Who Am I? November 2022
I was born in a city located at the confluence of the rivers Rhine and Dussel a few years before hostilities broke out leading to the Great War. My dad, Heinrich, was an orphan immigrant to the Lone Star state in the 1890’s and became a U.S. citizen before returning to Germany around 1906 where he married my mom Emilie. We lived in Switzerland during the Great War. Post-war we returned to live in Hamburg and Vienna. Dad had a family importing and exporting business and my mom was a pianist. We were considered to be an upper-class Jewish family.
My dad wanted me to marry “the right man” but I had other ideas in mind. As a teen I auditioned for the acclaimed stage director Max Reinhardt who soon after became my mentor. I distinguished myself as a member of his theater ensemble on the Berlin and Vienna stages. I did make a few German language films; however, I was “discovered” by an MGM scout while I was appearing in a Pirandello play and offered a Hollywood contract.
I was in Germany to witness both the rise of Adolf Hitler and the burning of the Reichstag. I realized it was time “to get out of Dodge;” so, off to Hollywood I went. I wasn’t there very long but I did make a big splash. I made about 8 films over 3 years there. Despite my relatively brief stay there, I was awarded 2 prestigious statuettes for my efforts. It wasn’t long before the roles offered to me were unappealing and I fought regularly with Louis B. Mayer, the head of the studio. I also wasn’t very happy with Hollywood’s anemic response to fascism. In 1938 I became a U.S. citizen.
Probably my most satisfying role was that of O-lan. I was young and lively at the time of filming. My movie husband was Wang Lung. It was an understated role playing a long-suffering Chinese peasant wife who ages on screen from a young bride to an old woman. My acting technique was akin to that of the “Method” actors in that I worked from the “inside-out.” I wasn’t just cast as O-lan, I, in fact, was O-lan! My eyes were described as being “soulful” and those same peepers, coupled with my subservience, and humility delighted movie audiences.
I was married twice. My brief first marriage was to a left-wing Jewish-American playwright, screenwriter and director. My second marriage was to a New York publisher that endured more than 40 years.
During WWII I studied medicine and aided orphans of the Spanish Civil War. I toured North Africa and entertained U.S. troops for the U.S. Army Special Services. I also participated in government war bond drives. After the War I resumed my role as wife and mom but I also found the time to do some Alpine mountain hiking, a pastime I really enjoyed.
In 1942 I made my Broadway debut at the Music Box Theatre on 45th Street in Manhattan in a play in- spired by J.M.Barrie. I was cast as “Miss Thing.” The setting for the play was updated to have occurred during the Great War. Before our Broadway opening, one of our out-of-town openings was in Maplewood, New Jersey.
I lived overseas for many years after the War. Now and then I would return to take a small TV role. I lived to be centenarian and I have been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I’m pretty sure you know me by now. That’s me, O-lan, in the first photo below. The second photo is also of me. It was taken during my stage appearance in Maplewood, N.J.
(1a)Who Am I? (1b)What Prussian town was I born in? (2a)What Pirandello play was I performing in when I was discovered? (2b)Name one German language film I was in. (2c)What moniker did the U.S. media bestow upon me? (2d)What 2 guys were I married to? (2e)On what liner did I first travel to the U.S.; Who was the voice and diction coach that helped lessen my pronounced middle- European accent? (3a)What 2 Hollywood statuettes was I awarded? (3b)What J.M.Barrie inspired play marked my debut? (3c)What U.S. /U.K. minor actor appears beside me in my Maplewood, N.J. out-of-town stage appearance? (4a)In what film did I play O-lan? (4b)Who played Wang Lung in that same film? (4c)I was romantically paired on tape in an episode of “The Love Boat” with a man who had once portrayed Alexander Graham Bell. What was his name? (5a)My London apartment was located in the same building as Vivien Leigh’s pad. What was that address? (5b)Where exactly is my star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?
