HOME INDEX
GERMAN MOVIE
THE GERMAN
MOVIE
MAIL English Version

 
Brigitte Horney


Foto: Yva (1900-1944)

1911 - 1988

.
.
The actress Brigitte Horney conquered the German film world of the 30's with her unique erotical charisma and could act in many rewarding movies.
She began her career with lessons for expressive dance by the legendary Mary Wigman, and at the same time she took acting lessons by the actress Ilka Grüning.

When she won the Max-Reinhardt up-and-coming prize she was engaged by Robert Siodmak for the movie "Abschied" (30).
Brigitte Horney knew early what she wanted and didn't allow that the glamour world of the film impressed her too much. She refused a contract with Ufa and continued appearing succesful on stages.

She continued her film career with "Fra Diavolo" (31), "Rasputin" (32) and "Ein Mann will nach Deutschland" (34) before she could celebrate her first personal triumphe with "Liebe, Tod und Teufel" (34). It followed the productions "Savoy-Hotel 217/Mord im Savoy" (36), the English movies "The House of the Spaniard" (36) and "Secret Lives" (37) as well as "Der Katzensteg" (37), "Anna Favetti" (38) and "Befreite Hände" (39).

When Brigitte Horney appeared at Joachim Gottschalk's side in the movie "Du und ich" (38) there came a splendid cooperation into being and they took part successful in other movies. They acted together in "Aufruhr in Damaskus" (39), "Eine Frau wie Du" (39) and eventually "Das Mädchen von Fanö" (40).
The cooperation was destroyed by the political circumstances in Germany. When Joachim Gottschalk was asked to leave he Jewish wife, the family Gottschalk committed suicide in 1941 - one day before the deportation.

Brigitte Horney took only part in few more movies till the end of war, so in "Illusion" (41), the large-scale production "Münchhausen" (43) and in "Am Ende der Welt" (44) before she went to Switzerland with her husband, the Russian cinematographer Konstantin Irmen-Tschet. There she came down with tuberculosis and the newspaper hasty announced her death in 1946.

After the war she first acted in Zurich and Basel, first movies followed in Austria. The post-war film offered her - with few exceptions - no demanding roles. In 1952 she moved to the USA where she got married Hanns Swarzenski and got the American nationality.
In the next years she appeared at different European theaters and acted occassionally in movies like "Solange Du da bist" (53), "Der letzte Sommer" (54) and "Der gläserne Turm" (57).

She only took part in three feature movies in the 60's - the successful production "Nacht fiel über Gotenhafen" (60), "Das Erbe von Björndal" (60) and "Ich suche einen Mann" (66). Apart from that she concentrated to the theater and television.

In the 70's and 80's there were above all serials in which she became very popular again for a new audience. Especially the wonderful serial "Jakob und Adele" (83-86) with a great Carl-Heinz Schroth but also the serials "Tom Sawyer" (79), "Teufels Grossmutter" (85) and "Das Erbe de Guldenburg" (86-88) brought her once more a late success.
 

Other movies with Brigitte Horney:
Heideschulmeister Uwe Karsten (33) Der ewige Traum/Der König des Montblanc (34) Blutsbrüder (34) Der grüne Domino (35) Stadt Anatol (36) Revolutionshochzeit (37) Verklungene Melodie (38) Ziel in den Wolken (38) Der Gouverneur (39) Feinde (40) Illusion (41) Geliebte Welt (42) Eine Frau am Wege (48) Verspieltes Leben/Ulyssa (49) Gefangene der Liebe (54) Geschlossene Gesellschaft (59) Eine etwas sonderbare Dame (60) Ein Stern in einer Sommernacht (61) Daphne Laureola (62) Dann geh zu Thorp (63) Antonia (68) Paradies der alten Damen (70) Die Auferstehung des Stefan Stejanow (71) Das Geheimnis der alten Mamsell (72) Die Vitrine (72) Serie "Der Kommissar: Tod eines Hippiemädchens" (73) Serie "Der Kommissar: Jähes Ende einer interessanten Beziehung" (74) Serie "Strychnin und saure Drops" (74) Serie "Derrick: Eine Nacht im Oktober" (77) Serie "Heidi" (77) Serie "Der Alte: Der Alte schlägt zweimal zu (77) Serie "Eichholz und Söhne (77) Haus der Frauen (78) Kleine bunte Freudenspender (78) Wo die Liebe hinfällt (78) Einzelzimmer (79) Wunder einer Nacht (79) Serie "Derrick: Die Entscheidung" (80) Teegebäck und Platzpatronen (80) Charlotte (80) Die Karten lügen nicht (81) Serie "Billy (81) Serie "Der Alte: Teufelsküche" (82) Serie "Urlaub am Meer: Am Rande der Ewigkeit" (82) Serie "So oder so ist das Leben" (82) Bella Donna (82) Serie "Rendezvous der Damen: Der Kavalier" (83) Ein Mord liegt auf der Hand (83) Serie "Das Traumschiff: Der Falschspieler" (83) Mamas Geburtstag (84) Serie "Alte Gauner: Die grosse Prüfung" (85) 


 
Back