After arriving in Hollywood, Anna was tutored in English and taught Hollywood's film making technique. Unfortunately, Anna's first American production, Emile Zola's Nana (1934), was not successful at the box office, nor were her two subsequent Goldwyn films, We Live Again (1934) with Frederic March and The Wedding Night (1935), opposite Gary Cooper. Goldwyn reluctantly let her contract lapse. Personally, I think while Anna's performances were solid, the films themselves weren't exceptional, and American audiences were growing tired of European stars being transported to Hollywood. Anna had to walk in the footsteps Garbo and Dietrich, which probably didn't help matters either. Goldwyn's tutoring of Anna is mentioned in Cole Porter's 1934 song "Anything Goes" from the musical of the same name: "If Sam Goldwyn can with great conviction / Instruct Anna Sten in diction / Then Anna shows / Anything goes."
Rather that retreat back to Germany or Russia, probably impossible at the time anyway, Anna continued to work in Hollywood. In the 1940's she worked with Fox and Universal in films including The Man I Married (1940), So Ends Our Night (1941), again opposite Fredric March, They Came to Blow Up America (1943) with George Sanders, Three Russian Girls (1943), and Let's Live a Little (1948). In the 1950's she appeared in one film and had several television appearances. Her final film role was in The Nun and the Sergeant (1962).
Anna Sten died November 12, 1993 at the age of 84.
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Anna Sten - What do you think - Allure?
8 comments:
Great post as usual. I have never heard of Anna Sten. She definitely had the exotic look. I love that first photograph with her and the cigarette.
It seems like Anna's story is much like many other starlets. Lots of potential, little opportunity.
Okay now I'm admitting I'm a huge liar! I have seen Anna in We Live Again. I thought that was a great movie (albeit very melodramatic). I liked her character and empathized with her. She was very much a Tess d'Urbervilles sort of tragic female.
Thank you for remembering Anna Sten. I thought she was delightful in Bomben auf Monte Carlo. She also proved her comedic talent (and put her accent to good use) on the Lux Radio Theater, in "Graustark."
I wrote about and posted images of her here:
http://blog.harryheuser.com/2008/12/yola-not-quite-lola-or-career-bombs.html
Harry, Thanks for the comments AND for reminding me of the Lux Radio Theater program. I have Graustark and am listening to it now. Gene Raymond and James Gleason co-star with Anna, for those who don't know the episode. Cecil B. DeMille comments in the intro that he was interested in signing Anna when Goldwyn him told him about his latest star - Anna.
I saw her recently in Lets Live a Little (1948) she was the best thing about the whole movie, Hedy Lamarr notwithstanding!
OMG!! She is sooo beautiful!!
I love that line from Cole Porter.
I thought she did a fine job,didnt have any trouble with her accent and i understood every word so what was realy the problem?
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