Armand Kaliz was born in Paris, France in 1892. He made his Broadway debut in "The Hoyden" in 1907 and became successful in vaudeville and silent films. He appeared in films such as "The Temptress" (1926) with actresses such as Greta Garbo, making some 82 film appearances between 1917 and 1941. Many of his appearances were small so there are a number of films that exist where he is uncredited for his performance. In this portrait, he stares outward under a stern brow and is fixated on a captivating subject. Smoke trails up from his cigarette and takes form in the smudging of Hixon's photo manipulation. One gets the sense of a dire situation charged by the intensity of his gaze.