Mady Christians
Encyclopedia
Marguerita Maria "Mady" Christians (January 19, 1892 – October 28, 1951) was an Austrian actress who achieved a successful acting career in theatre and film, in the United States until she was blacklisted
during the McCarthy period
.
Her family went to Berlin
when she was one year old, and to New York
in 1912. Five years later she returned to Europe to study under Max Reinhardt
. She appeared in a number of European films before getting into American films.
On Broadway
, she originated the title role in the 1944 play I Remember Mama
. Her last movie roles were in All My Sons
, based on the play by Arthur Miller
, and Letter from an Unknown Woman
, both released in 1948.
Hollywood blacklist
The Hollywood blacklist—as the broader entertainment industry blacklist is generally known—was the mid-twentieth-century list of screenwriters, actors, directors, musicians, and other U.S. entertainment professionals who were denied employment in the field because of their political beliefs or...
during the McCarthy period
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by...
.
Her family went to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
when she was one year old, and to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1912. Five years later she returned to Europe to study under Max Reinhardt
Max Reinhardt
----Max Reinhardt was an Austrian theater and film director and actor.-Biography:...
. She appeared in a number of European films before getting into American films.
On Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, she originated the title role in the 1944 play I Remember Mama
I Remember Mama
I Remember Mama is a play by John Van Druten. Based on the fictionalized memoir Mama's Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes, it focuses on the Hanson family, a loving family of Norwegian immigrants living on Steiner Street in San Francisco in the 1910s.Produced by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein...
. Her last movie roles were in All My Sons
All My Sons (film)
All My Sons is a 1948 drama film based on Arthur Miller's play of the same name. It stars Edward G. Robinson as a defense contractor whose dark secret is revealed.-Cast:*Edward G...
, based on the play by Arthur Miller
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
, and Letter from an Unknown Woman
Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948 film)
Letter from an Unknown Woman is a film directed by Max Ophüls. It was based on the novella of the same name, which was written by Stefan Zweig...
, both released in 1948.
Selected filmography
- Der schwarze HusarDer schwarze HusarDer schwarze Husar is a 1932 German comedy action film directed by Gerhard Lamprecht and starring Conrad Veidt, Mady Christians, Wolf Albach-Retty and Ursula Grabley...
(The Black Hussar) (1932) - EscapadeEscapade (1935 film)Escapade is a 1935 romantic comedy film starring William Powell and Luise Rainer. A philandering painter falls in love, but a prior affair with a married woman causes complications.-Cast:*William Powell as Fritz*Luise Rainer as Leopoldine Dur...
(1935) - Come and Get ItCome and Get It (film)Come and Get It is a 1936 American drama film directed by Howard Hawks and William Wyler. The screenplay by Jane Murfin and Jules Furthman is based on the 1935 novel of the same title by Edna Ferber.-Plot:...
(1936) - Seventh HeavenSeventh Heaven (1937 film)Seventh Heaven is an American romantic drama film released in 1937 by 20th Century Fox and directed by Henry King. The movie stars Simone Simon and James Stewart....
(1937) - The Woman I LoveThe Woman I LoveThe Woman I Love is a 1937 American film about a romantic triangle involving two World War I fighter pilots and the wife of one of them. It stars Paul Muni, Miriam Hopkins, and Louis Hayward...
(1937) - HeidiHeidi (1937 film)Heidi is a 1937 American dramatic film directed by Allan Dwan. The screenplay by Julien Josephson and Walter Ferris was based on the 1880 children's story of the same name by Swiss author Johanna Spyri. The film is about an orphan named Heidi who is taken from her grandfather to live as a...
(1937) - Tender Comrade (1943)
- Address UnknownAddress Unknown (1944 film)Address Unknown is a drama film directed by William Cameron Menzies based on Kathrine Taylor's novel Address Unknown . The film tells the story of two families caught up in the rise of Nazism in Germany prior to the start of World War II....
(1944) - All My SonsAll My Sons (film)All My Sons is a 1948 drama film based on Arthur Miller's play of the same name. It stars Edward G. Robinson as a defense contractor whose dark secret is revealed.-Cast:*Edward G...
(1948) - Letter from an Unknown WomanLetter from an Unknown Woman (1948 film)Letter from an Unknown Woman is a film directed by Max Ophüls. It was based on the novella of the same name, which was written by Stefan Zweig...
(1948)