Pola Negri

Pola Negri [1] (December 31, 1894 - August 1, 1987) was a Polish film actress who achieved notoriety as a femme fatale in silent films between 1910's and 1930's. Image File history File links Negri176. ... Image File history File links Negri176. ... December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ...

Personal life

Born Barbara Apolonia Chałupiec on New Year's Eve, circa 1894 ^[2] in either Janowa or Lipno, Poland. New Years Eve is a celebration held the day before New Years Day, on December 31, the final day of the Gregorian year. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

An only child born into a poor family, her mother had to make a living alone after Chałupiec's father was arrested by the Russians and resettled to Siberia.

In 1902 both moved to Warsaw, where they lived in extreme poverty. She trained as a dancer at the Ballet School in Warsaw and performed there until tuberculosis forced her to stop dancing. Warsaw (Polish: , (?), in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto Stołeczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. ... Tuberculosis (commonly abbreviated as TB) is an infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can also affect the central nervous system (meningitis), lymphatic system, circulatory system (Miliary tuberculosis), genitourinary system, bones and joints. ...

She turned to acting, and by the end of World War I had established herself as a popular stage actress in Warsaw, the capital, appearing in several films. She made an appearance in the Grand Theatre (in Sumurun and Dumb from Portici), as well as in Small Theatre (Aleksander Fredro's Śluby panieńskie) and at the Summer Theatre in the Saxon Garden, a popular summer variéte theatre. She debuted in film in 1914 in the Slave of Senses (Niewolnica zmysłów). Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Military dead: 4 million The First World War, also known as The Great War, The War to End All Wars, and World War I (abbreviated WWI) was... Aleksander Fredro monument in WrocÅ‚aw Aleksander Fredro (June 20, 1793–July 15, 1876) was a Polish poet and writer, author of social comedies about Polish nobility lifestyle. ...

During that time she adopted the pseudonym of Pola Negri, after an Italian poet Ada Negri. She also appeared in a variety of films made by the Warsaw film industry, including the Wife (Żona), Students (Studenci), Warsaw's Streetwise Lover (Kochanka apasza) and in the Mysteries of Warsaw series. Ada Negri (February 3, 1870, Lodi, Italy - January 11, 1945, Milano) was an Italian poet. ...

During her short screen career in Warsaw she gained much popularity acting with many of the most renowned Polish film artists of the time, including Józef Węgrzyn, Władysław Grabowski, Józef Galewski and Kazimierz Junosza-Stępowski.

Early career

In 1917 her popularity provided her with an opportunity to move to Berlin, Germany where she appeared in several films for Jewish film directors of the UFA agency, including Max Reinhardt and Ernst Lubitsch. Their films were successful throughout the world, and in 1922 both were offered contracts with Hollywood studios and the following year Negri settled in the US. Her exotic style of glamour proved popular with audiences during the 1920s and her affairs with such notable actors as Charles Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino ensured that she remained in the public eye. 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... UFA logo Universum Film AG, better known as Ufa or UFA, was the principal film studio in Germany, home of the German film industry during the Weimar Republic and through World War II, and a major force in world cinema during its brief existence from 1917 to 1945. ... Max Reinhardt Max Reinhardt (born September 9, 1873 in Baden bei Wien; died October 31, 1943 in New York City) was an influential Austrian director and actor. ... Ernst Lubitsch (January 28, 1892 – November 30, 1947), was a German-born Jewish film director. ... ... For the Jamaican musician named Charlie Chaplin, see Charlie Chaplin (singer). ... Rudolph Valentino (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926) was an Italian actor. ...

One of the most popular Hollywood actresses of the era, and certainly the richest woman of the movie industry at the time, Negri lived in a palace in Los Angeles, modelled after the White House. However, her popularity quickly began to fade. The southern side of the White House The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States of America. ...

After Valentino

Negri caused a media sensation after the death in 1926 of Valentino by announcing that they had planned to marry, and following the train that carried his body from New York to Los Angeles, posing for photographers at every stop. At his funeral she "fainted" several times, and arranged for a large floral arrangement, which spelled out her name, to be placed on Valentino's coffin. Despite the wide publicity she attracted, many of Valentino's friends stated that Valentino and Negri had not intended to marry, and dismissed her actions as a publicity stunt. 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ...

Actress Tallulah Bankhead, in particular, badmouthed Negri, although others such as Mary Pickford (supportive and generous to so many troubled actresses of the time) and Valentino's brother, Alberto, defended her. The great Tallulah Bankhead Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 - December 12, 1968) was an american actress, talk-show host and bonne vivante, born in Huntsville, Alabama. ... Mary Pickford. ...

Negri "vamp" style began to go out of vogue, and the advent of talking pictures revealed an accented voice that the public did not warm to. As Negri put it: "They went from Pola to Polaroid." Also, the Hays Code introduced in 1930 prevented Negri from using her staging techniques, for which she was so popular in Europe. The ban on Scenes of Passion and Excessive and lustful kissing proved especially disastrous to her career in the U.S. The Production Code (also known as the Hays Code) was a set of industry guidelines governing the production of American motion pictures. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

Later career

Having divorced Eugeniusz Dąbski in 1921, Negri married Serge Mdivani in 1927 (he claimed to be a Georgian prince and his brother was married to actress Mae Murray). In 1929, Negri lost most of her fortune in the Wall Street Crash. The couple divorced, and she returned to Europe. Mdivani is the name of a family of the aznauri, or minor nobility, originating from the nation of Georgia. ... Mae Murray Mae Murray (May 10, 1889 – March 23, 1965) was an American actress and dancer, who became known as The Girl with the Bee-Stung Lips [1] and The Gardenia of the Screen. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

In 1928, Negri made her last film for Paramount Pictures entitled The Woman From Moscow opposite actor Norman Kerry. The film was only Negri's second talkie (the first being Loves of an Actress, also released in 1928) and Paramount declined to renew her contract after audiences allegedly had difficulty discerning her dialog because of her heavy Polish accent. Negri subsequently left Hollywood later that year for Great Britain to make the 1929 drama The Way of Lost Souls. The Paramount Pictures logo used since 2003. ... Norman Kerry Norman Kerry (June 16, 1894 - January 12, 1956) was an American actor whose career spanned over twenty-five years in the motion picture industry beginning in the silent era at the end of World War I. Born Arnold Kaiser in Rochester, New York of German parentage, he changed... Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the city of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that extends from Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to south boundary east of La Brea Avenue...

She made only a few films after 1930, and worked mainly in England and Germany, where she acted in several films for the Joseph Goebbels-controlled UFA. Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population –mid-2004... Paul Joseph Goebbels (October 29, 1897 – May 1, 1945) was Adolf Hitlers Propaganda Minister (see Propagandaministerium) in Nazi Germany. ... UFA logo Universum Film AG, better known as Ufa or UFA, was the principal film studio in Germany, home of the German film industry during the Weimar Republic and through World War II, and a major force in world cinema during its brief existence from 1917 to 1945. ...

The 1935 Willi Forst picture Mazurka gained much popularity in Germany and became one of Adolf Hitler's favourite films, the fact that gave birth to a rumor of Negri's affair with the fuhrer of the Reich. There was no truth to the rumor which began around 1937. Pola sued a French magazine, Pour Vous, that circulated the libelous rumor and won her case.

She fled Germany in 1938, after a few Nazi officials labeled her as having "part Jewish" ancestry. She moved to France, and then in 1941 she moved back to the U.S. She briefly appeared in the 1943 film Hi Diddle Diddle, though her career was essentially over. National Socialism redirects here. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ...

After actresses Mae West and Mary Pickford were ruled unsuitable (although some sources state that both ladies declined the role), director Billy Wilder approached Negri to appear in the film Sunset Boulevard (1950). MAE-West is a major Internet peering point located in San Jose, California. ... Mary Pickford. ... Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was a screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. ... Sunset Boulevard (officially known as West Sunset Boulevard, except in Beverly Hills) is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades. ...

Wilder recalled that Negri "threw a tantrum at the mere suggestion of playing a has-been", and the role was given to the more amenable and realistic Gloria Swanson, who became immortalized on celluloid as Norma Desmond. This too may be a rumor. Some say it was Mae Murray who had the tantrum. Gloria Swanson (March 27, 1897 - April 4, 1983) was an American actress. ... Mae Murray Mae Murray (May 10, 1889 – March 23, 1965) was an American actress and dancer, who became known as The Girl with the Bee-Stung Lips [1] and The Gardenia of the Screen. ...

In 1951, Negri became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Her final film appearance was in the 1964 Walt Disney film The Moon-Spinners, with Hayley Mills. Naturalization is the process whereby a person becomes a national of a nation, or a citizen of a country, other than the one of his birth. ... For the company founded by Disney, see The Walt Disney Company. ... The Moon-Spinners is a novel by Mary Stewart set in Crete, filmed by Disney in 1964, starring the child actress Hayley Mills, with Eli Wallach and Peter McEnery. ... Hayley Mills, as Miss Bliss on Good Morning, Miss Bliss. ...

The same year she received an honorary award from the German film industry for her career work. Negri lived her remaining years in San Antonio, with her companion, Texan heiress and composer, Margaret West, but she is mostly remembered only by film buffs and researchers.

She maintained her flamboyant persona to the end of her life and was often compared to the character role she had turned down: Norma Desmond.

Later life

She died on August 1, 1987 at around the age of 92. Her death was caused by pneumonia, however she was also suffering from a brain tumor (for which she had refused treatment). August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pneumonia is an illness of the lungs and respiratory system in which the microscopic, alveoli (air-filled sacs) responsible for absorbing oxygen from the atmosphere become inflamed and flooded with fluid. ... CT scan of brain showing brain cancer metastatic to left parietal lobe in the peri-ventricular area. ...

At her wake at the Porter Loring Funeral Home in San Antonio, her thin body was placed on view wearing a yellow golden chiffon dress with a golden turban to match. Her small obituary in the local newspaper read, "she had an international career as a screen and stage actress".

She was interred in Calvary Cemetery, East Los Angeles next to her mother, Eleonora. Since she had no children, she left most of her estate to St. Mary's University, including several rare prints of her films. The Calvary Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery operated by the Los Angeles Archdiocese, located at 4201 E. Whittier Boulevard in East Los Angeles, California. ... St. ...

In addition, A generous portion of her estate was given to the Polish nuns of the Seraphic Order; a large black and white portrait hangs in the small chapel next to Poland's patron, Our Lady of Częstochowa, in San Antonio, Texas. Flag Seal Nickname: Alamo City Location Location in the state of Texas Coordinates , Government Counties Bexar County Mayor Phil Hardberger Geographical characteristics Area     City 1067. ...

Notes

1. ↑  According to her gravestone, though other sources listed her year of birth as 1897 or 1899.

References

1. (English) Pola Negri (1970). Memoirs of a star. New York: Doubleday Press. ASIN B0006C0782, 453.
2. (Polish) Wiesława Czapińska (1996). Pola Negri - polska królowa Hollywood. Warsaw: Philip Wilson. ISBN 8385840788, 129.

Trivia

• Pola Negri has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to Motion Pictures at 6933 Hollywood Boulevard.
• There were rumors (most certainly false) that she had had an affair with Adolf Hitler
• There were also rumors that Negri had a short affair with the young comedian Milton Berle. Decades later, Berle claimed that these rumors were true on The Howard Stern Show and Larry King Live.
• She allegedly kept Valentino's picture on her bedside table until the end of her life and always insisted he had been the great love of her life.

An example of a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, for the film actress Carole Lombard. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Milton Berle This article or section seems not to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry. ... Self-proclaimed King of All Media Howard Stern, circa 2000. ... Larry King Live is a nightly CNN interview program hosted by broadcaster and writer Larry King. ... Rudolph Valentino (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926) was an Italian actor. ...

External links

• Pola Negri at the Internet Movie Database
• http://www.polanegri.com
• Virtual History - Tobacco cards
• Pola Negri on the Movieland Directory