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| Hedda
Vernon
1889 - 1961 |
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. The actress Hedda Vernon (her civil name was a frequently discussed point of contention, but it is likely to be Berta Hedwig Lang - the name Lang is also listed in the death record of the medical clinic in Munich and also in the marriage certificate with Günther Gradenwitz) was born in Strasbourg. She celebrated her greatest triumphs in the early days of German cinema. In the 10's she was an extremely popular actress, whose success allowed her to start her own Hedda Vernon series, financed by her Vernon production. Her early film successes include "The Battle for Heritage" (12), "People and Masks" (13), "The Brown Beast" (14), "The Iron Cross" (14), "Zofia" (15), "The Image of the Ahnfrau" (16) and "Blonde Poison" (19). In "Zofia" she impersonated a 15-year-old girl, although she was already 29 years old at that time. Such "child roles" weren't rare at that time and were impersonated by many actresses. In the 20's the interest in Hedda Vernon waned. New stars were in demand. To her few movies in the 20's belong "Der Verächter des Todes" (20), "Der Reiter ohne Kopf" (21) and "Die Sonne von St. Moritz" (23). After her film career she continued to be adventurous, among other things she took part in the Klausen race as a driver several times and is said to have even finished on the first place once. An anecdote about this success is that Hedda Vernon was on her way home after the victory when she backed her vehicle into a Zurich sales store. She humorously justified the incident by saying that the many flowers thrown to her in the open car had beguiled her with their scent. She probably competed in her races during these years under the name Hedda Gradenwitz, including a 1st place in 1934 in the category over 5000cc in the amateurs with a Mercedes-Benz at "Le Grand Saconnex" over 1,000 meters sprint. Hedda Vernon was first married to the director Hubert Moest. This was followed by a marriage to the industrialist Günther Gradenwitz from 1920 to 1933, and after his death by a marriage to the golfer Ric Polidoro and finally to the golf instructor Anjo Lacinik (among others 5th at the German Open 1936). With the latter spouses she lived in Lucerne. In the 1960s and 1970s, a Ric-Polidoro Cup and a Heda Lacinik Memorial Prize were held at golf tournaments in Lucerne each July. Apparently she also had a good relationship with the industrial lawyer Walther Waldschmidt, from whom she is said to have inherited a major shareholding in his company Knorr-Bremse AG after his death in 1932. According to information from the Lucerne municipal administration, the actress died on August 10, 1961 in the medical clinic in Munich and was buried in Lucerne. The grave was not closed until 2014. This information coincides with the death entry of the medical clinic in Munich.
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