Paul van Yperen's Blog, page 33
November 10, 2024
De landsflyktiga (1921)
One of the lost films of the Scandinavian silent cinema is the Swedish film De landsflyktiga/The Emigrants (1921), except for a few very short fragments. It was directed by the great Mauritz Stiller and produced by Charles Magnusson for Svensk Filmindustri. Jenny Hasselqvist and Lars Hanson were the stars. Ivo Blom found six vintage Swedish cards of the lost film, published by Axel Eliassons Konstförlag, and reconstructed the film for this post.
Swedish postcard by Ed. Axel Eliassons Konstförlag, Stockholm, no. 293. Photo: Skandia Film, Stockholm. Jenny Hasselqvist in De landsflyktiga/The Emigrants/The Exiles (Mauritz Stiller, 1921).
Swedish postcard by Ed. Axel Eliassons Konstförlag, Stockholm, no. 294. Photo: Skandia Film, Stockholm. Jenny Hasselqvist in De landsflyktiga/The Emigrants/The Exiles (Mauritz Stiller, 1921).
Why Mauritz Stiller became a Swedish citizen
De landsflyktiga (Mauritz Stiller, 1921) can be translated as The Emigrants. The film was released in the USA as In Self Defense by George Hamilton, Incorporated in 1922 and was also known under the title Guarded Lips. The British title was The Exiles. De landsflyktiga was shot in the studios of Filmstaden Råsunda with exteriors at Steninge castle, Stadsgårdskajen and other locations in Stockholm. The cinematographer was Henrik Jaenzon.
The film script by Mauritz Stiller and Ragnar Hyltén-Cavallius was based on Runar Schildt's short story 'Zoja' from 1920, which was published in the short story collection 'Häxskogen'. It was during the filming of De landsflyktiga/The Emigrants/The Exiles that Mauritz Stiller , who had been a Russian citizen since his birth in Helsinki, applied to become a Swedish citizen.
The wealthy Barantscheff family lives on the stately Staraja-Selo estate in the heart of Russia. Prince Ivan Ivanovich (Carl Nissen), his wife Ivanovna Stefanovna (Karin Swanstrom), their daughter Sonja ( Jenny Hasselqvist ) and son Yuri (Nils Ohlin), a lieutenant in the Russian Navy who is recovering at home after being wounded in the war.
The First World War is in full swing and storm clouds are gathering everywhere. The wealthy banker Andrei Andreyevich Myasoyedoff ( Ivan Hedqvist ) approaches the prince and proposes to sell the estate because of the troubled times. The prince takes the offer as an insult and refuses.
Myasoyedoff has also set his eyes on Sonya, but she has already brusquely rejected him. One day, Sonya, while driving alone, rescues the young revolutionary student Vladimir Alexandrovich Mikhailoff ( Lars Hanson ), who is being chased by the gendarmes.
Swedish postcard by Ed. Axel Eliassons Konstförlag, Stockholm, no. 295. Photo: Skandia Film, Stockholm. Jenny Hasselqvist in De landsflyktiga/The Emigrants/The Exiles (Mauritz Stiller, 1921).
Swedish postcard by Ed. Axel Eliassons Konstförlag, Stockholm, no. 296. Photo: Skandia Film, Stockholm. Lars Hanson in De landsflyktiga/The Emigrants/The Exiles (Mauritz Stiller, 1921).
Out of the darkness that oppresses us, a new Russia will one day arise
When the revolution breaks out, it is Vladimir who helps Sonja and her parents to escape across the border. The family settles in a major international city, perhaps Paris, and continues their former, carefree life of luxury, waiting for the revolution to be crushed so they can return to their former lives at home. But their inherited wealth quickly dwindles, and it is Myasoyedoff, who has also come there as a refugee, who helps them financially.
He has managed to bring most of his fortune with him and is already involved in big business. The student Vladimir, a refugee from his former comrades, also arrives. One fine day, the Barantscheff family finds itself on the rocks. But Myasoyedoff is happy to oblige if only Sonya would be a little more accommodating to him. But Sonja stubbornly refuses. In an upset scene, she rips off all the family jewels she wore to the evening's charity party and gives them as collateral instead of herself for the family's debt.
Myasoyedoff takes the jewels and smilingly adds that the pledge is due at the end of the year. On New Year's Eve, Myasoyedoff is found dead in his villa, with Sonya lying unconscious outside. Vladimir, now a lawyer, defends Sonja in court. She admits that she shot Myasoyedoff when he tried to rape her. Afterwards, she threw the revolver from the balcony. But no revolver has been found.
In a break during the last day of the trial comes the explanation. Vladimir confesses to Sonja during a visit to her cell that it was he who shot Myasoyedoff on behalf of his comrades. Myasoyedoff was spying on the emigrants on behalf of the Bolshevik government, and many of their relatives remaining in Russia had already been shot. Myasoyedoff was an informer, Vladimir was the real killer, and Sonya now holds his fate in her hands.
But Vladimir's defence speech in court for Sonja leads to her acquittal. She and Vladimir are united, and Sonja utters the film's final line, which it was hoped at the time would have a prophetic meaning: "Out of the darkness that oppresses us, a new Russia will one day arise, a Russia that we can both love."
Swedish postcard by Ed. Axel Eliassons Konstförlag, Stockholm, no. 297. Photo: Skandia Film, Stockholm. Lars Hanson and Jenny Hasselqvist in De landsflyktiga/The Emigrants/The Exiles (Mauritz Stiller, 1921).
Swedish postcard by Ed. Axel Eliassons Konstförlag, Stockholm, no. 298. Photo: Skandia Film, Stockholm. Lars Hanson and Jenny Hasselqvist in De landsflyktiga/The Emigrants/The Exiles (Mauritz Stiller, 1921).
Sources: Svensk filmdatabas (Swedish), Silent Era, Wikipedia and IMDb.
Swedish postcard by Ed. Axel Eliassons Konstförlag, Stockholm, no. 293. Photo: Skandia Film, Stockholm. Jenny Hasselqvist in De landsflyktiga/The Emigrants/The Exiles (Mauritz Stiller, 1921).
Swedish postcard by Ed. Axel Eliassons Konstförlag, Stockholm, no. 294. Photo: Skandia Film, Stockholm. Jenny Hasselqvist in De landsflyktiga/The Emigrants/The Exiles (Mauritz Stiller, 1921).
Why Mauritz Stiller became a Swedish citizen
De landsflyktiga (Mauritz Stiller, 1921) can be translated as The Emigrants. The film was released in the USA as In Self Defense by George Hamilton, Incorporated in 1922 and was also known under the title Guarded Lips. The British title was The Exiles. De landsflyktiga was shot in the studios of Filmstaden Råsunda with exteriors at Steninge castle, Stadsgårdskajen and other locations in Stockholm. The cinematographer was Henrik Jaenzon.
The film script by Mauritz Stiller and Ragnar Hyltén-Cavallius was based on Runar Schildt's short story 'Zoja' from 1920, which was published in the short story collection 'Häxskogen'. It was during the filming of De landsflyktiga/The Emigrants/The Exiles that Mauritz Stiller , who had been a Russian citizen since his birth in Helsinki, applied to become a Swedish citizen.
The wealthy Barantscheff family lives on the stately Staraja-Selo estate in the heart of Russia. Prince Ivan Ivanovich (Carl Nissen), his wife Ivanovna Stefanovna (Karin Swanstrom), their daughter Sonja ( Jenny Hasselqvist ) and son Yuri (Nils Ohlin), a lieutenant in the Russian Navy who is recovering at home after being wounded in the war.
The First World War is in full swing and storm clouds are gathering everywhere. The wealthy banker Andrei Andreyevich Myasoyedoff ( Ivan Hedqvist ) approaches the prince and proposes to sell the estate because of the troubled times. The prince takes the offer as an insult and refuses.
Myasoyedoff has also set his eyes on Sonya, but she has already brusquely rejected him. One day, Sonya, while driving alone, rescues the young revolutionary student Vladimir Alexandrovich Mikhailoff ( Lars Hanson ), who is being chased by the gendarmes.
Swedish postcard by Ed. Axel Eliassons Konstförlag, Stockholm, no. 295. Photo: Skandia Film, Stockholm. Jenny Hasselqvist in De landsflyktiga/The Emigrants/The Exiles (Mauritz Stiller, 1921).
Swedish postcard by Ed. Axel Eliassons Konstförlag, Stockholm, no. 296. Photo: Skandia Film, Stockholm. Lars Hanson in De landsflyktiga/The Emigrants/The Exiles (Mauritz Stiller, 1921).
Out of the darkness that oppresses us, a new Russia will one day arise
When the revolution breaks out, it is Vladimir who helps Sonja and her parents to escape across the border. The family settles in a major international city, perhaps Paris, and continues their former, carefree life of luxury, waiting for the revolution to be crushed so they can return to their former lives at home. But their inherited wealth quickly dwindles, and it is Myasoyedoff, who has also come there as a refugee, who helps them financially.
He has managed to bring most of his fortune with him and is already involved in big business. The student Vladimir, a refugee from his former comrades, also arrives. One fine day, the Barantscheff family finds itself on the rocks. But Myasoyedoff is happy to oblige if only Sonya would be a little more accommodating to him. But Sonja stubbornly refuses. In an upset scene, she rips off all the family jewels she wore to the evening's charity party and gives them as collateral instead of herself for the family's debt.
Myasoyedoff takes the jewels and smilingly adds that the pledge is due at the end of the year. On New Year's Eve, Myasoyedoff is found dead in his villa, with Sonya lying unconscious outside. Vladimir, now a lawyer, defends Sonja in court. She admits that she shot Myasoyedoff when he tried to rape her. Afterwards, she threw the revolver from the balcony. But no revolver has been found.
In a break during the last day of the trial comes the explanation. Vladimir confesses to Sonja during a visit to her cell that it was he who shot Myasoyedoff on behalf of his comrades. Myasoyedoff was spying on the emigrants on behalf of the Bolshevik government, and many of their relatives remaining in Russia had already been shot. Myasoyedoff was an informer, Vladimir was the real killer, and Sonya now holds his fate in her hands.
But Vladimir's defence speech in court for Sonja leads to her acquittal. She and Vladimir are united, and Sonja utters the film's final line, which it was hoped at the time would have a prophetic meaning: "Out of the darkness that oppresses us, a new Russia will one day arise, a Russia that we can both love."
Swedish postcard by Ed. Axel Eliassons Konstförlag, Stockholm, no. 297. Photo: Skandia Film, Stockholm. Lars Hanson and Jenny Hasselqvist in De landsflyktiga/The Emigrants/The Exiles (Mauritz Stiller, 1921).
Swedish postcard by Ed. Axel Eliassons Konstförlag, Stockholm, no. 298. Photo: Skandia Film, Stockholm. Lars Hanson and Jenny Hasselqvist in De landsflyktiga/The Emigrants/The Exiles (Mauritz Stiller, 1921).
Sources: Svensk filmdatabas (Swedish), Silent Era, Wikipedia and IMDb.
November 9, 2024
Joan Leslie
American actress Joan Leslie (1925-2015) starred in over 30 films. Her breakout role came at the age of 15 when she appeared as the crippled girl Velma in High Sierra (1941) with Humphrey Bogart. In the following years, she starred alongside Gary Cooper in Sergeant York (1941) and James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942). After 1956, she appeared in television series.
Italian postcard by Bromofoto, Milano, no. 227.
Vintage postcard, no. 3106-78. Photo: Warner Bros.
French postcard by Editions P.I., no. 252. Photo: Warner Bros.
West German postcard by Kolibri-Verlag, no. 214. Photo: RKO Radio Film.
A breakout role at the age of 15
Joan Leslie Caldwell was born Joan Agnes Theresa Sadie Brodel in Detroit, Michigan in 1925. She was the youngest child of John and Agnes Brodel. John was a bank clerk and Agnes was a pianist. Growing up in Highland Park, Leslie was on stage as a three-year-old and learnt various instruments from her mother. When her father lost his job during the Great Depression, Brodel toured with her two older sisters under the name The Brodel Sisters on Vaudeville stages in the United States and Canada.
While Mary played the saxophone and Betty the piano, Joan was a wiz on the accordion and the banjo. Joan proved to be the scene stealer of the three sisters because she impersonated figures such as Katharine Hepburn , Greta Garbo , Maurice Chevalier , and Jimmy Durante. One night, during a performance at the Paradise Club in New York, 11-year-old Joan was singled out by an MGM talent scout and promptly signed for six months with a salary of $200 a week. Her two sisters Mary and Betty Brodel both also went on to have brief film careers, but they were far less successful than their youngest sister.
Her first role was an uncredited part as Robert Taylor 's younger sister Marie Jeanette in George Cukor’s romantic drama Camille (1936), starring Greta Garbo . While working at the studio, she attended MGM's Little Red Schoolhouse with other child actors such as Judy Garland , Mickey Rooney , and Freddie Bartholomew . MGM had trouble finding suitable roles for her, and she was let go by the studio along with Deanna Durbin . Leslie returned to New York, working on the radio and as a model.
During this time, her older sister Mary was signed to Universal Studios. Leslie returned to Hollywood with the rest of her family, working for different studios as a freelancer. She mainly worked for RKO Pictures. She gained her first credited role in Winter Carnival (Charles F. Riesner, 1939) with Ann Sheridan , still using her real name. In 1940, she went to Warner Bros. and played serious roles under the name Joan Leslie. Her breakout role came at the age of 15 when she appeared as the crippled girl Velma in the Film Noir High Sierra (Raoul Walsh, 1941) starring Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart . She got the part because she could cry on cue. New York Times critic Bosley Crowther wrote: "A newcomer named Joan Leslie handles lesser roles effectively."
Leslie then starred in the biopic Sergeant York (Howard Hawks, 1941) as the fiancée of the decorated war hero Alvin C. York played by Gary Cooper . Cooper (aged 40) was 24 years her senior and gave her a doll on the set. Sergeant York was a critical and financial success, becoming the highest-grossing movie of 1941. The film was nominated for a total of eleven Oscars. Joan celebrated her 17th birthday on the set of the musical Yankee Doodle Dandy (Michael Curtiz, 1942), in which she played the wife of Broadway producer George M. Cohan, played by James Cagney . Leslie's singing voice was partially dubbed by Sally Sweetland. The film was a major hit for Warner Brothers and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, winning three.
American postcard by EKC.
Dutch postcard, no. 3162.
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, no. 252. Photo: Warner Bros.
British postcard by Dover Publications Inc., 1986. Photo: Joan Leslie, James Cagney , Jeanne Cagney, Walter Huston and Rosemary De Camp in Yankee Doodle Dandy (Michael Curtiz, 1942).
On a blacklist in Hollywood
Joan Leslie frequently played the younger sister of the main character, for example, Olivia de Havilland in the comedy-drama The Male Animal (Elliott Nugent, 1942) or Ida Lupino in The Hard Way (Vincent Sherman, 1943). The Hard Way was based on a story by Irwin Shaw which was reportedly based on Ginger Rogers ' relationship with her first husband Jack Pepper (whom she married in 1928 at age 17) and her mother Lela.
Leslie was Fred Astaire's partner in the star-studded extravaganza The Sky’s the Limit (Edward H. Griffith, 1943). She also appeared in films such as Thank Your Lucky Stars (David Butler, 1943), This is the Army (Michael Curtiz, 1943) with Ronald Reagan , and Hollywood Canteen (Delmer Daves, 1944). During the Second World War, Leslie was a regular volunteer at the Hollywood Canteen, where she danced with servicemen and signed autographs.
She played one of the fictitious girlfriends in the romanticised biopic Rhapsody in Blue (Irving Rapper, 1945) about American musician and composer George Gershwin. In the mid-1940s, Joan Leslie became increasingly dissatisfied because she was only playing ‘young naïve ingenues and wanted more serious and mature roles. Also, the quality of her roles had begun to deteriorate. She went to court to get out of her contract with Warner Brothers. She succeeded, but after that, Leslie only received offers from smaller film studios: Warner Brothers studio boss Jack L. Warner had put her on a blacklist in Hollywood.
In 1947, she signed a two-picture contract with the poverty row studio Eagle-Lion Films and appeared in the Film Noir Repeat Performance (Alfred L. Werker, 1947). She also appeared in the Film Noir Born to be Bad (Nicholas Ray, 1950) starring Joan Fontaine and Robert Ryan . I.S. Mowis at IMDb : “Between 1947 and 1954, Joan freelanced, often for Poverty Row outfits like Eagle-Lion, Lippert and Republic. She became yet another fatality of Hollywood typecasting, another example of an attractive ingenue, a promising starlet and a potential major star who ended up as a low-budget Western lead. Still, later interviews suggested that she rather enjoyed acting in her handful of second-string Westerns and they earned Joan a Golden Boot Award in 2006 for contributions to the genre.”
After marrying physician William G. Caldwell in 1950, Leslie shifted her focus to her family and raising her identical twin daughters, Patrice and Ellen (1951). In 1956, she played her last film, The Revolt of Mamie Stover (Raoul Walsh, 1956) starring Jane Russell . After that, Leslie made occasional appearances in TV movies and series including Charlie’s Angels (1978), The Incredible Hulk (1979), and Murder She Wrote (1988). In 1991, she played her last role as Ruthie in the television film Fire in the Dark (David Hugh Jones, 1991) with Olympia Dukakis. Leslie designed clothing under her eponymous brand. Her husband William died in 2000. Joan Leslie died in 2015 in Los Angeles at the age of 90. She was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.
British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. W 831. Photo: Eagle Lion. Joan Leslie in Northwest Stampede (Albert S. Rogell, 1948).
British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. W 6. Photo: Warner Bros.
Dutch postcard by P.F. Cladder, Amsterdam. Photo: Warner Bros.
Dutch postcard. Photo: MGM.
Sources: (IMDb), Variety, Wikipedia (Dutch, German and English) and .
Italian postcard by Bromofoto, Milano, no. 227.
Vintage postcard, no. 3106-78. Photo: Warner Bros.
French postcard by Editions P.I., no. 252. Photo: Warner Bros.
West German postcard by Kolibri-Verlag, no. 214. Photo: RKO Radio Film.
A breakout role at the age of 15
Joan Leslie Caldwell was born Joan Agnes Theresa Sadie Brodel in Detroit, Michigan in 1925. She was the youngest child of John and Agnes Brodel. John was a bank clerk and Agnes was a pianist. Growing up in Highland Park, Leslie was on stage as a three-year-old and learnt various instruments from her mother. When her father lost his job during the Great Depression, Brodel toured with her two older sisters under the name The Brodel Sisters on Vaudeville stages in the United States and Canada.
While Mary played the saxophone and Betty the piano, Joan was a wiz on the accordion and the banjo. Joan proved to be the scene stealer of the three sisters because she impersonated figures such as Katharine Hepburn , Greta Garbo , Maurice Chevalier , and Jimmy Durante. One night, during a performance at the Paradise Club in New York, 11-year-old Joan was singled out by an MGM talent scout and promptly signed for six months with a salary of $200 a week. Her two sisters Mary and Betty Brodel both also went on to have brief film careers, but they were far less successful than their youngest sister.
Her first role was an uncredited part as Robert Taylor 's younger sister Marie Jeanette in George Cukor’s romantic drama Camille (1936), starring Greta Garbo . While working at the studio, she attended MGM's Little Red Schoolhouse with other child actors such as Judy Garland , Mickey Rooney , and Freddie Bartholomew . MGM had trouble finding suitable roles for her, and she was let go by the studio along with Deanna Durbin . Leslie returned to New York, working on the radio and as a model.
During this time, her older sister Mary was signed to Universal Studios. Leslie returned to Hollywood with the rest of her family, working for different studios as a freelancer. She mainly worked for RKO Pictures. She gained her first credited role in Winter Carnival (Charles F. Riesner, 1939) with Ann Sheridan , still using her real name. In 1940, she went to Warner Bros. and played serious roles under the name Joan Leslie. Her breakout role came at the age of 15 when she appeared as the crippled girl Velma in the Film Noir High Sierra (Raoul Walsh, 1941) starring Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart . She got the part because she could cry on cue. New York Times critic Bosley Crowther wrote: "A newcomer named Joan Leslie handles lesser roles effectively."
Leslie then starred in the biopic Sergeant York (Howard Hawks, 1941) as the fiancée of the decorated war hero Alvin C. York played by Gary Cooper . Cooper (aged 40) was 24 years her senior and gave her a doll on the set. Sergeant York was a critical and financial success, becoming the highest-grossing movie of 1941. The film was nominated for a total of eleven Oscars. Joan celebrated her 17th birthday on the set of the musical Yankee Doodle Dandy (Michael Curtiz, 1942), in which she played the wife of Broadway producer George M. Cohan, played by James Cagney . Leslie's singing voice was partially dubbed by Sally Sweetland. The film was a major hit for Warner Brothers and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, winning three.
American postcard by EKC.
Dutch postcard, no. 3162.
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, no. 252. Photo: Warner Bros.
British postcard by Dover Publications Inc., 1986. Photo: Joan Leslie, James Cagney , Jeanne Cagney, Walter Huston and Rosemary De Camp in Yankee Doodle Dandy (Michael Curtiz, 1942).
On a blacklist in Hollywood
Joan Leslie frequently played the younger sister of the main character, for example, Olivia de Havilland in the comedy-drama The Male Animal (Elliott Nugent, 1942) or Ida Lupino in The Hard Way (Vincent Sherman, 1943). The Hard Way was based on a story by Irwin Shaw which was reportedly based on Ginger Rogers ' relationship with her first husband Jack Pepper (whom she married in 1928 at age 17) and her mother Lela.
Leslie was Fred Astaire's partner in the star-studded extravaganza The Sky’s the Limit (Edward H. Griffith, 1943). She also appeared in films such as Thank Your Lucky Stars (David Butler, 1943), This is the Army (Michael Curtiz, 1943) with Ronald Reagan , and Hollywood Canteen (Delmer Daves, 1944). During the Second World War, Leslie was a regular volunteer at the Hollywood Canteen, where she danced with servicemen and signed autographs.
She played one of the fictitious girlfriends in the romanticised biopic Rhapsody in Blue (Irving Rapper, 1945) about American musician and composer George Gershwin. In the mid-1940s, Joan Leslie became increasingly dissatisfied because she was only playing ‘young naïve ingenues and wanted more serious and mature roles. Also, the quality of her roles had begun to deteriorate. She went to court to get out of her contract with Warner Brothers. She succeeded, but after that, Leslie only received offers from smaller film studios: Warner Brothers studio boss Jack L. Warner had put her on a blacklist in Hollywood.
In 1947, she signed a two-picture contract with the poverty row studio Eagle-Lion Films and appeared in the Film Noir Repeat Performance (Alfred L. Werker, 1947). She also appeared in the Film Noir Born to be Bad (Nicholas Ray, 1950) starring Joan Fontaine and Robert Ryan . I.S. Mowis at IMDb : “Between 1947 and 1954, Joan freelanced, often for Poverty Row outfits like Eagle-Lion, Lippert and Republic. She became yet another fatality of Hollywood typecasting, another example of an attractive ingenue, a promising starlet and a potential major star who ended up as a low-budget Western lead. Still, later interviews suggested that she rather enjoyed acting in her handful of second-string Westerns and they earned Joan a Golden Boot Award in 2006 for contributions to the genre.”
After marrying physician William G. Caldwell in 1950, Leslie shifted her focus to her family and raising her identical twin daughters, Patrice and Ellen (1951). In 1956, she played her last film, The Revolt of Mamie Stover (Raoul Walsh, 1956) starring Jane Russell . After that, Leslie made occasional appearances in TV movies and series including Charlie’s Angels (1978), The Incredible Hulk (1979), and Murder She Wrote (1988). In 1991, she played her last role as Ruthie in the television film Fire in the Dark (David Hugh Jones, 1991) with Olympia Dukakis. Leslie designed clothing under her eponymous brand. Her husband William died in 2000. Joan Leslie died in 2015 in Los Angeles at the age of 90. She was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.
British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. W 831. Photo: Eagle Lion. Joan Leslie in Northwest Stampede (Albert S. Rogell, 1948).
British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. W 6. Photo: Warner Bros.
Dutch postcard by P.F. Cladder, Amsterdam. Photo: Warner Bros.
Dutch postcard. Photo: MGM.
Sources: (IMDb), Variety, Wikipedia (Dutch, German and English) and .
November 8, 2024
Geneviève Grad (1944-2024)
Yesterday, 8 November 2024, French actress Geneviève Grad (1944-2024) passed away. She was best known as the daughter of Louis de Funès in the first three films of the Gendarme of Saint-Tropez series. In the late 1960s, she made some erotic films.
Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 119.
French postcard by E.D.U.G, no. 325, presented by Corvisart, Epinal. Photo: Sam Lévin.
Spanish postcard by Torro de Bronce, no. 196. Photo: Unifrance Film / Sam Lévin.
The gendarme's beautiful daughter
Geneviève Gabrielle Grad was born in 1944 in Paris. Her father was a typographer for the newspaper France-Soir. She trained in dance, but at 15 she was spotted for the film. She made her film debut as an extra in Les dragueurs/The Dredgers (Jean-Pierre Mocky, 1959) starring Jacques Charrier and Charles Aznavour . She changed her career plans and took acting classes from Beatrice Dussanne.
Geneviève played the teenage daughter of Martine Carol in in the crime drama Un Soir sur le plage/One Night at the Beach (Michel Boisrond, 1961). That same year, she played the female lead in the French swashbuckler Le Capitaine Fracasse/Captain Fracasse (Pierre Gaspard-Huit, 1961), which also starred Jean Marais and Philippe Noiret .
In Italy, she starred in the Peplum Il conquistatore di Corinto/The Centurion (Mario Costa, 1961) set in 146 BC in Greece. In this French/Italian historical drama, set against the backdrop of the Battle of Corinth, she played Hebe, the daughter of a local governor with anti-Roman sentiments, who falls in love with a Roman centurion named Caius Vinicius ( Jacques Sernas ). She stayed in Italy for I normanni/Attack of the Normans (Giuseppe Vari, 1962), set in England in the early 9th century. Viking incursions play a central role in this film starring Cameron Mitchell.
Grad also participated in another European genre of the 1960s, the Eurospy film. She co-starred in the French thriller Gibraltar (Pierre Gaspard-Huit, 1964) with Hildegard Knef and Gérard Barray , who played a secret agent going undercover to infiltrate smugglers between Tangiers and Gibraltar. Then she played her best-known role Nicole Cruchot, the beautiful daughter of Marshal Ludovic Cruchot ( Louis de Funès ) in the comedy Le gendarme de Saint-Tropez/The Troops of St. Tropez (Jean Girault, 1964). It was the first film in The Gendarme series, comedies in Saint-Tropez, a fashionable resort on the French Riviera.
Le gendarme de Saint-Tropez was a huge box office hit and spawned five sequels. Grad only appeared in the first three films. The other two were: Le gendarme à New York/Gendarme in New York (Jean Girault, 1965) and Le gendarme se marie/The Gendarme Gets Married (Jean Girault, 1968). She also recorded the songs Douliou Douliou Saint-Tropez (1964) and Les Garçons, les filles et l'amour (The Boys, the Girls and Love) (1966).
Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 130.
Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 173.
Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 294. Retail price: 1,50 Lei. Photo: publicity shot for Le gendarme se marie/The Gendarme Gets Married (Jean Girault, 1968) with Louis de Funès and Geneviève Grad.
The era of sexual liberation
Geneviève Grad had a nervous breakdown and retired for a while. She departed from her image as the beautiful daughter of De Funès with her next films. In the era of sexual liberation and social revolution, she played a lead role in the French film Flash Love, with Paul Guers as her partner. The film was first limited released in 1968, got a wider release in 1972 and was re-released in 1977 as Libertés sexuelles/Love-Making: Hot Style (Max Kalifa, 1977).
She also played the lead role in the Brazilian-French drama O Palácio dos Anjos/Palais des anges érotiques et des plaisirs secrets/The Palace of Angels (Walter Hugo Khouri, 1970) with Luc Merenda. The film, about a French girl living in São Paulo, who decides with two friends to transform a little apartment into a luxury bordello, was presented at the 1970 Cannes Film Festival.
Apart from these films, she appeared on stage and played in several made-for-TV films and TV series during the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. Grad - not yet 40 - made her final film in 1983. She played a supporting part in the Darry Cowl comedy Ça va pas être triste/It's Going to Be Sad (Pierre Sisser, 1983).
Later, she worked as a production assistant for TV 1, as an antique dealer and for the city of Vendôme. Geneviève Grad had a son, Dimitri Bogdanoff (1976), with former boyfriend, Igor Bogdanoff, a controversial scientist and television show host.
Since 1993, Geneviève Grad has been married to architect Jean Guillaume. She died of cancer in 2024 in Blois, Loir-et-Cher, France, at the age of 80.
Spanish postcard by Editorial Filasol in the series Sexy Vintage Girls.
Spanish postcard by Postal Oscar Color, Hospitalet (Barcelona), no. 684.
Trailer for Sandokan, la tigre di Mompracem/Sandokan the Great (Umberto Lenzi, 1963) with Steve Reeves . Source: Sleaze-O-Rama (YouTube).
Sources: Biosstars (French - now defunct), Wikipedia (French and English), and .
Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 119.
French postcard by E.D.U.G, no. 325, presented by Corvisart, Epinal. Photo: Sam Lévin.
Spanish postcard by Torro de Bronce, no. 196. Photo: Unifrance Film / Sam Lévin.
The gendarme's beautiful daughter
Geneviève Gabrielle Grad was born in 1944 in Paris. Her father was a typographer for the newspaper France-Soir. She trained in dance, but at 15 she was spotted for the film. She made her film debut as an extra in Les dragueurs/The Dredgers (Jean-Pierre Mocky, 1959) starring Jacques Charrier and Charles Aznavour . She changed her career plans and took acting classes from Beatrice Dussanne.
Geneviève played the teenage daughter of Martine Carol in in the crime drama Un Soir sur le plage/One Night at the Beach (Michel Boisrond, 1961). That same year, she played the female lead in the French swashbuckler Le Capitaine Fracasse/Captain Fracasse (Pierre Gaspard-Huit, 1961), which also starred Jean Marais and Philippe Noiret .
In Italy, she starred in the Peplum Il conquistatore di Corinto/The Centurion (Mario Costa, 1961) set in 146 BC in Greece. In this French/Italian historical drama, set against the backdrop of the Battle of Corinth, she played Hebe, the daughter of a local governor with anti-Roman sentiments, who falls in love with a Roman centurion named Caius Vinicius ( Jacques Sernas ). She stayed in Italy for I normanni/Attack of the Normans (Giuseppe Vari, 1962), set in England in the early 9th century. Viking incursions play a central role in this film starring Cameron Mitchell.
Grad also participated in another European genre of the 1960s, the Eurospy film. She co-starred in the French thriller Gibraltar (Pierre Gaspard-Huit, 1964) with Hildegard Knef and Gérard Barray , who played a secret agent going undercover to infiltrate smugglers between Tangiers and Gibraltar. Then she played her best-known role Nicole Cruchot, the beautiful daughter of Marshal Ludovic Cruchot ( Louis de Funès ) in the comedy Le gendarme de Saint-Tropez/The Troops of St. Tropez (Jean Girault, 1964). It was the first film in The Gendarme series, comedies in Saint-Tropez, a fashionable resort on the French Riviera.
Le gendarme de Saint-Tropez was a huge box office hit and spawned five sequels. Grad only appeared in the first three films. The other two were: Le gendarme à New York/Gendarme in New York (Jean Girault, 1965) and Le gendarme se marie/The Gendarme Gets Married (Jean Girault, 1968). She also recorded the songs Douliou Douliou Saint-Tropez (1964) and Les Garçons, les filles et l'amour (The Boys, the Girls and Love) (1966).
Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 130.
Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 173.
Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 294. Retail price: 1,50 Lei. Photo: publicity shot for Le gendarme se marie/The Gendarme Gets Married (Jean Girault, 1968) with Louis de Funès and Geneviève Grad.
The era of sexual liberation
Geneviève Grad had a nervous breakdown and retired for a while. She departed from her image as the beautiful daughter of De Funès with her next films. In the era of sexual liberation and social revolution, she played a lead role in the French film Flash Love, with Paul Guers as her partner. The film was first limited released in 1968, got a wider release in 1972 and was re-released in 1977 as Libertés sexuelles/Love-Making: Hot Style (Max Kalifa, 1977).
She also played the lead role in the Brazilian-French drama O Palácio dos Anjos/Palais des anges érotiques et des plaisirs secrets/The Palace of Angels (Walter Hugo Khouri, 1970) with Luc Merenda. The film, about a French girl living in São Paulo, who decides with two friends to transform a little apartment into a luxury bordello, was presented at the 1970 Cannes Film Festival.
Apart from these films, she appeared on stage and played in several made-for-TV films and TV series during the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. Grad - not yet 40 - made her final film in 1983. She played a supporting part in the Darry Cowl comedy Ça va pas être triste/It's Going to Be Sad (Pierre Sisser, 1983).
Later, she worked as a production assistant for TV 1, as an antique dealer and for the city of Vendôme. Geneviève Grad had a son, Dimitri Bogdanoff (1976), with former boyfriend, Igor Bogdanoff, a controversial scientist and television show host.
Since 1993, Geneviève Grad has been married to architect Jean Guillaume. She died of cancer in 2024 in Blois, Loir-et-Cher, France, at the age of 80.
Spanish postcard by Editorial Filasol in the series Sexy Vintage Girls.
Spanish postcard by Postal Oscar Color, Hospitalet (Barcelona), no. 684.
Trailer for Sandokan, la tigre di Mompracem/Sandokan the Great (Umberto Lenzi, 1963) with Steve Reeves . Source: Sleaze-O-Rama (YouTube).
Sources: Biosstars (French - now defunct), Wikipedia (French and English), and .
November 7, 2024
Stanley Holloway
British theatre and film actor Stanley Holloway (1890-1982) was known for his comic monologues and songs. He appeared in classic Ealing comedies like The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) and The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953). His best-known film role is the irresponsible and irrepressible Alfred P. Doolittle in the classic musical My Fair Lady (1964).
British postcard by Bamforth & Co, Publishers, Holmfirth and New York, no. 170. Caption: Honeysuckle and Bee. 'The Honeysuckle and the Bee' was one of Stanley Holloway's most famous songs
.
East German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, no. 1077, 1959. Photo: J. Arthur Rank / Progress. Stanley Holloway in The Lavender Hill Mob (Charles Crichton, 1951).
With her head tucked underneath her arm
Stanley Augustus Holloway was born in 1890 in Manor Park, now part of the London Borough of Newham. Holloway's parents were lawyer's clerk George Augustus Holloway and Florence May Bell, who worked as a housekeeper and dressmaker. Holloway was named ‘Stanley’, after the famous journalist and explorer Henry Morton Stanley.
George Holloway, his father, abandoned his wife and family in 1905, forcing the 15-year-old Stanley Holloway to drop out of school and start working for a living. He took a job as a clerk at the Billingsgate fish market. In 1907, Holloway started his military service, as an infantry soldier for the London Rifle Brigade.
In 1910, he made his theatrical debut, performing in ‘The White Coons Show’, a concert party variety show. In Clacton-on-Sea, he performed at the West Cliff Theatre from 1911 to 1913, where he was engaged by the then-well-known comedian Leslie Hanson for his comedy concerts. Holloway wanted to become a singer and travelled to Milan to study singing. However, the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 thwarted his plans. During the war, Holloway served in an Irish infantry regiment of the British Army. Late in the War, the military decided to use his acting experience to have Holloway perform in army revues, theatrical shows intended to boost the morale of the troops.
In 1919, he had his first major theatre success starring in ‘Kissing Time’ when the musical transferred to the West End from Broadway. However, he resigned the following year. He made his film debut in the silent film The Rotters (A.V. Bramble, 1921). Holloway celebrated a huge success with the stage show ‘The Co-Optimist’. The play was performed from 1921 to 1927 and made into a film in 1929. In the same year, the show was performed again, expanding Holloway's repertoire, which had a lasting effect on his career in sound film.
Holloway's newfound fame opened some new career opportunities for him. In 1923, he was hired as a regular performer for BBC Radio, and in 1924 he recorded some of his hit songs for release on gramophone discs. In 1928, he started performing on-stage comic monologues. He created the stage character of ‘Sam Small’, a working-class soldier of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). Small was very popular with audiences, and Holloway performed this role both on stage and in film. In the 1930s, he appeared in several films by the Ealing Studios, while continuing his successful theatrical career. He also spoke a radio role in the horror play ‘With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm’.
British promotional postcard by Columbia, no. 9937/C/F. Photo: Columbia Records. Stanley Holloway as Old Sam.
British postcard. Photo: London Films. Frances Day, Leslie Henson and Stanley Holloway in The Girl from Maxim's (Alexander Korda, 1933).
Alfred P. Doolittle
In 1939, World War II started. At age 49, veteran soldier Stanley Holloway was considered too old to re-enlist in the Army. He was hired, however, by the British Film Institute and Pathé News to narrate war-time propaganda films, educational films, and documentaries. Later in the 1940s, he narrated the documentary film series ‘Time To Remember’ for Pathé News. It was a retrospective of British and world history from 1915 to 1942.
Another turning point in Holloway's career was the comedy Major Barbara (Gabriel Pascal, 1941) starring Wendy Hiller . The film adaption of G.B. Shaw’s novel was the first time he played for a major studio. During the Second World War, he appeared in front of the camera in This Happy Breed (David Lean, 1944) with Robert Newton, Celia Johnson and John Mills and in The Way Ahead (Carol Reed, 1944) starring David Niven .
After the war, Holloway became known to a wider public through his roles in David Lean's Brief Encounter (1945) with Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard , and as the gravedigger in Laurence Olivier 's Hamlet (1948). Ealing Studios then signed him for their comedies and he starred opposite Alec Guinness in The Lavender Hill Mob (Charles Crichton, 1951) and The Titfield Thunderbolt (Charles Crichton, 1953).
American producers also became aware of Holloway's comedic abilities. In 1956, he was hired as James Cagney 's replacement for the role of Alfred P. Doolittle in the Broadway production of ‘My Fair Lady’. The musical play was an adaption of the play ‘Pygmalion’ (1913) by George Bernard Shaw. For this role, he was nominated for the 1957 Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical. He also appeared in the London stage production in 1958, as well as in the film version. For My Fair Lady (George Cukor, 1964) he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. He was also nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and the Laurel Award for this role. The film version is also the source of the song ‘Wiv a Little Bit of Luck’, which he sang himself and which is also the title of his autobiography.
Holloway also worked for television. He played an English butler who is employed by an American family in the American TV series ‘Our Man Higgins’. In 1967, he was cast in the British sitcom ‘Blandings Castle’, an adaptation of a series of books by P. G. Wodehouse. His last film role was as a crime suspect in the Canadian thriller Journey into Fear (Daniel Mann, 1975). He continued appearing in theatre, but poor health forced him into retirement in 1980. He was 89-years-old, when he last performed at the Royal Variety Performance, at the London Palladium. Stanley Holloway was married twice. From his first marriage to Alice Foran in 1913, he had four children. With his second wife Violet Lane, whom he married in 1939, he had one son, Julian Holloway (1944), who also became an actor. Julian and Tessa, the daughter of the writer Roald Dahl, became the parents of the model and writer Sophie Dahl. Holloway was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1960 New Year Honours for his services to entertainment. Stanley Holloway OBE died in 1982 in Littlehampton, Great Britain. He was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church in East Preston, West Sussex.
British postcard in the Film Star Autograph Portrait Series by L.D. LTD., London, no. 74. Photo: J. Arthur Rank Organisation. Stanley Holloway in Fast and Loose (Gordon Parry, 1954).
Vintage card.
Sources: (IMDb), Wikipedia (German and English), and .
British postcard by Bamforth & Co, Publishers, Holmfirth and New York, no. 170. Caption: Honeysuckle and Bee. 'The Honeysuckle and the Bee' was one of Stanley Holloway's most famous songs
.
East German postcard by VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb, no. 1077, 1959. Photo: J. Arthur Rank / Progress. Stanley Holloway in The Lavender Hill Mob (Charles Crichton, 1951).
With her head tucked underneath her arm
Stanley Augustus Holloway was born in 1890 in Manor Park, now part of the London Borough of Newham. Holloway's parents were lawyer's clerk George Augustus Holloway and Florence May Bell, who worked as a housekeeper and dressmaker. Holloway was named ‘Stanley’, after the famous journalist and explorer Henry Morton Stanley.
George Holloway, his father, abandoned his wife and family in 1905, forcing the 15-year-old Stanley Holloway to drop out of school and start working for a living. He took a job as a clerk at the Billingsgate fish market. In 1907, Holloway started his military service, as an infantry soldier for the London Rifle Brigade.
In 1910, he made his theatrical debut, performing in ‘The White Coons Show’, a concert party variety show. In Clacton-on-Sea, he performed at the West Cliff Theatre from 1911 to 1913, where he was engaged by the then-well-known comedian Leslie Hanson for his comedy concerts. Holloway wanted to become a singer and travelled to Milan to study singing. However, the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 thwarted his plans. During the war, Holloway served in an Irish infantry regiment of the British Army. Late in the War, the military decided to use his acting experience to have Holloway perform in army revues, theatrical shows intended to boost the morale of the troops.
In 1919, he had his first major theatre success starring in ‘Kissing Time’ when the musical transferred to the West End from Broadway. However, he resigned the following year. He made his film debut in the silent film The Rotters (A.V. Bramble, 1921). Holloway celebrated a huge success with the stage show ‘The Co-Optimist’. The play was performed from 1921 to 1927 and made into a film in 1929. In the same year, the show was performed again, expanding Holloway's repertoire, which had a lasting effect on his career in sound film.
Holloway's newfound fame opened some new career opportunities for him. In 1923, he was hired as a regular performer for BBC Radio, and in 1924 he recorded some of his hit songs for release on gramophone discs. In 1928, he started performing on-stage comic monologues. He created the stage character of ‘Sam Small’, a working-class soldier of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). Small was very popular with audiences, and Holloway performed this role both on stage and in film. In the 1930s, he appeared in several films by the Ealing Studios, while continuing his successful theatrical career. He also spoke a radio role in the horror play ‘With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm’.
British promotional postcard by Columbia, no. 9937/C/F. Photo: Columbia Records. Stanley Holloway as Old Sam.
British postcard. Photo: London Films. Frances Day, Leslie Henson and Stanley Holloway in The Girl from Maxim's (Alexander Korda, 1933).
Alfred P. Doolittle
In 1939, World War II started. At age 49, veteran soldier Stanley Holloway was considered too old to re-enlist in the Army. He was hired, however, by the British Film Institute and Pathé News to narrate war-time propaganda films, educational films, and documentaries. Later in the 1940s, he narrated the documentary film series ‘Time To Remember’ for Pathé News. It was a retrospective of British and world history from 1915 to 1942.
Another turning point in Holloway's career was the comedy Major Barbara (Gabriel Pascal, 1941) starring Wendy Hiller . The film adaption of G.B. Shaw’s novel was the first time he played for a major studio. During the Second World War, he appeared in front of the camera in This Happy Breed (David Lean, 1944) with Robert Newton, Celia Johnson and John Mills and in The Way Ahead (Carol Reed, 1944) starring David Niven .
After the war, Holloway became known to a wider public through his roles in David Lean's Brief Encounter (1945) with Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard , and as the gravedigger in Laurence Olivier 's Hamlet (1948). Ealing Studios then signed him for their comedies and he starred opposite Alec Guinness in The Lavender Hill Mob (Charles Crichton, 1951) and The Titfield Thunderbolt (Charles Crichton, 1953).
American producers also became aware of Holloway's comedic abilities. In 1956, he was hired as James Cagney 's replacement for the role of Alfred P. Doolittle in the Broadway production of ‘My Fair Lady’. The musical play was an adaption of the play ‘Pygmalion’ (1913) by George Bernard Shaw. For this role, he was nominated for the 1957 Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical. He also appeared in the London stage production in 1958, as well as in the film version. For My Fair Lady (George Cukor, 1964) he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. He was also nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and the Laurel Award for this role. The film version is also the source of the song ‘Wiv a Little Bit of Luck’, which he sang himself and which is also the title of his autobiography.
Holloway also worked for television. He played an English butler who is employed by an American family in the American TV series ‘Our Man Higgins’. In 1967, he was cast in the British sitcom ‘Blandings Castle’, an adaptation of a series of books by P. G. Wodehouse. His last film role was as a crime suspect in the Canadian thriller Journey into Fear (Daniel Mann, 1975). He continued appearing in theatre, but poor health forced him into retirement in 1980. He was 89-years-old, when he last performed at the Royal Variety Performance, at the London Palladium. Stanley Holloway was married twice. From his first marriage to Alice Foran in 1913, he had four children. With his second wife Violet Lane, whom he married in 1939, he had one son, Julian Holloway (1944), who also became an actor. Julian and Tessa, the daughter of the writer Roald Dahl, became the parents of the model and writer Sophie Dahl. Holloway was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1960 New Year Honours for his services to entertainment. Stanley Holloway OBE died in 1982 in Littlehampton, Great Britain. He was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church in East Preston, West Sussex.
British postcard in the Film Star Autograph Portrait Series by L.D. LTD., London, no. 74. Photo: J. Arthur Rank Organisation. Stanley Holloway in Fast and Loose (Gordon Parry, 1954).
Vintage card.
Sources: (IMDb), Wikipedia (German and English), and .
November 6, 2024
30 Opera stars in the cinema
Throughout the years, opera has been implemented in cinema in many ways. Since 2006, major opera companies such as The Metropolitan Opera in New York, The Royal Opera in London, and La Scala in Milan have begun presenting their performances in local cinemas all over the world. Many of the most famous operas have been used for soundtracks while many singers have appeared onscreen performing. Arguably the greatest icon in opera, Maria Callas can be heard on numerous film soundtracks from Avengers to Milk and The Young Victoria. But she can also be seen in Pier Paolo Pasolini’s adaptation of Medea. Mario Lanza was on the verge of major operatic career when a concert at the Hollywood Bowl in August 1947 brought him to the attention of Louis B. Mayer. Lanza went on to make several films with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer including The Toast of New Orleans and The Great Caruso. For this post we selected postcards of 30 famous and less known opera singers who also starred in films.
French postcard by Ed. M.T. & C. (Maurice Tesson), no. S.129/1.
Berta Nelson (?-?) was a Russian opera singer, who from 1913 onward had a career as an actress in Italian silent cinema. She worked at Itala Film and even had her own company, Nelson Film.
Italian postcard by G. Vettori, Bologna, no. 181. Photo: Emilia Vidali as Lucia in I promessi sposi/The Betrothed (Mario Bonnard, 1922).
Emilia Vidali (?-?) was an actress in Italian silent cinema. She was also an extremely popular opera singer in South America and performed in international opera houses worldwide.
French postcard by Editions Cinémagazine-Edition, no. 62. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinema. Jean Périer as Mazarin in Vingt ans après/The Return of the Musketeers (Henri Diamant-Berger, 1922). Collection: Didier Hanson.
French operatic baritone and actor Jean Périer (1869-1954) had a long association with the Opéra-Comique in Paris. Although he sang principally within the operetta repertoire, Périer portrayed roles in operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Giacomo Puccini, and he originated the role of Pelléas in Claude Debussy's 'Pelléas et Mélisande' in 1902. Périer also appeared in over 30 films between 1910 and 1948.
Italian postcard. Collection: Didier Hanson.
Enrico Caruso (1873-1921) was an Italian operatic tenor. He sang to great acclaim at the major opera houses of Europe and the Americas, appearing in a wide variety of roles from the Italian and French repertoires that ranged from the lyric to the dramatic. Between 1908 and 1919 he appeared in five films.
Austrian postcard by B.K.W.I. (Brüder Kohn, Wien). Feodor Chaliapin as Don Quixote.
Russian opera singer Feodor Chaliapin (1873–1938) was an international sensation and is considered the greatest Russian singer of the twentieth century, as well as the greatest male operatic actor ever. The possessor of a large, deep and expressive basso profundo, he was celebrated at major opera houses all over the world and established the tradition of naturalistic acting in operas. The only sound film which shows his acting style is Don Quixote (Georg Wilhelm Pabst, 1933).
French postcard by S.I.P., 30th series, no. 2. Photo: Reutlinger, Paris. Mailed in 1902.
Around 1900, Italian soprano Lina Cavalieri (1874-1944) was considered 'the most beautiful woman on earth'. While she started as a Paris café-concert singer in the 1890s, she soon rose to stardom at the Folies-Bergères. In 1900 she embarked on a new career as an opera singer, thus becoming an internationally acclaimed star and a fashion and beauty model, from Russia to the US. In the 1910s she started a film career in the US and Italy, with her husband Lucien Muratore.
French postcard in the Les Vedettes de Cinéma series by A.N., Paris, no. 102. Photo: P. Nadar. Vanni Marcoux as Méphistophélès in Gounod’s 'Faust'? Or Vanni Marcoux in Le Miracle des Loups/Miracle of the Wolves (Raymond Bernard, 1924)?
Vanni Marcoux or Vanni-Marcoux (1877–1962) was a French operatic bass-baritone, renowned as one of the most memorable singing actors of the 20th century. Marcoux only acted in three silent films and one sound film, but these were significant leads.
German postcard by PH, no. 4116/1. Geraldine Farrar as Marguerite in Charles Gounod's opera 'Faust'.
American soprano opera singer and film actress Geraldine Farrar (1882-1967) was noted for her glamorous beauty, acting ability, and the timbre of her voice. Barely 20, she was already the toast of Berlin. Later at the Met in New York, she had a large following among young women, who were nicknamed ‘Gerry-flappers’. Farrar also starred in more than a dozen silent films from 1915 to 1920. She was married to and co-starred with Dutch matinee idol Lou Tellegen.
German postcard by Verlag Hermann Leiser, no. 1453. Photo: Berl. Illustr. Ges., Berlin. Bernhard Bötel and Mizzi Fink in 'Der Postillon von Lonjumeau', based on the French comic opera 'Le Postillon de Lonjumeau'.
German baritone Bernhard Bötel (1883-1953) was particularly successful as the title character in 'The Tales of Hoffmann' at the Komische Oper in Berlin. He later had a significant career as an operetta singer in Vienna, and took part in the world premiere of the Lehár operetta 'Der Graf von Luxemburg' in 1909. Later he was a valued member of the Berlin Municipal Opera as a tenor buffo for twenty years. At the same time, he appeared as an operetta singer and was celebrated as the partner of the famous diva Fritzi Massary. Bötel also acted in four films: a recording from a song and dance from Der Graf von Luxemburg (1910), a film version of Flotow's opera Martha (Gustav Schönwald, 1916) with Mizzi Fink in the title role, Rheinzauber (Joseph Max Jacobi, 1920), and Trick-Track (Emil Albes, 1921). The latter film was an experiment with the conductor printed on the lower base of the film, to better synchronize the live music with the film.
German postcard by Verlag Hermann Leiser, no. 2541. Photo: Alex Binder, Berlin.
German Opera singer Karl Armster (1883-1943) was one of the most popular baritones up to the Second World War. He excelled in verismo roles from Scarpia to Marcello. He was also a renowned Wagner singer in the 1910s. Between 1919 and 1921 he acted in four silent films including Friedrich Zelnik's Hölle der Jungfrauen (1919) with Blandine Ebinger and Fasching (1921) with Lya Mara.
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano, no. 56. Photo: La Fotominio.
American opera singer Carolina White (1885-1961) had a short-lived film career. She played opposite the famous opera singer Enrico Caruso in My Cousin (Edward José, 1918). In 1921 she played the love interest of Luciano Albertini in the 4-part episode film Il ponte dei sospiri, directed by Domenico Gaido, and partly shot on location in Venice. After that White didn't act in film anymore.
German postcard by Verlag Hans Dursthoff, Berlin, no. 1027. Photo: Willinger, Berlin. Paul Hansen sang in the opera 'Der Freischütz' but also acted in the silent film Der Freischütz (dir. unknown, 1918).
Paul Hansen (1886-1967) was a Danish opera singer (tenor/baritone) and actor in German silent films. During his time in Berlin, the star tenor was offered several silent film roles. He made his film debut during the First World War in an adaptation of 'Cavalleria rusticana', the one-act opera by Pietro Mascagni. In the early days of the Weimar Republic, Hansen appeared in around 20 films, including three of the eight parts of Joe May's epic Herrin der Welt/Mistress of the World (1919). In just five years (1919 to 1924), he was a film partner to such stars as Ossi Oswalda, Pola Negri, Harry Liedtke, Lil Dagover and, finally, Henny Porten twice.
Italian postcard. Picture by Nanni. Tito Schipa (tenor) as the Duke of Mantua in 'Rigoletto'.
Italian tenor of Albanese descent Tito Schipa (1888-1965) was considered the best 'tenore di grazia' (light tenor) in history. He also acted in various Italian sound films of the 1930s and 1940s.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 9085/1, 1935-1936. Photo: Badal Filmproduktion.
British opera singer and actor Louis Graveure (1888-1965) starred in four German films of the 1930s. In 1931, he emigrated to Berlin to sing at the Deutsche Oper where he sang five roles: 'Faust', 'Rodolfo', 'Pagliacci', 'Don José', and 'Lohengrin'. Because of his magnetic stage presence and electric delivery, he was enormously popular with the Berliners. This led to a series of four films.
German postcard by NPG, no. 994. Photo: Angelo, Budapest, 1918. Collection: Didier Hanson.
Emmi Kosáry (1889-1964) was a Hungarian opera diva and operetta prima donna with a beautiful soprano voice. She also became a film actress, who worked in Hungary with the young Michael Curtiz. Kosáry was the wife of composer Ákos Buttykay.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 9400/1, 1935-1936. Photo: Itala Film.
Beniamino Gigli (1890-1957) was one of the most famous Italian opera singers, internationally respected for the beauty of his voice and his vocal technique. Between 1935 and 1950 he also starred in various Italian fiction films.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 4877/1, 1929-1930. Photo: Atelier Ernst Schneider, Berlin / Tauber Tonfilm G.m.b.H.
Austrian opera singer Richard Tauber (1891-1948) was one of the world's finest Mozartian tenors of the 20th century. Some critics commented that 'his heart felt every word he sang'. He also tested the then-new talking pictures in such popular musical films as Ich küsse Ihre Hand, Madame (1929) with Marlene Dietrich, Das Land des Lächelns (1930) and Melodie der Liebe (1932).
Italian postcard. Portrait by Nanni. Soprano Toti Dal Monte as the title character in the Donizetti opera 'Lucia di Lammermoor', one of her famous performances, together with Donizetti's 'Elisir d'amore' and Puccini's 'Madam Butterfly'.
Italian operatic soprano Toti Dal Monte (1893-1975) is remembered today for her performance as Cio-cio-san in Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly'. She recorded this role in 1939 with Beniamino Gigli as Pinkerton. She also achieved great success in such films as Il carnevale di Venezia (1939), Giacomo Gentilomo (1939) and Cuore di Mamma (1954).
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 7290/1, 1932-1933 (sent by mail in the Netherlands in 1935). Photo: Atelier Schneider, Berlin. Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender in the stage operetta 'The Student Prince' (1932).
Celebrated German opera singer Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender (1897-1978) was one of the leading lyric baritones of the inter-war period. He was particularly associated with Mozart and Italian roles. ‘The Italian baritone’ starred in the 1930s in several musical films, which helped his shining international reputation.
Italian postcard by B.F.F. Edit., no. 2989. Collection: Marlene Pilaete.
Nothing really predestined Grace Moore (1898-1946) to become an opera diva and a movie star, as she was born in rural Tennessee in a conservative and religious family. But, by a combination of ambition, perseverance, fierce drive and hard work, she achieved her goal. She first found fame in Broadway musicals and then became a prima donna at the prestigious Metropolitan Opera. After an unsuccessful turn at MGM in 1930, she finally made it in Hollywood in 1934 at Columbia and helped to make movie audiences love opera.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 6853/1, 1931-1932. Photo: Lydor, Berlin / Aafa Film. Hans Stüwe in Trenck - Der Roman einer großen Liebe (Ernst Neubach, Heinz Paul, 1932).
Hans Stüwe (1901-1976) was a German singer and opera director. In 1923 he made his debut as a baritone at the Stadttheater in Königsberg. He would engage in directing operas and through the years he presented many forgotten operas and published also books on music theory. From 1926 on he was also a big film star in Germany. Four times he was the film partner of Ufa diva Zarah Leander.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 7049/1, 1932-1933. Photo: Frhr. von Gudenberg Phot.
Hungarian-born Gitta Alpár (1903-1991) was a Jewish actress, opera and operetta singer, and dancer, whose successful career in Germany was broken by the Nazis. In 1927 she started to sing at the Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera). Her nickname was 'The Hungarian Nightingale'. Later she moved on to Berlin, where she sang in operas like 'Die Zauberflöte' (The Magic Flute) by W.A. Mozart as the Queen of the Night. After her marriage to film star Gustav Fröhlich, she starred in several films.
Italian postcard by Grafiche N. Moneto, Milano. Photo: Itala-Film / Generalcine. Maria Cebotari in Mutterlied/Solo Per Te/Mother Song (Carmine Gallone, 1937).
Celebrated Romanian soprano and actress Maria Cebotari (1910-1949) was one of Europe's greatest opera stars in the 1930s and 1940s. Especially her interpretations of the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Richard Strauss belonged to her specialities. Cebotari also starred in several films related to opera.
Hungarian postcard by Athenaeum Color. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Ilona Massey and Nelson Eddy in Balalaika (Reinhold Schünzel, 1939).
Statuesque blonde Ilona Massey (1910-1974) was a Hungarian opera singer who also appeared in some Austrian films before she was discovered by Hollywood mogul Louis B. Mayer. MGM billed her as 'the new Dietrich' and showcased her in operettas with popular baritone Nelson Eddy. But somehow her Hollywood career never really took off.
Italian postcard by ASER, no. 173. Photo: De Antonis.
Beautiful Nelly Corradi (1914–1968) was an Italian opera singer and actress. She made her film debut in Max Ophüls’s La signora di tutti (1934) and had her biggest successes after the war with opera films like Lucia di Lammermoor (1946).
Italian postcard by Ballerini & Fratini Firenze Editori, no. 4248. Photo: Scalera Film. Imperio Argentina in Tosca (Jean Renoir, Carl Koch, 1941). While Renoir started the film, his scriptwriter and assistant Carl Koch finished the film and shot most of it. Luchino Visconti was an assistant director for this film. This postcard refers to a scene in which Argentina sings the aria of 'Caro mio ben' by Giuseppe Giordani.
Imperio Argentina (1906-2003) was a singer, dancer and actress, who appeared in more than 30 films. Although she was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and was successful all over South America, she was a Spanish citizen. Besides in Spain and South America, she also worked in France, Italy and Germany.
German card by Eurodisc. Photo: Grimm.
Slim and handsome singer Rudolf Schock (1915–1986) was a lyrical tenor with a wide repertory from operetta to Lieder to Richard Wagner’s romantic opera Lohengrin. He sold over 3 million records and his German films made him almost a superstar of his day.
British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. D 40. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Mario Lanza in The Great Caruso (Richard Thorpe, 1951).
Mario Lanza (1921–1959) was an American tenor, actor and Hollywood film star of the late 1940s and the 1950s. His masterpiece was The Great Caruso (Richard Thorpe, 1951), the top-grossing film in the world in 1951. Lanza's voice was so dazzling that an awestruck Arturo Toscanini called it the 'voice of the century'.
German promotion card by Columbia, no. DrW 2946 d. Photo: Angus McBean.
Greek-American soprano Maria Callas (1923–1977) was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her bel canto technique, wide-ranging voice and dramatic interpretations. Her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini and further, to the works of Verdi and Puccini; and, in her early career, to the music dramas of Wagner. Her musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as 'La Divina'. Her most famous film appearance was the title role in Pier Paolo Pasolini's Medea (1969).
East-German postcard by VEB Volkskunstverlag Reichenbach I.V., no. G 740, 1957. Retail price: 0,15 DM. Photo: Teldec.
Renate Holm (1931-2022) was a German-Austrian film actress and operatic soprano. During the 1950s she was a popular star of Schlager films and operettas. In the 1960s, she became a star at the Vienna State Opera under the direction of Herbert von Karajan.
Sources: Francisco Salazar (Operawire), Wikipedia and IMDb.
French postcard by Ed. M.T. & C. (Maurice Tesson), no. S.129/1.
Berta Nelson (?-?) was a Russian opera singer, who from 1913 onward had a career as an actress in Italian silent cinema. She worked at Itala Film and even had her own company, Nelson Film.
Italian postcard by G. Vettori, Bologna, no. 181. Photo: Emilia Vidali as Lucia in I promessi sposi/The Betrothed (Mario Bonnard, 1922).
Emilia Vidali (?-?) was an actress in Italian silent cinema. She was also an extremely popular opera singer in South America and performed in international opera houses worldwide.
French postcard by Editions Cinémagazine-Edition, no. 62. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinema. Jean Périer as Mazarin in Vingt ans après/The Return of the Musketeers (Henri Diamant-Berger, 1922). Collection: Didier Hanson.
French operatic baritone and actor Jean Périer (1869-1954) had a long association with the Opéra-Comique in Paris. Although he sang principally within the operetta repertoire, Périer portrayed roles in operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Giacomo Puccini, and he originated the role of Pelléas in Claude Debussy's 'Pelléas et Mélisande' in 1902. Périer also appeared in over 30 films between 1910 and 1948.
Italian postcard. Collection: Didier Hanson.
Enrico Caruso (1873-1921) was an Italian operatic tenor. He sang to great acclaim at the major opera houses of Europe and the Americas, appearing in a wide variety of roles from the Italian and French repertoires that ranged from the lyric to the dramatic. Between 1908 and 1919 he appeared in five films.
Austrian postcard by B.K.W.I. (Brüder Kohn, Wien). Feodor Chaliapin as Don Quixote.
Russian opera singer Feodor Chaliapin (1873–1938) was an international sensation and is considered the greatest Russian singer of the twentieth century, as well as the greatest male operatic actor ever. The possessor of a large, deep and expressive basso profundo, he was celebrated at major opera houses all over the world and established the tradition of naturalistic acting in operas. The only sound film which shows his acting style is Don Quixote (Georg Wilhelm Pabst, 1933).
French postcard by S.I.P., 30th series, no. 2. Photo: Reutlinger, Paris. Mailed in 1902.
Around 1900, Italian soprano Lina Cavalieri (1874-1944) was considered 'the most beautiful woman on earth'. While she started as a Paris café-concert singer in the 1890s, she soon rose to stardom at the Folies-Bergères. In 1900 she embarked on a new career as an opera singer, thus becoming an internationally acclaimed star and a fashion and beauty model, from Russia to the US. In the 1910s she started a film career in the US and Italy, with her husband Lucien Muratore.
French postcard in the Les Vedettes de Cinéma series by A.N., Paris, no. 102. Photo: P. Nadar. Vanni Marcoux as Méphistophélès in Gounod’s 'Faust'? Or Vanni Marcoux in Le Miracle des Loups/Miracle of the Wolves (Raymond Bernard, 1924)?
Vanni Marcoux or Vanni-Marcoux (1877–1962) was a French operatic bass-baritone, renowned as one of the most memorable singing actors of the 20th century. Marcoux only acted in three silent films and one sound film, but these were significant leads.
German postcard by PH, no. 4116/1. Geraldine Farrar as Marguerite in Charles Gounod's opera 'Faust'.
American soprano opera singer and film actress Geraldine Farrar (1882-1967) was noted for her glamorous beauty, acting ability, and the timbre of her voice. Barely 20, she was already the toast of Berlin. Later at the Met in New York, she had a large following among young women, who were nicknamed ‘Gerry-flappers’. Farrar also starred in more than a dozen silent films from 1915 to 1920. She was married to and co-starred with Dutch matinee idol Lou Tellegen.
German postcard by Verlag Hermann Leiser, no. 1453. Photo: Berl. Illustr. Ges., Berlin. Bernhard Bötel and Mizzi Fink in 'Der Postillon von Lonjumeau', based on the French comic opera 'Le Postillon de Lonjumeau'.
German baritone Bernhard Bötel (1883-1953) was particularly successful as the title character in 'The Tales of Hoffmann' at the Komische Oper in Berlin. He later had a significant career as an operetta singer in Vienna, and took part in the world premiere of the Lehár operetta 'Der Graf von Luxemburg' in 1909. Later he was a valued member of the Berlin Municipal Opera as a tenor buffo for twenty years. At the same time, he appeared as an operetta singer and was celebrated as the partner of the famous diva Fritzi Massary. Bötel also acted in four films: a recording from a song and dance from Der Graf von Luxemburg (1910), a film version of Flotow's opera Martha (Gustav Schönwald, 1916) with Mizzi Fink in the title role, Rheinzauber (Joseph Max Jacobi, 1920), and Trick-Track (Emil Albes, 1921). The latter film was an experiment with the conductor printed on the lower base of the film, to better synchronize the live music with the film.
German postcard by Verlag Hermann Leiser, no. 2541. Photo: Alex Binder, Berlin.
German Opera singer Karl Armster (1883-1943) was one of the most popular baritones up to the Second World War. He excelled in verismo roles from Scarpia to Marcello. He was also a renowned Wagner singer in the 1910s. Between 1919 and 1921 he acted in four silent films including Friedrich Zelnik's Hölle der Jungfrauen (1919) with Blandine Ebinger and Fasching (1921) with Lya Mara.
Italian postcard by Ed. G.B. Falci, Milano, no. 56. Photo: La Fotominio.
American opera singer Carolina White (1885-1961) had a short-lived film career. She played opposite the famous opera singer Enrico Caruso in My Cousin (Edward José, 1918). In 1921 she played the love interest of Luciano Albertini in the 4-part episode film Il ponte dei sospiri, directed by Domenico Gaido, and partly shot on location in Venice. After that White didn't act in film anymore.
German postcard by Verlag Hans Dursthoff, Berlin, no. 1027. Photo: Willinger, Berlin. Paul Hansen sang in the opera 'Der Freischütz' but also acted in the silent film Der Freischütz (dir. unknown, 1918).
Paul Hansen (1886-1967) was a Danish opera singer (tenor/baritone) and actor in German silent films. During his time in Berlin, the star tenor was offered several silent film roles. He made his film debut during the First World War in an adaptation of 'Cavalleria rusticana', the one-act opera by Pietro Mascagni. In the early days of the Weimar Republic, Hansen appeared in around 20 films, including three of the eight parts of Joe May's epic Herrin der Welt/Mistress of the World (1919). In just five years (1919 to 1924), he was a film partner to such stars as Ossi Oswalda, Pola Negri, Harry Liedtke, Lil Dagover and, finally, Henny Porten twice.
Italian postcard. Picture by Nanni. Tito Schipa (tenor) as the Duke of Mantua in 'Rigoletto'.
Italian tenor of Albanese descent Tito Schipa (1888-1965) was considered the best 'tenore di grazia' (light tenor) in history. He also acted in various Italian sound films of the 1930s and 1940s.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 9085/1, 1935-1936. Photo: Badal Filmproduktion.
British opera singer and actor Louis Graveure (1888-1965) starred in four German films of the 1930s. In 1931, he emigrated to Berlin to sing at the Deutsche Oper where he sang five roles: 'Faust', 'Rodolfo', 'Pagliacci', 'Don José', and 'Lohengrin'. Because of his magnetic stage presence and electric delivery, he was enormously popular with the Berliners. This led to a series of four films.
German postcard by NPG, no. 994. Photo: Angelo, Budapest, 1918. Collection: Didier Hanson.
Emmi Kosáry (1889-1964) was a Hungarian opera diva and operetta prima donna with a beautiful soprano voice. She also became a film actress, who worked in Hungary with the young Michael Curtiz. Kosáry was the wife of composer Ákos Buttykay.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 9400/1, 1935-1936. Photo: Itala Film.
Beniamino Gigli (1890-1957) was one of the most famous Italian opera singers, internationally respected for the beauty of his voice and his vocal technique. Between 1935 and 1950 he also starred in various Italian fiction films.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 4877/1, 1929-1930. Photo: Atelier Ernst Schneider, Berlin / Tauber Tonfilm G.m.b.H.
Austrian opera singer Richard Tauber (1891-1948) was one of the world's finest Mozartian tenors of the 20th century. Some critics commented that 'his heart felt every word he sang'. He also tested the then-new talking pictures in such popular musical films as Ich küsse Ihre Hand, Madame (1929) with Marlene Dietrich, Das Land des Lächelns (1930) and Melodie der Liebe (1932).
Italian postcard. Portrait by Nanni. Soprano Toti Dal Monte as the title character in the Donizetti opera 'Lucia di Lammermoor', one of her famous performances, together with Donizetti's 'Elisir d'amore' and Puccini's 'Madam Butterfly'.
Italian operatic soprano Toti Dal Monte (1893-1975) is remembered today for her performance as Cio-cio-san in Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly'. She recorded this role in 1939 with Beniamino Gigli as Pinkerton. She also achieved great success in such films as Il carnevale di Venezia (1939), Giacomo Gentilomo (1939) and Cuore di Mamma (1954).
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 7290/1, 1932-1933 (sent by mail in the Netherlands in 1935). Photo: Atelier Schneider, Berlin. Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender in the stage operetta 'The Student Prince' (1932).
Celebrated German opera singer Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender (1897-1978) was one of the leading lyric baritones of the inter-war period. He was particularly associated with Mozart and Italian roles. ‘The Italian baritone’ starred in the 1930s in several musical films, which helped his shining international reputation.
Italian postcard by B.F.F. Edit., no. 2989. Collection: Marlene Pilaete.
Nothing really predestined Grace Moore (1898-1946) to become an opera diva and a movie star, as she was born in rural Tennessee in a conservative and religious family. But, by a combination of ambition, perseverance, fierce drive and hard work, she achieved her goal. She first found fame in Broadway musicals and then became a prima donna at the prestigious Metropolitan Opera. After an unsuccessful turn at MGM in 1930, she finally made it in Hollywood in 1934 at Columbia and helped to make movie audiences love opera.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 6853/1, 1931-1932. Photo: Lydor, Berlin / Aafa Film. Hans Stüwe in Trenck - Der Roman einer großen Liebe (Ernst Neubach, Heinz Paul, 1932).
Hans Stüwe (1901-1976) was a German singer and opera director. In 1923 he made his debut as a baritone at the Stadttheater in Königsberg. He would engage in directing operas and through the years he presented many forgotten operas and published also books on music theory. From 1926 on he was also a big film star in Germany. Four times he was the film partner of Ufa diva Zarah Leander.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 7049/1, 1932-1933. Photo: Frhr. von Gudenberg Phot.
Hungarian-born Gitta Alpár (1903-1991) was a Jewish actress, opera and operetta singer, and dancer, whose successful career in Germany was broken by the Nazis. In 1927 she started to sing at the Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera). Her nickname was 'The Hungarian Nightingale'. Later she moved on to Berlin, where she sang in operas like 'Die Zauberflöte' (The Magic Flute) by W.A. Mozart as the Queen of the Night. After her marriage to film star Gustav Fröhlich, she starred in several films.
Italian postcard by Grafiche N. Moneto, Milano. Photo: Itala-Film / Generalcine. Maria Cebotari in Mutterlied/Solo Per Te/Mother Song (Carmine Gallone, 1937).
Celebrated Romanian soprano and actress Maria Cebotari (1910-1949) was one of Europe's greatest opera stars in the 1930s and 1940s. Especially her interpretations of the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Richard Strauss belonged to her specialities. Cebotari also starred in several films related to opera.
Hungarian postcard by Athenaeum Color. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Ilona Massey and Nelson Eddy in Balalaika (Reinhold Schünzel, 1939).
Statuesque blonde Ilona Massey (1910-1974) was a Hungarian opera singer who also appeared in some Austrian films before she was discovered by Hollywood mogul Louis B. Mayer. MGM billed her as 'the new Dietrich' and showcased her in operettas with popular baritone Nelson Eddy. But somehow her Hollywood career never really took off.
Italian postcard by ASER, no. 173. Photo: De Antonis.
Beautiful Nelly Corradi (1914–1968) was an Italian opera singer and actress. She made her film debut in Max Ophüls’s La signora di tutti (1934) and had her biggest successes after the war with opera films like Lucia di Lammermoor (1946).
Italian postcard by Ballerini & Fratini Firenze Editori, no. 4248. Photo: Scalera Film. Imperio Argentina in Tosca (Jean Renoir, Carl Koch, 1941). While Renoir started the film, his scriptwriter and assistant Carl Koch finished the film and shot most of it. Luchino Visconti was an assistant director for this film. This postcard refers to a scene in which Argentina sings the aria of 'Caro mio ben' by Giuseppe Giordani.
Imperio Argentina (1906-2003) was a singer, dancer and actress, who appeared in more than 30 films. Although she was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and was successful all over South America, she was a Spanish citizen. Besides in Spain and South America, she also worked in France, Italy and Germany.
German card by Eurodisc. Photo: Grimm.
Slim and handsome singer Rudolf Schock (1915–1986) was a lyrical tenor with a wide repertory from operetta to Lieder to Richard Wagner’s romantic opera Lohengrin. He sold over 3 million records and his German films made him almost a superstar of his day.
British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. D 40. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Mario Lanza in The Great Caruso (Richard Thorpe, 1951).
Mario Lanza (1921–1959) was an American tenor, actor and Hollywood film star of the late 1940s and the 1950s. His masterpiece was The Great Caruso (Richard Thorpe, 1951), the top-grossing film in the world in 1951. Lanza's voice was so dazzling that an awestruck Arturo Toscanini called it the 'voice of the century'.
German promotion card by Columbia, no. DrW 2946 d. Photo: Angus McBean.
Greek-American soprano Maria Callas (1923–1977) was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her bel canto technique, wide-ranging voice and dramatic interpretations. Her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini and further, to the works of Verdi and Puccini; and, in her early career, to the music dramas of Wagner. Her musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as 'La Divina'. Her most famous film appearance was the title role in Pier Paolo Pasolini's Medea (1969).
East-German postcard by VEB Volkskunstverlag Reichenbach I.V., no. G 740, 1957. Retail price: 0,15 DM. Photo: Teldec.
Renate Holm (1931-2022) was a German-Austrian film actress and operatic soprano. During the 1950s she was a popular star of Schlager films and operettas. In the 1960s, she became a star at the Vienna State Opera under the direction of Herbert von Karajan.
Sources: Francisco Salazar (Operawire), Wikipedia and IMDb.
November 5, 2024
Ross Verlag, Part 9: W.J. Mörlins
In this post in the Ross Verlag Tribute, EFSP presents film star postcards which were distributed by Ross Verlag but published by Verlag W.J. Mörlins. This German publisher located in Berlin operated in the early 1920s. Mörlins published besides postcards autobiographies of the actors Bruno Kastner ('Von mir über mir, 1921) and Hella Moja ('Nie wieder in meinem Leben!', 1921), as well as deluxe albums of the four-part film Fridericus Rex (1921-1922). The earliest postcard series in our collection (no. 420-430) are sepia-tinted star portrait postcards. A highlight is a series, no. 647, with postcards of the popular Fridericus Rex series (1921-1922) with the main actors in costume. Fridericus Rex is also the subject of the postcards of no. 651, but now with film stills in sepia. Then followed a green-tinted series (no. 8001-9011) with film star portraits. Remarkable is that every picture in this post - with one exception - was taken by master photographer Karl Schenker.
German postcard by Verlag Ross / W.J. Mörlins, Berlin, no. 420/1, 1919-1924. Photo: Karl Schenker.
Max Pallenberg (1877-1934) was an Austrian singer, actor, and comedian. He was one of the most important comedians of his time and often played under the direction of Max Reinhardt. Although Pallenberg was successful as a stage comedian, he only incidentally accepted roles in films.
German postcard by Ross Verlag / W.J. Morlins, Berlin, no. 427/1, 1919-1924. Photo: Karl Schenker.
Austrian-American soprano singer and actress Fritzi Massary (1882-1969) was one of the greatest 20th-century operetta divas. She was a superstar in Berlin and Vienna in the Weimar era, but after the rise of the Nazis, Massary was forced to flee Germany. In London, she appeared in an operetta Noel Coward wrote for her. The popular singer also starred in several early German ‘sound pictures’ and other silent films.
German postcard by W.J. Mörlins / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 540/3. Photo: Nini & Carry Hess, Frankfurt am Main.
Niddy Impekoven (1904-2002) was a German dancer and actress. Numerous tours took her all over Europe. In Wege zu Kraft und Schönheit - Ein Film über moderne Körperkultur (Nicholas Kaufman and Wilhelm Prager, 1925), she was recorded dancing. She also played in two fiction films, Die Pritzelpuppe (Ulrich Kayser, 1923) with Blandine Ebinger, and Armes kleines Mädchen (Ulrich Kayser, 1924), based on Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Little Match Girl'.
Fridericus Rex
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/ 1. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Albert Steinrück as Friedrich Wilhelm I, King of Prussia, the father of Frederick the Great, in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921-1922).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/2. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy Film Co. Otto Gebühr as Crown Prince King Frederick II in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921). Fridericus Rex was a four-part series with Otto Gebühr as King Frederick II as Crown Prince in parts I and II.
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/3. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy Film Co. Charlotte Schulz as Wilhelmine, Marchioness of Bayreuth, favourite sister of Frederick the Great, in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921-1922).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/4. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy Film Co. Erna Morena as Queen Elisabeth Christine, spouse of Frederick the Great, in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921-1922).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/5. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Otto Gebühr as King Frederick the Great in Fridericus Rex (Arzen von Cserépy, 1921-1922).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/6. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Georg John as Generalfeldmarschall von Zieten (Field Marshal von Zieten) in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921-1922).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/7. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Eduard von Winterstein as Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921-1922). Caption: Fürst Leopold von Anhalt-Dessau, "Der alte Dessauer" (Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, "the old Dessauer").
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/8. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Julia (here: Julie) Serda as the Empress Maria Theresia of Austria in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1922), starring Otto Gebühr.
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/9. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy Film Co. Alfred Abel as 'Voltaire, the genial friend of Frederick [the Great]' in the Fridericus Rex trilogy (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921-1922). NB. Alfred Abel is not listed as playing Voltaire in any of the Frederick the Great films, but the back of this postcard states this is the case.
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/10. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Maria Orska as the dancer Barberina of the Royal Theater in Berlin in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1922).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/11. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Otto Gebühr as Friedrich II in Der Alte Fritz/The Old Fritz (Gerhard Lamprecht, 1928).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/12. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Karl Geppert as the grenadier Damian Mampe in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1922).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 651/1. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Otto Gebühr as crown prince Friedrich (Frederick, the future Frederick the Great), and Albert Steinrück as his father Friedrich Wilhelm I in the Fridericus Rex series (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921-1922).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 651/2. Otto Gebühr as crown prince Frederick (future Frederick II) and Lili Alexander as Doris Ritter in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921-1922).
The green series
German postcard by Verlag W.J. Mörlins, Berlin / Vertrieb Ross-Verlag, Berlin, no. 9001/1. Photo: Karl Schenker.
German postcard by Verlag W.J. Mörlins, Berlin / Vertrieb Ross-Verlag, Berlin, no. 9001/2. Photo: Karl Schenker.
German postcard by Verlag W.J. Mörlins, Berlin / Vertrieb Ross-Verlag, Berlin, no. 9001/3. Photo: Karl Schenker.
German postcard by Verlag W.J. Mörlins, Berlin / Vertrieb Ross-Verlag, Berlin, no. 9001/4. Photo: Karl Schenker.
Gunnar Tolnaes (1879-1940) had his most famous performance as an Indian prince in the Danish orientalist melodrama Maharadjahens Yndlingshustru/The Maharaja's Favourite Wife (1917), with Lilly Jacobson. It was so popular that it had a Danish sequel in 1919 and a German sequel in 1921. After a substantial film career in Denmark, he alternated acting in German films as well as in Danish films, until the end of the silent era.
German postcard by Verlag W.J. Mörlins / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 9007/3. Photo: Karl Schenker.
German actor Ernst Hofmann (1890-1944) was one of the most attractive actors of German silent cinema. in the 1910s He was the producer and star of Der Knabe in Blau (1918), the first film by legendary director Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau.
German postcard by Verlag W.J. Mörlins / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 9010/2. Photo: Karl Schenker.
German postcard by Verlag W.J. Mörlins / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 9010/3. Photo: Karl Schenker.
Dark-haired and wide-eyed Ressel Orla (1889-1931) was an actress of the German silent film who peaked in the late 1910s and early 1920s. The now mostly forgotten star appeared in some of the early films by Ernst Lubitsch and Fritz Lang.
German postcard by Verlag W.J. Mörlins / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 9011/1. (With the logo of Rotophot). Photo: Karl Schenker.
Rita Clermont (1894-1969) was a German film actress of the silent era. She received her first contract from Messter Film. Until 1924, she appeared in 60 silent films.
Source: Ross Verlag Postcards. And please check out our post on Karl Schenker and his Atelier Schenker.
With thanks to Jean Ritsema and Ivo Blom! Our Ross Verlag Tribute will be continued next week and please, remember to check out the Ross Verlag Movie Stars Postcards website.
German postcard by Verlag Ross / W.J. Mörlins, Berlin, no. 420/1, 1919-1924. Photo: Karl Schenker.
Max Pallenberg (1877-1934) was an Austrian singer, actor, and comedian. He was one of the most important comedians of his time and often played under the direction of Max Reinhardt. Although Pallenberg was successful as a stage comedian, he only incidentally accepted roles in films.
German postcard by Ross Verlag / W.J. Morlins, Berlin, no. 427/1, 1919-1924. Photo: Karl Schenker.
Austrian-American soprano singer and actress Fritzi Massary (1882-1969) was one of the greatest 20th-century operetta divas. She was a superstar in Berlin and Vienna in the Weimar era, but after the rise of the Nazis, Massary was forced to flee Germany. In London, she appeared in an operetta Noel Coward wrote for her. The popular singer also starred in several early German ‘sound pictures’ and other silent films.
German postcard by W.J. Mörlins / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 540/3. Photo: Nini & Carry Hess, Frankfurt am Main.
Niddy Impekoven (1904-2002) was a German dancer and actress. Numerous tours took her all over Europe. In Wege zu Kraft und Schönheit - Ein Film über moderne Körperkultur (Nicholas Kaufman and Wilhelm Prager, 1925), she was recorded dancing. She also played in two fiction films, Die Pritzelpuppe (Ulrich Kayser, 1923) with Blandine Ebinger, and Armes kleines Mädchen (Ulrich Kayser, 1924), based on Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Little Match Girl'.
Fridericus Rex
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/ 1. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Albert Steinrück as Friedrich Wilhelm I, King of Prussia, the father of Frederick the Great, in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921-1922).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/2. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy Film Co. Otto Gebühr as Crown Prince King Frederick II in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921). Fridericus Rex was a four-part series with Otto Gebühr as King Frederick II as Crown Prince in parts I and II.
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/3. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy Film Co. Charlotte Schulz as Wilhelmine, Marchioness of Bayreuth, favourite sister of Frederick the Great, in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921-1922).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/4. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy Film Co. Erna Morena as Queen Elisabeth Christine, spouse of Frederick the Great, in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921-1922).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/5. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Otto Gebühr as King Frederick the Great in Fridericus Rex (Arzen von Cserépy, 1921-1922).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/6. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Georg John as Generalfeldmarschall von Zieten (Field Marshal von Zieten) in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921-1922).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/7. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Eduard von Winterstein as Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921-1922). Caption: Fürst Leopold von Anhalt-Dessau, "Der alte Dessauer" (Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, "the old Dessauer").
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/8. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Julia (here: Julie) Serda as the Empress Maria Theresia of Austria in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1922), starring Otto Gebühr.
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/9. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy Film Co. Alfred Abel as 'Voltaire, the genial friend of Frederick [the Great]' in the Fridericus Rex trilogy (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921-1922). NB. Alfred Abel is not listed as playing Voltaire in any of the Frederick the Great films, but the back of this postcard states this is the case.
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/10. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Maria Orska as the dancer Barberina of the Royal Theater in Berlin in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1922).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/11. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Otto Gebühr as Friedrich II in Der Alte Fritz/The Old Fritz (Gerhard Lamprecht, 1928).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 647/12. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Karl Geppert as the grenadier Damian Mampe in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1922).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 651/1. Photo: Karl Schenker / Cserépy-Film Co. Otto Gebühr as crown prince Friedrich (Frederick, the future Frederick the Great), and Albert Steinrück as his father Friedrich Wilhelm I in the Fridericus Rex series (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921-1922).
German postcard by W.J. Morlins, Berlin / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 651/2. Otto Gebühr as crown prince Frederick (future Frederick II) and Lili Alexander as Doris Ritter in Fridericus Rex (Arzén von Cserépy, 1921-1922).
The green series
German postcard by Verlag W.J. Mörlins, Berlin / Vertrieb Ross-Verlag, Berlin, no. 9001/1. Photo: Karl Schenker.
German postcard by Verlag W.J. Mörlins, Berlin / Vertrieb Ross-Verlag, Berlin, no. 9001/2. Photo: Karl Schenker.
German postcard by Verlag W.J. Mörlins, Berlin / Vertrieb Ross-Verlag, Berlin, no. 9001/3. Photo: Karl Schenker.
German postcard by Verlag W.J. Mörlins, Berlin / Vertrieb Ross-Verlag, Berlin, no. 9001/4. Photo: Karl Schenker.
Gunnar Tolnaes (1879-1940) had his most famous performance as an Indian prince in the Danish orientalist melodrama Maharadjahens Yndlingshustru/The Maharaja's Favourite Wife (1917), with Lilly Jacobson. It was so popular that it had a Danish sequel in 1919 and a German sequel in 1921. After a substantial film career in Denmark, he alternated acting in German films as well as in Danish films, until the end of the silent era.
German postcard by Verlag W.J. Mörlins / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 9007/3. Photo: Karl Schenker.
German actor Ernst Hofmann (1890-1944) was one of the most attractive actors of German silent cinema. in the 1910s He was the producer and star of Der Knabe in Blau (1918), the first film by legendary director Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau.
German postcard by Verlag W.J. Mörlins / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 9010/2. Photo: Karl Schenker.
German postcard by Verlag W.J. Mörlins / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 9010/3. Photo: Karl Schenker.
Dark-haired and wide-eyed Ressel Orla (1889-1931) was an actress of the German silent film who peaked in the late 1910s and early 1920s. The now mostly forgotten star appeared in some of the early films by Ernst Lubitsch and Fritz Lang.
German postcard by Verlag W.J. Mörlins / Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 9011/1. (With the logo of Rotophot). Photo: Karl Schenker.
Rita Clermont (1894-1969) was a German film actress of the silent era. She received her first contract from Messter Film. Until 1924, she appeared in 60 silent films.
Source: Ross Verlag Postcards. And please check out our post on Karl Schenker and his Atelier Schenker.
With thanks to Jean Ritsema and Ivo Blom! Our Ross Verlag Tribute will be continued next week and please, remember to check out the Ross Verlag Movie Stars Postcards website.
November 4, 2024
Janine Darcey
French actress Janine Darcey (1917-1993) was known for such films as Entrée des artistes (1938), French Without Tears (1940) and the classic Film Noir Du rififi chez les hommes (1955). She was married to Serge Reggiani. Darcey appeared in 60 films between 1936 and 1993.
French postcard by Editions EPC, no. 215. Photo: Roger Kahan.
French postcard by Editions Chantal, Rueil, no. 529. Photo: Max Glass.
The most promising newcomer of the year
Janine Darcey was born Janine Renée Casaubon in 1917 in Asnières, now Asnières-sur-Seine, France. She was the daughter of Eugène Casaubon, an industrialist, and Marie Bouchon. She went to school in the Paris region, before leaving for England to continue her studies.
On her return, she took drama classes and had minor roles as an extra in several films. One of her first films was the French comedy Le mioche/Forty Little Mothers (Léonide Moguy, 1936) starring Lucien Baroux , Gabrielle Dorziat and Pauline Carton. On 1 July 1937, Janine married Pierre Torre from a wealthy industrialist family. They divorced in 1941.
Marc Allégret noticed her and offered her a leading role as a young actress, a student at the Conservatoire in the successful and acclaimed crime film Entrée des artistes/The Curtain Rises (Marc Allégret, 1938) with Louis Jouvet . For this role, she was awarded the Suzanne Bianchetti Prize for the Most Promising Newcomer of the Year.
That year, she also appeared in the French drama Le petit chose/The Little Thing (Maurice Cloche, 1938) starring Robert Lynen, Arletty and Marcelle Barry. The film was based on Alphonse Daudet's 1868 novel 'Le Petit Chose'. She then played the great role of Sylvia Clayton, whose love life interferes with diplomatic negotiations, in Marcel L'Herbier's historical film Entente cordiale/Cordial Agreement (Marcel L’Herbier, 1939).
She then completed the stellar cast in the romantic comedy Cavalcade d'amour/Cavalcade of Love (Raymond Bernard, 1939). Darcey also appeared in the British comedy French Without Tears (Anthony Asquith, 1940) opposite Ray Milland and Ellen Drew. During this time, she also acted in the theatre, appearing, for example, at the Théâtre de la Michodiere.
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, no. 113. Photo: * Star.
French postcard by Editions O.P., Paris, no. 129. Photo: * Star.
The best crime film I've ever seen
In 1943, Janine Darcey played the only female character, the social worker Andrée in Le Carrefour des enfants perdus/Children of Chaos (Léo Joannon, 1943). She fell in love with the lead actor, Serge Reggiani . They married in 1945 and had two children. Her son Stéphan (born 1945) later embarked on a career as a singer, songwriter and composer until his suicide in 1980. Her daughter Carine (1951-2017) was also a singer and a Michel Fugain's Big Bazar troupe member.
Caring for her family put her out of action for a few years. She began to reappear in front of the camera only in the late 1940s, not surprisingly reuniting with her husband in films, for example in the detective film Le mystère de la chambre jaune/The Mystery of the Yellow Room (Henri Aisner, 1949). Both starred, though each in a different episode, in the short story project Retour à la vie/Return to Life (André Cayatte, Henri-Georges Clouzot, Jean Dréville, Georges Lampin, 1949).
Darcey acted in the classic crime film Du rififi chez les hommes/Rififi (Jules Dassin, 1955) with Jean Servais and Carl Möhner . Film critic and future director François Truffaut praised the film, stating that "Out of the worst crime novel I ever read, Jules Dassin has made the best crime film I've ever seen" In 1955, Darcey divorced Serge Reggiani and in 1957, she remarried Michel Jacovleff, a writer but above all an adventurer and a fraud, and thanks to him the actress's film career was on the wane again.
She appeared as a hotel owner in the successful crime drama Un témoin dans la ville/Witness in the City (Édouard Molinaro, 1959) starring Lino Ventura and after a long hiatus, she appeared as the mayor’s wife in Cayatte's drama Les risques du métier/Risky Business (André Cayatte, 1967) with Jacques Brel . In the 1970s, she moved to a small mountain village, Gréolières in the Alpes-Maritimes. She appeared in a minor role as a patient in Le fantôme de la liberté/The Phantom of Liberty (Luis Bunuel, 1974), and as Miss Lambert, the secretary in the comedy Coup de tête/Hothead (Jean-Jacques Annaud, 1978) starring Patrick Dewaere .
Devastated by the suicide of her son Stéphan, she only returned to film a few times in the 1980s. With age and distance from the professional world, roles became increasingly rare. One of her last films was the comedy The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish (Ben Lewin, 1991) starring Bob Hoskins. Janine Darcey died in 1993 in Fontenay-lès-Briis, France. She was 76. Her final film, the drama Délit mineur (Francis Girod, 1994) with Caroline Cellier and Claude Brasseur premiered after her death.
French mini-poster (collector card). Photo: CICC / Pathé. Janine Darcey and Pierre Larquey in Sixième Étage (Maurice Cloche, 1941).
Belgian collector card by Nels Bromurite for Kwatta. Photo: Filmavox.
French postcard, no. 85. Photo: De Korster.
Sources: Pavel ‘argenson’ Vlach (CSFD - Czech), Wikipedia (French and English), and .
French postcard by Editions EPC, no. 215. Photo: Roger Kahan.
French postcard by Editions Chantal, Rueil, no. 529. Photo: Max Glass.
The most promising newcomer of the year
Janine Darcey was born Janine Renée Casaubon in 1917 in Asnières, now Asnières-sur-Seine, France. She was the daughter of Eugène Casaubon, an industrialist, and Marie Bouchon. She went to school in the Paris region, before leaving for England to continue her studies.
On her return, she took drama classes and had minor roles as an extra in several films. One of her first films was the French comedy Le mioche/Forty Little Mothers (Léonide Moguy, 1936) starring Lucien Baroux , Gabrielle Dorziat and Pauline Carton. On 1 July 1937, Janine married Pierre Torre from a wealthy industrialist family. They divorced in 1941.
Marc Allégret noticed her and offered her a leading role as a young actress, a student at the Conservatoire in the successful and acclaimed crime film Entrée des artistes/The Curtain Rises (Marc Allégret, 1938) with Louis Jouvet . For this role, she was awarded the Suzanne Bianchetti Prize for the Most Promising Newcomer of the Year.
That year, she also appeared in the French drama Le petit chose/The Little Thing (Maurice Cloche, 1938) starring Robert Lynen, Arletty and Marcelle Barry. The film was based on Alphonse Daudet's 1868 novel 'Le Petit Chose'. She then played the great role of Sylvia Clayton, whose love life interferes with diplomatic negotiations, in Marcel L'Herbier's historical film Entente cordiale/Cordial Agreement (Marcel L’Herbier, 1939).
She then completed the stellar cast in the romantic comedy Cavalcade d'amour/Cavalcade of Love (Raymond Bernard, 1939). Darcey also appeared in the British comedy French Without Tears (Anthony Asquith, 1940) opposite Ray Milland and Ellen Drew. During this time, she also acted in the theatre, appearing, for example, at the Théâtre de la Michodiere.
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, no. 113. Photo: * Star.
French postcard by Editions O.P., Paris, no. 129. Photo: * Star.
The best crime film I've ever seen
In 1943, Janine Darcey played the only female character, the social worker Andrée in Le Carrefour des enfants perdus/Children of Chaos (Léo Joannon, 1943). She fell in love with the lead actor, Serge Reggiani . They married in 1945 and had two children. Her son Stéphan (born 1945) later embarked on a career as a singer, songwriter and composer until his suicide in 1980. Her daughter Carine (1951-2017) was also a singer and a Michel Fugain's Big Bazar troupe member.
Caring for her family put her out of action for a few years. She began to reappear in front of the camera only in the late 1940s, not surprisingly reuniting with her husband in films, for example in the detective film Le mystère de la chambre jaune/The Mystery of the Yellow Room (Henri Aisner, 1949). Both starred, though each in a different episode, in the short story project Retour à la vie/Return to Life (André Cayatte, Henri-Georges Clouzot, Jean Dréville, Georges Lampin, 1949).
Darcey acted in the classic crime film Du rififi chez les hommes/Rififi (Jules Dassin, 1955) with Jean Servais and Carl Möhner . Film critic and future director François Truffaut praised the film, stating that "Out of the worst crime novel I ever read, Jules Dassin has made the best crime film I've ever seen" In 1955, Darcey divorced Serge Reggiani and in 1957, she remarried Michel Jacovleff, a writer but above all an adventurer and a fraud, and thanks to him the actress's film career was on the wane again.
She appeared as a hotel owner in the successful crime drama Un témoin dans la ville/Witness in the City (Édouard Molinaro, 1959) starring Lino Ventura and after a long hiatus, she appeared as the mayor’s wife in Cayatte's drama Les risques du métier/Risky Business (André Cayatte, 1967) with Jacques Brel . In the 1970s, she moved to a small mountain village, Gréolières in the Alpes-Maritimes. She appeared in a minor role as a patient in Le fantôme de la liberté/The Phantom of Liberty (Luis Bunuel, 1974), and as Miss Lambert, the secretary in the comedy Coup de tête/Hothead (Jean-Jacques Annaud, 1978) starring Patrick Dewaere .
Devastated by the suicide of her son Stéphan, she only returned to film a few times in the 1980s. With age and distance from the professional world, roles became increasingly rare. One of her last films was the comedy The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish (Ben Lewin, 1991) starring Bob Hoskins. Janine Darcey died in 1993 in Fontenay-lès-Briis, France. She was 76. Her final film, the drama Délit mineur (Francis Girod, 1994) with Caroline Cellier and Claude Brasseur premiered after her death.
French mini-poster (collector card). Photo: CICC / Pathé. Janine Darcey and Pierre Larquey in Sixième Étage (Maurice Cloche, 1941).
Belgian collector card by Nels Bromurite for Kwatta. Photo: Filmavox.
French postcard, no. 85. Photo: De Korster.
Sources: Pavel ‘argenson’ Vlach (CSFD - Czech), Wikipedia (French and English), and .
November 3, 2024
The Secret of the Submarine (1916)
Ivo Blom collected this large series of Spanish minicards, made for the lost American serial The Secret of the Submarine (1916). The director of this silent serial was George L. Sargent and the star was serial queen Juanita Hansen. The Secret of the Submarine was produced by the American Film Company and distributed by Mutual. Amatller Marca Luna in Barcelona published the minicards.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 1. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen as Cleo Burke in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 3. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Hugh Bennett as inventor Dr. Ralph Burke in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 4. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. George Clancey as 'Hook' Barnacle in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 6. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Dr. Ralph Burke (Hugh Bennett) works on his submarine invention in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 9. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). Dr. Ralph Burke (Hugh Bennett) demonstrates his new submarine invention to Lt. Hope (Tom Chatterton), 'Hook' Barnacle (George Clancey), and Burke's daughter Cleo (Juanita Hansen).
He previously had his right hand torn off by a shark
The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916) was an American serial of 15 episodes. The serial started to run in the United States on 22 March 1916, according to IMDb and other sources. Wikipedia writes the date was 22 March 1915. The European release was much later, e.g. 1918-1920 in Italy and 1921 in Denmark. All episodes are considered to be lost.
Secret of the Submarine was written by war correspondent Richard Barry in the lead-up to the United States' involvement in World War I. The serial was released one year after the Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine on 7 May 1915. Instead, Russia and Japan would be America's Allies in the First World War. The United States declared war on Germany on 6 April 6, 1917. The serial was Juanita Hansen's serial debut.
Scientist and inventor Dr Ralph Burke (Hugh Bennett) tries to perfect a device that can allow submersibles to remain underwater indefinitely - without needing to resurface to obtain fresh oxygen. At the opening of the story, the discovery has been perfected and offered to the US government. Lieutenant Jarvis Hope (Tom Chatterton) of the United States Navy is tasked with witnessing a practical demonstration of the new invention.
Hope also meets an old acquaintance, Hook Barnacle (George Clancey), whose life he once saved. Hook had previously had his right hand torn off by a shark, and was subsequently replaced with an iron hook. Hook and Burke's daughter Cleo (Juanita Hansen) soon become very interested in each other. But Hook talks too much, and it isn't long before the rest of the village knows the reason for Lieutenant Hope's visit.
Among those who find out are Sextus (Harry Edmondson), a Russian, who works for Olga Ivanoff (Hylda Hollis), Head of the Russian bureau in the US, and Tatsuma (or Satsuma, played by William Tedmarsh ), a Japanese working under the orders of one Mahlin (George Webb). Both are ordered to obtain the document with the invention. Even a third party goes after the secret document: Gerald Morton (Lamar Johnstone), the ruthless nephew of a wealthy American lobbyist. At the end of episode 1, Tatsuma manages to sink the submarine with Cleo, Hope, Hook, and Burke in it.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 17. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. George Clancey (left) as 'Hook' Barnacle in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 18. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). Our heroes follow the evildoers who are on the train, in search of the books that may contain... The Secret of the Submarine!
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 22. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). On the right, Cleo (Juanita Hansen) is bound and gagged, and lowered to the cellar at Stephansky's, while left Olga Ivanoff (Hylda Hollis) observes the situation.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 28. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). At the front: George Clancey as 'Hook'Barnacle, Juanita Hansen as Cleo and Tom Chatterton as Lt. Hope, while at left, behind them the Japanese spy Tatsuma (William Tedmarsh) observes them.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 34. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. William Tedmarsh as Tatsuma and probably George Webb as Mahlin in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
The car even has to jump over a broken bridge
The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916) is a serial filled with cliffhangers. In episode 2 Burke's party isn't killed thanks to the courage and wit of Cleo and Hope. Sextus and Tatsuma fight each other in Burke's house, thinking the opponent is a member of the household. At night Burke hides papers in books, before being murdered.
In episode 3 a penniless and fatherless Cleo sells valuable books of her father's collection, only to discover one contains the secret of the submarine. The bad guys have overheard this, and all rush to the auction house. The good guys miss the train and the car even has to jump over a broken bridge, but they arrive too late at the auction house: Tatsuma has already copied the list of purchasers and has set the auction house on fire.
In episode 4 Hope and Cleo get the list of purchasers too and follow Tatsuma to the house of Stephansky, a bomb maker (having purchased one of Burke's books), where also Morton and Olga have arrived. Cleo is instructed to return alone that night. She is bound and gagged and lowered into a cellar. A fight occurs between Stephansky and Hope, who want to free Cleo, and Morton drops a bomb in the cellar, exploding the whole house.
In episode 5 we discover Hook had saved Cleo just in time, and Hope survives the explosion, but Stephansky is killed. Olga and Morton have managed to escape. Burke's book doesn't contain the secret. All make haste to reach Mrs. Del Marr, wife of the British Consul in S. Francisco, the next owner of one of Burke's books. Her house was once a den for Russian spies and has secret passages which Olga knows. Olga, Morton, and Mahlin disguised as servants, enter the house. A fight between Mahin and Hope occurs and the two books by Mrs Del Marr disappear. In episode 6 we discover Hook took the books but they don't contain the secret. A pursuit by boats follows, towards the next owner of a Burke book, Mr. Fitzmaurice, who is at Santa Cruz Island. Hope and Cleo witness the boat of Morton and Olga behind them being blown up. Tatsuma and Mahlin manage to switch off the light of the lighthouse, leaving Hope in the dark.
In episode 7 Cleo and Hope, but also Olga and Morton, and Mahlin and Tatsuma arrive on the island, in search of the book. Tatsuma finally blows up Fitzmaurice's cabin with Cleo and Hope. In episode 8 Cleo and Hope survived the explosion. Satsuma hears Dr Owen, a friend of Fitzmaurice, also owns a book, so Mahlin wrecks the train on which Cleo, Hope, Olga and Morton are going to Owen. They all survive. Morton pretends to be Hope to Owen at a cafe, but Hope arrives and understands the situation. During his attack on Morton, an earthquake occurs, wrecking the bar.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 41. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 42. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). The man left could be George Webb aka Mahlin.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 45. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). The aftermath of one of the several explosions in the serial. The woman could be Juanita Hansen, clearly holding the sought-after book.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 48. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 49. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 51. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen in the mountains, possibly with George Webb (Mahlin) in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 52. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen as Cleo, Tom Chatterton as Lt. Hope and George Clancey as 'Hook' Barnacle in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 56. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Escaped with a parachute
In episode 9 of The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916), Cleo and Hope discover the document in Owen's book was a prescription, but Olga and Morton don't believe this and kidnap Cleo. Morton flies her to his mountain cabin but she escapes with a parachute. Yet, he tracks her down and presses her once more to tell where the secret is. Aviator Smith, whose plane Morton stole, and the police track down Morton. Hope tries to reach Cleo on the other side of a chasm, by use of a cable, but Mahlin is about the cut the cable with an axe.
In episode 10 Hook arrives just in time and throws Mahlin in the chasm instead. Morton and Olga arrive on the plane and shoot at the cable basket with Cleo and Hope, but Hope shoots down the plane. Olga and Morton survive and manage to escape. Mahlin and Tatsuma attack Hope, Hook and Cleo observing the books. Hope is about to save Cleo from Tatsuma when he gets into quicksand. Cleo climbs down a vine and is about to lift Hope by her foot when Mahlin cuts the vine.
In episode 11 Hook rescues Cleo and Hope. Olga is accidentally wounded by cowboys, hunting bandits. Just as Hope is congratulated by the government for his actions, a message arrives that the owner of the book with the secret, Romero, lost it in the mountains. In episode 12 Hope needs to marry another woman for honour, while Cleo and Hook fall on hard times, experiencing poverty in town. Olga and Morton are captured by bandits.In episode 13 Olga and Morton find Robinson's Philosophy, the lost book, in the bandits' den. It makes clear the secret is revealed in another book, Metallurgy. Morton dumps Olga and heads for the city. Hope discovers the other woman is just a gold-digger and breaks off the planned marriage. He also hears the government is in an awkward position because of a possible war imminent. Cleo leaves Hook. In episode 14 Hope and Hook meet, quarrel, make peace and start searching for Cleo together. Hope finds her just in time as she is about to commit suicide. Olga demands Morton to give him the book. When he accuses her of killing Burke, she wants to strike him with a dagger, but he kills her instead. The police enter and Olga, dying, points at the culprit. Mahlin has seen it all and steals the book and a package Olga had with her.
In the final episode 15, Cleo is kidnapped by Mahlin and Tatsuma. Hope, searching for Cleo, meets Morton and hears about Olga's secret. He agrees to meet Mahlin and Tatsuma and give the book in exchange for Cleo. A fight follows and Tatsuma flees through the window. Holding him at gunpoint, Hope forces Mahlin to uncover Cleo's hiding, but it is only after a month of searching in vain that Hook finds Cleo at a miserable beach. Hope stops the submarine he is on and jumps on the motor boat with Cleo and Hook: reunited at last!
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 62. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). Down left are Lamar Johnstone as Morton and Hylda Hollis as Olga Ivanoff. Possibly in the bandits' den.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 67. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen as Cleo holds Tom Chatterton as Lt. Hope in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 68. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen as Cleo, Tom Chatterton as Lt. Hope The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, American Film Company 1916), starring Juanita Hansen, and distributed by Mutual. Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona. Here, Hansen's Cleo holds Tom Chatterton aka Lt. Hope.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 73. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). Here Lamar Johnstone as Gerald Morton and Hylda Hollis as Olga Ivanoff, struggling with a dagger.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 75. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). The police find Morton (Lamar Johnstone) and the dying Olga Ivanoff (Hylda Hollis).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 76. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). Here, possibly George Webb as Mahlin, abducting Cleo (Juanita Hansen).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 77. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). The final fight between Hope, Tatsuma and Mahlin.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 79 of probably 79 or 80. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen as Cleo and Tom Chatterton as Lt. Hope, finally reunited, in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb. Our plot description was based on a longer description at IMDb , drawn from the Motion Picture World synopsis.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 1. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen as Cleo Burke in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 3. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Hugh Bennett as inventor Dr. Ralph Burke in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 4. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. George Clancey as 'Hook' Barnacle in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 6. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Dr. Ralph Burke (Hugh Bennett) works on his submarine invention in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 9. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). Dr. Ralph Burke (Hugh Bennett) demonstrates his new submarine invention to Lt. Hope (Tom Chatterton), 'Hook' Barnacle (George Clancey), and Burke's daughter Cleo (Juanita Hansen).
He previously had his right hand torn off by a shark
The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916) was an American serial of 15 episodes. The serial started to run in the United States on 22 March 1916, according to IMDb and other sources. Wikipedia writes the date was 22 March 1915. The European release was much later, e.g. 1918-1920 in Italy and 1921 in Denmark. All episodes are considered to be lost.
Secret of the Submarine was written by war correspondent Richard Barry in the lead-up to the United States' involvement in World War I. The serial was released one year after the Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine on 7 May 1915. Instead, Russia and Japan would be America's Allies in the First World War. The United States declared war on Germany on 6 April 6, 1917. The serial was Juanita Hansen's serial debut.
Scientist and inventor Dr Ralph Burke (Hugh Bennett) tries to perfect a device that can allow submersibles to remain underwater indefinitely - without needing to resurface to obtain fresh oxygen. At the opening of the story, the discovery has been perfected and offered to the US government. Lieutenant Jarvis Hope (Tom Chatterton) of the United States Navy is tasked with witnessing a practical demonstration of the new invention.
Hope also meets an old acquaintance, Hook Barnacle (George Clancey), whose life he once saved. Hook had previously had his right hand torn off by a shark, and was subsequently replaced with an iron hook. Hook and Burke's daughter Cleo (Juanita Hansen) soon become very interested in each other. But Hook talks too much, and it isn't long before the rest of the village knows the reason for Lieutenant Hope's visit.
Among those who find out are Sextus (Harry Edmondson), a Russian, who works for Olga Ivanoff (Hylda Hollis), Head of the Russian bureau in the US, and Tatsuma (or Satsuma, played by William Tedmarsh ), a Japanese working under the orders of one Mahlin (George Webb). Both are ordered to obtain the document with the invention. Even a third party goes after the secret document: Gerald Morton (Lamar Johnstone), the ruthless nephew of a wealthy American lobbyist. At the end of episode 1, Tatsuma manages to sink the submarine with Cleo, Hope, Hook, and Burke in it.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 17. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. George Clancey (left) as 'Hook' Barnacle in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 18. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). Our heroes follow the evildoers who are on the train, in search of the books that may contain... The Secret of the Submarine!
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 22. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). On the right, Cleo (Juanita Hansen) is bound and gagged, and lowered to the cellar at Stephansky's, while left Olga Ivanoff (Hylda Hollis) observes the situation.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 28. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). At the front: George Clancey as 'Hook'Barnacle, Juanita Hansen as Cleo and Tom Chatterton as Lt. Hope, while at left, behind them the Japanese spy Tatsuma (William Tedmarsh) observes them.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 34. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. William Tedmarsh as Tatsuma and probably George Webb as Mahlin in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
The car even has to jump over a broken bridge
The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916) is a serial filled with cliffhangers. In episode 2 Burke's party isn't killed thanks to the courage and wit of Cleo and Hope. Sextus and Tatsuma fight each other in Burke's house, thinking the opponent is a member of the household. At night Burke hides papers in books, before being murdered.
In episode 3 a penniless and fatherless Cleo sells valuable books of her father's collection, only to discover one contains the secret of the submarine. The bad guys have overheard this, and all rush to the auction house. The good guys miss the train and the car even has to jump over a broken bridge, but they arrive too late at the auction house: Tatsuma has already copied the list of purchasers and has set the auction house on fire.
In episode 4 Hope and Cleo get the list of purchasers too and follow Tatsuma to the house of Stephansky, a bomb maker (having purchased one of Burke's books), where also Morton and Olga have arrived. Cleo is instructed to return alone that night. She is bound and gagged and lowered into a cellar. A fight occurs between Stephansky and Hope, who want to free Cleo, and Morton drops a bomb in the cellar, exploding the whole house.
In episode 5 we discover Hook had saved Cleo just in time, and Hope survives the explosion, but Stephansky is killed. Olga and Morton have managed to escape. Burke's book doesn't contain the secret. All make haste to reach Mrs. Del Marr, wife of the British Consul in S. Francisco, the next owner of one of Burke's books. Her house was once a den for Russian spies and has secret passages which Olga knows. Olga, Morton, and Mahlin disguised as servants, enter the house. A fight between Mahin and Hope occurs and the two books by Mrs Del Marr disappear. In episode 6 we discover Hook took the books but they don't contain the secret. A pursuit by boats follows, towards the next owner of a Burke book, Mr. Fitzmaurice, who is at Santa Cruz Island. Hope and Cleo witness the boat of Morton and Olga behind them being blown up. Tatsuma and Mahlin manage to switch off the light of the lighthouse, leaving Hope in the dark.
In episode 7 Cleo and Hope, but also Olga and Morton, and Mahlin and Tatsuma arrive on the island, in search of the book. Tatsuma finally blows up Fitzmaurice's cabin with Cleo and Hope. In episode 8 Cleo and Hope survived the explosion. Satsuma hears Dr Owen, a friend of Fitzmaurice, also owns a book, so Mahlin wrecks the train on which Cleo, Hope, Olga and Morton are going to Owen. They all survive. Morton pretends to be Hope to Owen at a cafe, but Hope arrives and understands the situation. During his attack on Morton, an earthquake occurs, wrecking the bar.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 41. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 42. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). The man left could be George Webb aka Mahlin.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 45. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). The aftermath of one of the several explosions in the serial. The woman could be Juanita Hansen, clearly holding the sought-after book.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 48. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 49. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 51. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen in the mountains, possibly with George Webb (Mahlin) in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 52. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen as Cleo, Tom Chatterton as Lt. Hope and George Clancey as 'Hook' Barnacle in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 56. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Escaped with a parachute
In episode 9 of The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916), Cleo and Hope discover the document in Owen's book was a prescription, but Olga and Morton don't believe this and kidnap Cleo. Morton flies her to his mountain cabin but she escapes with a parachute. Yet, he tracks her down and presses her once more to tell where the secret is. Aviator Smith, whose plane Morton stole, and the police track down Morton. Hope tries to reach Cleo on the other side of a chasm, by use of a cable, but Mahlin is about the cut the cable with an axe.
In episode 10 Hook arrives just in time and throws Mahlin in the chasm instead. Morton and Olga arrive on the plane and shoot at the cable basket with Cleo and Hope, but Hope shoots down the plane. Olga and Morton survive and manage to escape. Mahlin and Tatsuma attack Hope, Hook and Cleo observing the books. Hope is about to save Cleo from Tatsuma when he gets into quicksand. Cleo climbs down a vine and is about to lift Hope by her foot when Mahlin cuts the vine.
In episode 11 Hook rescues Cleo and Hope. Olga is accidentally wounded by cowboys, hunting bandits. Just as Hope is congratulated by the government for his actions, a message arrives that the owner of the book with the secret, Romero, lost it in the mountains. In episode 12 Hope needs to marry another woman for honour, while Cleo and Hook fall on hard times, experiencing poverty in town. Olga and Morton are captured by bandits.In episode 13 Olga and Morton find Robinson's Philosophy, the lost book, in the bandits' den. It makes clear the secret is revealed in another book, Metallurgy. Morton dumps Olga and heads for the city. Hope discovers the other woman is just a gold-digger and breaks off the planned marriage. He also hears the government is in an awkward position because of a possible war imminent. Cleo leaves Hook. In episode 14 Hope and Hook meet, quarrel, make peace and start searching for Cleo together. Hope finds her just in time as she is about to commit suicide. Olga demands Morton to give him the book. When he accuses her of killing Burke, she wants to strike him with a dagger, but he kills her instead. The police enter and Olga, dying, points at the culprit. Mahlin has seen it all and steals the book and a package Olga had with her.
In the final episode 15, Cleo is kidnapped by Mahlin and Tatsuma. Hope, searching for Cleo, meets Morton and hears about Olga's secret. He agrees to meet Mahlin and Tatsuma and give the book in exchange for Cleo. A fight follows and Tatsuma flees through the window. Holding him at gunpoint, Hope forces Mahlin to uncover Cleo's hiding, but it is only after a month of searching in vain that Hook finds Cleo at a miserable beach. Hope stops the submarine he is on and jumps on the motor boat with Cleo and Hook: reunited at last!
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 62. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). Down left are Lamar Johnstone as Morton and Hylda Hollis as Olga Ivanoff. Possibly in the bandits' den.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 67. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen as Cleo holds Tom Chatterton as Lt. Hope in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 68. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen as Cleo, Tom Chatterton as Lt. Hope The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, American Film Company 1916), starring Juanita Hansen, and distributed by Mutual. Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona. Here, Hansen's Cleo holds Tom Chatterton aka Lt. Hope.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 73. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). Here Lamar Johnstone as Gerald Morton and Hylda Hollis as Olga Ivanoff, struggling with a dagger.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 75. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). The police find Morton (Lamar Johnstone) and the dying Olga Ivanoff (Hylda Hollis).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 76. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). Here, possibly George Webb as Mahlin, abducting Cleo (Juanita Hansen).
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 77. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Scene from The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916). The final fight between Hope, Tatsuma and Mahlin.
Spanish minicard by Amatller Marca Luna, Barcelona, no. 79 of probably 79 or 80. Photo: American Film Company / Mutual. Juanita Hansen as Cleo and Tom Chatterton as Lt. Hope, finally reunited, in The Secret of the Submarine (George L. Sargent, 1916).
Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb. Our plot description was based on a longer description at IMDb , drawn from the Motion Picture World synopsis.
November 2, 2024
Monica Lewis
Monica Lewis (1922-2015) was an American jazz singer and film actress. Her films include such MGM entertainment films as The Strip (951), Everything I Have Is Yours (1952), and Affair with a Stranger (1953), and she later appeared in some 1970s disaster films such as Earthquake (1974), Rollercoaster (1977), and Airport '77 (1977).
Vintage collectors card.
Vintage postcard by I.F.P.A., no. 6.
The idealised, wholesomely sexy sound and image of apple-pie America
Monica Lewis was born May Lewis in Chicago, Illinois, in 1922. She was the youngest of three children in a musical family. Her father, Leon Lewis, was a symphonic composer and pianist, her mother, Jessica, sang with the Chicago Opera Company and became one of the country’s leading vocal coaches. Her sister, Barbara Lewis Golub, became an accomplished concert pianist; while her brother, Marlo Lewis, was the producer of the original Ed Sullivan television show, The Toast Of The Town.
A career in show business was virtually inevitable. May studied singing with her mother. At the age of 11, the Lewis family moved to New York because of the Great Depression. Lewis began singing on the radio after a successful audition at WMCA in New York. While attending Hunter College at the age of 17, she began working as a singer for the Gloom Dodgers radio programme to support her family. Shortly after working for Gloom Dodgers, Lewis had the radio show 'Monica Makes Music'. She also starred in 'The Chesterfield Supper Club' on radio.
She won a role as a singing cigarette girl in the Broadway show 'Johnny 2X4'. Lewis's work on Broadway led to performances at the Stork Club. She changed her name from May to Monica because she thought it was sexier. In 1943, jazz pianist Leonard Feather told Lewis that the 'King of Swing' bandleader Benny Goodman, needed a singer since Peggy Lee had left when she married his band's guitarist Dave Barbour. At an audition in Times Square with hundreds of women participating, Lewis earned the job and began singing on the roof of the Hotel Astor with Goodman's orchestra.
With Goodman's help, she began to establish her career through nationally broadcast shows such as 'The Revere Camera Show' and 'Beat the Band'. Lewis was dubbed 'America's Singing Sweetheart' during this time. After appearing on the radio with Frank Sinatra , Dick Powell , and Morton Gould, Lewis had recording sessions with Signature Records and Decca Records. She had several successes, including ‘A Tree In A Meadow’ and ‘Autumn Leaves’. Other songs included 'Put the Blame on Mame', and 'I Wish You Love'. However, Lewis' parents did not allow her to perform on out-of-town tours.
Further recordings emerged with jazz musicians such as Yank Lawson, Carmen Mastren, Bud Freeman, Frank De Vol, Chuck Domanico, Lee Ritenour and Kirk Whalum. Lewis briefly participated in advertisements for companies such as Burlington Mills and Camel cigarettes. Beginning in 1947, Lewis provided the singing voice for the animated TV campaign Miss Chiquita Banana. In 1948, she appeared in the very first Ed Sullivan Show, which was created and produced by her brother Marlo Lewis. IMDb : "For almost two decades, Monica Lewis was the idealised, wholesomely sexy sound and image of apple-pie America, lending a curvaceous, dimpled smile and melodious voice of hope to thousands of U.S. troops through two of the 20th century's greatest wars."
Vintage postcard. Photo: M.G.M.
Vintage collectors card. Photo: M.G.M.
The darling of U.S. servicemen worldwide
In 1950, Monica Lewis was signed by MGM where she was groomed as a dramatic actress and the studio’s answer to Lana Turner . Among the films Lewis made was The Strip (László Kardos, 1951), which starred Mickey Rooney as a jazz drummer with the featured band of Louis Armstrong . She appeared alongside Red Skelton in the musical Excuse My Dust (Roy Rowland, Buster Keaton, Edward Sedgwick, 1951).
Monica volunteered her talent for the war effort, becoming the darling of U.S. servicemen worldwide through the war bond drive, military radio broadcasts and a 1951 USO tour of South Korea with celebrated entertainer Danny Kaye . She continued to play roles in films and also provided an on and off-screen singing voice, including Everything I Have Is Yours (Robert Z. Leonard, 1952), in which she sang the title song and danced with star Gower Champion.
Her other films included Affair with a Stranger (Roy Rowland, 1953) with Jean Simmons and Victor Mature and The D.I. (Jack Webb, 1957) with Jack Webb. Although at the height of her popularity, and headlining at leading hotels and clubs in Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco and elsewhere, Lewis, now married to movie executive Jennings Lang, retired. However, the call was too strong for a permanent absence. She appeared in numerous television shows, including Wagon Train, Peter Gunn (1958), Ironside (1968-1974), Quincy (1977), Remington Steele (1985) and Falcon Crest (1986).
In the 1970s, she appeared in disaster films such as Earthquake (Mark Robson, 1974), Rollercoaster (James Goldstone, 1977) and in both Airport '77 (Jerry Jameson, 1977) and The Concorde ... Airport '79 (David Lowell Rich, 1979). In the mid-and late 1980s, Lewis returned to the recording studio, releasing the highly praised 'Never Let Me Go'. The success of this album resulted in the re-release of her 1950s recordings. AllMusic : "A fluent interpreter of standards and the great show tunes, Lewis’ singing voice is clear and true. Her warm sound, allied as it is to a subtle vibrato and underlying power, allows her to bring a distinctive touch to a wide range of materials. Her son Mike Lang is a noted studio musician and composer who has played piano with several leading jazz artists. He accompanied Lewis on some of her later recordings, which he also produced."
Monica Lewis retired from the entertainment business in 1988. She spoke about her career in The New Yorker magazine just 10 days before she died. Lewis was married twice: from 1945 to 1947 to music producer Bob Thiele and from 1956 to his death in 1996 to film producer Jennings Lang. Monica Lewis died in 2015 at the age of 93 at Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, a district of Los Angeles.
Belgian postcard offered by Ri-Ri Demaret Chocolatiers Confiseurs. Photo: M.G.M.
Dutch postcard by Sparo (Gebr. Spanjersberg N.V., Rotterdam). Photos: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The picture stars are Judy Garland , Betty Hutton , Vivian Blaine (twice), Monica Lewis, Pier Angeli, Ann Blyth and Mario Lanza , Coleen Gray, and Jane Powell . The postcard must date from ca. 1951, when Blyth and Lanza starred together in The Great Caruso (Richard Thorpe, 1951).
Sources: (IMDb), AllMusic, Wikipedia (Dutch, German and English) and .
Vintage collectors card.
Vintage postcard by I.F.P.A., no. 6.
The idealised, wholesomely sexy sound and image of apple-pie America
Monica Lewis was born May Lewis in Chicago, Illinois, in 1922. She was the youngest of three children in a musical family. Her father, Leon Lewis, was a symphonic composer and pianist, her mother, Jessica, sang with the Chicago Opera Company and became one of the country’s leading vocal coaches. Her sister, Barbara Lewis Golub, became an accomplished concert pianist; while her brother, Marlo Lewis, was the producer of the original Ed Sullivan television show, The Toast Of The Town.
A career in show business was virtually inevitable. May studied singing with her mother. At the age of 11, the Lewis family moved to New York because of the Great Depression. Lewis began singing on the radio after a successful audition at WMCA in New York. While attending Hunter College at the age of 17, she began working as a singer for the Gloom Dodgers radio programme to support her family. Shortly after working for Gloom Dodgers, Lewis had the radio show 'Monica Makes Music'. She also starred in 'The Chesterfield Supper Club' on radio.
She won a role as a singing cigarette girl in the Broadway show 'Johnny 2X4'. Lewis's work on Broadway led to performances at the Stork Club. She changed her name from May to Monica because she thought it was sexier. In 1943, jazz pianist Leonard Feather told Lewis that the 'King of Swing' bandleader Benny Goodman, needed a singer since Peggy Lee had left when she married his band's guitarist Dave Barbour. At an audition in Times Square with hundreds of women participating, Lewis earned the job and began singing on the roof of the Hotel Astor with Goodman's orchestra.
With Goodman's help, she began to establish her career through nationally broadcast shows such as 'The Revere Camera Show' and 'Beat the Band'. Lewis was dubbed 'America's Singing Sweetheart' during this time. After appearing on the radio with Frank Sinatra , Dick Powell , and Morton Gould, Lewis had recording sessions with Signature Records and Decca Records. She had several successes, including ‘A Tree In A Meadow’ and ‘Autumn Leaves’. Other songs included 'Put the Blame on Mame', and 'I Wish You Love'. However, Lewis' parents did not allow her to perform on out-of-town tours.
Further recordings emerged with jazz musicians such as Yank Lawson, Carmen Mastren, Bud Freeman, Frank De Vol, Chuck Domanico, Lee Ritenour and Kirk Whalum. Lewis briefly participated in advertisements for companies such as Burlington Mills and Camel cigarettes. Beginning in 1947, Lewis provided the singing voice for the animated TV campaign Miss Chiquita Banana. In 1948, she appeared in the very first Ed Sullivan Show, which was created and produced by her brother Marlo Lewis. IMDb : "For almost two decades, Monica Lewis was the idealised, wholesomely sexy sound and image of apple-pie America, lending a curvaceous, dimpled smile and melodious voice of hope to thousands of U.S. troops through two of the 20th century's greatest wars."
Vintage postcard. Photo: M.G.M.
Vintage collectors card. Photo: M.G.M.
The darling of U.S. servicemen worldwide
In 1950, Monica Lewis was signed by MGM where she was groomed as a dramatic actress and the studio’s answer to Lana Turner . Among the films Lewis made was The Strip (László Kardos, 1951), which starred Mickey Rooney as a jazz drummer with the featured band of Louis Armstrong . She appeared alongside Red Skelton in the musical Excuse My Dust (Roy Rowland, Buster Keaton, Edward Sedgwick, 1951).
Monica volunteered her talent for the war effort, becoming the darling of U.S. servicemen worldwide through the war bond drive, military radio broadcasts and a 1951 USO tour of South Korea with celebrated entertainer Danny Kaye . She continued to play roles in films and also provided an on and off-screen singing voice, including Everything I Have Is Yours (Robert Z. Leonard, 1952), in which she sang the title song and danced with star Gower Champion.
Her other films included Affair with a Stranger (Roy Rowland, 1953) with Jean Simmons and Victor Mature and The D.I. (Jack Webb, 1957) with Jack Webb. Although at the height of her popularity, and headlining at leading hotels and clubs in Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco and elsewhere, Lewis, now married to movie executive Jennings Lang, retired. However, the call was too strong for a permanent absence. She appeared in numerous television shows, including Wagon Train, Peter Gunn (1958), Ironside (1968-1974), Quincy (1977), Remington Steele (1985) and Falcon Crest (1986).
In the 1970s, she appeared in disaster films such as Earthquake (Mark Robson, 1974), Rollercoaster (James Goldstone, 1977) and in both Airport '77 (Jerry Jameson, 1977) and The Concorde ... Airport '79 (David Lowell Rich, 1979). In the mid-and late 1980s, Lewis returned to the recording studio, releasing the highly praised 'Never Let Me Go'. The success of this album resulted in the re-release of her 1950s recordings. AllMusic : "A fluent interpreter of standards and the great show tunes, Lewis’ singing voice is clear and true. Her warm sound, allied as it is to a subtle vibrato and underlying power, allows her to bring a distinctive touch to a wide range of materials. Her son Mike Lang is a noted studio musician and composer who has played piano with several leading jazz artists. He accompanied Lewis on some of her later recordings, which he also produced."
Monica Lewis retired from the entertainment business in 1988. She spoke about her career in The New Yorker magazine just 10 days before she died. Lewis was married twice: from 1945 to 1947 to music producer Bob Thiele and from 1956 to his death in 1996 to film producer Jennings Lang. Monica Lewis died in 2015 at the age of 93 at Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, a district of Los Angeles.
Belgian postcard offered by Ri-Ri Demaret Chocolatiers Confiseurs. Photo: M.G.M.
Dutch postcard by Sparo (Gebr. Spanjersberg N.V., Rotterdam). Photos: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The picture stars are Judy Garland , Betty Hutton , Vivian Blaine (twice), Monica Lewis, Pier Angeli, Ann Blyth and Mario Lanza , Coleen Gray, and Jane Powell . The postcard must date from ca. 1951, when Blyth and Lanza starred together in The Great Caruso (Richard Thorpe, 1951).
Sources: (IMDb), AllMusic, Wikipedia (Dutch, German and English) and .
November 1, 2024
Louis Jourdan
Dashingly handsome French actor Louis Jourdan (1921-2015) played lead roles in several Hollywood films in which he often was typecast as the elegant European lover. He is best known for the nine Oscars-winning musical Gigi (1958) with Leslie Caron. In the 1980s he could broaden his range with character roles like the eccentric villain opposite James Bond in Octopussy (1983).
French postcard by S.E.R.P., Paris, no. 39. Photo: Studio Harcourt.
French postcard by Edition P.I., Paris, no. 43. Photo: Star.
Dutch postcard by Foto-archief Film en Toneel, no. 3212. Photo: Universal International.
French postcard by S.E.R.P., Paris, no. 46. Photo: Studio Harcourt.
French postcard by Editions du Globe, Paris, no. 76. Photo: Studio Harcourt.
West German postcard by Rüdel Verlag, Hamburg-Bergedorf, no. 232. Photo: 20th Century Fox. Louis Jourdan in Bird of Paradise (Delmer Daves, 1951).
Collector card.
The most handsome French actor of his era
Louis Jourdan was born Louis Robert Gendre in Marseille, France, in 1921 (some sources say 1919 or 1920). His parents, Yvonne Jourdan and Henry Gendre managed several hotels in Cannes, Nice, and Marseille. One of his two brothers was actor-director Pierre Jourdan . Louis was educated in France, Britain, and Turkey, and in 1938 he received his dramatic training with René Simon at the Écôle Dramatique in Paris.
The following year, a talent scout discovered him and debuted on-screen in Le Corsaire (Marc Allégret, 1939) with Charles Boyer . He went on to play dashing young leads in French romantic comedies and dramas, such as La comédie du bonheur/The Comedy of Happiness (Marcel L’Herbier, 1940) with Michel Simon and Hollywood legend Ramon Novarro , and Premier rendez-vous/Her First Affair (Henri Decoin, 1941) starring Danielle Darrieux .
Following the German occupation of France during World War II, Jourdan continued to make films, including L’Arlésienne (Marc Allégret, 1942) with Raimu and Gaby Morlay , and Les petites du quai aux fleurs/The Girls of the Quai aux Fleurs (Marc Allégret, 1944) with Micheline Presle , with whom he was briefly married.
After refusing to participate in Nazi propaganda films, his budding film career was cut short. When his hotelier father was arrested by the Gestapo, Jourdan and his brothers joined the French résistance, and helped publish and distribute a newspaper for the underground. After the 1944 liberation of France by the Allies, Jourdan married for a second time. This time with his childhood sweetheart Berthe Frederique, with whom he later would have a son.
Shortly after the liberation, he was seen in leading roles in Félicie Nanteuil (Marc Allégret, 1945) with Micheline Presle and Claude Dauphin , and La Vie de Bohème/La Bohème/The Bohemian Life (Marcel L’Herbier, 1945), with María Denis . These were actually films which were already shot during the war. Jourdan was the stand-out, and he became known as the most handsome French actor of his era.
French postcard by Ed. Chantal, Rueil, no. 91. Photo: Gray Film. Publicity still for L'Arlésienne (Marc Allégret, 1942).
French postcard by Editions Continental, no. 118 A. Photo: Continental Film.
Italian postcard. María Denis and Louis Jourdan in La Vie de bohème/La Bohème/Bohème (Marcel L'Herbier, 1942-1945). The film was produced by the Italian companies Scalera and Invicta Film (Scalera was also the distributor) but was shot at the Victorine Studios in Nice in the Winter of 1942. The film was only released after the war, in October 1945. Set photos were by Aldo Graziati , who worked under the pseudonym of G.R. Aldo.
French postcard by Edition P.I., Paris, no. 141. Photo: Star.
French postcard by Editions O.P., Paris, no. 135. Photo: Star.
French postcard by Editions O.P., Paris, no. 138. Photo: Star.
French postcard by Edition Chantal, Rueil, no. 67. Photo: Discina.
The object of secret longings
In 1946, Louis Jourdan accepted an offer from Hollywood producer David O. Selznick to appear in the crime drama The Paradine Case (Alfred Hitchcock, 1947) starring Gregory Peck and Alida Valli . He remained in the US and went on to star in several Hollywood films, including No Minor Vices (Lewis Milestone, 1948) with Dana Andrews and Lilli Palmer , Anne of the Indies (Jacques Tourneur, 1951) with Jean Peters and Debra Paget , the comedy The Happy Time (Richard Fleischer, 1952) with Charles Boyer , and Three Coins in the Fountain (Jean Negulesco, 1954) with Clifton Webb and Dorothy McGuire.
His Hollywood career was hampered by the limitations of the roles he was offered, most of which featured him as an old-fashioned European lover à la Charles Boyer . While he was memorable as the object of Joan Fontaine 's secret longings in Letter from an Unknown Woman (Max Ophüls, 1948), he went on to play similar roles opposite Jennifer Jones in Madame Bovary (Vincente Minnelli, 1949) and Grace Kelly in The Swan (Charles Vidor, 1956).
In 1954 Jourdan made his Broadway debut in the lead role of Michel in 'The Immoralist'. It was a success. He returned to Broadway for a short run in 1955 and that year he was a hit on television too as Inspector Beaumont in the series Paris Precinct (1955).
He also appeared in European productions, like the Boccaccio adaptation Decameron Nights (Hugo Fregonese, 1953) with Joan Fontaine , Rue de l'Estrapade/Françoise Steps Out (Jacques Becker, 1953) with Daniel Gélin and Anne Vernon, La mariée est trop belle/The Bride is Too Beautiful (Pierre Gaspard-Huit, 1956) opposite Brigitte Bardot , and Escapade (Ralph Habib, 1957) with Dany Carrel .
However, he is best remembered for the musical Gigi (Vincente Minnelli, 1958), based on the Colette novel. He played a French playboy in his late 30s who seduced Leslie Caron the moment she came of legal age, while Maurice Chevalier sang 'Thank Heaven for Little Girls'. The film earned nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. In 1982, he played the Chevalier role in 'Gigi' on stage, at the age of 63.
French postcard by Editions O.P., Paris, no. 45. Photo: Star.
Belgian collectors card by Fotoprim, Brussels, A 8. Photo: Universal International. Publicity photo for Letter from an Unknown Woman (Max Ophüls, 1948).
Vintage postcard, no. 552. Photo: 20th Century Fox. Publicity still for Bird of Paradise (Delmer Daves, 1951) with Debra Paget .
French postcard by Editions O.P., Paris, no. 60. Photo: Studio Carlet Ciné.
French postcard, no. 79. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
West German postcard by ISV, no. A 51. Photo: 20th Century Fox. Louis Jourdan in Three Coins in the Fountain (Jean Negulesco, 1954).
German postcard by Kolibri-Verlag G.m.b.H., Minden/Westf., no. 2887. Photo: Union-Film. Publicity still for Escapade (Ralph Habib, 1957).
Eccentric villains
During the 1960s and 1970s, Louis Jourdan kept travelling between Hollywood and Europe. He starred in films like Le Comte de Monte Cristo/The Count of Monte Cristo (Claude Autant-Lara, 1961) with Yvonne Furneaux, The V.I.P.s (Anthony Asquith, 1963) with Elizabeth Taylor , the TV film Run a Crooked Mile (Gene Levitt, 1969) with Mary Tyler Moore, a TV version of The Count of Monte-Cristo (David Greene, 1975), the BBC production Count Dracula (Mike Newell, 1977), and he was the narrator of the hit comedy Irma la Douce (Billy Wilder, 1963).
In 1981 Jourdan found his only son dead in his Beverly Hills home. Louis Henry, 29, had suffered from depression and had apparently taken an overdose of drugs. The police labelled it a suicide, even though it may have been an accidental overdose.
The next year Louis Jourdan turned to playing eccentric villains, as Dr. Anton Arcane in the campy Sci-Fi film Swamp Thing (Wes Craven, 1982) and its sequel The Return of Swamp Thing (Jim Wynorski, 1989).
He was cast as the very charming and sophisticated villain Kamal Khan in the James Bond film Octopussy (John Glen, 1983) with Roger Moore . In 1984, he played the role of Baron Pierre de Coubertin in the Emmy Award-winning TV film The First Olympics: Athens 1896 (Alvin Rakoff, 1984). After shooting Year of the Comet (Peter Yates, 1992) he retired and moved to the south of France.
Louis Jourdan lived - part-time in the greater Los Angeles area and part-time in the South of France - with his wife for more than sixty years, Berthe Frederique. In July 2010, Jourdan was made a Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur. Berthe died in 2014, and a year later, Jourdan passed away at his home in Beverly Hills at the age of 93.
Italian postcard. Photo: Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Publicity still for Made in Paris (Boris Sagal, 1966) with Ann-Margret .
Trailer for Letter From an Unknown Woman (1948). Source: Xaatt (YouTube).
Trailer for The Swan (1956). Source: Jimusnr (YouTube).
Trailer for Gigi (1958). Source: Webothlovesoup (YouTube).
Trailer for for Made in Paris (1966). Source: Movieclips (YouTube).
Trailer for Octopussy (1983). Source: Chigawa's channel (YouTube).
Sources: Ephraim Katz (The Film Encyclopedia), (IMDb), Yahoo Movies (now defunct), Filmreference.com, NNDB, Wikipedia, and .
French postcard by S.E.R.P., Paris, no. 39. Photo: Studio Harcourt.
French postcard by Edition P.I., Paris, no. 43. Photo: Star.
Dutch postcard by Foto-archief Film en Toneel, no. 3212. Photo: Universal International.
French postcard by S.E.R.P., Paris, no. 46. Photo: Studio Harcourt.
French postcard by Editions du Globe, Paris, no. 76. Photo: Studio Harcourt.
West German postcard by Rüdel Verlag, Hamburg-Bergedorf, no. 232. Photo: 20th Century Fox. Louis Jourdan in Bird of Paradise (Delmer Daves, 1951).
Collector card.
The most handsome French actor of his era
Louis Jourdan was born Louis Robert Gendre in Marseille, France, in 1921 (some sources say 1919 or 1920). His parents, Yvonne Jourdan and Henry Gendre managed several hotels in Cannes, Nice, and Marseille. One of his two brothers was actor-director Pierre Jourdan . Louis was educated in France, Britain, and Turkey, and in 1938 he received his dramatic training with René Simon at the Écôle Dramatique in Paris.
The following year, a talent scout discovered him and debuted on-screen in Le Corsaire (Marc Allégret, 1939) with Charles Boyer . He went on to play dashing young leads in French romantic comedies and dramas, such as La comédie du bonheur/The Comedy of Happiness (Marcel L’Herbier, 1940) with Michel Simon and Hollywood legend Ramon Novarro , and Premier rendez-vous/Her First Affair (Henri Decoin, 1941) starring Danielle Darrieux .
Following the German occupation of France during World War II, Jourdan continued to make films, including L’Arlésienne (Marc Allégret, 1942) with Raimu and Gaby Morlay , and Les petites du quai aux fleurs/The Girls of the Quai aux Fleurs (Marc Allégret, 1944) with Micheline Presle , with whom he was briefly married.
After refusing to participate in Nazi propaganda films, his budding film career was cut short. When his hotelier father was arrested by the Gestapo, Jourdan and his brothers joined the French résistance, and helped publish and distribute a newspaper for the underground. After the 1944 liberation of France by the Allies, Jourdan married for a second time. This time with his childhood sweetheart Berthe Frederique, with whom he later would have a son.
Shortly after the liberation, he was seen in leading roles in Félicie Nanteuil (Marc Allégret, 1945) with Micheline Presle and Claude Dauphin , and La Vie de Bohème/La Bohème/The Bohemian Life (Marcel L’Herbier, 1945), with María Denis . These were actually films which were already shot during the war. Jourdan was the stand-out, and he became known as the most handsome French actor of his era.
French postcard by Ed. Chantal, Rueil, no. 91. Photo: Gray Film. Publicity still for L'Arlésienne (Marc Allégret, 1942).
French postcard by Editions Continental, no. 118 A. Photo: Continental Film.
Italian postcard. María Denis and Louis Jourdan in La Vie de bohème/La Bohème/Bohème (Marcel L'Herbier, 1942-1945). The film was produced by the Italian companies Scalera and Invicta Film (Scalera was also the distributor) but was shot at the Victorine Studios in Nice in the Winter of 1942. The film was only released after the war, in October 1945. Set photos were by Aldo Graziati , who worked under the pseudonym of G.R. Aldo.
French postcard by Edition P.I., Paris, no. 141. Photo: Star.
French postcard by Editions O.P., Paris, no. 135. Photo: Star.
French postcard by Editions O.P., Paris, no. 138. Photo: Star.
French postcard by Edition Chantal, Rueil, no. 67. Photo: Discina.
The object of secret longings
In 1946, Louis Jourdan accepted an offer from Hollywood producer David O. Selznick to appear in the crime drama The Paradine Case (Alfred Hitchcock, 1947) starring Gregory Peck and Alida Valli . He remained in the US and went on to star in several Hollywood films, including No Minor Vices (Lewis Milestone, 1948) with Dana Andrews and Lilli Palmer , Anne of the Indies (Jacques Tourneur, 1951) with Jean Peters and Debra Paget , the comedy The Happy Time (Richard Fleischer, 1952) with Charles Boyer , and Three Coins in the Fountain (Jean Negulesco, 1954) with Clifton Webb and Dorothy McGuire.
His Hollywood career was hampered by the limitations of the roles he was offered, most of which featured him as an old-fashioned European lover à la Charles Boyer . While he was memorable as the object of Joan Fontaine 's secret longings in Letter from an Unknown Woman (Max Ophüls, 1948), he went on to play similar roles opposite Jennifer Jones in Madame Bovary (Vincente Minnelli, 1949) and Grace Kelly in The Swan (Charles Vidor, 1956).
In 1954 Jourdan made his Broadway debut in the lead role of Michel in 'The Immoralist'. It was a success. He returned to Broadway for a short run in 1955 and that year he was a hit on television too as Inspector Beaumont in the series Paris Precinct (1955).
He also appeared in European productions, like the Boccaccio adaptation Decameron Nights (Hugo Fregonese, 1953) with Joan Fontaine , Rue de l'Estrapade/Françoise Steps Out (Jacques Becker, 1953) with Daniel Gélin and Anne Vernon, La mariée est trop belle/The Bride is Too Beautiful (Pierre Gaspard-Huit, 1956) opposite Brigitte Bardot , and Escapade (Ralph Habib, 1957) with Dany Carrel .
However, he is best remembered for the musical Gigi (Vincente Minnelli, 1958), based on the Colette novel. He played a French playboy in his late 30s who seduced Leslie Caron the moment she came of legal age, while Maurice Chevalier sang 'Thank Heaven for Little Girls'. The film earned nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. In 1982, he played the Chevalier role in 'Gigi' on stage, at the age of 63.
French postcard by Editions O.P., Paris, no. 45. Photo: Star.
Belgian collectors card by Fotoprim, Brussels, A 8. Photo: Universal International. Publicity photo for Letter from an Unknown Woman (Max Ophüls, 1948).
Vintage postcard, no. 552. Photo: 20th Century Fox. Publicity still for Bird of Paradise (Delmer Daves, 1951) with Debra Paget .
French postcard by Editions O.P., Paris, no. 60. Photo: Studio Carlet Ciné.
French postcard, no. 79. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
West German postcard by ISV, no. A 51. Photo: 20th Century Fox. Louis Jourdan in Three Coins in the Fountain (Jean Negulesco, 1954).
German postcard by Kolibri-Verlag G.m.b.H., Minden/Westf., no. 2887. Photo: Union-Film. Publicity still for Escapade (Ralph Habib, 1957).
Eccentric villains
During the 1960s and 1970s, Louis Jourdan kept travelling between Hollywood and Europe. He starred in films like Le Comte de Monte Cristo/The Count of Monte Cristo (Claude Autant-Lara, 1961) with Yvonne Furneaux, The V.I.P.s (Anthony Asquith, 1963) with Elizabeth Taylor , the TV film Run a Crooked Mile (Gene Levitt, 1969) with Mary Tyler Moore, a TV version of The Count of Monte-Cristo (David Greene, 1975), the BBC production Count Dracula (Mike Newell, 1977), and he was the narrator of the hit comedy Irma la Douce (Billy Wilder, 1963).
In 1981 Jourdan found his only son dead in his Beverly Hills home. Louis Henry, 29, had suffered from depression and had apparently taken an overdose of drugs. The police labelled it a suicide, even though it may have been an accidental overdose.
The next year Louis Jourdan turned to playing eccentric villains, as Dr. Anton Arcane in the campy Sci-Fi film Swamp Thing (Wes Craven, 1982) and its sequel The Return of Swamp Thing (Jim Wynorski, 1989).
He was cast as the very charming and sophisticated villain Kamal Khan in the James Bond film Octopussy (John Glen, 1983) with Roger Moore . In 1984, he played the role of Baron Pierre de Coubertin in the Emmy Award-winning TV film The First Olympics: Athens 1896 (Alvin Rakoff, 1984). After shooting Year of the Comet (Peter Yates, 1992) he retired and moved to the south of France.
Louis Jourdan lived - part-time in the greater Los Angeles area and part-time in the South of France - with his wife for more than sixty years, Berthe Frederique. In July 2010, Jourdan was made a Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur. Berthe died in 2014, and a year later, Jourdan passed away at his home in Beverly Hills at the age of 93.
Italian postcard. Photo: Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Publicity still for Made in Paris (Boris Sagal, 1966) with Ann-Margret .
Trailer for Letter From an Unknown Woman (1948). Source: Xaatt (YouTube).
Trailer for The Swan (1956). Source: Jimusnr (YouTube).
Trailer for Gigi (1958). Source: Webothlovesoup (YouTube).
Trailer for for Made in Paris (1966). Source: Movieclips (YouTube).
Trailer for Octopussy (1983). Source: Chigawa's channel (YouTube).
Sources: Ephraim Katz (The Film Encyclopedia), (IMDb), Yahoo Movies (now defunct), Filmreference.com, NNDB, Wikipedia, and .
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