Of rats and autograph seekers.

What a treat in celebration of Edith Meinhard's birthday this year! News is a rarity, but thanks to a fellow fan in the Louise Brooks Society Facebook group (cheers, Susanne!), we can at last fill in some biographical gaps. In 1947, Edith married a man named Evald Verner Jensen, which tracks with listings I had previously found in West Berlin phone books in the 1960s. 

The above was taken from the 1968-69 phone book, which would be the last time she was listed. Edith passed away on June 26, 1968, at the age of 59. (Thanks also to Matthaus Edinger for this information.)

Also thanks to the LBS group, I came across a 1931 interview she had done for Mein Film magazine. Her charm and talent was recognized by many, and rightfully so. Without further ado, please enjoy!

(Unfortunately I only know a few German words, so the following has been automatically translated, then edited for clarity to the best of my ability. Apologies for any awkwardness herein, some things don't work out smoothly into English. I've also included scans of my personal copy for posterity.)

    I am extremely happy to be immortalized in your beautiful anniversary edition, and I would like to take the opportunity to tell you that I "got hooked” early on. My first film appearance was at the age of ten, and I was chosen by Maxim Film, who were filming an adaptation of Felix Hollander's novel "The Dancer", to play the role of the hero as a young boy. With my beguiling violin playing I could lure the rats out of their hiding places!

    God, was I scared of those rats! Even though I had made up my mind, oh, to be so brave, it took a while before I got used to the rats, and until the rats got used to me.

    This first role brought me great success and I was delighted to be able to admire my picture in all the postcard shops! And then came the high point of my ten-year existence: I was asked for an autograph! I was blessed! That seemed to me to be the culmination of fame!

    I have since overcome this overwhelming first request for my autograph, but I am always happy when I receive nice autograph letters. And for the fun of your kind readers, I will reproduce the following letter from two dear boys that I recently received:

Well-born, beautiful, gracious diva, you, our favorite film star, Edith Meinhardt!

Two of your biggest admirers send greetings and wish you the best of luck with all your films. We've seen such wonderful films with you and we cannot fail to write to you. We ask and implore you, beautiful diva, to give us two beautiful autographs. Please, please, be so good - there are no photos here, we beg you to provide some for us, and yet we hope that you are good to us, our joy would be immense. Please, please, if you can, I, Gustav B., would like a photo where you are already grown up [?], please, please, my dear one, where you can show more of your wonderful figure. Please see what you can do.

    Isn't that nice?

    I send my warmest greetings to your charming readers and the gracious editorial team, and I wish you continued well-deserved success!

I couldn't write her for an autograph, but I'm lucky to have one just the same.

"Ring twice."

It's been a long time (nearly two and a half years!) since I last posted about Edith Meinhard, largely due to a lack of new information, but I've been spurred on by recent social media activity to share more items from my collection. I thought I'd follow up on this post with photos from Voruntersuchung, a highly recommended film if you've only seen Edith in Diary of a Lost Girl. In addition to the DVD linked in that post, there is also a Spanish-subtitled version on the Internet Archive. The captions are translations of the snipes found on the back of each photo.

"The witnesses are waiting to be questioned." Edith is seated on the far left.

"Albert Bassermann (examining magistrate) interrogates Charlotte Ander (his daughter)."

"The accused before the examining magistrate."

"The real killer is caught in the courtroom."

"Sound film recording in the streets of Berlin. Under the microphone, Gustav Frohlich and Hans Brausewetter."

Page from the Voruntersuchung program, with Edith's Mella Ziehr pictured in a happier time.

The film has fine performances all around, particularly from Albert Bassermann. This was my introduction to Bassermann, and until I attended a nitrate screening of The Red Shoes two years ago I had no idea he acted in any English-language films! He's also great in Alfred Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent, which now tempts me to rewatch with a giant bowl of popcorn...

Ein autogramm?

A short time ago I acquired this lovely photo postcard of Edith Meinhard:

Advertised as an autographed photo, it was likely taken between 1937 and 1940 in the midst of some of her most prominent film roles. However, prolonged inspection of the "autograph" along the left margin reveals that it is anything but. The scale of the writing, the placement and the unusual penmanship (a cursive H written as an F?) just don't add up. Compare this to her actual autograph:

I purchased the photo knowing that it wasn't inscribed with an autograph, but it's still a great, rare image, and a fine addition to a slowly growing collection.

As a bonus, the Anny Ondra/Max Schmeling vehicle Knock Out- Ein junges Mädchen, ein junger Mann is now available to stream in full on Archive.org! Edith only appears in the first 25 minutes of the film, playing catty showgirl Melitta; though one of her many small roles, she makes it memorable.

She's got the look.

In the cards.

While Edith Meinhard may not have been a superstar in her heyday, she did have fans who sought out her autograph, received substantial press for even minor roles, and was popular enough to be included on collectible cigarette cards. 

Borg cigarette card, ca. 1932.

Macedonia cigarette card, early 1930s. Love the hat!

These are the only two cards currently in my collection, but there is at least a third card that has been produced (number 18 in the linked Aurelia series). For anyone who may be interested, Edith's card from the Macedonia series is available for purchase on eBay (number 42 in the pulldown menu) as of the date of this post. I'm curious to learn more about the photographer behind these images, Yva. What a fascinating (though ultimately tragic) life and career.

Second dance.

Edith Meinhard is best known for her Weimar-era work, most notably 1929's Tagebuch einer Verlorenen (Diary of a Lost Girl), but she also held status as a featured player with major German film studio UFA in the late 1930s. Unlike the few UFA projects she completed earlier in the decade (such as 1931's Voruntersuchung), these roles were relatively minor, but she received substantial press just the same.

               Top photo, Edith is on the top left. Bottom photo, Edith is second from right (the "3"). Photo credit.

A lovely, lucky recent find.

Another acquisition, a promotional photo for 1939's Hallo Janine!

Het Weekblad, 1935

No major findings to report on the Edith Meinhard front, but while strolling the usual searches, I came across this snippet from the Dutch magazine Het Weekblad:

Interesting that it gives her birthday as November 4th instead of November 22nd, and that it names the two films for which she is still known for her most substantial roles, Diary of a Lost Girl and Voruntersuchung. It may prove useful to scope out Dutch film archives and databases...

The enchanting Jeanette.

The new year has brought another treasure to light! My latest eBay acquisition is a copy of Zeitgeschehen Unsere Illustrierte, a German publication covering current events, including upcoming film releases. This particular issue included an article on Musketier Meier III, which features Edith Meinhard in a minor role as Jeanette. Despite the bit part, she received a healthy dose of attention from the press:

Scan from Zeitgeschehen Unsere Illustrierte, featuring a lovely, rare promotional portrait of Edith (forgive the crease).

Article from Filmwoche, February 9, 1938.

Scan from the Musketier Meier III film program.

Die schleiertänzerin.

I had hoped to have a post ready for Edith Meinhard's birthday last Sunday, but family and work obligations put things on hold. New information is as scarce as ever, but I do have scans from a recently-acquired film program for Die Schleiertänzerin. The film was released in 1929, shortly after Tagebuch einer Verlorenen (Diary of a Lost Girl), and sadly is presumed lost.

The program is quite weathered and worse for wear, but it's another way to highlight the importance of preserving films and film ephemera regardless of condition. If there's sufficient interest I can and will continue to upload scans of film programs and other memorabilia. Why keep it to myself? It belongs to anyone and everyone. I'm thankful for film databases and social media groups that unite fans (and even industry professionals) and promote a continued interest in film history and the people who built it.

Also of interest, there is a new cut of Diary available from Kino. The print is crisp, clear, and luminous; Louise Brooks and Edith are both at their best. Thomas Gladysz of the Louise Brooks Society provides commentary on this edition, which includes the bonus short Windy Riley Goes Hollywood (Brooks speaks!).

More to come...

From film to canvas.

At last I can reveal the fruits of my labor! Though I took art classes all the way through college, I have somehow never painted a portrait...until now. No real surprise whom I've chosen to paint:

[Top to bottom] The finished product; the photo I used as a model (a promo shot from 1929's Tagebuch einer Verlorenen).

I had actually completed most of the painting by mid-July but had to set it aside for numerous reasons, mostly that I didn't want to overwork and derail my progress. I'll need to get a better photo of the painting eventually, one that better showcases the details. Not a picture-perfect replica, and more of a stylized piece (new mantra: when in doubt, Art Deco), but I feel rather pleased with the end result. More to come soon! Take care.

More rare gems.

New information on Edith Meinhard is still as scarce as ever, but I have made a couple of relevant acquisitions recently. Featured below are promotional portraits for the 1931 film Voruntersuchung, notably starring Gustav Frohlich of Metropolis fame. Having been made available for the first time in at least three years, I knew I had to make them mine. Edith is Mella Ziehr, a prostitute who returns home one morning to the scene of a grisly murder, the memory of which torments her through the duration of the film. Her social status is largely irrelevant; she is treated with dignity (except by the detectives, of course) and becomes a sympathetic character. Another great performance by Edith, and one of the few surviving films in which she has a substantial role. There is a DVD available with optional English subtitles, and it's well worth a watch.

Signed, sealed, delivered.

Things have been quiet on the Edith Meinhard front for a while...that is, until I found this gem on eBay:

Most Edith-related auctions that come up are either film programs or DVDs, but my jaw dropped when I saw this photo postcard. It just had to be mine. The autograph is original, and most likely done around the same time the postcard was produced (early-to-mid-1930s). It seems that Edith was well-known and well-renowned enough to have fans seeking her autograph, and how comforting to know that she received the appreciation she deserved. Who knows what other treasures may be out there?

Little treasures...

I apologize for the minimal posting as of late. I took a full-time job just over two months ago, which forces me to be selective in what I do with what little free time I now have. Admittedly it's been difficult to find fulfillment and balance in my life as a result, but I'm bound and determined to keep my passions alive. One of my many wintertime projects is to scan the various paper ephemera and photographs I've collected over the years, for posterity and, more importantly, to share them with the world.


On with the show! Today's feature is a program from the Scala cabaret theater in Berlin, which was built in 1920 and with a great stroke of luck managed to survive most of the Nazi occupation; the theater faced severe destruction in 1943 and the remaining stages were shut down by the end of August, 1944.

If you look closely at the second scan, you'll recognize at least one of those names, and thus the reason for this post:

It seems that Edith Meinhard didn't give up theater after her 1928 film debut, but rather split her time between the stage and the silver screen. She worked with several of these actors in films: Hellmuth Kruger in Kabarett-Programm Nr. 3 (one of Kurt Gerron's short variety films), Rudolf Platte in Der Blaufuchs, and Else Reval in Der Herzensphotograph, Rote Orchideen, and Der andere Mann. My research hasn't turned up a great deal of information on her theater work in general, but programs like this provide invaluable information.

In the future I will have scans from various film programs, mostly from her films that have been lost or are otherwise unavailable for viewing. If anyone has more information regarding the Scala's programming or on Berlin theater in general, or if you have any information on Edith, feel free to share. Your thoughts are always welcome.

Another treasure unearthed...

Recently I've received a couple of comments from others interested in the lovely Edith Meinhard, which is wonderful! I haven't given up on her, but it's been tough to find any new information as of late...in English, that is. Using the right keywords makes all the difference, and tonight they've led me to a lovely surprise in an issue of Das Magazin from 1928:

I hope to have more updates for you soon, major or minor. I do keep her filmography post updated as new films become available to stream or purchase. Many thanks for the wonderful feedback!

Oh, could she dance...

Sadly, there have been no major advances in my search for more information about Edith Meinhard's career...but I've come across a couple of interesting clippings that detail time spent working the cabaret circuit. Seeing her dance (and even sing) in films like Die Austernlilli, Hallo Janine!, and Musketier Meier III, I had a hunch that she had had some theater experience. It turns out that she was rubbing elbows with the likes of Rudolf Nelson and Kurt Gerron (her collaborator/co-star on several film projects).

The original source notes that this illustration is from a performance of "Glück muß man haben!"in 1930 at Rudolf Nelson's theater on Kurfürstendamm. Gerron is second from left, Meinhard is furthest right.

I still have a great deal of research ahead of me with regard to Berlin's cabaret scene, but I did find an advertisement from 1927 (with thanks to Google Books) in Rudolf Hösch's Kabarett von Gestern:

She was listed as a dancer in the first show, which confirms my suspicions, though I'd like to know what her role was in the Ilse Bois show. Perhaps it was one of her cabaret performances that caught the eye of a film executive...

I have also updated her filmography post, and will continue to do so as more of her films become available.

Catch her if you can: Edith Meinhard's filmography

Apologies for yet another delay; life loves to get in the way of itself. I've been in constant "sponge" mode over the past several months, taking in films of all kinds as a means of expanding my film knowledge (still quite basic at this point). My summertime research of Edith Meinhard's career came to a standstill for two reasons: distraction by other projects/interests, and the inability to procure more information about her career or whereabouts. Not being in Germany or versed in the German language has been an insurmountable challenge; as I have no personal or biological connection to Edith, access to any pertinent records is nigh on impossible. The best way to examine her career remains the films themselves, and despite the aforementioned language barrier, it's been an enjoyable journey thus far. I've listed all of her feature-length films below, noting ones that are available on DVD/streaming video for anyone interested in following her career. (Edith's full filmography, which includes several short films, can be found on IMDB.)

Updated May 31, 2015

Ritter der Nacht
Der Herzensphotograph
Manner ohne Beruf
Tagebuch einer Verlorenen (Diary of a Lost Girl)- available on DVD courtesy Kino
Die Schleiertanzerin
Der Mann im Dunkel
Ein Freundin so goldig wie Du
Voruntersuchung*
Meine Frau, die Hochstaplerin
Rasputin*
Kampf um Blond
Die unsichtbare Front*
Zigeunerblut*
Knock-Out (Ein junges Madchen, ein junger Mann)*
Der schuchterne Casanova*
Der Favorit der Kaiserin*
Spiel an Bord*
Weisse Sklaven (Panzerkreuzer Sebastopol)*- also streaming at archive.org
Gleisdreieck*
Man spricht uber Jacqueline*
Die Austernlilli*
Der Unwiderstehliche*
Das Ehesanatorium
Mit versiegelter Order*
Musketier Meier III*
Grossalarm*
Mordsache Holm*
Verwehte Spuren*
Rote Orchideen*
Der Fall Deruga*
Ein Mädchen geht an Land* 
Der Blaufuchs*
Die Nacht der Entscheidung/Die Brucke ins Leben
Der Florentiner Hut*
Hallo Janine*
Der Polizeifunk meldet*
Wer küßt Madeleine?*
Wir tanzen um die Welt*
Weisser Flieder*
Jenny und der Herr im Frack- available through eBay (region 2 DVD only)
Ein Mann mit Grundsatzen?*

*available from Rare Films and More (formerly German War Films), who update their film library regularly

Update: Edith Meinhard

My research and pursuit of Miss Meinhard's film career has continued over the past month, largely yielding no major results. However, thanks to a tip from Ray, there is a glimmer of hope: Berlin phone records from 1961-1969 list an Edith Jensen-Meinhard, whose occupation is given as "Schauspielerin" (actress). Contrary to North American surname formatting, women who hyphenate their names upon marriage can apparently write their name in either order (so it seems after some lightning-quick research...feel free to correct me). If this is the case, this listing may in fact be our Edith. I have yet to find any other records, under Edith Meinhard-Jensen or Edith Jensen-Meinhard, that verify this hunch, nor can I identify this Mr. Jensen. There is also a gap that remains between 1943 and 1961; though I can't account for her whereabouts, it doesn't seem that she ever left Germany. Hamburg phone records from the late 1970s list an Edith Meinhardt (no occupation given), but she may be someone else altogether.

On another note, I've been able to view several of her films, with thanks to German War Films, and get better insight into her roles. A few mainstream DVDs are available, at least a dozen others thanks to the aforementioned GWF, and a couple films are available for streaming online. Her most prominent role (aside from Diary's Erika) was Lou in 1931's Der Mann im Dunkel, the highest billing of her career; sadly, the film is not available to the public. Most of her roles place her into one of two categories: server/maid, in which she's given very little to do or say, or singer/dancer, which is a delight. Her speaking voice is a warm purr, and her singing voice much the same. I have three more of her films coming my way shortly, and I'm hoping more will become available soon. More developments to come...

Whatever happened to...?: Edith Meinhard

Meinhard, Miss "3", helping UFA ring in 1938. Image courtesy KHM Bilddatenbank. 

If you've seen G.W. Pabst's Diary of a Lost Girl (Tagebuch einer Verlorenen), chances are good that Louise Brooks either led you to the film itself or won you over in the viewing process. However, there's a sly and spry costar that threatens to steal the show: Thymian's friend Erika, played by relative unknown Edith Meinhard. On a whim, I decided to dig deeper into Ms. Meinhard's background and repertoire...only to find that, sadly, there is next to no information about her. She was born Edith Kötteritzsch in Berlin in 1908, and after a couple of minor roles signed on with Pabst in 1929. From what I can tell, she was mostly relegated to bit parts in the '30s and '40s, though she has a fairly prominent role in 1931's Voruntersuchung, starring Gustav Fröhlich of Metropolis fame. Very few of her films can be found online, despite tireless searching, but the clips that I was able to find present an increasingly controlled and sanitized cinema experience as the Third Reich took its dark grip.

All film companies (and as a result, all entertainers and directors) were subject to intense scrutiny under Joseph Goebbels, then the Minister of Propaganda. Many entertainers employed throughout the Third Reich had no choice but to comply...anti-Nazi sentiment of any kind had dire consequences. Meinhard was working in Germany through most of the Nazi occupation, but that says nothing about her political beliefs. Her last credited role was in 1941's detective comedy Jenny und der Herr im Frack, and after a final (uncredited) part in 1943...she simply disappears. It's heartbreaking to think that someone can vanish almost completely unnoticed. I cannot find anything about her beyond film credits; no date of death (if any, though I'm hard-pressed to believe that she's still alive at the age of 103), no relatives, no marriage records, no other apparent name changes, no interviews or other press. Zilch. If you happen to have any information about Edith Meinhard (sometimes credited as Edith Meinhardt), feel free to contact me or leave a comment. In the meantime, the search continues...