back in 1945. Arthur Lake and Penny Singleton reunited. The series finally ended in 1950.
In 1948, Arthur Lake tried making movies himself. He worked with filmmaker Irving Allen. Allen had won an Academy Award for his short film Climbing the Matterhorn. Lake and Allen worked on an underwater adventure movie. It was called 16 Fathoms Deep. Lloyd Bridges and Lon Chaney Jr. starred in it. Arthur Lake also had a funny role in the film.
Monogram Pictures released the movie. They advertised Lake as the star. This "Arthur Lake Production" was filmed in Tarpon Springs, Florida. It was shot in color and got good reviews. However, it was the only time Lake worked behind the cameras.
Personal Life
Arthur Lake became good friends with newspaper owner William Randolph Hearst. He also knew Hearst's partner, Marion Davies. Lake often visited Davies' beach house. There, he met Patricia Van Cleeve, who was Davies' niece. Arthur Lake and Patricia Van Cleeve got married in 1937. Their wedding was at San Simeon.
Patricia Lake's parents were a topic of much talk. However, before she passed away, Patricia Lake reportedly said that she was the daughter of Davies and Hearst.
Arthur Lake passed away from a heart attack. This happened in Indian Wells, California, on January 9, 1987. He is buried in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. He rests in the Douras family mausoleum. Marion Davies and her husband, Horace G. Brown, are also buried there. Lake's wife, Patricia, was buried there after she died in 1993.
Images for kids
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Arthur Lake in the 1920s
