Ossi Oswalda

Birthday: 1897-01-31
Deathday: 1947-03-07
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Gender: Female
Owned By: Unowned

Ossi Oswalda (born Oswalda Amalie Anna Stäglich, 2 February 1897 – 7 March 1947) was a German actress, who mostly appeared in silent films. She was given the nickname 'The German Mary Pickford' due to her popularity at the time.

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'.

In 1921, Oswalda started her own film production company with her husband at the time, the Hungarian Baron Gustav Wilhelm Viktor Freiherr von Koczian-Miskolczy (1877–1958). However, during the next four years they only produced four films, all starring Oswalda. From 1925 on, she was contracted to Ufa. The couple divorced in 1925, and Oswalda began a high profile affair with Wilhelm, German Crown Prince.

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. She escaped Nazi Germany and emigrated to Prague with her partner Julius Aubenberg in the 1930s.

Later on, she became a stage actor, and in 1943, wrote the screenplay for the Czechoslovakian film Čtrnáctý u stolu. By spring 1947, Oswalda went bankrupt and was suffering from multiple health problems.

Oswalda died penniless in Prague at the age of 50. She is buried at Olsany Cemetery.

Credits

Year Title Character
1990-01-01 Die Puppe
1933-07-04 Der Stern von Valencia Rita
1930-09-19 The chaste Joseph
1929-07-11 Der Dieb im Schlafcoupée
1929-02-04 Die vierte von rechts
1928-11-13 Sir or Madame
1928-03-16 Eddy Polo mit Pferd und Lasso
1927-06-15 Frühere Verhältnisse Pepi
1927-01-21 A Crazy Night Margot Olschinsky
1926-11-25 Schatz, mach' Kasse Ossi
1926-11-25 Gräfin Plättmamsell
1926-10-25 Die Kleine vom Varieté Rositta, die Kleine vom Varieté
1926-04-16 Die Fahrt ins Abenteuer
1926-02-19 Herrn Filip Collins Abenteuer Daisy Cuffler
1925-12-21 The Girl with a Patron
1925-05-06 Express Train of Love Kitty
1925-02-13 Niniche Niniche
1924-03-01 Colibri Colibri
1922-02-24 Das Mädel mit der Maske Hothilde van Erlenkamp
1921-10-07 Amor am Steuer
1920-06-26 Kakadu und Kiebitz Ossi Schönbeck
1920-02-13 Hundemamachen Ossi
1920-02-06 The Housing Shortage Frau
1919-12-05 The Doll Ossi / The Doll
1919-06-26 The Oyster Princess Ossi, his daughter
1919-02-21 The Swabian Maiden Lorle Schmied
1919-01-24 My Wife, the Movie Star Ossi, der Filmstar der Fabrik
1919-01-17 Meyer from Berlin
1918-10-01 I Don't Want to Be a Man Ossi
1918-06-06 The Ballet Girl Ossi, eine junge Tänzerin
1918-03-01 The Toboggan Cavalier Ossi Hannemann
1918-01-01 Prinz Sami Herzogin Maria
1917-11-30 The Merry Jail
1917-11-16 When Four Do the Same Segetoffs Tochter
1917-10-05 Ossis Tagebuch Ossi
1917-02-09 A Night of Horror
1916-12-22 The Tenor, Inc. Sallys Cousin
1916-07-01 Der Hilferuf
1916-06-09 Pinkus's Shoe Palace Apprentice