CHARLOTTE SUSA : GERMAN STAGE AND FILM ACTRESS : SIGNED BY MGM AS RIVAL TO GRETA GARBO

This vintage real photo postcard features German actress, Charlotte Susa (1898-1976). Sosa was very pretty and the “look” she gives the camera indicates that she knew it. She certainly has a sultry appearance in that dress. Susa was born in Memel, East Prussia. One of her parents was Italian and the other was Swiss. Her first stage appearance was in 1915. She began a successful career as both a singer and an actress. She played in a number of German opera and operetta venues. Her film debut occurred in 1926 with an appearance in a German silent movie. She became a popular actress and appeared in many femme fatale roles. After the advent of sound films, Susa began assuming leading roles.  In 1932 she signed with MGM, relocated to the United States, and started an international film career. One newspaper columnist of the time wrote that Susa, Lilian Harvey, Anna Sten, and Henry Garat were all important “foreign talents” that were joining Hollywood pictures. Susa was projected to be a rival to Greta Garbo. Success in Hollywood did not come to fruition. She cancelled her contract in 1934. She stopped acting  in films but returned to the stage after World War II.  Susa, like many film stars, had multiple marriages. Susa stopped replacing husbands after her third marriage. Her third husband was Andrews Engelmann (1901-1992), a Russian born German actor. He appeared in German and British films during his career. Charlotte Susa died in Basel, Switzerland. The IMDb reports Susa had thirty-six film credits ranging from 1926 to 1941. This postcard portrait was photographed by H. Gartner and published by Ross Verlag as part of a series (no.5309/1). Eichberg Films is credited on this postcard. Richard Eichberg (1888-1952) began his career as an actor but became a succssful film director and producer in the German film industry. He directed 87 films and produced 77 films. At the time that Susa’s photograph was taken for this postcard, she was employed by Eichberg’s company.  (SOLD)

Published in: on September 3, 2020 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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