Fred Cavens

Frédéric Adolphe Cavens (30 August 1882, Laeken, Belgium – 30 April 1962, Woodland Hills, California) was a Belgian-born fencing master who emigrated to Hollywood and worked as an actor, stuntman and fencing master from the silent film era, then in television.^[1][2] He trained Jean Peters in the film Anne of the Indies (1951) and Guy Williams in the television role of Zorro.

Cavens was married to Elizabeth Francoise Saymons (1886–1971); they were the parents of Albert Frederic Rene Cavins, who followed in his father's footsteps.

Filmography

Complete filmography^[3]

Director (feature film)

• The Three Must-Get-Theres (1922) as Assistant Director

Cast (feature film)

• The Three Must-Get-Theres (1922) as Bernajoux
• The Sword of Valor (1924)
• The King of Kings (1927) (uncredited)
• The Iron Mask (1929) as DeRochefort's Ruffian (uncredited)
• Breed of the Border (1933) as Mike Cavins
• The World Moves On (1934) as French taxi driver (uncredited)
• Paris Interlude (1934) as Mechanic (uncredited)
• The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) as Fencing Master (uncredited)
• The Merry Widow (1934) as Gendarme (uncredited)
• Marie Galante (1934) as Postmaster (uncredited)
• Kid Courageous (1935) as Louie - Henchman (uncredited)
• Lottery Lover (1935) as French stage doorman (uncredited)
• Folies Bergère de Paris (1935) as Airport official (uncredited)
• Love on the Run (1936) as French waiter (uncredited)
• Café Metropole (1937) as Train guard (uncredited)
• Kidnapped (1938) as Minor Role (uncredited)
• Artists and Models Abroad (1938) as Guard (uncredited)
• The Man in the Iron Mask (1939) as Francois (uncredited)
• Pack Up Your Troubles (1939) as French infantry captain (uncredited)
• Eagle Squadron (1942) as Frenchman (uncredited)
• Around the World (1943) as Instructor (uncredited)
• Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1944) as Thief (uncredited)
• Till We Meet Again (1944) as Carpenter (uncredited)
• The Exile (1947) as Alec - Coachman
• Fortunes of Captain Blood (1950) as Turnkey (uncredited)
• Lydia Bailey (1952) as Fencing instructor (uncredited)
• The Iron Mistress (1952) as Aged Swordsman (uncredited)
• Dreamboat (1952) as Fencer (uncredited)
• The Mississippi Gambler (1953) as Emile Maitre - Fencing Master (uncredited)
• The Robe (1953) as Sword-fighting soldier (uncredited)
• Around the World in 80 Days (1956) as Minor Role (uncredited)
• The Lost World (1960) as French member (uncredited)
• Hell Is for Heroes (1962) as Old Man (uncredited) (final film role)

Dance (feature film)

• The Three Musketeers (1935) as Dance arr.

Film Production - Main (feature film)

• Queen Christina (1933) as Sword fight staging by
• Cardinal Richelieu (1935) as Research dir
• Romeo and Juliet (1936) as Created and staged duels and sword fights
• Tower of London (1939) as Fencing instructor
• The Man in the Iron Mask (1939) as Fencing dir.
• The Black Swan (1942) as Fencing instructor
• Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1944) as Fencing instructor
• Don Ricardo Returns (1946) as Fencing instructor
• Forever Amber (1947) as Technical Advisor
• The Black Arrow (1948) as Fencing master
• Bagdad (1949) as Technical Advisor
• Adventures of Don Juan (1949) as Fencing instructor
• Buccaneer's Girl (1950) as Fencing instructor
• Cyrano de Bergerac (1951) as Fencing master
• Anne of the Indies (1951) as Jean Peters' fencing instructor
• Lydia Bailey (1952) as Fencing instructor.
• Dreamboat (1952) as Clifton Webb's fencing instructor
• Son of Ali Baba (1952) as Fencing coach
• The Mississippi Gambler (1953) as Fencing tech adv.
• The Robe (1953) as Fencing instructor
• Casanova's Big Night (1954) as Supv of dueling scenes
• The Vagabond King (1956) as Technical Advisor

References

1. Evelyn Mack Truitt Who was who on screen 1977 -- Page 75 "CAVENS, FRED (Frederic Adolphe Cavens) Born: Aug. 30, 1882, Belgium. Died: Apr. 30, 1962, Woodland Hills, Calif. (uremia). Screen actor, stuntman and fencing master. Appeared in: 1922 The Three-Must-Get-Theres, 1927 King of Kings.
2. Eugene Michael Vazzana Silent film necrology 2001 Page 85 Cavens, Fred [actor/fencing master] (ni Frederic Adolphe Cavens, b. Belgium, 30 Aug 1882 – 30 Apr 1962 [79], Woodland Hills CA; uremic poisoning). "Fred Cavens," Variety, 9 May 1962, p. 87. AS, p. 216. BHD1, p. 98. IFN, p. 51. Fred Cavens ...
3. TCM.com

External links

• Zorro