Study: Warner Oland (WO002)

The Warner Oland Scrapbook

Presented here for your enjoyment and edification is a 142-page scrapbook that contains a multitude of rare often esoteric newspaper, magazine, and trade paper clippings that were meticulously collected, pasted, and documented, all focusing on Warner Oland.  The clippings date from February 25, 1916 and run through March 5, 1932 – 16 years’ worth of material!  We are presented with Oland’s earliest roles in silent films of the ‘teens, moving into the ‘twenties, and finally into the first years of the Charlie Chan era in the early 1930s.  We may surmise that somewhere there exists another such scrapbook that continued the documentation process from 1932 onward.

Although we can only rely on conjecture regarding who it was that actually compiled the material in this scrapbook, it can be plainly seen that the person who did so was EXTREMELY devoted to Warner Oland!  The material comes from a very broad spectrum of sources that are geographically diverse (Southern and Northern California, New York, and Boston) as well as very specialized publications common to the film trade.  Due to the nature of the material and the sources of same collected from periodicals found in regions certainly not unfrequented by Edith and Warner Oland and the inclusion of some material that would, with few exceptions, have only been available to those in the acting profession, it is possible to cautiously suggest that it may have been none other than the actor’s wife herself who was our mystery compiler.  The precise and creative nature of the presentation of the material seems to point to the hand of one with artistic skills, such as was the case with Mrs. Oland.  This, however, begs further study and investigation to satisfactorily resolve with any certainty.

The scrapbook is presented below as accurately as possible.  Of the 142 pages contained between its covers, 18 pages are empty, perhaps awaiting material that was never added which may have included numerous pieces of loose items which we have presented in the locations which they were found throughout the scrapbook.  Also, the third page contains material from the years 1929 and 1932 which was probably added, out of sequence, to what had been an empty page.  Finally, some of the pasted material includes examples that were too large to be contained on a page.  These articles were pasted in such a way that they require unfolding in order to fully see.  In these cases, the material is presented as unfolded.

As noted above, the material included in the scrapbook was meticulously documented as to date and sourced through the use of a system of codes.  For example, “L.A.T.” refers to the Los Angeles Times, “M.P.W.” stands for Motion Picture Weekly, “N.Y.T.” is an abbreviation for New York Times, and so on.

So, now, it is hoped that you will have many moments of enjoyment and discovery as you stroll through more than a decade-and-a-half of the film career of the man who eventually brought honorable Detective Charlie Chan to life on the big screen, Warner Oland.  We are also privileged to note the many notable actors and actresses with whom Mr. Oland worked, including Theda Bara, Douglas Fairbanks, Lon Chaney, John Barrymore, Mary Astor, Al Jolson, Wallace Berry, Anna May Wong, and so many more.  In closing, Mr. Charles Berry is to be thanked for his kindness and generosity which made it possible for us to obtain and now present the Warner Oland Scrap Book which is now available below for all to see.


Front cover

(Loose item)

Page 1 (Empty page)

Page 2 (Empty page)

Page 3


Page 4 (Empty page)

Page 5

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8 (Empty page)

Page 9

Page 10

Page 11

Page 12 (Empty page)

(Loose item)

Page 13

Page 14 (Empty page)

(Loose item)

(Loose item)

Page 15

Page 16

Page 17

Page 18

Page 19

(Loose item)

(Loose item)

Page 20 (Empty page)

Page 21

Page 22 (Empty page)

Page 23

Page 24 (Empty page)

Page 25

Page 26

Page 27

Page 28

(Loose item)

Page 29

Page 30

Page 31

Page 32

(Loose item)

Page 33

page 34 (empty page)

Page 35

Page 36 (Empty page)

Page 37

Page 38

Page 39

(Loose item – front)

(Loose item – rear)

Page 40

Page 41

Page 42

Page 43

Page 44

Page 45

(Loose item)

Page 46 (Empty page)

Page 47

Page 49

(Loose item)

Page 49

Page 50

Page 51

Page 52 (Empty page)

Page 53

Page 54 (Empty page)

(Loose item)

Page 55

Page 56

Page 57

Page 58

Page 59

Page 60

Page 61

Page 62

Page 63

Page 64 (Empty page)

Page 65

Page 66

Page 67

Page 68

Page 69

Page 70

Page 71

Page 72

Page 73

Page 74

Page 75

Page 76

(Loose item)

(Loose item)

Page 77

Page 78

(Loose item)

Page 79

Page 80

Page 81

Page 82

Page 83

Page 84 (Content opened)

Page 85

Page 86

Page 87

Page 88

Page 89

Page 90

Page 91

Page 92

Page 93

Page 94

Page 95

Page 96 (Content opened)

Page 97

Page 98

Page 99

Page 100

Page 101

Page 102

Page 103

Page 104

Page 105

Page 106

Page 107

Page 108

Page 109

Page 110

Page 111

Page 112 (Empty page)

Page 113

Page 114

Page 115

Page 116

Page 117

Page 118

Page 119

Page 120

Page 121

Page 122

Page 123

Page 124

Page 125

Page 126

Page 127

Page 128

Page 129

Page 130 (Empty page)

Page 131

Page 132

Page 133 (Opened content)

Page 134 (Opened content)

Page 135

Page 136

Page 137

Page 138

Page 139

Page 140

Page 141

Page 142 (Empty Page)



Return to

Study