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.

Some Saturday Follies.

Having taken an extra long weekend to burn up a glut of vacation days from work, I've finally had a chance to scan some of my vintage ephemera. I wanted to share a collection of photos of Anastasia Reilly, dancer with the Ziegfeld Follies and pal of Louise Brooks, who spoke glowingly of Reilly; leaving show business behind, she married Theodore Buhl (nephew of Flo Ziegfeld) in 1927 and moved to Grosse Pointe, Michigan where she was an editor of the local paper. She sadly succumbed to cancer in 1961 but left behind tales of a colorful life.

"Stasia", as she was affectionately known, age 16.

In Brooklyn, her stomping grounds.

With mother Hattie in Atlantic City.

With Paulette Goddard in the Follies era. According to handwritten notes on the reverse, "Stasia always said she (Paulette) had lousy legs!"

In riding gear. Stasia was incredibly fond of animals and had a cattery on her own property.

 

I've saved the best for last...you'll recognize who's writing the ticket:

Follies wheeling around in 1925. Stasia's own notes are on the back: "Gag shot taken at Ethel Shutta's house- where we spent a weekend. The "cop" next to the car is Louise Brooks- my pal- who married Eddie Sutherland."

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?