In 1923 she attended the dancing and singing school of the Berlin State Opera and then worked in theater before debuting in her first UFA film "Der Fluch". After several silent outings, UFA found Lilian’s acting, dancing, singing and language skills a perfect fit for the “talkies”. A series of operetta’s, usually co-starring Willy Fritsch, with whom she made 11 films, made them the darling’s of romantic European cinema. These productions were usually made in three different languages at once. The cast would be switched around her for the various takes in German, French and English (Laurence Olivier had his first film role in one of her vehicles).
Her most successful film, 1931's “Congress Dances" led to a contract with 20th Century Fox and Lilian came to Hollywood. Though groomed for stardom here, she wasn’t to become anywhere near the star she was in Europe and after four pictures (more on these in the second post), she returned to Germany and UFA. Unfortunately, the Nazi regime had come to power in her absence and Lilian found it difficult to work under Goebbels. Because she maintained friendships with several Jewish colleagues, she came under observation of the Gestapo and eventually had to flee Germany, losing a great part of her fortune. She went first to France and then back to the United States.
The following appeared in the June 23, 1941 issue of Time.
“Blonde, British-born Cinemactress Lilian Harvey, 34, onetime bright star of German films, hobbled off the Atlantic Clipper on crutches, rattling like a busy bar glass with outsize jewels. She couldn't take any money to speak of out of Europe, but on her neck and hands she wore $100,000 worth of diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, topazes.”
After the second World War she returned to Paris. During the following years, she traveled as a singer through Scandinavia and Egypt. In 1949 she came back to Germany (having renounced her citizenship during the war years) and performed on stage.
Lilian Harvey made 56 films from 1925-1940. She died on July 27, 1968 in Juan-les-Pins, France.
As a testament to her popularity, there were more
than 150 different Lilian postcards produced.
than 150 different Lilian postcards produced.
Lilian Harvey - what do you think - Allure?
5 comments:
I really love that shot of her with the javelin.
I've never heard of this actress! Thanks!
Raquelle,
That javelin shot (and the Metropolis cards) is what got us collecting postcards and Lilian in the first place. Its a great image.
There are a couple of clips from Congress Dances (German version) on YouTube, and moving, Lilian is quite unrecognizable from the girl in your cards. And no-one has posted the whipping scene, or the upskirt every bit as crude but funny as Leslie Nielsen's "nice beaver" sixty years later.
Lilian Harvey was also very heroic and saved people from the Nazi destruction--Jens Keith, the choreographer, owed his life to her. Her american films are languishing in the 20th Cent Fox vaults--but luckily her UFA efforts seem fairly wll preserved.I wish they would give a domestic double-featured dvd release of the german and english-languaged versions of "Congress Dances" (I own them both as well as the french). This film is a monument to UFA innovation and story-telling. And Miss Harvey illuminates it with charm and melody.
Mayesgwtw39 - Thanks for your comments on her war work. I try to keep this blog mostly about the images, while trying to give readers a brief intro to the actress - It is my hope that this will peek their interest to learn more - and have knowledgeable people like you fill in the gaps. I would love to see DVD's of her work - and of course all the other great/not so great/historical films that are sitting in the vaults.
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