Carl Voss (film extra)

Carl Voss (film extra) (born 1896-died 18 September 1947) was an American World War I veteran who besides appearing as a film extra (actor) and military film technical advisor commanded a private army of up to 2112 former servicemen who acted as extra (actor)s in 232 films from 1923-1940

Film work

A former US Army staff sergeant in World War I, Voss acted as both a technical advisor and played a role as an Officer in The Big Parade a war film with a large number of extras. Voss drilled his extras and made sure their appearance was correct for every film assignment; requiring his military extras looked the part no matter what nationality or time frame they appeared in. Voss also had a role and provided military advice to Charlie Chaplain's The Great Dictator(1940).

Voss's private army made their last appearance in Archie Mayo's Four Sons (1940). The Screen Actors Guild decreed that no agent could accept commission from an extra as Voss had done, therefore the studios would recruit their own extras. Voss's last appearance as an actor was in Two Years Before the Mast in 1946.