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.
Gender
Male
Birthday
1929-11-09
Place of birth
Saturday the 14th
1981
5.00
Jackson County Jail
1976
5.56
Victory at Entebbe
1976
5.10
Justine
1969
4.10
The President's Analyst
1967
5.78
Vanishing Point
1971
7.12
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
1969
7.60
Why Would I Lie?
1980
6.00
The Day of the Dolphin
1973
5.82
Wanda Nevada
1979
5.70
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round
1966
5.10
Playmates
1972
0.00
Cisco Pike
1971
5.70
The Man Who Died Twice
1973
0.00
I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?
1975
2.83
Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You
1970
4.60
Quarterback Princess
1983
6.90
Rendezvous Hotel
1979
0.00
The Legend of Hillbilly John
1974
5.30
Back to School
1986
6.34
The Disappearance of Aimee
1976
8.00
A Small Circle of Friends
1980
6.50
Evita Peron
1981
0.00
Dirty Little Billy
1972
4.90
Never Con a Killer
1977
0.00
Real Genius
1985
6.67
P.J.
1968
5.20
The Movie Murderer
1970
6.50
Outside Chance
1978
2.00
A Cry for Love
1980
0.00
The Mad Room
1969
6.10
Half Nelson
1985
0.00
Luv
1967
4.10
Mother, Jugs & Speed
1976
5.50
Orphan Train
1979
5.80
The Telephone
1988
4.21
The War Between Men and Women
1972
6.40
Skyway to Death
1974
4.30
Hopscotch
1980
6.95
Goldstein
1965
5.00
Once Upon a Midnight Scary
1979
9.20
Fearless Frank
1969
4.80
To See or Not to See
1969
5.20
Play It as It Lays
1972
6.20
The Hired Hand
1971
6.10
In God We Tru$t
1980
6.20
The Last Movie
1971
5.70
Model Shop
1969
6.60
The Virgin President
1968
7.00
Love for Rent
1979
1.50
Werewolves on Wheels
1971
4.60
Rooster
1982
2.00
Bongo Wolf’s Revenge
1970
0.00