Sat Feb 25, 2012 9:38 am
Courtesy of Jim Parish:
Pola Illéry, who has died at Scranton, Pennsylvania, aged 103, was the last known leading lady of the silent film era.
6:47PM GMT 24 Feb 2012 - London Telegraph
An actress who exuded sexuality and charm, despite being under 5ft tall, Pola Illéry made her name in films such as Alberto Cavalcanti's action adventure Captain Fracasse (1929), with Charles Boyer, and René Clair's Under the Roofs of Paris (1930), the story of a street singer (Albert Préjean) who falls for a Romanian party girl (Pola Illéry), who happens to be the lover of a notorious gangster. She also appeared in Clair's Bastille Day (1933), with George Rigaud.
She was born Paula Iliescu on October 15 1908 into a middle-class Jewish family in Corabia, Romania, and was fascinated by the theatre from her earliest years. Her saucer eyes and dark exotic looks quickly brought her to the attention of theatre managers, and she took her first name as a tribute to the silent screen vamp Pola Negri.
Her first venture on screen was in the little-known director Albert Durec's Le désir (1928), in which, despite having only a supporting role, she was judged to be something of a "scene stealer". This led her to move to Paris, where Albert Cavalcanti cast her as the beguiling Chiquita in Captain Fracasse.
In 1930 she starred in Illusions opposite Pierre Batcheff, and it was said that they formed a romantic attachment; but he died from an overdose of Veronal shortly after the film's release.
She was given the lead role in Romania's first talkie, the musical comedy Parada Paramount (1930), made in Paris and inspired by Hollywoods Paramount on Parade, starring Clara Bow and Gary Cooper, which was released in the same year. Pola Illéry took to sound and to singing with aplomb.
Believing that she was a safe bet in the new era of sound, Cavalcanti cast her as a village girl for Le petit chaperon rouge (1930), based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood; the Wolf, in this instance, is a lecherous tramp (played by Jean Renoir) who stalks village girls .
Based at Paramount Pictures studios in France, Pola Illéry starred in Televiziune (1931), Un homme en habit (also 1931) and the comedy L'ange gardien (1933). She appeared in a number of other lead roles until making her last film, Le tigre du Bengale, in 1938.
On the outbreak of the Second World War, Pola Illéry fled Europe for the United States, where she became a volunteer nurse with the Red Cross. She became an American citizen in 1946 .
She married, in 1947, Daniel Alpert, and had four children.
The supporting actress Carla Laemmle is thought to be, at the age of 102, the last non-child star of the silent film era still living.
Pola Illéry, who has died at Scranton, Pennsylvania, aged 103, was the last known leading lady of the silent film era.
6:47PM GMT 24 Feb 2012 - London Telegraph
An actress who exuded sexuality and charm, despite being under 5ft tall, Pola Illéry made her name in films such as Alberto Cavalcanti's action adventure Captain Fracasse (1929), with Charles Boyer, and René Clair's Under the Roofs of Paris (1930), the story of a street singer (Albert Préjean) who falls for a Romanian party girl (Pola Illéry), who happens to be the lover of a notorious gangster. She also appeared in Clair's Bastille Day (1933), with George Rigaud.
She was born Paula Iliescu on October 15 1908 into a middle-class Jewish family in Corabia, Romania, and was fascinated by the theatre from her earliest years. Her saucer eyes and dark exotic looks quickly brought her to the attention of theatre managers, and she took her first name as a tribute to the silent screen vamp Pola Negri.
Her first venture on screen was in the little-known director Albert Durec's Le désir (1928), in which, despite having only a supporting role, she was judged to be something of a "scene stealer". This led her to move to Paris, where Albert Cavalcanti cast her as the beguiling Chiquita in Captain Fracasse.
In 1930 she starred in Illusions opposite Pierre Batcheff, and it was said that they formed a romantic attachment; but he died from an overdose of Veronal shortly after the film's release.
She was given the lead role in Romania's first talkie, the musical comedy Parada Paramount (1930), made in Paris and inspired by Hollywoods Paramount on Parade, starring Clara Bow and Gary Cooper, which was released in the same year. Pola Illéry took to sound and to singing with aplomb.
Believing that she was a safe bet in the new era of sound, Cavalcanti cast her as a village girl for Le petit chaperon rouge (1930), based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood; the Wolf, in this instance, is a lecherous tramp (played by Jean Renoir) who stalks village girls .
Based at Paramount Pictures studios in France, Pola Illéry starred in Televiziune (1931), Un homme en habit (also 1931) and the comedy L'ange gardien (1933). She appeared in a number of other lead roles until making her last film, Le tigre du Bengale, in 1938.
On the outbreak of the Second World War, Pola Illéry fled Europe for the United States, where she became a volunteer nurse with the Red Cross. She became an American citizen in 1946 .
She married, in 1947, Daniel Alpert, and had four children.
The supporting actress Carla Laemmle is thought to be, at the age of 102, the last non-child star of the silent film era still living.
Official Biographer of Mr. Arliss
"I eat nothing I can pat." George Arliss
http://ArlissArchives.com
http://OldHollywoodinColor.com
"I eat nothing I can pat." George Arliss
http://ArlissArchives.com
http://OldHollywoodinColor.com
