Roger De Koven
{{short description|American actor (1906–1988)}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Roger De Koven
| image = Roger De Koven in Tales of Tomorrow (The Window).jpg
| caption = De Koven in an episode of Tales of Tomorrow (1952)
| other_names = Roger DeKoven, Roger de Koven
| birth_name = Roger Bemet DeKoven
| birth_date = {{birth date|1907|10|22|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1988|1|28|1907|10|22|mf=yes}}
| death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1925–1984
| spouse = Mina Meltz
| children = 2
}}
Roger De Koven (born Roger Bemet DeKoven; October 22, 1907 – January 28, 1988)"Illinois, Cook County Birth Registers, 1871-1915", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7CM-2LN : Sat Mar 09 19:26:23 UTC 2024), Entry for Roger Bemet Dekoven and Bernard Dekoven, 1906.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/404084206/?clipping_id=149141398 "Roger DeKoven, 81, Stage Actor; Career Hurt by McCarthy-Era Newsletter "]. The Los Angeles Times. February 4, 1988. pt. 1, p. 28. was an American actor on stage, radio, television and film, known for his versatility,[https://www.newspapers.com/image/1043254602/?clipping_id=149620340 "Narrates and Plays Role in WQBC Program; Roger DeKoven Shows Versatility in Famous Jury Trials"]. The Vicksburg Post. October 26, 1945. p. 2.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/282218646/?clipping_id=149193127 "Radio's Busiest Freelance on 'Gang Busters'"]. The Jackson Sun. September 22, 1946. sec. 2, p. 12. and, in particular, for his portrayals of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. in the Broadway musical, Funny Girl,New York Times News Service (January 30, 1988). [https://www.newspapers.com/image/388919660/?clipping_id=149141857 "Stage Actor Once Placed on Blacklist"]. Chicago Tribune. Sec. 1, p. 6. and of Professor Jason Allen in the landmark anti-war—and anti-Nazi—radio drama Against the Storm.Dunning, John (1976). [https://archive.org/details/tuneinyesterdayu0000dunn/page/18/mode/2up?q=%22Roger+De+Koven%22 Tune in Yesterday : The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, 1925-1976]. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. pp. 19, 169, 667. {{ISBN|0-13-932608-1}}. H appeared frequently on Grand Central Station,Dunning, John (1998). [https://books.google.com/books?id=HqhoAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA290 On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio]. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 290. {{ISBN|978-0-19-507678-3}}. Dimension X, and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, and—while employed as leading man/director of a stock company in the mid-1930s—directed the young Danny Kaye.{{Cite magazine|title=Legitimate: Engagements|author=|date=August 14, 1935|magazine=Variety|page=50|quote=|id={{ProQuest|1475852902}}}}
Early life and career
A native of Chicago, Illinois, DeKoven was one of seven children born to Bernard DeKoven and Clara Turner.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/371195017/?clipping_id=149122979 "Obituaries: Dr. Bernard DeKoven"]. Chicago Tribune. August 12, 1940. p. 24. His father was a Russian-born Jew known for his active participation in Zionist affairs and Jewish charitable work.
Following his graduation from John Marshall High School,[https://books.google.com/books?id=7RowAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA180&dq=%22roger+dekoven%22 "Heard From the Schools: John Marshall High School"]. High School Life. October 1922. p. 180. DeKoven attended the University of Chicago, Northwestern, and Columbia. He made his Broadway debut in 1926 in Franz Werfel's Juarez and Maximilian.Willis, John (1988). [https://archive.org/details/theatreworld43will/page/200/mode/2up?q=%22DeKoven%2C+Roger%22 Theatre World]. New York: Crown Publishers. p. 200. {{ISBN|0517568284}}.{{Cite news|title=Roger DeKoven Dies; Diverse Actor Was 81: [Obituary]|author=|date=January 29, 1988|work=The New York Times|page=B5|quote=|id={{ProQuest|426710975}}}} That same year, De Koven performed with Moscow's Habima Theatre troupe during their tour of the US.{{cn|date=June 2024}}
In 1940, De Koven appeared at The New School for Social Research in Shakespeare's King Lear (the first American production staged by the school's founder, Erwin Piscator), playing Edmund to Sam Jaffe's Lear.
Variety's Tom Morse, at the conclusion of his article assessing Off Broadway's 1965–1966 season, includes de Koven's performance in Deadly Game—an adaptation of Swiss writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt's A Dangerous Game—in his list of the year's outstanding performances.{{Cite news|title=Long 'Indulged' by Partisan Critics, Off-B'way Lags, and B.O. Ditto|author=Morse, Tom|date=July 20, 1966|work=Variety|page=67|quote=|id={{ProQuest|1017135636}}}} Of his performance as Paul Hirsch in the touring company of Leonard Spigelgass's Dear Me, the Sky is Falling, reviewed at the Tappan Zee Playhouse, Nyack Journal-News critic Mariruth Campbell writes, "DeKoven [...] gives the role wondrous value by impressing the audience with Paul's basic solidity while seemingly the too-easily led marriage partner. He clearly shows Paul admires as well as adores his fix-it mama."{{Cite news|title='The Sky Is Falling': Gertrude Berg Adds Sheen to TZ Play|author=Campbell, Mariruth|date=July 5, 1966|work=The Nyack Journal-News|page=38|quote=|id={{ProQuest|2038339403}}}} Regarding De Koven's portrayal of Justice Lawrence Walgrave in a 1969 production of Agatha Christie's 10 Little Indians, Home News drama critic Ernest Albrecht notes, "DeKoven is particularly good at making an enormous change in character go down without our gagging on it."{{Cite news|title=The Theater: Miss Christie Plays a Neat Game|author=Albrecht, Ernest|date=June 26, 1969|work=The Daily Home News|page=32|quote=|id={{ProQuest|2266658688}}}}
Personal life and death
From June 6, 1927, DeKoven was married to the former Mina Meltz."New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1938", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24WC-MRR : Tue Feb 20 20:41:59 UTC 2024), Entry for Roger De Koven and Mina Meltz, 6 Jun 1927. They had two children.
On January 28, 1988, DeKoven died of cancer at his home in Manhattan.
Acting credits
=Stage=
| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col" class="unsortable"|Opening date ! scope="col" class="unsortable"|Closing date ! scope="col"|Title ! scope="col" class="unsortable"|Role ! scope="col"|Theatre ! scope="col" class="unsortable"|Notes !scope="col" class="unsortable"| Refs |
| scope="row"|Jan 26, 1927
|Apr 1927 |The Mystery Man |Anson | |
| scope="row"| Mar 20, 1936
| Apr 1936 | {{sort|Green|Murder in the Cathedral}} |First Knight |Written by T.S. Eliot; music by A. Lehman Engel |
| scope="row"|Jan 7, 1937
|May 15, 1937 |Fanatic | Music by Kurt Weill; text by Franz Werfel. Adapted by William A. Drake, from translation by Ludwig Lewisohn; staged by Max Reinhardt. |
| scope="row"| Dec 21, 1941
|Feb 7, 1942 |Albert |Written by John Bright and Asa Bordages. |{{cite web|title=Brooklyn, U.S.A.|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/brooklyn-usa-1147|website=IBDB|publisher=The Broadway League|access-date=June 11, 2024}}{{Cite news|title=New Producers Discard Their 'Casting Cards': Stander and Bernard Call for New Deal In Filling 'Brooklyn, U.S.A. Roles|author=|date=January 22, 1941|work=New York Herald Tribune|id={{ProQuest|1260782216}}}} |
| scope="row"| Oct 17, 1945
|Oct 27, 1945 |Admiral Marcel Vespery |Written by Irwin Shaw |
| scope="row"| Nov 16, 1946
|May 10, 1947 |Jeffson |Written by Maxwell Anderson; produced by The Playwrights' Company |
| scope="row"| Nov 18, 1954
|Dec 4, 1954 |Dr. Jacob Samuels |Written by Anne Nichols |
| scope="row"| Nov 17, 1955
|Jun 2, 1956 |The Promoter |Written by Jean Anouilh; book adapted by Lillian Hellman; incidental music by Leonard Bernstein. |
| scope="row"| Jan 23, 1957
|Mar 16, 1957 |The Hidden River |Dr. Montalti |Written by Ruth Goetz and Augustus Goetz, based on the novel by Storm Jameson; directed by Robert Lewis. |{{cite web|title=Hidden River|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-hidden-river-2605|website=IBDB|publisher=The Broadway League|access-date=June 11, 2024}}{{Cite news|title=Theater: 'Hidden River'; Truth Hurts in Taut Drama|author=Kerr, Walter|date=February 3, 1957|work=New York Herald Tribune|page=D1, D2|id={{ProQuest|1323835499}}}} |
| scope="row"| Oct 24, 1957
|Feb 22, 1958 |Compulsion |Ferdinand Feldscher |Adapted from his novel of the same name by Meyer Levin; late made into like-named film. |{{Cite news|title=Theatre: 'Compulsion': The Cast|author=Atkinson, Brooks|date=October 25, 1957|work=The New York Times|page=21|id={{ProQuest|114324869}}}}{{Cite news|title=Theatre: 'Compulsion' a Powerful Drama (Reprinted from yesterday's late editions)|author=Chapman, John|date=October 26, 1957|work=New York Daily News|page=13c|id={{ProQuest|2279767530}}}} |
| scope="row"| Oct 19, 1959
|Jul 1, 1961 |Doctor |Playhouse Theatre |Written by Anton Chekhov; translation by Constance Garnett |
| scope="row"| Dec 8, 1959
|Feb 20, 1960 |The Milkman |Lucienne Hill's adaptation of Jean Anouilh's play |Eyles, Allen (1985). [https://archive.org/details/rexharrison00eyle/page/188/mode/2up?q=%22roger+de+koven%22+ Rex Harrison]. London: W.H. Allen. p. 185. {{ISBN|0491039018}}.{{Cite news|title=Rex Harrison Stars in 'Fighting Cock': Comedy by Anouilh Opens at the ANTA|author=Atkinson, Brooks|date=December 9, 1959|work=The New York Times|page=57|id={{ProQuest|114833373}}}} |
| scope="row"| Mar 18, 1963
|Nov 9, 1963 |Gorotchenko - Replacement (May 27, 1963 - ?) |Musical based on the comedy by Robert E. Sherwood and Jacques Deval; |
| scope="row"| Nov 11, 1963
|Nov 16, 1963 |The Actor |Written by Bertolt Brecht; book adapted by George Tabori; incidental music by Jule Styne; directed by Tony Richardson |
| scope="row"| Mar 26, 1964
|Jul 1, 1967 |Winter Garden Theatre, Majestic Theatre, Broadway Theatre |Jule Styne-Bob Merrill musical with book by Isobel Lennart, based on her original story; directed by Garson Kanin |
| scope="row"|Jan 4, 1968
|Feb 10, 1968 |Written by George Bernard Shaw |
| scope="row"|Feb 29, 1938
|Apr 6, 1968 |Priam |Vivian Beaumont Theatre |Adapted by Christopher Fry from Jean Giradoux's play. |
| scope="row"|Apr 25, 1968
|Jun 8, 1968 |Jodelet, A Spanish Officer |Vivian Beaumont Theatre |Written by Edmond Rostand; book adapted by James Forsyth; incidental music by William Bolcom. |
| scope="row"|Nov 30, 1976
|Dec 5, 1976 |Jacob Herzl |Written by Benjamin Glazer and Vicki Baum |
| scope="row"|Nov 14, 1979
|May 18, 1980 |Strider |Vaska/ Mr. Willingstone |Written by Mark Rozovsky, adapted from "Kholstomer: The Story of a Horse" by Leo Tolstoy |
= Radio =
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable"
! scope="col"|Year ! scope="col"|Title ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Role ! scope="col"|Director ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Other cast members ! scope="col"|Notes ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Refs. |
| scope="row" |1943
|The Promise | | |Eleonora Von Mendelssohn (as Eleanora Mendelssohn) |Short subject "starring Eleanora Mendelssohn and Roger DeKoven" |
| scope="row" |1945
|A Pass to Tomorrow |Himself - Narrator |March and De Koven narrate this 28-min Technicolor documentary produced for the United Palestine Appeal |[https://www.mediafire.com/view/ll64wso8cezffe9/ "Screen News: Richard Conte and Carole Landis to Be Featured; Of Local Origin"]. The New York Times. May 24, 1945. p. 16.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/553131956/?clipping_id=149639463 "Zionists to Show Palestine Film"]. The Morning Call. October 26, 1945. p. 3. |
| scope="row" |1951
|Sabatelli |{{sort|Hall|Alexander Hall}} | |
| scope="row" |1961
|NA (uncredited) |{{sort|Garfein|Jack Garfein}} | |[https://catalog.afi.com/Person/134000-Roger-Dekoven Roger DeKoven filmography]. American Film Institute. |
| scope="row" |1974
|Serge |{{sort|Stone|Oliver Stone}} |Jonathan Frid, Martine Beswick, Hervé Villechaize | |
=Television=
References
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
External links
- [https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/roger-de-koven-67266 Roger De Koven] at the Internet Broadway Database
- {{IMDb name|0209141}}
- [https://www.otrr.org/OTRRPedia/pedia.html?s=per&id=1501&t=1 Roger DeKoven] at Old Time Radio Researchers
- [https://archive.org/details/AgainstTheStorm Against the Storm 18 Eps] at Internet Archive
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:De Koven, Roger}}
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male stage actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent
Category:Male actors from Chicago