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Mady Christians

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
59

Gender
Female

Birthday
January 17, 1892 (134 years old)

Place of Birth
Vienna, Austria-Hungary (now Austria)

Mady Christians

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Marguerita Maria "Mady" Christians (January 19, 1892 – October 28, 1951) was an Austrian actress and naturalized US citizen who had a successful acting career in theatre and film in the United States until she was blacklisted during the McCarthy period. She was born on January 19, 1892 to Rudolph Christians, a well-known German actor, and his wife, Bertha. Her family moved to Berlin when she was one year old, and to New York City in 1912, where her father became the Irving Place Theatre's general manager. Five years later she returned to Europe to study under Max Reinhardt.

She appeared in a number of European films prior to the early 1930s. In 1929, she starred in the first full sound film made in Germany It's You I Have Loved. In 1933, she toured the United States in a play called Marching By and was offered a Broadway contract the following year that allowed her, like a number of other German artists, to seek refuge from the Nazi regime in the United States.

On Broadway, Christians played Queen Gertrude in Hamlet and Lady Percy in Henry IV, Part I, staged by director Margaret Webster. Webster was part of a small but influential group of lesbian producers, directors, and actors in theater (a group that included Eva Le Gallienne and Cheryl Crawford). Webster and Christians became close friends: according to Webster biographer Milly S. Barranger, it is likely that they also were lovers.

She also starred in Lillian Hellman's Watch on the Rhine. She originated the title role in the 1944 play I Remember Mama. Her last movie roles were in All My Sons, based on the play by Arthur Miller, and Letter from an Unknown Woman, both released in 1948.

During World War II, Christians was involved in political work on behalf of refugees, rights for workers (especially in theater and film), and Russian War relief, political efforts that would bring her to the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other anti-communist institutions and organizations. In addition to her political work, Christians also publicly criticized the House Committee on Un-American Activities in early 1941 and likened the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee's investigation of propaganda in US film to Nazi harassment of film and radio artists in the 1930s. In 1950, the FBI's internal security division began investigating Christians, who had been identified as a "concealed communist" by a confidential informant. When Christians' name appeared in Red Channels, the so-called bible of the broadcast blacklist, her career was effectively over.

Known For

Acting

1948The Philco Television Playhouseas Mama
1948All My Sonsas Kate Keller
1948Letter from an Unknown Womanas Frau Berndle
1944Address Unknownas Elsa Schulz
1944Tender Comradeas Manya Lodge
1937Heidias Dete
1937The Woman I Loveas Florence
1937Seventh Heavenas Marie
1936Come and Get Itas Karie Linbeck
1935Ship Cafeas Countess Boranoff
1935Escapadeas Anita
1934A Wicked Womanas Naomi Trice, aka Naomi Stroud
1933The Only Girlas Empress Eugénie
1933Manolescu, der Fürst der Diebeas Comtesse Maria Freyenberg
1933Salon Dora Greenas Dora Green
1933The Only Girlas Kaiserin Eugenie
1932Fredericaas Friederike
1932The Black Hussaras Marie Luise
1931The Fate of Renate Langenas Renate Langen
1931My Incognito Heartas La reine Alexandra
1930Love Comes But Onceas Königin Alexandra von Gregorien
1929Dich hab’ ich geliebtas Inge Lund
1929Meine Schwester und ichas Margarete von Marquardstein
1929The Runaway Princessas Princess Priscilla
1929Und Nelson spieltas
1929The Burning Heartas Dorothee Claudius
1928A Woman with Styleas
1928Fräulein Chauffeuras Steffi Walker
1928The Duelas
1927Queen Louiseas Königin Luise
1927Heimwehas Princess Lydia Trubetskoy
1927Grand Hotel...!as
1927Der Sohn der Hagaras Lore
1926Die Welt will belogen seinas Mery
1926Die geschiedene Frauas
1926Die Königin von Moulin Rougeas die Herzogin
1926Wien, wie es weint und lachtas Sefi
1926Zopf und Schwertas
1926Nanette macht allesas
1926The Waltz Dreamas Prinzessin Alix
1925Der Farmer aus Texasas Mabel Bratt
1925In the Slums of Berlinas Regine Lossen
1925In the Valleys of the Southern Rhineas Bettina von Wittelsbach
1924Mensch gegen Menschas
1924Soll und Habenas Baroneß Leonore von Rothensattel
1924Michaelas Woman (uncredited)
1924The Finances of the Grand Dukeas Großfürstin Olga von Rußland
1923The Lost Shoeas Violante
1923The Buddenbrooksas Gerda Arnoldsen
1923Der Kaiser der Saharaas Gert Nissen
1923A Glass of Wateras
1923Der Wetterwartas
1922The Loves of Pharaohas
1921Gelbe Bestienas Gert Nissen
1921Der Millionendiebas Gert Nissen
1921Wer unter Euch ohne Sünde istas
1918Am anderen Uferas Ebba von Thorn
1918Nachtschattenas
1916Audreyas Evelyn Byrd

Production