 | The 'brains' and 'action' heavies who had meaty roles and lots of dialog ... and the players who were fathers, ranch owners, lawman, mayors, judges, lawyers, storekeepers, newspaper editors, wardens, etc. |
 (Courtesy of Jack Tillmany) |  | Bob Kortman Full name: Robert Fred Kortman 1887 - 1967 |
 Above - Bob Kortman as "Magua" in THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (Mascot, 1932). |
I was born in 1943, and my Saturday theater days occurred during the fade of the B western and serial. On the big screen, I saw Monograms with Jimmy Wakely and Whip Wiison, some Rocky Lanes, Autry's series for Columbia Pictures, and later cliffhangers from Republic and Columbia. Never saw any of the Mascot chapterplays until they were shown on early TV. When THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (Mascot, 1932) played on that newfangled television, I was impressed with the guy portraying "Magua", war chief of the Hurons. There was his scowl ... and growl ... all enhanced by a rough, well-lined face and shaved head. A memorable bit of screen villainy and a fond memory from my youth.
Many years later, I discovered "Magua" was Bob Kortman, who was in his mid forties when MOHICANS was filmed.
Trade biographies have him born in Philadelphia and serving six years or so in the Cavalry. Not so on Philadelphia. He was born December 24, 1887 in New York, possibly New York City. He passed away March 13, 1967 from lung cancer at a Veterans Administration Hospital in Long Beach, California. And that confirms his status as a veteran.
Kortman's movie work began around 1914 and early films included nearly a dozen westerns starring William S. Hart. However, it was in talkies that he found his niche as a baddie, often portraying Indians, Mexicans and other nationalities. In non-westerns, Kortman played convicts, crooks, etc.
The 1930s were his best years. Frequently employed by Mascot Pictures owner/producer Nat Levine, Kortman did ten cliffhangers at Mascot's serial factory. He was among Levine's "stable of dependables" which included Yakima Canutt, Frankie Darro, Al Bridge, Jack Rockwell, 'Slim' Whitaker, Edmund Cobb, a few others.
In westerns, he was most often a henchman/gang member, and occasionally the second-in-command or helper to the chief baddie/brains heavy. In the 1930s - early 1940s, he can be spotted in westerns and some serials with Johnny Mack Brown, Buck Jones, Ken Maynard, William Boyd, Tom Mix, Hoot Gibson, Rex Bell, Dick Foran, others.
At Republic Pictures, he did a few with John Wayne, the Three Mesquiteers, Bob Livingston's solo oater series, many with Don Barry, one with Roy Rogers ... and none with Gene Autry.
In the mid 1940s, Kortman was about sixty years old and had lost much of his menace due to advancing age. During that later period, he shows up in Tim Holt's RKO series; at Columbia Pictures in a couple of Russell Hayden's adventures and about a half dozen Charles Starretts; he even got a few paydays from Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) in a Buster Crabbe / Billy Carson oater and a quartet of the Texas Rangers trio series.
In addition to MOHICANS, my favorite Kortman portrayals are:
Les Adams has Bob identified in about 185 sound films - of that number, 123 are westerns and 29 are serials. He also did credited and uncredited roles in other film genres for most of the major and minor film companies and production outfits - for example, he was in several 1930s Laurel and Hardy comedies.
His screen career spanned nearly forty years, from about 1914 through the early 1950s.
He married Nellie Mignonette Varain in 1915, but that pairing was short-lived. His second marriage was circa 1924 to Gonda Durand, a onetime member of Mack Sennett's Bathing Beauties. In the 1950s, Bob and Gonda settled down in San Bernardino County, California and they were together through her passing in 1960.
Suffering from lung cancer, Bob Kortman died on March 13, 1967 at the Veterans Administration Hospital, Long Beach, California.
Trade biographies note that Kortman spent six years in the Cavalry prior to his Hollywood days. That appears to be incorrect - when he registered for the World War I draft in 1917, he reported his prior military experience as "None".
His correct military service is reflected in the 1930 census with Kortman identifying himself as a World War I veteran. And he passed away in 1967 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Long Beach, California, and that confirms his status as an veteran. Additionally, the Veterans Administration has records for Robert Fred Kortman - he enlisted in the Army on October 16, 1917, was discharged on March 27, 1919, and reached the rank of Sergeant, 5th Prov Co Demob Grp and with 2nd Co, 166 DB.
Links
|
 Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on:Bob Kortman: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0466773/ Gonda L. Durand (Kortman) (1896?-1960): https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0243788/ Daniel Neyer's "The Files of Jerry Blake" serial website has more on Kortman doing serials: https://filesofjerryblake.com/serial-henchmen/bob-kortman/
The Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Digital Collections has several photos of Kortman: The Harvey County Historical Museum, Newton, Kansas has several arcade cards of Gonda Durand during her time as a Mack Sennett Bathing Beauty: https://hchm.org/tag/gonda-durand/ December 22, 1950 North Hollywood Valley Times newspaper has a great interview of Kortman. The article mentions: he lives in Arrowhead Springs, San Bernardino County, California; he's president of the local co-operative water company; and he's been married to former Mack Sennett bathing beauty Gonda Durand for 25 years.: https://www.newspapers.com/article/valley-times-article-and-interview-of-mo/129635596/ October 31, 1922 Los Angeles Times had a article and photo on the divorce of Lillian Wilson, who was "formerly Gonda Durand, one of Mack Sennett's original bathing girls" : https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-divorce-of-lillian/129759404/ |
On the trail of Bob Kortman. |
| The Family Search website (free), Ancestry.com (subscription), California Death Index, Social Security Death Index (SSDI), and the death certificate provide more about Bob Kortman:
The first trace of Bob Kortman is his 1915 marriage license to Nellie Mignonette Varain, and his parents are Hary C. or G. Kortman (born Germany) and Lena M. Thiel (born Germany). However, in the 1930 census, he lists himself and parents as born in New York. On the death certificate, parents are Henry Kortman and Lina Thiel with an unknown birthplace for both. |
 (From Old Corral collection) Above - Bob Kortman in Indian guise and carrying a tomahawk in the role of 'Magua', the scowling, vicious Indian war chief in the cliffhanger THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (Mascot, 1932). Kortman was in his mid-forties when he did this early sound serial. Star Harry Carey is wearing the coonskin cap and buckskins. On the far left with the 'X straps' is Hobart Bosworth (as The Sagamore / Chingachgook), and on the far right is Walter McGrail (as 'Dulac'). Other players are unidentified.  (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from left to right on horseback are Artie Ortego, unidentified player, Bob Kortman and Nick Thompson. Tom Mix and leading lady/heroine Joan Gale are standing. Kortman has the role of 'Longboat'. Lobby card from the serial THE MIRACLE RIDER (Mascot, 1935), Tom Mix's screen hurrah.  (From Old Corral collection) Above - Buck Jones sneaking up on, from L-to-R, Ward Bond and Bob Kortman in a lobby card from THE CRIMSON TRAIL (Universal, 1935).  (Courtesy of Les Adams) Above from left to right are Dick Botiller's back and hat, unidentified player, Harry Carey, Francis/Frank Walker, Chuck Morrison and Bob Kortman in Carey's WILD MUSTANG (Ajax, 1935).  (Courtesy of Ed Phillips) Above from L-to-R are William Gould, Wally Wales/Hal Taliaferro (back to camera), Bob Kortman (on horse), Hoot Gibson (on Jack Perrin's white horse "Starlight"), George Hayes, and Lafe McKee in a still from Hoot's SWIFTY (Diversion, 1935).  (From Old Corral collection) Above - Bob Kortman on the stage wheel converses with Douglas Cosgrove, and a young John Wayne has the drop on both in WINDS OF THE WASTELAND (Republic, 1936).  (Courtesy of Randy Laing) Above - Johnny Mack Brown and Kortman are hanging by their fingernails in this scene from the 13 chapter cliffhanger, WILD WEST DAYS (Universal, 1937). In this serial, Kortman was on the right side of the law, portraying 'Trigger' Benton, one of Johnny Mack Brown's helpers.  (From Old Corral collection) The above lobby card is from the 1959 re-release of the chapterplay, ZORRO RIDES AGAIN (Republic, 1937). Star John Carroll is on the far left in his Zorro outfit. That's Bob Kortman (green shirt) and Jack Ingram (red shirt), both of whom are gang members employed by Dick Alexander and Noah Beery Sr.  (Courtesy of Minard Coons) Above - Hopalong Cassidy has the drop on three nasties. From left to right are John Merton, Roy Barcroft, Bob Kortman and William Boyd in a still from RENEGADE TRAIL (Harry Sherman Prod/Paramount, 1939).  (Courtesy of Les Adams) Kortman played "One-Eye", the gang member with an eye patch working for Noah Beery, Sr. and Harry Worth in THE ADVENTURES OF RED RYDER (Republic, 1940; 12 chapters).  (Courtesy of Pat LaRosa) Above from left to right are George Chesebro, Chick Hannan/Hannon, Charles Starrett and a very old looking Bob Kortman in a lobby card from GUNNING FOR VENGEANCE (Columbia, 1946), one of the Starrett/Durango Kid series. Kortman had an uncredited role as henchman "Curly". |