Ossi Oswalda

Ossi Oswalda (February 2, 1898 – January 1, 1947), born Oswalda Stäglich, was a German actress, who mostly appeared in silent films.

Career

Oswalda trained as a ballerina and became a dancer for a theater in Berlin. She made her film debut in Richard Oswald's Nächte des Grauens (Night of Horrors) before being discovered by the actor and screenwriter Hanns Kräly, who in turn recommended her to director Ernst Lubitsch. During her early career, she starred in several films by Lubitsch, including The Merry Jail, I Don't Want to Be a Man, The Oyster Princess and The Doll. Her popularity at the time earned her the nickname 'The German Mary Pickford'.[1]

In 1921, Oswalda started her own film production company with her husband at the time, baron Gustav von Koczian. However, during the next four years they only produced four films, all starring Oswalda. From 1925 on, she was contracted to Ufa.

Oswalda's career waned along with the silent film era, and she only acted in two sound films, making her final appearance on screen in the 1933 film The Star of Valencia. Later on, she became a stage actor, and in 1943, wrote the story for the Czechoslovakian film Ctrnáctý u stolu. Oswalda died in Prague at the age of 49, completely impoverished.

Filmography

Silent films

Der Hilferuf, 1916 Leutnant auf Befehl, 1916 Der Tod auf Zeche Silva, 1916 Der G.m.b.H.-Tenor, 1916 Das Fidele Gefängnis (The Merry Jail), 1917) Ossi's Tagebuch, 1917 Wenn vier dasselbe tun (When Four Do the Same), 1917 Prinz Sami, 1917 Dem Licht entgegen, 1918 Das Mädel vom Ballett (The Ballet Girl), 1918 Der Rodelkavalier, 1918 Ich möchte kein Mann sein (I Don't Want to Be a Man), 1918 Das Schwabemädle, 1918 Meine Frau, die Filmschauspielerin (My Wife the Movie Star), 1918 Das Mädchen aus dem Wilden Westen, 1919 Das Millionenmädel, 1919 Die Austernprinzessin (The Oyster Princess), 1919 Die Puppe (The Doll), 1919 Hundemamachen, 1919 Die Wohnungsnot, 1919 Kakadu und Kiebitz, 1920

Putschliesel, 1920 Ein Weihnachtsfilm für Grosse, 1924 Niniche, 1924 Blitzzug der Liebe, 1925 Das Mädchen mit der Protektion, 1925 Herrn Filip Colins Abenteuer, 1925 Gräfin Plättmamsell, 1926 Die Fahrt ins Abenteuer (The Wooing of Eve), 1926 Schatz, mach' Kasse, 1926 Die kleine vom Varieté, 1926 Eine tolle Nacht, 1926 Das Mädel auf der Schaukel, 1926 Florette e Patapon, 1927 Es zogen drei Burschen, 1927 Wochenendbraut, 1927 Eddy Polo mit Pferd und Lasso, 1928 Die Vierte von rechts, 1928 Das Haus ohne Männer, 1928 Ossi hat die Hosen an (Sir or Madam) , 1928 Der Dieb im Schlafcoupée, 1929

Sound films

• Der keusche Josef, 1930
• Der Stern von Valencia (The Star of Valencia), 1933

External links

• Ossi Oswalda at IMDB
• Photographs and literature