POLA POLA POLA!

POLA NEGRI: the silent and early talkie film actress who was:

Born in Poland, “made” in Germany, stolen by Hollywood.

A celebrity in America, an artist in Europe.

Lover to Rudolph Valentino, Charlie Chaplin, and Rod La Roque; wife to a count and a prince.

A high-grossing Nazi film star who would not bow to the idol of fascism.

A “vamp” by reputation, a tragedienne in practice, but a stunningly gifted actress in truth.

The Pola Negri Appreciation Site is dedicated to preserving the memory of one of the great actresses of the early film.

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NEWS!

Coming Soon: Feature Length Documentary on Pola Negri!

I am so elated to finally have permission to reveal this development. As we speak, a feature-length documentary about the life of our lady Pola Negri is in the late stages of production. Entitled Life is a dream in Cinema – Pola Negri, the documentary will contain excerpts of interviews with actors Hayley Mills and Eli Wallach (both of whom appeared in Pola’s last film The Moon-Spinners), as well as with authors, film historians, and people who knew Pola personally—it will even contain interview footage with David Gasten, the author of this website! In addition, you will get to see rare clips from Pola’s movies, hear little-known facts about La Negri, and see many rare photos of the lady herself from throughout her life. The documentary is directed by Polish-born director Mariusz Kotowski and produced by Bright Shining City Productions. Mr. Kotowski is going to an unbelievable amount of work to make this a fair and reliable documentary, as well as a great work of art. Life is a dream in Cinema – Pola Negri should make its theatrical debut sometime next year, and we will do our best to keep you updated on its progress in these pages. (By the way, if you have any information that you want to share for the documentary, please forward it to me and I will pass it on to the director.)

Sunrise Silents releases Pola’s Gypsy Blood (1918)

Pola Negri’s 1918 German film Gypsy Blood (aka Carmen) has seen a DVD release from the new Rhode Island-based silent film distributor Sunrise Silents. If you haven’t seen Gypsy Blood yet, it’s a great rendition of the classic Prosper Merimée story and reportedly stays closer to the original Merimée story than many of the other Carmen movies, which tend to follow the Bizet opera closer. Pola is adorable and vamps it up in her role as La Carmencita (it’s one of about four vamp roles for her). And you’ll be surprised at how sexy this movie is for 1918!

The Work of Pola Negri

Fascination with silent films is already long gone. However, let’s admit that it has become a part of our history. These days, more and more people are watching old films given how the internet made it easy to watch these films. One of the most popular names in the 1920s and 1930s is Pola Negri. She’s synonymous with the likes of Charlie Chaplin. In fact, she is a standout actress across different decades with her Femme Fatale looks and her ability to captivate the audience.

She’s a migrant who made it big in Hollywood. She’s a one of a kind actress who was able to make it big against all odds. Apart from being an actress, she also has her own records. Negri made her last film in the 1960s. To give you an idea regarding the impact that she made in Hollywood, she was able to not only make it as a good silent movie actress, she was also able to transition when sound films were becoming popular. She also recorded music apart from acting in Hollywood. This is the reason why she was the 11th actor in history to have her footprint in the Grauman’s Chinese theater.

The Impact of Pola Negri in Hollywood

It is quite a struggle to make it in the US. But what if you made it as a legendary actress after your career was over? That’s Pola Negri. You may know the face but you may not know the name. When it comes to silent films, we always get to associate it with Charlie Chaplin. But for the women who made it in Hollywood in the 1920s, Pola Negri was the biggest star of them all.

She’s the first European film star who made it big in Hollywood. She made a name for herself during the 1920s in silent movies. She’s a gorgeous femme fatale that captured the attention of her audience. She also made it possible to transition towards working in sound films later in her career. But unlike modern Hollywood actresses today, she was the original when it comes to being sophisticated and giving strong acting skills.

If there is something that can be learned from her career over the years, it is her ability to adapt to the changing times. She was able to make it big despite the odds are against her as a migrant. There are multiple books written about Pola Negri over the years covering her active years in Hollywood especially how she made an impact during those decades.

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