Is a
Person attributes
Birthdate
August 22, 1897
Birthplace
Date of Death
May 12, 1986
Place of Death
Author of
ISNI
00000000835770750
Open Library ID
OL1582085A0
VIAF
125673360
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Wikidata ID
Biography
Elizabeth Bergner was born on August 22, 1897 in Drohobych to a Jewish family . The family emigrated to Austria when Elizabeth was a child.
She studied at the Vienna Conservatory . She took the stage at the age of 15 in Innsbruck . And when the young talented beauty was finally convinced of her destiny, it was the turn of the capital - Vienna. The future star of cinema and theater began as a model for artists , then posed exclusively in the studio of the famous sculptor Wilhelm Lembrook. The latter fell in love with a young woman from Drohobych, but she did not reciprocate, and in order not to complicate the situation, she suddenly left Vienna and Austria in general and went to Germany.
And again we had to start all over again: Munich , Zurich , then the capital Berlin . Here, the young actress finally came to the long-awaited wild success: she brilliantly played in the performances "St. John", "Freulein Elsa", "Arian".
In the first half of the XX century in the theater there was a serious rival - cinema . As early as 1923, Elizabeth starred in her first film . In the German capital, she met personal happiness - she married film director Paul Zinner (1890-1969). In 1924, he shot Elizabeth in the film Nude . The plot of the film is simple: a married woman due to the indifference of her husband falls into the net of temptation of another.
Melodramatic films starring E. Bergner impressed viewers who saw with their own eyes the realities of pre-war Europe. To Elizabeth came popularity, fame, material prosperity.
In 1928 E. Bergner toured in Europe. In 1932 she joined the troupe of the Vienna Raimund Theater. When the Nazis came to power in Germany , the couple moved to Paris and then to London . Elizabeth played here in the Apollo and His Majesty theaters.
Paul Zinner, like his wife, was also a man of great talent. For example, he developed a system hitherto practiced by TV directors of simultaneous filming by several cameras of theatrical performances, as well as ballet and opera performances.
Europe was conquered. Somewhere overseas there was theatrical, especially film industry America… In the US, the actress met the famous European novelist Remarque , who, fascinated by a beautiful countrywoman, participated in the script (improved dialogues) of a new film starring E. Bergner.
World War II ended, but in Europe, in Germany, the actress returned only in 1954. She played in the theater, acted in movies, but, of course, the past success was no more. In 1970, E. Bergner tried her hand at film directing. She last appeared on the stage in 1973. Two years later she starred in the film "Night's Watch" by the famous film director Krzysztof Zanussi .
During her acting career, E. Bergner was successful in the films "Dreamy Lips", "Catherine the Great", "Never Leave Me", "As You Like It", "Stolen Life", "Paris Speaks". In 1979, the actress received the Ernst Lubitz Prize, in 1982 - the Eleanor Duze Prize. But she was most comforted by the fact that she was nominated for an Oscar (1934, the film "Catherine the Great").
After the death of Elizabeth Bergner (1986), her memoirs were published.
Marlene Dietrich , one of the brightest stars of Hollywood , left fond memories of her (published in the book of memoirs "Reflections"):
Elizabeth Bergner is an idol of thousands and my idol of those old years, before the Blue Angel… I was always worried when I met her. I'll try to explain. Sometimes you meet some people and you just have to deal with fear - that's how attractive you are with your personality and name. This has happened to me many times. And if, in addition, the celebrity is also a very great actress, it becomes even scarier. Bergner's appearance in Berlin in the late 1920s was a sensation. She was already recognized as the queen of European scenes, one who was "often copied, but whose perfection was never achieved." She was like a Bergner. Short hair and a "Bergner curl" on the forehead were the fashion of the time. She spoke German in her own way, with an emphasis on a completely unexpected lineup. She played with the audience, fascinated her to the core. Much laterHollywood , England, we became friends…
Photo
Filmography
New (1924)
The Fiddler of Florence (1926)
Doña Juana (1927)
Fräulein Else (1929)
Ariane (1931)
Dreaming Lips (1932)
The Rise of Catherine the Great (1934)
Escape Me Never (1935)
As You Like It (1936)
Dreaming Lips (1937)
Stolen Life (1939)
49th Parallel (1941)
Paris Calling (1941)
Strogoff (1970)
Cry of the Banshee (1970)
High Society Limited (1982)
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