MovieChat Forums > Hitler - Eine Karriere (1977) Discussion > Can you identify this silent movie actre...

Can you identify this silent movie actress...



I know this is a rather strange question to asking about this particular movie, but it has been driving me a bit crazy. At around 30:12 of the film there is a clip from a an old movie, almost certainly a silent movie, with a stunningly beautiful actress dressed in a top hat, man's suit, and white bow tie. Her male companion is dressed as a female flapper, so it must be some kind of comedy. I've been looking at pictures of silent film actresses and can't identify her, Louise Brooks is closest, but I'm not so sure it's her.


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You posed this question nearly 18 months ago, so I don't imagine that you are expecting an answer or will ever see it....

Anyway, I have seen this film, but I cannot remember the scene to which you are referring. I can make an educated guess. Marlene (Marlena) Dietrich was born in Germany and began her film career there in the silent era. She was well known for the dressing up in male formal garb (particularly the tuxedo and top hat--and it was quite shocking at that time). That would be my guess, but your own guess suggests a certain level sophistication and knowledge of film, so forgive me if my answer is insultingly trite and obvious to you (if you see it at all, of course!!!).

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Thanks for giving it a shot! I don't think it was Dietrich, but I'll take another look.

Edited to add: I looked again (I have it on DVD) and it is not Dietrich. More dark eyed, dark short hair like Louise Brooks, but doesn't have that Brooks trademark bobbed haircut (but since she's in a tux maybe they hid that under the tophat). Oh well, maybe it is Brooks, maybe not.



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How did you happen to come upon my response 18 months after your question? The reason I ask is I would love to be able to tell if someone has answered one of my queries without going through every post of the last year or so. Is there some way to tell here? Maybe you have not put too many things out there and it was easy for you to check from time to time.

Anyway, I am now on a minor mission to get the answer for you. Thanks for not being offended and uppity about my absurd stab.

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Well if you click on nyctc7, under "recent posts by nyctc7" can you see over 20 pages of posts? Once in awhile I'll just page through the posts by clicking on "Show older posts" at the bottom. Eventually I may come to a post on a thread that I would like to re-visit. And often I will simply see a response to one of my posts because I am a 'regular' on that particular board, for example Seinfeld, visiting that board almost every day. It is as simple as that. But that seems too simple so maybe I'm not answering your question........?

Supposedly there is a way to get a notification to responses to your posts--on your profile note where it says near the top:


* By checking the notification boxes, you can choose to be alerted by e-mail when someone replies to your posts or sends you a private message.


I've never tried this. For one thing, on a long thread someone may reply to you by clicking "reply" on the OP or some other post rather than clicking "reply" on your particular post. You would receive no notification.



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Thanks...yes I was too lazy to check out your recent posts...I really appreciate the time you took to respond to me. You are a very decent fellow. Cheers.

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I don't believe that was a female. I believe it's a guy, dressed to look like a woman, dressed as a man. I think it was made pre-1933 and was determined by the Nazi regime to be 'degenerate art' and banned.

Hint: Might it have been Charlie Chaplin?

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Ethereal-Cloud, Don't know about Chaplin, but I just took another look and I am embarrassed to say I think you are right!

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