Betty Nansen
Betty Nansen (née Betty Anna Maria Müller[1]) (19 March 1873 – 15 March 1943[2]) was a Danish actress and theatre director of the theater that carries her name, the Betty Nansen Theatre.
Betty Nansen | |
|---|---|
 Betty Nansen | |
| Born | Betty Anna Maria Müller 19 March 1873 |
| Died | 15 March 1943 (aged 69) |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, theatre director |
| Spouse(s) | Peter Nansen Henrik Bentzon |
Biography
She was born on 19 March 1873.
She had her debut in the fall of 1893 in Copenhagen's Casino Theater as the title character in Victorien Sardou's Dora.[1] She went on to play Magda in Hermann Sudermann's Homeland as well as the title character in Alexandre Dumas' The Lady of the Camellias.[1] In the fall of 1896 she changed to the Royal Danish Theatre, where she had her debut as Martha in Ibsen's The Pillars of Society.[1]
In 1913 to 1916, she went to the United States to try to make a career as a movie actress. She starred in a number of unsuccessful films by J. Gordon Edwards, e.g. Anna Karenina (which is now considered lost[3]) The Song of Hate, Should a Mother Tell, A Woman's Resurrection, and The Celebrated Scandal.[1]
After this failed attempt at movie stardom, she took over management of the Alexandra Theatre in Frederiksberg, which she went on to rename the Betty Nansen Theatre. She managed the theatre for 26 seasons until her death in 1943.[1]
In 1896, she married the writer, journalist and director of Gyldendal, Peter Nansen (1861–1918). Her second marriage was to the actor Henrik Bentzon.
She died on 15 March 1943, just 4 days shy of her 70th birthday.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | In the Line of Duty | Silent film (short) | ||
| 1913 | Paradise Lost | Silent film | ||
| 1913 | The Princess's Dilemma | Silent film | ||
| 1914 | Moderen | Silent film | ||
| 1914 | Was She Justified? | Silent film | ||
| 1914 | In the Hour of Temptation | Silent film | ||
| 1914 | The Fatal Oath | Silent film | ||
| 1914 | Eventyrersken | Baron esse Magda Gyldenkranzt | August Blom | Silent film (short) |
| 1915 | The Celebrated Scandal | Teodora | James Durkin | Silent film |
| 1915 | Anna Karenina | Anna Karenina | J. Gordon Edwards | Silent film |
| 1915 | A Woman's Resurrection | Katusha Maslova | J. Gordon Edwards | Silent film |
| 1915 | The Heart of Lady Alaine | Silent film | ||
| 1915 | Should A Mother Tell? | Marie Baudin | J. Gordon Edwards | Silent film |
| 1915 | The Song of Hate | Floria Tosca | J. Gordon Edwards | Silent film |
| 1916 | Sonnen | Gerda Krogh | August Blo | Silent film |
| 1917 | En ensom Kvinde | Rosa | August Blom | Silent film |
References
- "Betty Nansen". Danskefilm.dk. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
- Hans J. Wollstein (1994). Strangers in Hollywood: the history of Scandinavian actors in American films from 1910 to World War II. Scarecrow Press. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-8108-2938-1. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
- "Progressive Silent Film List: Anna Karenina (1915)". silentera.com. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
External links
- Betty Nansen at IMDb
- (in Danish) Betty Nansen Theatret (The Betty Nansen Theatre)
- Manuscript on Betty Nansen, undated, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts