Lya Mara

Lya Mara (* August 1, 1897 - † 1960?) was one of the biggest stars of the German silent cinema. Infobox actor
bgcolour = silver
name = Lya Mra

|right|thumb|100px|
imagesize = 300px
caption = Autographed photo of Lya Mara ca.1920
birthname = Aleksandra Gudowicz
birthdate = birth date|1897|8|1|mf=y
location = flagicon|Latvia Riga, Latvia
deathdate = 1960?
deathplace =
ethnicity = Polish
alias = Mia Mara
height =
homepage =
notable role = Anna Karenina, Charlotte Corday
academyawards =
spouse = Frederic Zelnik (1885-1950)
Lya Mara was born as Aleksandra Gudowicz (Latvian: "Aleksandra Gudoviča") in a Polish family in Riga, Livonia. As a young girl she wanted to become a chemist, as then famous Marie Curie, French woman scientist who was also Polish born. Just before the World War I,in 1913 Lya Mara moved with her family to Warsaw, as Poland and Latvia were part of the Russian Empire. She began her acting career as a dancer.

In Warsaw, Lya Mara played her first small part in a short fiction silent film under a characteristically simplified title "We want husband" ("We want husband", 1916, as Mia Mara) and soon after in another film "Bestia" ("The Beast", premiere on January 5, 1917) directed by a Polish director of older generation Alexander Hertz. Another Polish actress Pola Negri, who later made an extraordinary career in Germany and in America, was the star of this film. Soon after that film Pola Negri left for Berlin and Lya Mara followed her steps. It was a time of the World War I and Poland occupied since 1915 by the Germans, became a part of the German Empire.

Lya Mara's first film in Germany was "Halkas Gelöbnis" (1918) directed by an Austrian director Alfred Halm, who also scripted her another film "Jadwiga". Both films were produced by young and energetic director-producer Frederic Zelnik. Lya Mara married him in 1918.

Frederic Zelnik promoted Lya Mara to a major star in Germany as she played mainly in films he directed and produced. Since 1920 Zelnik's film production company was named Zelnik-Mara-Film GmbH. Lya Mara played important parts as "Charlotte Corday", "Anna Karenina" (1919) and "Manon", attracting audience with her charm and youthful appeal. Lya Mara and her husband Frederic Zelnik became real celebrities, receiving at their home many known artists. Her popularity has been further cemented by hundreds of her photographs issued as postcards, chocolate and cigarettes trade cards.

A serious car accident at the end of the 1920's interrupted her career.

Somehow Lya Mara could not adapt her acting to the new artistic conditions after the introduction of sound in cinema in 1929, while Zelnik became first director in Germany who postsynchronized foreign films. Lya Mara's only film from the sound era is "Jeder fragt nach Erika"(1931) directed by her husband. When Hitler took power in Germany (1933), Lya Mara left with Frederic Zelnik for London. There is no record of her acting there, in none of her husband films produced until 1939 in England and The Netherlands.

Frederic Zelnik died in London on November 29, 1950. It is generally admitted, that Lya Mara spent last years of her life in Switzerland.

Filmography

*1916: "Chcemy męża" (as Mia Mara)
*1916: "Wściekły rywal" (as Mia Mara)
*1916: "Studenci" (as Mia Mara)
*1917: "Bestia" (as Mia Mara)
*1918: "Halkas Gelöbnis"
*1918: "Jadwiga"
*1918: "Geschichte einer Gefallenen, Die"
*1918: "Das Geschlecht der Schelme" 1. Teil
*1918: "Die Nonne und der Harlekin"
*1918: "Die Rothenburger / Leib und Seele"
*1918: "Das Geschlecht der Schelme" 2. Teil
*1919: "Charlotte Corday"
*1919: "Maria Evere"
*1919: "Die kleine Stasiewska"
*1919: "Die Erbin von Monte Christo"
*1919: "Das Haus der Unschuld"
*1919: "Anna Karenina"
*1920: "Eine Demimonde-Heirat"
*1920:" Die Prinzessin vom Nil"
*1920: "Die Erlebnisse der berühmten Tänzerin Fanny Elßler"
*1920: "Kri-Kri, die Herzogin von Tarabac"
*1920: "Apachenlord, Der"
*1920: "Fasching"
*1920: "Wer unter Euch ohne Sünde ist..."
*1921: "Die Geliebte des Grafen Varenne"
*1921: "Miss Beryll... Die Laune eines Millionärs"
*1921: "Aus den Memoiren einer Filmschauspielerin"
*1921: "Trix, der Roman einer Millionärin"
*1921: "Die Dame mit den Smaragden"
*1921: "Tanja, die Frau an der Kette"
*1921: "Das Mädel vom Piccadilly" 1. Teil
*1921: "Das Mädel vom Piccadilly" 2. Teil
*1921: "Die Ehe der Fürstin Demidoff"
*1922: "Die Geliebte des Königs"
*1922: "Yvette, die Modeprinzessin"
*1922: "Die Tochter Napoleons"
*1922: "Erniedrigte und Beleidigte"
*1922: "Das Mädel aus der Hölle"
*1922: "Lydia Sanin"
*1922: "Die Männer der Sybill"
*1923: "Daisy. Das Abenteuer einer Lady"
*1923: "Auferstehung. Katjuscha Maslowa"
*1923: "Nelly, die Braut ohne Mann"
*1924: "Die Herrin von Monbijou"
*1924: "Das Mädel von Capri"
*1924: "Auf Befehl der Pompadour"
*1925: "Freudlose Gasse, Die" with Greta Garbo in the main part
*1925: "Die Venus von Montmartre"
*1925: "Die Kirschenzeit"
*1925: "Frauen, die man oft nicht grüßt"
*1926: "Die Försterchristl"
*1926: "An der schönen blauen Donau"
*1926: "Die lachende Grille"
*1927: "Der Zigeunerbaron"
*1927: "Weber, Die"
*1927: "Das tanzende Wien. An der schönen blauen Donau" 2. Teil
*1928: "Heut' tanzt Mariett"
*1928: "Mary Lou"
*1929: "Mein Herz ist eine Jazzband"
*1929: "Der rote Kreis"
*1931: "Jeder fragt nach Erika"

External links

*imdb name|0544720
* [http://www.ofdb.de/view.php?page=person&id=10135 Lya Mara] in the Online-Filmdatenbank (German)
* [http://www.cyranos.ch/smmara-d.htm Lya Mara]
* [http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=739 Photos of Lya Mara]