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Elissa Landi

Elissa Landi (December 6, 1904 – October 21, 1948) was an Italian born actress who was popular in Hollywood films of the 1920s and 1930s. Rumoured to be a descendant of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, she was noted for her aristocratic bearing. Born Elisabeth Marie Christine Kühnelt in Venice, Landi was raised in Austria and educated in England. Her first ambition was to be a writer, and she wrote her first novel at the age of twenty. She would return to writing during lulls in her acting career. She joined the Oxford Repertory Company at an early age, appearing in many British and American stage successes. During the 1920s she appeared in British, French, and German films before travelling to the United States to appear in a Broadway production of A Farewell to Arms. She was signed to a contact by Fox Film Corporation (later 20th Century Fox) in 1931. She played the heroine in Cecil B. De Mille's The Sign of the Cross (1932), but was overshadowed by Claudette Colbert who played the flashier role of Poppea. She was paired successfully with some of the major leading men, such as David Manners, Charles Farrell, Warner Baxter, and Ronald Colman in romantic dramas such as Body and Soul (1931) before appearing in the box office hit The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) with Robert Donat. Her contract with Fox was abruptly cancelled in 1936 as a result of her refusal to accept a particular role. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer signed her to a contract and after a couple of romantic dramas she played the cousin of Myrna Loy in the very popular After the Thin Man (1936). After only two more films she retired, in 1943. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1943, and dedicated herself to writing, producing six novels and a series of poems. She died from cancer in Kingston, New York, and was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Elissa Landi has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to Motion Pictures, at 1615 Vine St. Description above from the Wikipedia article Elissa Landi, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.


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Born:
Dec 6, 1904 In Venice, Italy
Movie/TV Credits:
27
First Appeared:
In the movie Bolibar 1928-06-26
Latest Project:
Movie Corregidor 1943-03-29
Known For
Poster of The Thirteenth Chair
Poster of The Masquerader
Poster of The Woman in Room 13
Poster of The Yellow Ticket
Filmography
Movie Corregidor Dr. Royce Lee Stockman 1943-03-29
Movie Hollywood Party Herself - the Hostess 1937-04-03
Movie The Thirteenth Chair Helen Trent 1937-05-07
Movie Mad Holiday Peter Dean 1936-11-13
Movie The Amateur Gentleman Lady Cleone Meredith 1936-04-26
Movie After the Thin Man Selma Forrest Landis 1936-12-25
Movie Without Regret Jennifer Gage 1935-09-13
Movie Enter Madame Lisa Della Robbia 1935-01-04
Movie Crimson Dynasty Princess Aurore 1935-12-04
Movie Man of Two Worlds Joan Pemberton 1934-01-13
Movie The Count of Monte Cristo Mercedes 1934-09-06
Movie The Warrior's Husband Antiope 1933-04-28
Movie I Loved You Wednesday Vicki Meredith 1933-06-15
Movie The Masquerader Eve Chilcote 1933-09-03
Movie By Candlelight Marie 1933-12-18
Movie The Woman in Room 13 Laura Ramsey 1932-05-15
Movie A Passport to Hell Myra Carson 1932-08-25
Movie The Sign of the Cross Mercia 1932-11-30
Movie Body and Soul Carla 1931-02-22
Movie Always Goodbye Lila Banning 1931-05-24
Movie Wicked Margot Rande 1931-10-04
Movie The Yellow Ticket Marya Kalish 1931-10-30
Movie Knowing Men Korah Hurley / Collette 1930-02-01
Movie The Price of Things Anthea Mary Dayre 1930-07-02
Movie Children of Chance Binnie 1930-11-20
Movie Bolibar Françoise-Marie / La Monita 1928-06-26
Movie Sin Kersti 1928-09-16
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