German postcard by Verlag Ross, Berlin, no. 959/1, 1925-1926. Photo: Sahm, München (Munich) / Emelka. Collection: Didier Hanson.
Ellen Kürty a.k.a. Ellen Kürti (1903-1930) was a Hungarian-born actress who had a short career in the Hungarian and German silent cinema. Between 1920 and 1928, she appeared in both leading and supporting roles in over 20 silent films. In 1930, she probably committed suicide.
Little is known about the short life of Ellen Kürty a.k.a. Ellen Kürti a.k.a. Böske Kürthy a.k.a. Alice Pickford. She was born Erzsébet Kürthy in 1903 in Budapest, Hungary. She completed her schooling in Hungary and studied at the dance academy of Emilia Nirschy. According to Hungarian Wikipedia, she debuted as Alice Pickford in the film A levágott kéz/The Severed Hand (Lajthay Károly, 1920). (However, IMDb credits both Alice Pickford and Erzsébet Kürthy in the cast, so one of the sources is probably incorrect). In Hungary, she also appeared opposite Vilma Banky in Veszélyben a pokol/Danger in Hell (Béla Balogh, 1921) and Galathea (Béla Balogh, 1921). Her final Hungarian film was A keselyü/The Vulture (Félix Vanyl, 1922), in which she was credited Böske Kürthy. Following the First World War, Hungary underwent a period of profound political upheaval and many people in the film industry left the country. At only 19, Kürty continued her blossoming film career in Germany, first in Munich at the Emelka Film Studio and later at the Bavaria Film Studio. Among her first German films were Um Liebe und Thron/For Love and the Throne (Franz Osten, 1922) and Das rollende Schicksal/The Wheels of Destiny (Franz Osten, 1923) starring Colette Brettel. In the following four years, she played a number of supporting and leading roles in Bavarian productions. She starred in the comedy Mädchen, die man nicht heiratet/Girls You Don't Marry (Géza von Bolváry, 1924) with Karl Beckersachs, She also played alongside film debutant Heinz Rühmann in the melodrama Das deutsche Mutterherz/The Heart of a German Mother (Géza von Bolváry, 1926). Her other Bavarian films include Die Liebe der Bajadere/The Love of the Bajadere (Géza von Bolváry, 1926), Die Ehe einer Nacht (Robert Wohlmuth, 1927)
Around 1927, Ellen Kürty went to Berlin, where she played leading roles in mostly minor productions. An exception was Richard Oswald's ambitious political production Feme/Assassination (1927) starring Hans Stüwe and Grete Mosheim. She also appeared in the silent drama Erinnerungen einer Nonne/Memoirs of a Nun (Arthur Bergen, 1927) starring American actress Mary Nolan and in Dutch director Jaap Speyer's Hotelratten/Hotel Rats (1927) with Nils Asther and Mia Pankau. Already in 1928, after a tiny role in the Henny Porten comedy Liebe und Diebe/Love and Thieves (Carl Froelich, 1928), Ellen Kürty's career was over. She made over 20 films in Germany. Just before the sound film era began, Ellen Kürty retired from the film business. In September 1930, a Budapest newspaper wrote that Kürthy had poisoned herself because she had not been offered a new film contract. Although the newspaper did not report on the outcome of the poisoning, Hungarian Wikipedia assumed that she died then. Ellen Kürty was only 27. She appeared in over 20 Hungarian and German films.
Sources: Wikipedia (Hungarian, German and English) and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
Tags: Ellen Kürty Ellen Kürty Kürti Erzsébet Böske Hungarian Actress European Film Star Film Cinema Kino Cine Screen Picture Movie Movies Vintage Postcard Ross Verlag Ross Sahm Emelka Autograph Signature
© All Rights Reserved
German postcard by Verlag Ross, Berlin, no. 959/2, 1925-1926. Photo: Sahm, München (Munich) / Emelka.
Ellen Kürty a.k.a. Ellen Kürti (1903-1930) was a Hungarian-born actress who had a short career in the Hungarian and German silent cinema. Between 1920 and 1928, she appeared in both leading and supporting roles in over 20 silent films. In 1930, she probably committed suicide.
Little is known about the short life of Ellen Kürty a.k.a. Ellen Kürti a.k.a. Böske Kürthy a.k.a. Alice Pickford. She was born Erzsébet Kürthy in 1903 in Budapest, Hungary. She completed her schooling in Hungary and studied at the dance academy of Emilia Nirschy. According to Hungarian Wikipedia, she debuted as Alice Pickford in the film A levágott kéz/The Severed Hand (Lajthay Károly, 1920). (However, IMDb credits both Alice Pickford and Erzsébet Kürthy in the cast, so one of the sources is probably incorrect). In Hungary, she also appeared opposite Vilma Banky in Veszélyben a pokol/Danger in Hell (Béla Balogh, 1921) and Galathea (Béla Balogh, 1921). Her final Hungarian film was A keselyü/The Vulture (Félix Vanyl, 1922), in which she was credited Böske Kürthy. Following the First World War, Hungary underwent a period of profound political upheaval and many people in the film industry left the country. At only 19, Kürty continued her blossoming film career in Germany, first in Munich at the Emelka Film Studio and later at the Bavaria Film Studio. Among her first German films were Um Liebe und Thron/For Love and the Throne (Franz Osten, 1922) and Das rollende Schicksal/The Wheels of Destiny (Franz Osten, 1923) starring Colette Brettel. In the following four years, she played a number of supporting and leading roles in Bavarian productions. She starred in the comedy Mädchen, die man nicht heiratet/Girls You Don't Marry (Géza von Bolváry, 1924) with Karl Beckersachs, She also played alongside film debutant Heinz Rühmann in the melodrama Das deutsche Mutterherz/The Heart of a German Mother (Géza von Bolváry, 1926). Her other Bavarian films include Die Liebe der Bajadere/The Love of the Bajadere (Géza von Bolváry, 1926), Die Ehe einer Nacht (Robert Wohlmuth, 1927)
Around 1927, Ellen Kürty went to Berlin, where she played leading roles in mostly minor productions. An exception was Richard Oswald's ambitious political production Feme/Assassination (1927) starring Hans Stüwe and Grete Mosheim. She also appeared in the silent drama Erinnerungen einer Nonne/Memoirs of a Nun (Arthur Bergen, 1927) starring American actress Mary Nolan and in Dutch director Jaap Speyer's Hotelratten/Hotel Rats (1927) with Nils Asther and Mia Pankau. Already in 1928, after a tiny role in the Henny Porten comedy Liebe und Diebe/Love and Thieves (Carl Froelich, 1928), Ellen Kürty's career was over. She made over 20 films in Germany. Just before the sound film era began, Ellen Kürty retired from the film business. In September 1930, a Budapest newspaper wrote that Kürthy had poisoned herself because she had not been offered a new film contract. Although the newspaper did not report on the outcome of the poisoning, Hungarian Wikipedia assumed that she died then. Ellen Kürty was only 27. She appeared in over 20 Hungarian and German films.
Sources: Wikipedia (Hungarian, German and English) and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
Tags: Ellen Kürty Ellen Kürty Kürti Erzsébet Böske Hungarian Actress European Film Star Film Cinema Kino Cine Screen Picture Movie Movies Vintage Postcard Ross Verlag Ross Sahm Emelka
© All Rights Reserved
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1190/1, 1927-1928. Photo: Emelka Films / Süd-Film. Bayern Films. Imogene Robertson in Erinnerungen einer Nonne/Memories of a Nun (Arthur Bergen, 1927).
Blonde and utterly beautiful Mary Nolan (1902–1948) appeared on stage, on screen, and most of all in the tabloids. After a 'sex scandal', she fled to Germany where she starred in 17 silent films under her real name, Imogene Robertson.
Mary Nolan was born Mary Imogene Robertson in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. in 1902 (according to Wikipedia and 1905 according to IMDb). She was one of five children born to Africanus and Viola Robertson. Her mother died of cancer at the age of 46. Unable to care for five young children, Africanus Robertson placed Mary in a foster home. She eventually went to live in a Catholic orphanage in Missouri where she earned the nickname 'Bubbles'. The beautiful blonde arrived broke in New York in 1919. Eve Golden at Films of the Golden Age: "She really was breathtaking with her perfect bone structure, a cloud of thick blonde hair, and china-blue eyes. It wasn't long before Mary got work as an artist's model for such big shots as James Montgomery Flagg and Arthur William Brown." Famous Broadway producer Oliver Morosco launched her stage career in the choruses of Daffy Dill and Lady Butterfly (1923). Bubbles proved to be a Jazz-Age baby and a party girl by nature. Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. signed her up for his Follies shows on Broadway. As a showgirl, she performed under the stage name Imogene 'Bubbles' Wilson. For the next several years, she started a violent love/hate relationship with Ziegfeld comedian Frank Tinney. Tinney was married to the comedy star Edna Davenport. Tinney set Mary up in a West 72nd Street apartment and showered her with expensive gifts, but he also showered her with bruises, both physical and emotional. The abusive affair stirred up a major sex scandal in 1924. The tabloids exposed the tumultuous relationship when Mary was seriously hospitalised after one of their many arguments. Mary was fired by Ziegfeld and set sail for France where she was scheduled to appear in vaudeville. She made her way to London in October where she reunited with Frank Tinney. By December 1924, Tinney had resumed drinking and began to physically abuse her again. In early 1925, Nolan finally ended the relationship. She then travelled to Germany where she began to work in the film industry under the new stage name Imogene Robertson. Her first German film was Verborgene Gluten/Hidden Fires (Einar Bruun, 1925) with Alphons Fryland. Later that year, she appeared in the title role of Die Feuertänzerin (Robert Dinesen, 1925) for the Ufa. She received good reviews for her work in the film which prompted the Ufa to offer her a contract for $1500 a week. Nolan worked steadily in Germany from 1925 to 1927 and continued to receive favourable reviews for her acting. Her best-known films include the mystery Das Parfüm der Mrs. Worrington/The Parfum of Mrs. Worrington (Franz Seitz, 1925) with Ernst Reicher as detective Stuart Webbs, Das süße Mädel/The sweet girl (Manfred Noa, 1926) with Nils Asther, and the drama Die Abenteuer eines Zehnmarkscheines/The adventures of a 10-mark note (Berthold Viertel, 1926).
While in Germany, Imogene Robertson received offers from Hollywood producers to appear in American films but turned them down. She finally relented after Joseph M. Schenck offered her a contract with United Artists. She returned to the United States in January 1927. To solve the problem of audiences connecting her with her scandalous past, United Artists suggested she change her name to Mary Nolan. For United Artists, she appeared in an uncredited bit part in Topsy and Eva (Del Lord, 1927), and a supporting role in Sorrell and Son (Herbert Brenon, 1927). In 1928, Nolan was signed to Universal Pictures. Her first film for the company was Good Morning, Judge (William A. Seiter, 1928), starring Reginald Denny for which she received good reviews. Universal loaned her out to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for West of Zanzibar (Tod Browning, 1928), about the vengefulness of a cuckolded magician (Lon Chaney) paralysed in a brawl with his rival (Lionel Barrymore). Nolan played Chaney's defiled daughter Maizie. The film was a hit and Nolan received favourable reviews for her work in the film. The following year, she was loaned to MGM again for the romantic drama Desert Nights (William Nigh, 1929), with John Gilbert. Two thieves (Noland and Ernest Torrence) victimize a diamond mine and kidnap its manager (Gilbert), but he gains the upper hand (and falls in love with Nolan) when they flee into the hostile desert. Desert Nights was another financial success and served to boost Nolan's career. Shortly after signing with Universal in 1927, Nolan had begun a relationship with another married man, studio executive Eddie Mannix. Mannix used his clout to further Nolan's career and was responsible for her loan outs to MGM. Shortly after Desert Nights was released in 1929, Mannix abruptly ended the relationship. This angered Nolan who threatened to tell Mannix's wife Bernice of their affair. Mannix became enraged and beat her unconscious. Nolan was hospitalised for six months and required fifteen surgeries to repair damage Mannix inflicted on her abdomen. While hospitalized, Nolan was prescribed morphine for pain. She eventually became addicted which contributed to the decline of her career. In the Universal production Young Desire (Lew Collins, 1930), Nolan plays Helen Herbert aka 'La Belle Helene', a carnival sideshow dancer. She falls in love with wealthy, wet-behind-the-ears Bobby Spencer who whisks her off to his hometown of Spencerville and stakes her to an apartment and a job. But Helen's sordid past catches up with her... By then, Nolan's acting career had begun to decline due to her drug abuse and reputation for being temperamental. She was fired from the film What Men Want (1930). Nolan got into an argument with the film's director, Ernst Laemmle after she learned she was the only cast member who hadn't received a close-up shot. Laemmle banned Nolan from the set and she was subsequently fired. After threatening to file a lawsuit against Universal, the studio bought her out of her contract in January 1931. She married stock broker Wallace T. McCreary on 29 March 1931. One week before they married, McCreary lost $3 million on bad investments. The couple used McCreary's remaining money to open a dress shop in Beverly Hills. The shop went out of business within months and Nolan filed for bankruptcy in August 1931. Nolan divorced McCreary in July 1932. After her exit from Universal, she was unable to secure film work with any of the major studios. Nolan spent the remainder of her acting career appearing in roles in low-budget films for independent studios. She made her final film appearances in File 113 (Chester M. Franklin, 1933), for Allied Pictures Corporation. From then on, Nolan appeared in vaudeville and performed in nightclubs and roadhouses around the United States. Later, Mary Nolan suffered several nervous breakdowns and her health declined. She turned to heroin, and it spelt the end. In 1948, she died of cardiac arrest and liver problems (according to IMDb, but Wikipedia writes she died of a barbiturate overdose). Gary Brumburgh at IMDb: "Mary became just one more Hollywood tragedy -- an incredible beauty whose life turned absolutely beastly."
Source: Gary Brumburgh (IMDb), Eve Golden (Films of the Golden Age), Thomas Staedeli (Cyranos), Wikipedia and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
Tags: Mary Nolan Mary Nolan Imogene Robertson Imogene Robertson American Actress Actor Hollywood Movie Star Cine Cinema Kino Film Picture Screen Movie Movies Filmster Star Vintage Postcard Carte Carte Postale Cartolina Tarjet Tarjet Postal Postkarte Postkaart Briefkarte Briefkaart Ansichtskarte Ansichtkaart Ross Ross-Verlag Lute Emelka Süd-Film Erinnerungen einer Nonne 1927 Sepia Silent Bayern Films
© All Rights Reserved
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 8002/1, 1933-1934. Photo: Münchner Lichtspielkunst AG (Emelka). Bayern Films. Probably publicity still for the Emelka production Nacht der Versuchung/Night of Temptation (Léo Lasko, Robert Wohlmuth, 1932).
At the age of 18, German actor Werner Fuetterer (1907-1991) was discovered to play the young lover in a series of silent films. For more than four decades he went on to work as a supporting actor in nearly 100 films.
Tags: vintage vedette german germany Deutsch Deutschland Cinema Carte Cartolina Cine Card Carte Postale Celebrity Costume Film Film Star Movies Movie Star star screen 1930s sound sonore Tonfilm Ross Verlag Werner Fuetterer hat Hut chapeau cappello tie Kravatte lipstick
© All Rights Reserved
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1566/1, 1927-1928. Photo: Münchner Lichtspielkunst AG (Emelka). Bayern Films. Werner Fuetterer in Ich hab mein Herz in Heidelberg verloren/I lost my heart in Heidelberg (Arthur Bergen, 1926).
At the age of 18, German actor Werner Fuetterer (1907-1991) was discovered to play the young lover in a series of silent films. For more than four decades he went on to work as a supporting actor in nearly 100 films.
Werner Fuetterer grew up in Guatemala, where his father managed a hacienda. In 1919 the family returned to Germany and went to live in Lübeck. In 1924 Werner started to study acting at the Berliner Schauspielschule. He left the school prematurely in 1925 when he got a surprising offer for a role in the Swedish film Flygande holländaren/The Flying Dutchman (Karin Swanström, 1925). Soon he became quite popular as a young lover in the German silent cinema of the 1920s. He appeared in successful films like Kreuzer Emden/Cruiser Emden (Louis Ralph, 1926) and Die Brüder Schellenberg/The Brothers Schellenberg (Karl Grune, 1926), with Conrad Veidt and Lil Dagover. His best-known role in this period was that of archangel Michael in the Goethe adaptation Faust – eine deutsche Volkssage/Faust: A German Folk Legend (Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, 1926).
The film became a worldwide success, and for the next few years he often was the love interest and leading man of the female stars of the day, often in romantic comedies. Indeed, Fuetterer had the male lead opposite Dorothea Wieck in Ich hab mein Herz in Heidelberg verloren (Arthur Bergen, 1926), opposite Erika Glässner in Kubinke, der Barbier, und die drei Dienstmädchen (Carl Boese, 1926), opposite Xenia Desni in Durchlaucht Radieschen (Richard Eichberg, 1926-27), opposite Mady Christians in Der Sohn des Hagar (Fritz Wendhausen, 1927), opposite Dina Gralla in Das Fräulein von Kasse 12 (Erich Schönfelder, 1927) and Das Girl von der Revue (Richard Eichberg, 1928), opposite Lilian Harvey in Du sollst nicht stehlen (Victor Janson, 1928), and opposite Anny Ondra in Das Mädel mit der Peitsche/The Girl With The Whip (Carl Lamac, 1929). In most of these films Fuetterer was the co-star to the female star, but not always. Films such as Ich hab mein Herz in Heidelberg verloren and Kubinke, der Barbier, und die drei Dienstmädchen had definitely him as the star.
Smoothly Werner Fuetterer continued his career into the sound era with roles opposite Anny Ondra in Die Grausame Freundin/The Cruel Girl Friend (Carl Lamac, 1932) and Die Tochter des Regiments/The Regiment's Daughter (1933). Other examples of his popular early sound films were Nacht der Versuchung/Night of Temptation (Léo Lasko, Robert Wohlmuth, 1932) with Elga Brink, and Einmal eine große Dame sein/To Be a Grand Lady Once (Gerhard Lamprecht, 1934) starring Käthe von Nagy. In the 1930s and 1940s he was often cast as the best friend of the leading man like in the Heinz Rühmann comedies Der Mustergatte/Model Husband (Wolfgang Liebeneiner, 1937) and Ich vertraue Dir meine Frau an/I Trust To You My Wife (Kurt Hoffmann, 1940). He became established as a popular film actor and also worked in the theatre. From 1937 to 1939 he toured the USA. After World War II he continued his career without a problem. His films included the comedies Es geschehen noch Wunder/Miracles Still Happen (Willi Forst, 1951) and Das kann jedem passieren/This Can Happen To Everybody (Paul Verhoeven, 1952) starring Heinz Rühmann, the circus drama Salto Mortale (Viktor Tourjansky, 1953), Des Teufels General/The Devil's General (Helmut Käutner, 1955), and Liebling der Götter/Sweetheart of the Gods (Gottfried Reinhardt, 1960), a bio pic of film star Renate Müller. For many years Werner Fuetterer was chairman of the Film Actor’s Union in Germany. From 1957 on he lived in Spain, where he managed a camping and a bungalow park. His last supporting part was in the adventure film Mister Dynamit - morgen küßt Euch der Tod/Die Slowly, You'll Enjoy It More (Franz Josef Gottlieb, 1967) starring Lex Barker. In 1991 Werner Fuetterer died in Benidorm.
Sources: Wikipedia, Thomas Staedeli, and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
Tags: Werner Fuetterer Werner Fuetterer German Actor European Film Star Film Kino Cine Cinema Screen Picture Movie Movies Star Vintage Postcard Postkarte Carte Postale Cartolina Tarjet Postal Postkaart Briefkarte Briefkaart Ansichtskarte Ansichtkaart Münchner Lichtspielkunst AG Emelka Ross Ross-Verlag Ich hab mein Herz in Heidelberg verloren 1926
© All Rights Reserved