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The actress Ossi Oswalda was born as Oswalda Stäglich in Niederschönhausen.
After dancing lessons as a prima ballerina she came to the Berliner
theater as a choir dancer. There she was spotted by Hanns Kräly who
recommended her to Ernst Lubitsch.
Between 1916 and 1919 she normally worked for Ernst Lubitsch, but there
were also other directors who knew how to put on her talent.
At the beginning of her career she appeared in movies like "Schuhpalast
Pinkus" (16), "Leutnant auf Befehl" (16), "Ossi's Tagebuch" (17), "Wenn
vier dasselbe tun" (17), "Das Mädel vom Ballett" (18) and "Die Austernprinzessin"
(19).
With her arrogant and amusing appearance she became a darling of the
public and she was soon called the German Mary Pickford.
She founded her own film company in 1921 and realised the movies "Amor
am Steuer" (21), "Das Mädel mit der Maske" (22), "Der blinde Passagier"
(22), "Das Milliardensouper" (23) and "Colibri" (24).
In 1925 she signed a contract with the Ufa and played in movies like
"Das Mädchen mit der Protektion" (25), "Die Fahrt ins Abenteuer" (26),
"Die Kleine vom Varieté" (26), "Das Mädel auf der Schaukel"
(26) and "Eine tolle Nacht" (26).
The rise of the sound film meant the end of her film career. After many
years she appeared again on stages for the first time, among others in
"Der Graf von Luxemburg". In sound movies she only appeared two times,
in the movies "Der keusche Josef" (30) and "Der Stern von Valencia" (33).
When the National Socialists seized the power in Germany she emigrated
to Prague together with her life partner the Jew Julius Aussenberg.
The once celebrated star fell completely into oblivion in the last years
of her life. She died totally impoverished in Prague.
She lived there from 1933 to 1938 under the name
Oswalda Kocziánová mostly in the Hotel Alcron. Her last
cinematical activity
also came in Prague into being, but not as an actress but as a
screenwriter together with Josef Mach for “Ctrnacty u stolu” (43) with
Karel Höger in the leading role.
When the “Benes Decree” was
implemented in Czechoslovakia, around 2.9 million people were declared
enemies of the state by 1946/47 because of their German affiliation and
some of them were expropriated. Ossi Oswalda was also affected by this
measure. This explains why the former silent film star, who had fallen
into oblivion, died completely impoverished in Zamberk (Senftenberg) in a lung sanatorium.
Thanks
go to Mr. Frank, who researched Ossi Oswalda's last years. He found the
death record which certifies her death on March 7, 1947 in the
Albertinum in Zamberk (Senftenberg).
Other movies with Ossi Oswalda:
Der Hilferuf (16) Der Tod auf Zeche
Silva (16) Der G.m.b.H.-Tenor (16) Prinz Sami (17) Dem Licht entgegen (18)
Der Rodelkavalier (18) Ich möchte kein Mann sein (18) Das Schwabemädle
(18) Meine Frau, die Filmschauspielerin (18) Das Mädchen aus dem Wilden
Westen (19) Das Millionenmädel (19) Die Puppe (19) Hundemamachen (19)
Die Wohnungsnot (19) Kakadu und Kiebitz (20) Putschliesel (20) Ein Weihnachtsfilm
für Grosse (24) Niniche (24) Blitzzug der Liebe (25) Herrn Filip Colins
Abenteuer (25) Gräfin Plättmamsell (26) Schatz, mach' Kasse (26)
Eine tolle Nacht (26) Florette e Patapon (27) Es zogen drei Burschen (27)
Wochenendbraut (27) Eddy Polo mit Pferd und Lasso (28) Die Vierte von rechts
(28) Das Haus ohne Männer (28) Sir or Madam - Ossi hat die Hosen an
(28) Der Dieb im Schlafcoupée (29) |
