Dagmar Oakland

Dagmar Oakland (November 25, 1893 – June 1989; born Edna Andersen) was an American actress of stage and screen from San Francisco, California. Twice she was a member of the Ziegfeld Follies.

Family

Oakland's parents were Edward Andersen of Fredrikstad, Norway and Anna Marthine Olsen, also of Norway. Her siblings' names were Edward, Herbert (née Hagbart), and Vivian. Her sister performed on Broadway and in motion pictures as Vivian Oakland. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake Anna Andersen, a widow since 1898, moved the family to Oakland, California, from whence the sisters took their stage names.

Stage Actress

Edna and Vivian appeared in vaudeville as the Anker sisters (an old family name). They changed their surname to Oakland in tribute to their hometown. They performed as the Oakland Sisters in the Boston Juveniles, a vaudeville group. They traveled the west coast as far as Seattle, Washington. The sisters ended up in New York City, appearing with the Ziegfeld Follies and other shows. In 1915 Oakland began a solo stage career. In November 1924 she had an important role in Heidelberg, the musical version of a play made famous by Richard Mansfield.