Rod La Rocque Biography

Fast Facts

• After retiring from acting, he and wife Vilma Banky started entertaining at veterans' hospitals
• Thousands of fans and hundreds of Hollywood stars flocked to his wedding to actress Vilma Banky
• Made movies for the Essanay Studios in Chicago until it closed
• Started acting on the stage and with traveling shows as a child
• Samuel Goldwyn noticed him while he was performing on stage in New York City and took him to Hollywood
• Quote: "[on his marriage] "The gossips said it'd never last․ That it was all a publicity stunt․ Well, we're celebrating our 22nd wedding anniversary in a few months․""
• A leading man of the silent film era, he transitioned into talkies in the 1940s
• Known for his passionate onscreen roles, often opposite Vilma Banky
• Remained a freelance actor throughout his career instead of signing with a single studio at a time when contracts were a common practice in the acting profession
• In 1941, he retired from the film industry and became a real estate broker