Severn Darden
1929-11-09 ( 95 years old ) in None

Severn Teakle Darden Jr. (November 9, 1929 – May 27, 1995) was an American comedian and actor, and a founding member of The Second City Chicago-based comedy troupe as well as its predecessor, the Compass Players. He is known from his film appearances for playing the human leader Kolp in the fourth and fifth Planet of the Apes films. His live comedy improv skit under the character of "Walther von der Vogelweide" was influential with two generations of comic performers. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he attended the University of Chicago, where he was a "campus legend" according to poet Paul Carroll. Darden’s offbeat and intellectual sense of humor was a major element in the style of The Second City at that time, and is evident throughout his work. Carroll described him as a combination of surrealistic New Orleans and tough, caustic "Chicago Style" comedy. An example of his offbeat humor is the way he squeezed the phrase "Know thyself" into the seven-character limitation of a New Mexico license plate: NOYOSEF. Darden was a core comedian in Paul Sills' Compass Players, the first improvisation theater in the US; it performed around the Chicago area during the mid-1950s. Sills went on to found The Second City in 1959 and brought in many of the comedians from Compass Players, including Darden.

Movies

The Telephone 1988-01-22
Back to School 1986-06-13
Real Genius 1985-08-07
Half Nelson 1985-03-24
Rooster 1982-08-19
Evita Peron 1981-02-23
A Cry for Love 1980-10-20
Hopscotch 1980-09-26
Orphan Train 1979-12-22
Love for Rent 1979-11-11
Wanda Nevada 1979-06-01
Outside Chance 1978-12-02
Playmates 1972-10-03
Cisco Pike 1972-01-14
The Last Movie 1971-09-29
The Hired Hand 1971-08-11
Fearless Frank 1969-12-10
Justine 1969-08-06
The Mad Room 1969-05-01
Model Shop 1969-02-11
P.J. 1968-03-27
Luv 1967-07-26
Goldstein 1965-05-07