Lilian Harvey

Lilian Harvey (Lilian Helen Muriel Pape) (January 19 1906 – July 27 1968), was a British-born German actress and singer.

Biography

Early life

Lilian Harvey was born in Hornsey, North London.Her mother was English and her father was a German businessman. At the beginning of World War I they were living in Magdeburg and were unable to return to England, so Lilian was sent to live with an aunt at Solothurn in Switzerland. After her graduation from school in 1923, she started her career by attending the dance and voice school of the Berlin State Opera.

The sweetest girl

In 1924, Lilian Harvey received her first role as the young Jewish girl "Ruth" in the film "Der Fluch" directed by Robert Land. Subsequently, she starred in many silent films.In 1925, she was cast in her first leading role in the film "Leidenschaft".

Because of her training as a singer, Harvey was able to pursue a successful acting career during the talkie era of the early 1930s. Her first movie with Willy Fritsch was "Die keusche Susanne" in 1926. Harvey and Fritsch became the "dream couple" of German movies in the early 1930's with the romantic love story "Liebeswalzer". They starred in a total of 11 movies together, and Harvey was called the "sweetest girl in the world" by the press.

In 1931, Harvey starred in the film "Der Kongreß tanzt"; her song "Das gibt's nur einmal" became an evergreen. Her subsequent movies were filmed in English and French versions, so Harvey became known outside of Germany. She was invited to Hollywood and made four movies for 20th Century Fox, but these were not as successful as her German films.

Emigration from Nazi Germany

In 1935, Lilian Harvey returned to Germany. However, because she was still in touch with her Jewish colleagues, she was placed under close observation by the Gestapo.

Nevertheless, until 1939, she made some successful movies for the UFA, such as "Glückskinder" (1936); "Sieben Ohrfeigen"; and "Fanny Eisler" (1937); "Capriccio"; and "Frau am Steuer" (1939).

Harvey helped the choreographer Jens Keith escape to Switzerland; this led to interrogation by the Gestapo. Afterwards, she decided to leave Germany, one result being the loss of her real-estate fortune, which was confiscated by the Nazis. She settled in Juan-les-Pins in France. There, she made two movies in 1940: "Serenade" and "Miquette". After the occupation of southern France, she emigrated to Hollywood again. Because she performed for French troops, the Nazi regime withdrew her German citizenship in 1943.

After WW II

After the second World War, Harvey returned to Paris. In the following years, she travelled as a singer through Scandinavia and Egypt. In 1949, she returned to Germany and performed on stage. From 1953 to 1957, she was married to Danish theatre agent Hartvig Valeur-Larsen.

Lilian Harvey died of jaundice on July 27 1968 in Juan-les-Pins, France. She was buried at the Robiac cemetery in Antibes.

Films

1924: Der Fluch
1924: Die Motorbraut. Liebe, Leid und Sport
1925: Leidenschaft. Die Liebschaften der Hella von Gilsa
1925: Liebe und Trompetenblasen. Eine lustige Begebenheit aus dem heiteren Wien vergangener Tage
1925: Die Kleine vom Bummel
1926: Prinzessin Trulala. Ein ausgelassener Filmschwank
1926: Die keusche Susanne
1926: Vater werden ist nicht schwer
1927: Die tolle Lola
1927: Eheferien
1927: Du sollst nicht stehlen. Ein Spiel von Gaunerei und Liebe
1928: Eine Nacht in London / A Knight in London
1928: Ihr dunkler Punkt.
1929: Rund um die Liebe
1929: Adieu, Mascotte
1929: Wenn Du einmal Dein Herz verschenkst
1929/30: Liebeswalzer [MLV]
1929/30: The Love Waltz [MLV]
1930: Hokuspokus [MLV]
1930: The Temporary Widow [MLV]
1930: Die Drei von der Tankstelle [MLV]
1930: Le chemin du paradis [MLV]
1930: Einbrecher. Eine musikalische Ehekomödie [MLV]
1931: Princesse! à vos ordres! [MLV]
1931: Nie wieder Liebe [MLV]
1931: Calais - Douvres [MLV]
1931: Der Kongreß tanzt [MLV]
1931: Le congrès s'amuse [MLV]
1931: Congress Dances [MLV]
1931/32: Zwei Herzen und ein Schlag [MLV]
1931/32: La fille et le garçon [MLV]
1932: Quick [German MLV]
1932: Quick [French MLV]
1932: Ein blonder Traum [MLV]
1932: Un rêve blond [MLV]
1932: Happy Ever After [MLV] .
1932/33: Ich und die Kaiserin [MLV]
1932/33: Moi et l'Impératrice [MLV]
1932/33: The Only Girl [MLV]
1933: My Lips Betray
1933: My Weakness
1933: I Am Suzanne!
1934/35: Let's Live Tonight
1935: Invitation to the Waltz
1935: Schwarze Rosen [MLV]
1935: Roses noires [MLV]
1935: Did I Betray? [MLV]
1936: Glückskinder [MLV]
1936: Les gais lurons [MLV]
1937: Sieben Ohrfeigen
1937: Fanny Elßler.
1938: Capriccio
1938/39: Castelli in aria [MLV]
1938/39: Ins blaue Leben [MLV]
1939: Frau am Steuer
1939/40: Sérénade
1940: Miquette

External links

*imdb name | id=0367613 | name=Lilian Harvey
* [http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=270 Lilian Harvey - Bibliography, Photographs, Postcards and Tobacco cards]