Nook NotesPick a film
Severn Darden

Actor

Severn Darden

Born November 9, 1929Died May 27, 199556 films

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.

Read more

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.

Start here

The best way into Severn Darden's work
Vanishing Point posterFirst watchVanishing Point19717.1as J. HovahKowalski works for a car delivery service, and takes delivery of a 1970 Dodge Challenger to drive from Colorado to San Francisco.View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? poster7.6They Shoot Horses, Don't They?1969Conquest of the Planet of the Apes poster6.2Conquest of the Planet of the Apes1972Real Genius poster6.7Real Genius1985Battle for the Planet of the Apes poster5.7Battle for the Planet of the Apes1973Back to School poster6.3Back to School1986Hopscotch poster7.0Hopscotch1980Model Shop poster6.5Model Shop1969The Hired Hand poster6.1The Hired Hand1971

Filmography

56 films as actor
  1. 1988The Telephone
  2. 1986The Princess Who Had Never LaughedFarmer Silas
  3. 1986Back to SchoolDr. Barazini
  4. 1985Real GeniusDr. Meredith
  5. 1985Half NelsonMorgue Attendant
  6. 1983Quarterback PrincessMr. Hobart
  7. 1982RoosterConway
  8. 1981Saturday the 14thVan Helsing
  9. 1981Evita PeronAlfredo Suero
  10. 1980A Cry for LovePaul
  11. 1980HopscotchMaddox
  12. 1980In God We Tru$tPriest
  13. 1980Why Would I Lie?Dr. Barbour
  14. 1980A Small Circle of FriendsArt Professor
  15. 1979Orphan TrainMr. Barrington
  16. 1979Love for RentFred Hallem
  17. 1979Once Upon a Midnight ScaryJonathan Barnavelt
  18. 1979Rendezvous HotelAlbert Church
  19. 1979Wanda NevadaMerlin Bitterstix
  20. 1978Outside ChanceSheriff Dempsey
  21. 1977Never Con a KillerCap
  22. 1976Victory at EntebbeMoshe Meyer
  23. 1976The Disappearance of AimeeS.I. Gilbert
  24. 1976Mother, Jugs & SpeedMoran
  25. 1976Jackson County JailSheriff Dempsey
  26. 1975I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?Mr. Fletch / Dr. DeHart
  27. 1974The Legend of Hillbilly JohnMr. Marduke
  28. 1974Skyway to DeathSteve Kramer
  29. 1973The Day of the DolphinSchwinn
  30. 1973Battle for the Planet of the ApesKolp
  31. 1973The Man Who Died TwiceHarry
  32. 1972Dirty Little BillyBig Jim McDaniel
  33. 1972Play It as It LaysHypnotist
  34. 1972PlaymatesRoger, Man in Gallery
  35. 1972Conquest of the Planet of the ApesKolp
  36. 1972The War Between Men and WomenDr. Harris
  37. 1972Cisco PikeLawyer
  38. 1971The Last MovieMayor
  39. 1971The Hired HandMcVey
  40. 1971Werewolves on WheelsOne
  41. 1971Vanishing PointJ. Hovah
  42. 1970Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love YouDr. Fahrquardt
  43. 1970The Movie MurdererJimmy Apache
  44. 1969They Shoot Horses, Don't They?Cecil
  45. 1969Fearless FrankThe Good Doctor / Claude
  46. 1969To See or Not to See
  47. 1969JustineBathazar
  48. 1969The Mad RoomNate
  49. 1969Model ShopCamera Shop Owner
  50. 1968The Virgin PresidentU.S. President / Fillmard Millmore
  51. 1968P.J.Shelton Quell
  52. 1967The President's AnalystKropotkin
  53. 1967LuvVandergist
  54. 1966Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-RoundMiles Fisher
  55. 1965The Double-Barrelled Detective StoryH.S. Stevens
  56. 1965GoldsteinDoctor