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Greta Meyer

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Greta Meyer
Meyer in Bill Cracks Down (1937)
Born(1883-08-07)7 August 1883
Dessau, Germany
Died8 October 1965(1965-10-08) (aged 82)
Gardena, California, U.S.
NationalityGerman
OccupationActress
Years active1917–1942

Greta Meyer (7 August 1883 – 8 October 1965) was a German actress in motion pictures beginning in the silent film era.

Biography

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Meyer belonged to a German family that was comparable to the Barrymore family in America. At age 3 she debuted on stage with her father's stock company. She went on to perform in operettas and plays in Amsterdam, Berlin, Dresden, Vienna, and other cities in Europe. She sang for Austria's emperor and Kaiser Wilhelm, and she starred in The Merry Widow for the Count of Luxembourg.[1]

Her early film efforts came in films like De jantjes (1922) and Die Königsloge (1929).[2]

Meyer came to the United States as the star of an operetta company. When the operetta's run was completed, she stayed in New York, starring in The Bat and other plays. She began a German theater in New York, but anti-German feelings following World War I diminished attendance and caused protests, leading to the theater's closing. She went on to study Yiddish and to perform across the United States with a Yiddish Arts Theater stock company.[1]

At one point, without a job and short of funds, Meyer decided to return to Germany. She staged a farewell performance in New York City with little hope of a large audience. The performance sold out, and standing room was filled, enabling Meyer to pay all of her debts and retain $480. She went to Germany as planned but returned to America.[1]

In 1923, Meyer became a U.S. citizen.[3] Broadway plays in which she appeared included Auction Pinochle (1912) and Tonight or Never (1930).[4] Meyer appeared in many Hollywood movies between 1933 and 1942, including The Great Waltz (1938) and Bitter Sweet (1940).

In 1963, Meyer was evicted from her home at 505 North Westmount Drive, West Hollywood, California, when property owners decided to replace her old home with a new structure.[3] She moved in with a friend but had little place to store her acting memorabilia. Meyer contemplated a return to Germany.

She acted on the stage and in films for almost seventy years. Greta Meyer died in Gardena, California in 1965.

Partial filmography

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Barnes, Eleanor (2 December 1933). "Greta Meyer's Name Revered; Rich in Stage Experience". The Daily News. California, Los Angeles. p. 11. Retrieved 18 December 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Greta Meyer". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Eviction Roils Ex-Actress -- 'Going Back to Germany'". The Salt Lake Tribune. Associated Press. 12 July 1963. p. 8. Retrieved 18 December 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Greta Meyer". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  • Los Angeles Times, "Protests Eviction Method", July 11, 1963, Page 32.
  • Los Angeles Times, "Actress Fears Loss of Mementos", July 16, 1963, Page 2.
  • Lowell, Massachusetts Sun, "Hollywood Chatter", December 16, 1933, Page 11.
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