- Greta Nissen
Infobox actor
name = Greta Nissen
imagesize = 150px
caption = Greta Nissen in 1930s movie magazine
birthname = Grethe Ruzt-Nissen
birthdate = 1906
birthplace =Oslo ,Norway
deathdate = death date|1988|5|15 (age 82)
deathplace =Montecito, California ,United States
spouse =Greta Nissen (1906 – 1988) was a Norwegian-born American film and stage actress.
tage and Screen Actress
Born Grethe Ruzt-Nissen in
Oslo ,Norway , Nissen was originally a dancer. She appeared in several Broadway shows in the 1920s. Greta was discovered byParamount Pictures and appeared in more than twenty films. Among these were "A Wife", "The Love Thief", "Ambassador Bill ", "The Lucky Lady", and "Honours Easy". Her film career ended in the mid-1930s after she appeared in a few British films.Critical Acclaim
A 1925
New York Times review [cite news |first=Mordaunt |last=Hall |title=The Screen, A Norwegian Actress |work= |publisher=The New York Times |id= |page=10 |date=1925-06-22 ] of the silent film "A Norwegian Actress" described Greta:She was graceful in her movements and expressions, with a constantly changing gaze. The actress was attractive rather than beautiful. Her chin and nose were both somewhat pronounced. Greta's personality was delightful and she never showed an awareness to the audience that she was conscious of being on camera. Her skin was fair and she possessed blonde hair. At different times her coiffure had a somewhat "wild" appearance.
The reviewer believed her hair was more effective when it was brushed down rather than when it was concealed by a small hat. As for her eyes, there was a close affinity in their appearance to those of
Sarah Bernhardt . Mordaunt Hall commented on her acting, saying "Miss Nissen gives a sincere and earnest portrayal, always obtaining excellent results with an originality rarely beheld on the screen". [cite news |first=Mordaunt |last=Hall |title=Exceptional Performance Given By Talented Young Norwegian Actress |work= |publisher=The New York Times |id= |page=X2 |date=1925-06-28 ]Missed Opportunity
Greta was the original choice for leading lady in "Hell's Angels" (1930), an
epic film made byHoward Hughes . She lost the part when the movie was remade to include sound, because of her Norwegian accent. In 1933 she moved to England. In 1937 she retired from movie acting altogether.Death
Nissen died at home in
Montecito, California of Parkinson's disease onMay 15 ,1988 . [cite news |title=Greta Nissen Dies; Her Beauty Graced Many Silent Movies |work= |publisher=The Post-Standard |id= |page=A8 |date=1988-07-16 ] Her husband was retired manufacturer Stuart D. Eckert. Eckert did not report her death immediately because she had avoided publicity since their 1941 marriage. He said she still received fan letters. Greta was 82. Greta had one son, Tor Bruce Nissen Eckert, now living on a ranch near Grass Valley, California. In 2005, Tor gave his large collection of Greta Nissen memorbilia to the Norwegian Emigrant Museum in Ottestad, Norway.References
External links
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* [http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=814 Photographs and literature]
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