|
(November 29, 1896 - October 15,
1969)
 He
was born Rodrique la Rocque de la Rour in Chicago, Illinois of
French and Irish descent.
Stagestruck from childhood, LaRocque did his first stage work at age
9 with Willard Mack's Chicago stock company; the pay was a
munificent one dollar per show. He eventually ended up at the
Essanay Studios in Chicago where he found steady work until the
studios closed. He then moved to New York City and worked on the
stage until he was noticed by Samuel Goldwyn who took him to
Hollywood.
After working briefly for Sam Goldwyn in Fort Lee and spending some
time as a circus performer, LaRocque finally made it to Hollywood,
where his prior experience and matinee-idol looks won him a contract
with Cecil B. DeMille. The one silent DeMille picture that gets the
most circulation today is The Ten Commandments (1923), which was
divided into Biblical and modern scenes; LaRocque was in the latter,
playing the weak-willed brother of Richard Dix and ultimately
killing himself after contracting leprosy. When DeMille set up his
own independent studio in the mid '20s, LaRocque became a stalwart
of the operation, building up his box-office pull in such popular
films as The Coming of Amos (1926) and Strong Heart (1927).
Over the next two decades, he appeared in films and made the
transition to sound films with ease.
In 1927, he married Hungarian actress Vilma Bánky in a lavish and
highly publicized wedding. They were married until his death in
1969, and seemed to have a loving compatible relationship.
La Rocque retired from movies in 1941 and became a real estate
broker.
He and his wife created an educational foundation for children
called The Banky La Rocque Foundation.
For his contribution to the film industry, La Rocque was awarded a
star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. |
