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Anita Berber


Foto: Alexander Binder (1888-1929)

1899 - 1928

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The actress and dancer Anita Berber is the epitome of the Roaring 20's which she lived up till to excess.

After an acting and dance education in 1915 she made her debut as a dancer one year later in Berlin. She soon became a wicked star of the Berlin night life because of her nude dances and behaviour. Cocaine, morphine and alcohol were her companions. She appeared among others in the Wintergarten as well as the Apollo theater. Her personality soon attracted attention to other well-known personalities like Otto Dix who portrayed her. She was also an example of the world of fashion as well as for contemporary women who liked to copy her appearance. Anita Berber wore pants as the first woman and they called this fashion trend "à la Berber".

She made her film debut in 1918 with "Das Dreimäderlhaus" (18), typically as a dancer. 
In the next years came many other productions into being which established her as an actress.
To these movies belong "Dida Ibsens Geschichte" (18), "Die Reise um die Erde in 80 Tagen" (19), "Peer Gynt" (19), "Anders als die Andern" (19) and "Unheimliche Geschichten" (19). 

In the 20s followed other great successes on the big screen, especially for director Richard Oswald. She often worked together with the actors Conrad Veidt and Reinhold Schünzel.
To her movies of those years belong "Nachtgestalten" (20), "Der Schädel der Pharaonentochter" (20), "Lucifer" (21), "Der Graf von Cagliostro" (21), "Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler" (22), "Lucrezia Borgia" (22), "Irrlichter der Tiefe" (23) and "Ein Walzer von Strauss" (25). 

Her premature death in 1928 because of tuberculosis made her a legend of the Weimarer republic. Anita Berber was married three times in her brief life.
 

Other movies with Anita Berber:
Die Prostitution, 1. Teil: Das gelbe Haus (19) Yoshiwara, die Liebesstadt der Japaner (20) Der Falschspieler (20) Verfehltes Leben (21) Die Nacht der Mary Murton (21) Die goldene Pest (21) Schminke (22) Die vom Zirkus (22) Im Kampf mit dem unsichtbaren Feind (22) Wien, du Stadt der Lieder (23) Die drei Marien und der Herr von Marana (23) Moderne Tänze (23) Die Zirkusdiva (24)



Ihre Popularität in den 20er Jahren wiederspiegelt sich auch in der Umsetzung einiger Porzellanfiguren von Constantin Holzer-Defanti (1881-1951) basierend auf ihren Darstellungen. Auch der Maler Otto Dix schuf von Anita Berber das berühmte Bild der Dame in Rot mit stark gealtertem Gesicht. Nachstehend zwei Porzellanfiguren von Holzer-Defanti, teilweise in unterschiedlichen Farbfassungen.

Links ein Foto von Alexander Binder (1888-1929), rechts die Porzellanfigur von Constantin Holzer-Defanti.

Anita Berber Porzellanfigur von Constantin Holzer-Defanti in Monochrom.

Anita Berber Porzellanfigur von Constantin Holzer-Defanti mit Farbfassung.

Anita Berber Porzellanfigur von Constantin Holzer-Defanti mit Farbfassung.

Anita Berber Porzellanfigur von Constantin Holzer-Defanti mit Farbfassung.

 
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