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Eric Linden
Eric Linden
Eric Linden
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Eric Linden (September 15, 1909 – July 14, 1994) was an American actor, primarily active during the 1930s.

Key Information

Early years

[edit]

Eric Linden was born in New York City to Phillip and Elvira (née Lundborg) Linden,[1] both of Swedish descent. His father was a professional pianist and an actor on stage with the Royal Dramatic Theatre when he lived in Stockholm, Sweden. When Eric was six, Phillip Linden deserted his family in New York City.[citation needed]

To help support his mother, sister and two brothers, he began washing dishes at a cafe after school when he was 7 years old.[2] He also sold newspapers[3] on Tenth Avenue. Linden attended and participated in school plays at DeWitt Clinton High School. After graduation, he worked his way through Columbia University. His first job after graduating from Columbia was being a runner for a bank.[4]

Writing

[edit]

Linden had ambitions of becoming a writer rather than an actor. By the time he was 22 years old, he had written three plays and 40 short stories, but none had been published. He had hoped to have saved enough money by age 30 to retire from acting and spend his time writing.[3]

Stage

[edit]

Linden trained with the Theatre Guild for two years and went on to appear on Broadway in addition to acting in stock theater in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and acting in Paris, France, with the Paris-American Company.[1] He appeared in an adaption of Faust on Broadway in 1928.[5] Other stage credits included The Silver Cord, The Age of Consent, Life Begins, Sweepings, and Big City Blues.[1]

Film career

[edit]

Linden made his film debut during the Great Depression in RKO Radio Pictures' 1931 crime film, Are These Our Children?,[3] in which he played a young murderer who gets executed. He afterwards appeared in 33 films until 1941, mostly playing boyish second leads with occasional leading roles in smaller pictures.

Eric Linden and Jean Arthur in The Past of Mary Holmes (1933)
Eric Linden with Joyce Compton in Let 'Em Have It (1935)

Linden frequently portrayed "sensitive, intellectual, slightly weak-willed juveniles", sometimes with tragic destinies.[6] His notable films include Big City Blues (1932) with Joan Blondell, Old Hutch (1936) opposite Wallace Beery, Ah, Wilderness! (1935) and A Family Affair (1937), both with Lionel Barrymore and Mickey Rooney, and The Good Old Soak (1937), again with Wallace Beery.

In 1939, Linden had a small but memorable role in the hospital in Gone with the Wind (1939) as the desperate soldier whose leg has to be amputated without chloroform; Linden's role was originally planned to be more extensive, but his screen time was reduced to less than a minute in post-production.[6] His career petered out and he left Hollywood after his final role, a leading part in the low-budget-picture Criminals Within (1941).

After Hollywood, Linden returned to stage acting, going on to appear in such plays as The Philadelphia Story, My Sister Eileen, and Brighton Rock.

Recognition

[edit]

Linden has a star at 7098 Hollywood Boulevard in the Motion Pictures section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was dedicated on February 8, 1960.[7]

Filmography

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Eric Linden

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Eric Linden (September 15, 1909 – July 14, 1994) was an American actor of Swedish descent, best known for his roles as a youthful in Hollywood films during . He appeared in over 30 feature films, including pre-Code dramas such as Are These Our Children? (1931) and The Age of Consent (1932), as well as the classic Gone with the Wind (1939) in a minor role. Linden's career began on before transitioning to motion pictures with in 1931, and he earned a star on the in 1960 for his contributions to the industry. Born in to Phillip Linden, a Swedish and , and Elvira Lundborg, Linden endured a difficult early life after his father deserted the family, prompting him to sell newspapers on Tenth Avenue starting at age six. He attended , participating in school plays, and later studied at . Linden's professional acting debut came on stage with the Theatre Guild in 1929, followed by performances with the American Players troupe in ; upon returning to the via cattle boat, he built visibility through radio serials before securing his film contract. Among his notable films were Ah, Wilderness! (1935), The Voice of Bugle Ann (1936), Old Hutch (1936) opposite , A Family Affair (1937) as the first film, and The Good Old Soak (1937) again with Beery. Linden served in the U.S. Army during from 1942 to 1946. Postwar, he returned to theater before largely retiring from acting in the to work in for , retiring in 1976. His final film was Criminals Within (1941). He married at age 46 and lived in Laguna Beach until his death from cardio-respiratory arrest at age 84.

Early life

Family and childhood

Eric Linden was born on September 15, 1909, in to Swedish immigrant parents, Philip Linden and Elvira (née Lundborg) Linden. As the youngest of five children, he grew up in a household shaped by his father's profession as a pianist and actor at Stockholm's Royal Theater, where Philip had performed before migrating to America. However, when Linden was six years old, his father abruptly deserted the family, leaving no further contact and plunging them into financial hardship. Linden's mother, , who had met backstage at the Royal Theater as a teenager on a Swedish island and married him at age fifteen, took on the sole responsibility of raising the children amid ongoing economic struggles. The family's limited resources often left the children hungry, with instilling in them a resilient influenced by her own early life of labor in . By age five, Linden was already bilingual, reading and writing both Swedish and English fluently, a testament to his precocious intellect nurtured in this challenging environment. To support the household, Linden began taking odd jobs at age seven, starting with selling newspapers as a "raucous-voiced newsie" on Tenth Avenue and delivering Liberty Loan speeches that drew public attention for their eloquence. He also washed dishes after school and later worked as an usher at theaters like the Rivoli, Rialto, and Roxy, experiences that exposed him to the world of performance from a young age. These early labors, combined with the indirect legacy of his father's artistic career—which had introduced literature and music to the family—fostered Linden's budding interest in the arts, even as survival took precedence. This formative period of hardship and resourcefulness laid the groundwork for his later pursuits, leading him toward formal education and acting opportunities.

Education and early jobs

Linden attended in , , where he participated in school plays that sparked his interest in acting. Building on financial pressures from his childhood, he took on odd jobs during high school, such as messenger work, to help support his family. After graduating, Linden enrolled at , studying English and literature for two years while working part-time to fund his education. Following his time at Columbia, Linden's first post-graduation job was as a bank runner. He also held various other entry-level positions, including bookkeeper, travel bureau employee, and shipping clerk, to achieve before pursuing opportunities in .

Career beginnings

Writing aspirations

Linden nurtured a deep ambition to forge a career as a , viewing merely as a means to an end. By the age of 22, he had produced three unpublished plays and 40 short stories, none of which succeeded in finding a publisher despite his efforts to submit them. These rejections underscored the challenges of breaking into the literary world during the early years of the , prompting him to temporarily pivot toward performance as a practical way to earn a living while honing his craft. Personal hardships profoundly shaped the thematic focus of Linden's writings, with experiences like his father's of the family when Linden was six years old informing explorations of abandonment and resilience. His mother, a seamstress who supported five children single-handedly after the abandonment, instilled in him a resilience that echoed in his creative output, though specific works remained private and unproduced. This personal backdrop fueled his determination to capture human struggles in and , prioritizing emotional depth over commercial viability. The persistent lack of publications reinforced Linden's strategy of treating acting as an interim , allowing him to accumulate for his true passion. He explicitly aspired to prioritize writing over long-term, outlining a plan to retire from performing by age 30 once he had saved sufficient funds to sustain a full-time literary life. While developing these ambitions, Linden briefly overlapped his pursuits with stage training, recognizing its potential to inform his dramatic writing.

Initial stage work

After completing high school, Linden was recommended by a drama coach to the in New York, where he spent two years honing his craft through acting roles within the organization. His Broadway debut came in 1928 with the 's revival of Goethe's Faust at the , where he portrayed the role of He-Ape in a production that ran for 48 performances from October 8 to November 17. Following this, Linden gained further experience in stock theater, joining a repertory company for two years to build versatility across various roles and productions. In a subsequent international venture, he traveled to Paris with the Paris-American Company, performing juvenile leads in English-language plays such as The Road to Rome, The Barker, Holiday, and Beyond the Horizon for American expatriate audiences and contributing to his early professional development abroad.

Film career

Debut and rise to fame

Eric Linden made his film debut in 1931 with RKO Radio Pictures' Are These Our Children?, portraying the lead role of Eddie Brand, a troubled youth from a respectable family who spirals into crime and faces execution. The performance, drawn from his prior stage experience with the Theatre Guild, earned immediate praise and positioned him as a promising talent in Hollywood's burgeoning talkie era. Following this breakthrough, Linden signed a long-term contract with RKO, securing leading man roles, and soon worked with other major studios including and through loans. By 1933, he had appeared in over ten films, including Young Bride (1932, RKO), Life Begins (1932, ), No Other Woman (1933, RKO), The Silver Cord (1933, RKO), Beauty for Sale (1933, ), and Sweepings (1933, RKO). This rapid output during the pre-Code period and reflected the era's demand for stories of youthful disillusionment and moral ambiguity. Linden became typecast in boyish, sensitive roles as the "tragic boy actor," often depicting idealistic or vulnerable young men navigating societal pressures, which suited the Depression's themes of lost innocence. Early successes like The Crowd Roars (1932, Warner Bros.), where he played a aspiring racer under James Cagney's shadow, and The Age of Consent (1932, RKO), as a college student entangled in romance, solidified his status as RKO's promoted "boy sensation," marking his quick rise to fame as a juvenile lead.

Notable roles and films

During , Eric Linden appeared in 33 films, frequently portraying sensitive, intellectual young men navigating personal and societal challenges, often in supporting roles alongside established stars such as . His early in boyish leads from debut films evolved into more nuanced performances that highlighted his versatility across genres. In Big City Blues (1932), Linden starred as Bud Reeves, a naive young man from rural who inherits money and heads to , only to face the harsh realities of urban corruption, bootlegging, and disillusionment, embodying the struggles of Depression-era youth seeking opportunity in the metropolis. The film, directed by , showcased Linden's ability to convey wide-eyed innocence turning to cynicism amid the city's temptations. Linden delivered a standout performance in Ah, Wilderness! (1935), a coming-of-age directed by and adapted from Eugene O'Neill's play, where he played Richard Miller, a turn-of-the-century teenager grappling with first love, rebellion, and family expectations in a small . His portrayal earned critical acclaim for its sensitivity and emotional depth, with praising it as "the most sensitive and moving performance he has yet given on the screen." Co-starring and , the film highlighted Linden's skill in heartfelt, unpretentious dramatic roles. Linden's versatility extended to family dramas like Sweepings (1933), directed by John Cromwell, in which he portrayed Freddie Pardway, the wayward youngest son of a self-made , whose reckless behavior contributes to the family's unraveling amid economic pressures. Critics noted his effective depiction of youthful impulsiveness in such ensemble pieces, contrasting his comedic turns in lighter fare like Ladies Crave Excitement (1935), where he played a hapless reporter entangled in adventure. Though his roles diminished in prominence by the late , Linden contributed to the epic Gone with the Wind (1939) in a brief but memorable uncredited appearance as a desperate Confederate undergoing in the Atlanta hospital scene, adding to the film's harrowing portrayal of Civil War casualties. This ensemble part underscored his continued presence in major productions during Hollywood's .

Decline and departure from Hollywood

By the late 1930s, Eric Linden's film career transitioned from leading roles to supporting parts, reflecting evolving audience preferences for fresher, younger talent amid the Depression's end and the rise of new stars like in boyish archetypes. Films such as Robin Hood of (1936), where he played a minor bandit, and The Good Old Soak (1937), a comedic supporting turn, exemplified this shift, as studios increasingly him in secondary juvenile roles due to his youthful appearance despite his advancing age. Linden's dissatisfaction with this typecasting grew, compounded by earlier frustrations like losing the role of Laurie in (1933), which contributed to his RKO contract ending and a brief departure to in 1933, where he expressed feeling prematurely aged by Hollywood's demands. His final leading role came in the low-budget wartime drama Criminals Within (1941), a production about saboteurs in the , after which Linden exited Hollywood entirely at age 31. Personal motivations played a key role in this decision; Linden, who had harbored writing ambitions since youth—having penned around sixty short stories by his early 20s—sought to pursue creative endeavors beyond acting's constraints. The industry's rigid as "confused adolescents" further alienated him, limiting opportunities as he outgrew the juvenile mold. The onset of exacerbated these challenges, as Hollywood pivoted to propaganda and war-themed films, reducing roles for non-combatant archetypes like Linden's clean-cut . Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1942, Linden served with the 310th Bombardment Group until 1946, an interruption that effectively ended his screen career, as many actors' trajectories were permanently altered by military obligations during the conflict.

Later career

Return to the stage

After departing Hollywood in 1941, Eric Linden resumed his stage career with a lead role in the comedy-mystery Mr. and Mrs. North by Owen Davis and , starring at the Montowese Playhouse in , as part of the American Actors Company's summer season. This regional production marked his initial return to live theater following a dominated by work, where his experience in portraying youthful characters provided a strong foundation for transitioning back to . In February 1942, he appeared as Pinkie Brown in an early stage adaptation of Graham Greene's Brighton Rock at the Theatre in . Linden's military service during , as a member of the U.S. Army Air Forces' 310th Bombardment Group, interrupted his performing career from 1942 to 1945. Upon discharge, he re-entered theater in the late , taking on more mature roles that contrasted his earlier juvenile leads, such as troubled young men and romantic interests in their thirties. Key engagements included a revival of Philip Barry's The Philadelphia Story, where he performed alongside , highlighting his ability to handle sophisticated comedy and interpersonal drama. He also appeared in Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov's My Sister Eileen, a lighthearted portrayal of urban life and sibling dynamics. Throughout the and into the , Linden maintained a steady but limited schedule of live theater work, primarily in regional and stock productions rather than Broadway revivals. These roles allowed him to leverage his screen-honed timing and presence while adapting to characters reflecting greater emotional depth and life experience, sustaining his career in an era when opportunities had waned.

Radio appearances

In the , following his career, Linden made occasional appearances that highlighted his voice work skills, such as portraying a character in the Theatre of Romance adaptation of on February 6, 1945, with . These sporadic broadcasts represented a transition from visual media to audio, though Linden never committed to any major ongoing series.

Personal life and death

Marriage and family

Linden married for the first time at the age of 46 in 1955, wedding "Jo" Brown, an artist. The couple settled in , where they raised three children: Karen, David, and Andrea. Their marriage, marked by companionship amid Linden's post-Hollywood life, lasted until their in 1977.

Later employment and death

After retiring from the entertainment industry, Eric Linden took a position with the Orange County highway department in , eventually serving as a radio until his in 1976. In , Linden resided in Laguna Beach, where he led a quiet life. Linden had been diagnosed with and suffered a heart attack in 1991. He died on July 14, 1994, at the age of 84 in Laguna Beach from cardio-respiratory arrest. His remains were cremated, and the ashes were scattered at sea in the off Newport Beach.

Recognition

Hollywood Walk of Fame

On February 8, 1960, Eric Linden received a star on the at 7098 in the motion pictures category, honoring his work as a film . This recognition highlighted Linden's contributions during , when he appeared in over 30 films, often in leading or supporting roles that showcased his portrayal of sensitive, youthful characters. Despite his career spanning primarily from 1931 to 1941 before he transitioned away from Hollywood, the star served as an official acknowledgment of his early impact on the industry. In 1936, Linden won a Photoplay Award for Best Performance of the Month (February) for his role in Ah, Wilderness!. The dedication took place more than two decades after Linden's most active film period and during a phase of his life marked by relative obscurity in the public eye, as he had largely retired from screen acting to pursue stage work and other endeavors. This belated honor underscored the enduring appreciation for his pre-World War II performances, providing a permanent marker of his place in Hollywood history.

Legacy and influence

Eric Linden's enduring influence in cinema stems from his embodiment of the "sensitive juvenile" during pre-Code era, where he portrayed intellectual, vulnerable young characters often confronting moral and social dilemmas with a blend of sincerity and emotional depth. Contemporary critics lauded his natural delivery in such roles, as seen in reviews highlighting his honest and anguished performances that captured the era's youthful . Films such as The Age of Consent (1932) and Big City Blues (1932) showcase his boyish charm and dramatic range. His contributions have been preserved through channels like and film archives, allowing contemporary viewers to engage with his versatile portrayals. The star dedicated to him in 1960 stands as a concrete acknowledgment of his place in motion picture history.

Filmography and works

Film roles

Eric Linden appeared in 33 feature films between 1931 and 1941, often portraying youthful, earnest characters in supporting or leading roles for major studios like RKO, Warner Bros., and , as well as smaller independent productions. His roles frequently highlighted themes of coming-of-age struggles, romance, and moral dilemmas during the pre-Code and early Code eras. Below is a chronological list of his film appearances, including role details, type (lead or supporting, with uncredited noted where applicable), director, and studio.
YearTitleRoleRole TypeDirectorStudio
1931Are These Our Children?Eddie BrandLeadWesley RugglesRKO Pictures
1932Young BrideCharlie RiggsLeadWilliam A. SeiterRKO Pictures
1932Afraid to TalkEddie MartinLeadEdward L. CahnUniversal Pictures
1932Big City BluesBudSupportingMervyn LeRoyWarner Bros.
1932Life BeginsJed SuttonSupportingJames FloodWarner Bros.
1932The Crowd RoarsEddie GreerSupportingHoward HawksWarner Bros.
1932The Roadhouse MurderChick BrianLeadJ. Walter RubenRKO Pictures
1932The Age of ConsentMike HarveyLeadGregory La CavaRKO Pictures
1933Flying DevilsBud MurraySupportingRussell BirdwellRKO Pictures
1933SweepingsFreddie PardwaySupportingJohn CromwellRKO Pictures
1933The Past of Mary HolmesWalter ThomasLeadHarlan ThompsonMonogram Pictures
1933The Silver CordRobert PhelpsLeadJohn CromwellRKO Pictures
1934Let 'Em Have ItJuniorSupportingSam WoodUnited Artists
1934I Give My LovePaul Vadja Jr.SupportingKarl FreundUniversal Pictures
1934The Human SideBill SheldonSupportingEdward BuzzellUniversal Pictures
1935Born to GambleEarl MathewsLeadPhil RosenChesterfield Motion Pictures Corporation
1935Ladies Crave ExcitementBob StarkeLeadNick GrindeMascot Pictures
1935Ah, Wilderness!Richard MillerLeadClarence BrownMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
1936The Voice of Bugle AnnBenjieSupportingRichard ThorpeMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
1936Career WomanEverett ClarkSupportingLewis Seiler20th Century Fox
1936In His StepsTom CarverLeadKarl BrownGrand National Pictures
1936Old HutchDaveSupportingJ. Walter RubenMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
1936Robin Hood of El DoradoJohnnie FrazierSupportingWilliam A. WellmanMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
1937A Family AffairWayneSupportingGeorge B. SeitzMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
1937Girl Loves BoyRobert ConradLeadWilliam NighMonogram Pictures
1937Sweetheart of the NavyEddie HarrisLeadW. Duncan MansfieldGrand National Pictures
1937The Good Old SoakTom RandolphSupportingJ. Walter RubenMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
1938Romance of the LimberlostWayneSupportingWilliam NighMonogram Pictures
1938Midnight IntruderJ.C. Reitter Jr.SupportingArthur LubinUniversal Pictures
1938Here's Flash CaseyFlash CaseyLeadLambert HillyerGrand National Films
1939Everything's on IceBobby ReidSupportingJoseph SantleyRKO Pictures
1939Gone with the WindAmputation CaseUncredited (supporting)Victor FlemingSelznick International Pictures (distributed by MGM)
1941Criminals WithinGreg CarrollLeadJoseph H. LewisProducers Releasing Corporation

Stage and radio credits

Eric Linden began his stage career on Broadway in the late . His debut came in the 1928 revival of Goethe's Faust at the Guild Theatre, where he portrayed the role of He-Ape in a production that ran from October 8 to November 17. He followed this with a supporting role as Eddie in the 1934 comedy Ladies' Money, directed by at the , which had a limited run of 36 performances from November 1 to December 1. After a period focused on film, Linden returned to the stage in the , appearing in several notable productions, often in touring or stock companies. These included roles in The Philadelphia Story (with ), the mystery comedy , the wartime humor My Sister Eileen, and the thriller Brighton Rock. His later stage work emphasized ensemble character parts in popular American plays, reflecting a shift from leading roles to more supporting ones post-Hollywood. On radio, Linden's credits spanned the 1930s and 1940s, beginning with his lead role as the title character in the NBC serial The Adventures of Dick Trevor in 1931, a dramatic adventure series aimed at young audiences. He also made guest appearances in anthology programs, including a 1945 broadcast of Theatre of Romance on CBS. These radio spots were typically short-form adaptations of plays and stories, showcasing Linden's versatility in live audio drama during the era's golden age of broadcasting.

References

  1. https://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/eric-linden/
  2. https://walkoffame.com/eric-linden/
  3. https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/114190%257C48171/Eric-Linden
  4. https://vintoz.com/blogs/vintage-movie-resources/eric-linden-boy-wonder
  5. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0511599/bio/
  6. https://newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=IPT19351125.1.6
  7. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/faust-10736
  8. https://immortalephemera.com/66328/are-these-our-children-1931/
  9. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/124853-eric-linden?language=en-US
  10. https://www.themoviedb.org/person/124853-eric-linden
  11. https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/114190%257C48171/Eric-Linden#filmography
  12. https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/2533/big-city-blues
  13. https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/66921/ah-wilderness
  14. https://www.nytimes.com/1935/12/25/archives/the-center-theatre-presents-the-film-version-of-ah-wilderness-the.html
  15. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ah-Wilderness-film-by-Brown-1935
  16. https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/1839/sweepings
  17. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6764715/eric-linden
  18. https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/27007
  19. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/11-hollywood-stars-who-served-military-1210115/
  20. https://www.310bg.org/linden-eric-l0361-310bg.cfm
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  22. https://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com/drama/theater-of-romance/lost-horizon-1945-02-06
  23. https://www.otrcat.com/p/eric-linden
  24. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000537/1936/1/
  25. https://www.nytimes.com/1931/11/14/archives/the-screen-will-rogers-is-an-innocent-abroad-in-ambassador-bill-at.html
  26. https://www.nytimes.com/1933/05/01/archives/the-goose-woman.html
  27. https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/2978/the-age-of-consent
  28. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021615/
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  32. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024633/
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  34. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025281/
  35. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025276/
  36. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026131/
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  40. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028930/
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  44. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031381/
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