Armand Kaliz

Biography

Dapper, blue-eyed Parisian character actor of Polish-Jewish ancestry, educated at the Lycée Carnot and the Conservatoire National College of Paris. His surname was originally spelled Kalisz, but he dropped the 's' once embarked on a show business career. Having cut his teeth on the French operatic stage he spent much of the 1910s headlining on the Keith Orpheum vaudeville circuit where he was partnered by Amelia Stone (later a Broadway soubrette). Armand was himself featured on the Great White Way in 'Spice of 1922', a musical revue which he also produced. He entered films in 1917, usually cast as assorted lordly figures of either good or evil persuasion: choice roles included Greta Garbo's marquis husband in The Temptress (1926), a villainous count in The Belle of Broadway (1926) and a Creole dandy with the unlikely name of Jean Delicado in The Love Mart (1927) (an occasion which afforded him the opportunity to showcase his real life fencing skills). During the early days of sound pictures, Armand was briefly able to command more or less substantial roles in several A-grade productions, notably Gold Diggers of Broadway (1929), Little Caesar (1931) (as Monsieur De Voss, manager of The Bronze Peacock) and Flying Down to Rio (1933). However, despite taking vocal lessons, his heavy French accent eventually proved to be a detriment to his career. By the mid1930s, Armand had slipped down the cast list to be consigned to the usual no name roles and bit parts invariably reserved to actors whose time had passed. Armand nonetheless soldiered on in Hollywood right up until his death in February 1941 at the age of 53.