The first Swedish actor to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Anna Q. Nilsson was one of the earliest film actresses to achieve fame. Sadly today, her name is mostly unknown to young and old audiences alike. I had heard of her, probably because I've already seen some of her films, but didn't realize the extent of her popularity. Born in 1888 Sweden, she emigrated to the United States in the first decade of the 20th century. At 5'7," blonde and blue-eyed, she modelled before breaking into motion pictures. Her modelling led to a role in the 1911 two-reeler film, Molly Pitcher at Kalem studio.
She worked for many studios including Paramount, First National, and Goldwyn. Her popularity continued until the advent of talkies despite a 2-year hiatus after being paralyzed from a horse accident. She went through therapy in order to walk again.
During the sound era, she appeared in many classic films but as a bit player, sometimes uncredited. Her sound films include The Farmer's Daughter, Cynthia, The Boy With Green Hair, Adam's Rib, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
No comments:
Post a Comment