German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 614/2. Photo: Union. Publicity still for Rausch/Intoxication (Ernst Lubitsch, 1919).

Danish silent film actress Asta Nielsen (1881-1972), was one of the most popular leading ladies of the 1910s and one of the first international film stars. Of her 74 films between 1910 and 1932, seventy were made in Germany where she was known simply as Die Asta. Noted for her large dark eyes, mask-like face and boyish figure, Nielsen most often portrayed strong-willed passionate women trapped by tragic consequences.

For more postcards, a bio and clips check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Tags:   Asta Nielsen Asta Nielsen Danish Silent Film Actress Karl Meinhardt Carl Meinhardt Karl Carl Meinhardt Actor Acteur Schauspieler German Darsteller European Film Star Cine Kino Cinema Picture Screen Movie Movies Sepia Vintage Postcard Postkarte Carte Postale Cartolina Tarjet Postal Postkaart Briefkarte Briefkaart Ansichtskarte Ansichtkaart Allure Glamour Diva Denmark 1920s Star Rausch 1919 Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch Union Strindberg August Strindberg

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Swedish postcard by Förlag Nordisk Konst, Stockholm, no. 1057. Photo: A.B. Svenska Biografteatern, Stockholm.

Harriet Bosse (1878-1961) was a Norwegian-Swedish singer and actor.

Harriet Sofie Bosse [Bå'sse] was born 19 February 1878 in Christiania (Oslo) from a German father, the publisher Heinrich Bosse, and a Danish mother, Anne-Marie Lehmann. Bosse studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Stockholm. In the spring of 1897, after three years of study, she graduated with special grades in singing. Bosse debuted in 1896 on stage in Romeo and Juliet at the Tivoli Theater in Christiania, in a setting by her sister Alma and under direction of the latter's husband Johan Fahlström. In the winter of 1898, she got the opportunity to follow lessons at the conservatory of the Comédie Française in Paris, and, subsequently in 1899, she was engaged at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm. Since she had difficulties with the Swedish language, she took lessons with a speech therapist to get rid of her Norwegian accent. At the ‘Dramaten’ she played e.g. Hero in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing (1902) and Nennele in Giacosa’s Come le foglie (1903).

In these years she met the renowned playwright August Strindberg. He was 51, she 22. Strindberg liked her combination of a strong, modern and independent woman with delicate looks, so he wooed her and wrote plays especially for her, such as To Damascus, Easter, Crimes and Crimes, Swan White, Queen Christina, and A Dreamplay. She felt intimidated and not yet up to his heavy roles but accepted to play Elena in Easter, which was a big breakthrough for her in 1901. Harriet Bosse has himself told how her engagement with Strindberg began: "Strindberg put his hands on my shoulders and looked deeply and sincerely at me and asked: - Would you like to have a small child with me, Miss Bosse? I curtsied and answered quite hypnotic: Yes, thank you. And then we were engaged." They would be married in 1901-1904 and had a daughter Anne-Marie (1902-2007). However, as modern as he was in his plays, as old-fashioned Strindberg was in his interior decoration, refusing to alter anything from his late 19th century style. Moreover, because of his agoraphobia he cancelled their honeymoon and gave her a Baedeker instead to do the virtual version. He was also an extremely jealous person, while she disliked her ‘imprisonment’. Not even the birth of their daughter in 1902 could save the marriage. As of 1902 they lived apart and they divorced in 1904.

In 1906 Bosse was engaged by Albert Ranft to the Swedish Theatre in Stockholm and became the theater's big star in plays less conventional than at the Dramaten. Though her marriage with Strindberg was over and she remarried with actor Gunnar Wingård in 1908 – with whom she had a son – Bosse played in 1907 in two Strindberg plays at the ‘Svenska Teatern’: Ett drömspel (A Dream Play) and Kronbruden (The Bridal Crown). With A Dream Play she wrote theatre history. She also kept up a relationship with Strindberg, leaving her daughter with him when on tour to e.g. Helsinki, until she remarried. In addition she also acted in plays by e.g. Gorki (The Petty Bourgeois), Maeterlink (Pelléas et Mélisande), Shaw (Man and Superman), Sudermann (Johannes), Somerset Maugham (Mrs Dot), Lagerlöf (Gösta Berlings saga), and others. She was engaged again at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in 1911 with the promise of playing heavier roles. In 1911 she also divorced Wingård for his infidelity or his spendthrift (versions vary). In 1912 Bosse was confronted with a series of disasters: Strindberg died, her second ex-husband killed himself, her sister’s son drowned with the Titanic, and Strindberg’s daughter Greta was killed in a train crash. Fans of Wingård threatened Bosse for having caused his suicide.

In 1919 Victor Sjöström directed Bosse in what was thought to be her breakthrough in cinema, and what still goes as a milestone in the Swedish naturalist cinema: Ingmarssönerna (Sons of Ingmar, 1919). It co-starred Sjöström as a rich farmer’s son, Lill Ingmar [Little Ingmar], who because of his stern mother has caused his fiancée, the poor farmer woman Brita, trouble by postponing his marriage. So Brita gives birth to a baby out of wedlock, kills it out of despair and spends time in jail. In the end, after a discussion with the ghost of his forefather, Lill Ingmar repents, marries Brita and the two leave the bigot villagers. It was based on the first part of Sjöström’s adaptation of Selma Lagerlöf's novel Jerusalem, originally published 1901-1902. In 1920 Sjöström would direct, and star in, the sequel Karin Ingmarsdotter, in which Bosse’s part in the previous film would only be referred to; instead the female lead was for Tora Teje.

Though Ingmarssönerna was hailed by critics, and afterwards director Ingmar Bergman confessed to have been deepy impressed by it, it didn’t mean a filmic breakthrough for Bosse, despite he fact she had been the star of the film. Only 17 years after she would act in Bombi Bitt and I (1936), based on Fritiof Nilsson Piraten's popular first novel with the same title and directed by Gösta Rodin. Even if Bombi Bitt was successful, it was rather a lightweight production and with a smaller role for Bosse. Bosse also played supporting parts in Anna Lans (Rune Carlsten, 1943), starring Viveca Lindfors as the title character, and Appassionata (Olof Molander 1944), again starring Lindfors.

In 1919-21 Bosse played during the spring season at the "Intimate theater". In addition, she did guest performances in the provinces, as well as in Göteborg, Oslo and Helsingfors. In 1927 Bosse married for the third time, with popular actor Edvin Adolphson (until 1932). Her last ten years she acted at the Royal Dramatic Theatre 1933-1943. These she described herself as a calvary when she found it increasingly difficult to get interesting roles. In May 1943, she went into retirement and in 1955 she moved to Norway, where her daughter lived with the family. She regretted her move though, dearly missing Stockholm. Harriet Bosse died November 2, 1961 in Oslo.

Sources: English and Swedish Wikipedia, Svensk Filmdatabas, IMDB.

Tags:   Harriet Bosse Harriet Bosse Vintage Postcard Cinema Film Film Star Movies Movie Muet Muto Movie Star Screen Star Silent Sepia Schauspielerin Stummfilm Theatre Theater Stage Swedish Sweden Norway Norwegian Actress Actrice Attrice Darstellerin 1920s 1910s 1900s Svenska Biografteatern Nordisk Nordisk Konst Victor Sjöström August Strindberg Svenska Teatern Dramaten

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German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 614/5. Photo: Union. Publicity still for Rausch/Intoxication (Ernst Lubitsch, 1919).

Danish silent film actress Asta Nielsen (1881-1972), was one of the most popular leading ladies of the 1910s and one of the first international film stars. Of her 74 films between 1910 and 1932, seventy were made in Germany where she was known simply as Die Asta. Noted for her large dark eyes, mask-like face and boyish figure, Nielsen most often portrayed strong-willed passionate women trapped by tragic consequences.

For more postcards, a bio and clips check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Tags:   Asta Nielsen Asta Nielsen Danish Silent Film Actress European Film Star Cine Kino Cinema Picture Screen Movie Movies Sepia Vintage Postcard Postkarte Carte Postale Cartolina Tarjet Postal Postkaart Briefkarte Briefkaart Ansichtskarte Ansichtkaart Allure Glamour Diva Denmark 1920s Star Rausch 1919 Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch Union Strindberg August Strindberg

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Swedish postcard. Axel Eliassons Konstförlag, No. 25. Photo by Hofatelier Jaeger, 1916. Anders de Wahl and Astrid Torsell in the play Kamraterna/ Comrades (1886/7) by August Strindberg.

Anders de Wahl (1869-1956) was a very popular and prolific Swedish stage actor, who also had small but significant film career, acting e.g. in Mauritz Stiller's Erotikon (1920).

Astri (Astrid) Torsell, born on 24 December 1879 in Stockholm, died on 9 July 1951 in Oslo, was a Swedish actress, active at the Royal Dramatic Theatre. She was the daughter of Olefine Moe and Oscar Torsell. In 1921-22 she acted in four Swedish silent films: Elisabet (1921), Fru Mariannes friare (1921), Ödets redskap (1922), and Lord Saviles brott (1922).

Tags:   Darstellerin ACtress Actrice Attrice Schauspielerin Darsteller Actor Acteur Attore Vintage Vedette Postcard Postkarte POstale Postkaart Picture Postal Cinema Carte Cartolina Cine cARD Carte Postale Celebrity Costume Film Film Star Movies Movie Star Muet Muto Screen Star Silent Stummfilm Ansichtkaart Ansichtskarte Swedish Theatre Theater Teatro Stage Hofatelier Jaeger Jaeger Axel Eliasson Axel Eliassons Konstforlag Anders de Wahl Astrid Torsell 1916

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Swedish postcard by Axel Eliassons Konstförlag, Stockholm, no. 482. 'Gustav III' was a play by August Strindberg and this card refers to one of Hanson's stage play performances, not a film. Hanson played the title role in 1915 (dir. Einar Fröberg) and again in 1928 (dir. Rune Carlsten).

Lars Hanson (1886-1965) was a highly successful Swedish film and stage actor mostly remembered for his motion picture roles during the silent film era, both in Scandinavia and Hollywood.

Tags:   Lars Hanson Lars Hansson Sweden Swedish Vintage Postcard Cinema Carte Cartolina Cine Carte Postale Card Postkarte Postkaart Film Film Star Movies Movie Muet Muto Movie Star Stummfilm Star Screen Silent Schauspieler Darsteller Actor Acteur Attore 1910s 1920s Axel Eliassons Konstförlag Gustav III play stage play August Strindberg theatre theater stage historical wig costume 18th century king

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