Pola Negri – the last vamp
Born Barbara Apolonia Chalupiec to a poor Polish family, Pola Negri was one of the greatest Hollywood stars of the Twenties and at one point the wealthiest woman in the film industry. A master of self-promotion, her hysterical behaviour at Valentino’s funeral and her supposed feud with rival silent movie actress Gloria Swanson kept her on the front pages as much as her acting and femme fatale looks. Lena Weber takes a look at an often forgotten Twenties star.
The woman sobbing hysterically and ‘fainting’ several times at film star Rudolph Vantino’s funeral was his ex-lover, Hollywood actress Pola Negri. Just days before she had caused a media sensation when she announced they had planned to marry. As a publicity stunt she had followed the train that carried his body from New York City to Los Angeles, posing for photographers at every stop.
Negri allegedly kept Valentino’s picture on her bedside table until her death, always insisting he had been the great love of her life, however her outrageous behaviour alienated most of Hollywood as well as her fans. It was the end of her Hollywood career, the era of the vamp was over.
Pola Negri was born in Poland in 1897. Her father had been arrested by the Russians and sent to Siberia, so her mother struggled to provide for the family on her own. Living in extreme poverty in Warsaw, Negri trained as a ballet dancer until she fell ill with tuberculosis. Turning to film and adopting the stage name Pola Negri after the Italian poet Ada Negri, Pola starred in a range of Polish films.
Her success allowed her to move to Germany where she starred in internationally successful films which in turn opened up work in Hollywood. After landing a contract with a Hollywood studio, Negri moved to the US in 19 22. With her exotic style of glamour, adapting the typical vampish look of heavily kohled eyes, bright red lips and coquettish short crop, Negri quickly became a star. She also attracted considerable attention from her male co-stars and had affairs with both Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino.
One of the most popular Hollywood actresses of the era, and certainly the richest woman of the movie industry at the time, Negri lived in a palace in Los Angeles, modelled after the White House.
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Category: 1920s and earlier, 1930s, Vintage news, Vintage Style Icons
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Lena, thanks for your great article about Pola Negri. I found it very interesting about your fathers connection to her and how you finally were able to piece it together. The picture of the woman clutching her pearls with the hat is not Pola but someone else. I am not sure who it is but others have used it saying it was Pola too. You can tell by the signature on the picture, even though I cannot read it, that it is anothers name. Thanks again for your article. Michael