"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.

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...

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.