Elissa Landi
Biography: Elissa Landi (December 6, 1904 – October 21, 1948) was an Italian born actress who was popular in Hollywood films of the 1920s and 1930s. Rumoured to be a descendant of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, she was noted for her aristocratic bearing. Born Elisabeth Marie Christine Kühnelt in Venice, Landi was raised in Austria and educated in England. Her first ambition was to be a writer, and she wrote her first novel at the age of twenty. She would return to writing during lulls in her acting career. She joined the Oxford Repertory Company at an early age, appearing in many British and American stage successes. During the 1920s she appeared in British, French, and German films before travelling to the United States to appear in a Broadway production of A Farewell to Arms. She was signed to a contact by Fox Film Corporation (later 20th Century Fox) in 1931. She played the heroine in Cecil B. De Mille's The Sign of the Cross (1932), but was overshadowed by Claudette Colbert who played the flashier role of Poppea. She was paired successfully with some of the major leading men, such as David Manners, Charles Farrell, Warner Baxter, and Ronald Colman in romantic dramas such as Body and Soul (1931) before appearing in the box office hit The Count of Monte Cristo (1934) with Robert Donat. Her contract with Fox was abruptly cancelled in 1936 as a result of her refusal to accept a particular role. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer signed her to a contract and after a couple of romantic dramas she played the cousin of Myrna Loy in the very popular After the Thin Man (1936). After only two more films she retired, in 1943. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1943, and dedicated herself to writing, producing six novels and a series of poems. She died from cancer in Kingston, New York, and was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Elissa Landi has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to Motion Pictures, at 1615 Vine St. Description above from the Wikipedia article Elissa Landi, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Place of Birth: Not available
Birthday: December 06, 1904
Deathday: October 21, 1948
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Known For
Underground
1928-07-01
Underground
Overview: A working-class love story set in and around the London Underground of the 1920s. Two men – gentle Bill and brash Bert – meet and are attracted to the same woman on the same day at the same Underground station. But the lady chooses Bill, and Bert isn't the type to take rejection lightly...
Genres: Drama Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1928-07-01
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After the Thin Man
1936-12-25
After the Thin Man
Overview: Nick and Nora Charles investigate when Nora's cousin reports her disreputable husband is missing, and find themselves in a mystery involving the shady owners of a popular nightclub, a singer and her dark brother, the cousin's forsaken true love, and Nora's bombastic and controlling aunt.
Genres: Comedy Mystery Crime
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1936-12-25
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The Count of Monte Cristo
1934-09-06
The Count of Monte Cristo
Overview: After greedy men have Edmound Dantes unjustly imprisoned for 20 years for innocently delivering a letter entrusted to him, he escapes to revenge himself on them.
Genres: Drama Adventure
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1934-09-06
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Devil's Lottery
1932-03-27
Devil's Lottery
Overview: Intricate, soapy drama of romance, heartbreak, and murder amongst a diverse group of sweepstakes winners visiting a newspaper tycoon's estate.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1932-03-27
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The Sign of the Cross
1932-11-30
The Sign of the Cross
Overview: After burning Rome, Emperor Nero decides to blame the Christians, and issues the edict that they are all to be caught and sent to the arena. Two old Christians are caught, and about to be hauled off, when Marcus, the highest military official in Rome, comes upon them. When he sees their stepdaughter Mercia, he instantly falls in love with her and frees them. Marcus pursues Mercia, which gets him into trouble with Emperor (for being easy on Christians) and with the Empress, who loves him and is jealous.
Genres: Drama History
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1932-11-30
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Enter Madame
1935-01-04
Enter Madame
Overview: Man marries opera singer, winds up taking back seat to her career.
Genres: Action Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1935-01-04
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The Yellow Ticket
1931-10-30
The Yellow Ticket
Overview: A young Russian girl is forced into a life of prostitution in Czarist Russia, and she and a British journalist find their lives endangered when she reveals to him information regarding the social crimes rampant in her country.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1931-10-30
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Mad Holiday
1936-11-13
Mad Holiday
Overview: A temperamental film star's vacation turns deadly when he uncovers a murder.
Genres: Mystery Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1936-11-13
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By Candlelight
1933-12-18
By Candlelight
Overview: A beautiful woman mistakes a Prince's butler for the Prince.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1933-12-18
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The Thirteenth Chair
1937-05-07
The Thirteenth Chair
Overview: A phony psychic tries to solve a murder that took place during her seance.
Genres: Mystery
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1937-05-07
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Wicked
1931-10-04
Wicked
Overview: Margot Rande, a basically decent woman, is led down the path to perdition by her bank robber husband.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1931-10-04
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Sin
1928-09-16
Sin
Overview: A married writer's luck turns when he gets a play produced at Théâtre de Paris. He meets the femme fatale who should play the lead in his play. Passion and conflict occurs.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: sv
Release Date: 1928-09-16
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Crimson Dynasty
1935-12-04
Crimson Dynasty
Overview: Koenigsmark is a 1935 British-French drama film directed by Maurice Tourneur and starring Elissa Landi, John Lodge and Pierre Fresnay. The film is based on the novel Koenigsmark by Pierre Benoît. It's sets were designed by the art director Lucien Aguettand. The film was known in the United States as Crimson Dynasty.
Genres: Drama History
Original Language: fr
Release Date: 1935-12-04
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Man of Two Worlds
1934-01-13
Man of Two Worlds
Overview: A British explorer brings an Eskimo hunter to London, where he misreads a woman.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1934-01-13
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Hollywood Party
1937-04-03
Hollywood Party
Overview: Elissa Landi and Charley Chase host an East Asian themed garden tea party in Hollywood. After introducing a few Hollywood luminaries who are attending the party, they present a number of musical and/or dance performances to entertain the crowd. This set of performances also includes ethnic Chinese actress Anna May Wong modeling some fashions she brought back from her first ever trip to China. Through it all, one of the guests, already inebriated, is having a few problems mixing and serving the cocktails he wants.
Genres: Comedy Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1937-04-03
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The Masquerader
1933-09-03
The Masquerader
Overview: A drug-addicted member of Parliament needs to take time off and secretly pull his life together, so he gets his lookalike cousin to agree to temporarily assume his identity.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1933-09-03
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I Loved You Wednesday
1933-06-15
I Loved You Wednesday
Overview: Vicki Meredith, an American ballet student in Paris, falls in love with Randall Williams, another American studying architecture in Paree, and they set up some light housekeeping together until she learns that Randall has forgotten to mention that he has a wife back in the USA. This miffs Vicki to the point where she ups and heads for South America where she meets and falls in love with Philip Fletcher, a construction engineer from America. But he hustles off to build Boulder Dam. They meet again in New York City and discover their separation has made their love even stronger. Then, Randall and his wife show up and sophistication rears its ugly head.
Genres: Drama Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1933-06-15
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Without Regret
1935-09-13
Without Regret
Overview: In order to save herself while in China, a woman marries a young drifter and is able to return to England. Later, believing that her new husband is dead, she marries a wealthy man. Her new husband's ex-girlfriend, learning of the woman's past and that her first husband is indeed alive, threatens to expose the new wife as a bigamist.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1935-09-13
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The Warrior's Husband
1933-04-28
The Warrior's Husband
Overview: The Warrior's Husband is a satire of the male and female roles in society set in 800 B.C.. Queen Hippolyta (Marjorie Rambeau) rules Pontus with masculine authority; in fact, it is the women of Pontus who do all the laboring, fighting, and governing. Hippolyta's husband Sapiens (Ernest Truex) is truly a sissy of the first order, and is not unlike most of Pontus' male inhabitants.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1933-04-28
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London
1927-06-20
London
Overview: A Lady adopts a runaway slum girl who resembles her own dead daughter.
Genres: Drama Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1927-06-20
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A Passport to Hell
1932-08-25
A Passport to Hell
Overview: Just prior to the outbreak of World War I, in the British West African town of Akkra, English woman Myra Carson becomes involved in a scandal and is deported. While Myra's ship is docked at Duala, in German West Africa, the war breaks out and she finds herself facing internment by the Germans.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1932-08-25
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Always Goodbye
1931-05-24
Always Goodbye
Overview: Stranded and broke after her erstwhile boyfriend leaves her, A onetime London heiress joins a con man to bilk a millionaire at his Italian villa. Little do they realize that he knows full well who they are after being tipped off by Scotland Yard.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1931-05-24
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Body and Soul
1931-02-22
Body and Soul
Overview: Andress, Watson and Johnson, pilots with a Royal Air Force squadron in France, are tasked with a deadly mission.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1931-02-22
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The Amateur Gentleman
1936-04-26
The Amateur Gentleman
Overview: A former boxing champion, now an innkeeper, is accused of stealing a watch from a party of guests at his inn, who happen to be members of English royalty. The old man is arrested and thrown in prison. His son, knowing that his father didn't steal the watch and suspecting a frame-up, follows the royal party to London, where he poses as a wealthy "gentleman" and insinuates himself into the English court in an effort to find out who framed his father and why.
Genres: Adventure
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1936-04-26
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Corregidor
1943-03-29
Corregidor
Overview: A doctor and his staff in a hospital on the Philippine island of Corregidor shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor try to treat the sick, injured and wounded as American and Filipino troops desperately try to beat back a ferocious Japanese attack.
Genres: Action Drama War
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1943-03-29
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The Woman in Room 13
1932-05-15
The Woman in Room 13
Overview: Divorcee Laura marries Paul but his employer is also enamored with Laura and sends Paul on a business trip during which a murder is committed and he is accused of the crime.
Genres: Mystery
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1932-05-15
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The Voice of Hollywood
1930-08-30
The Voice of Hollywood
Overview: The Voice of Hollywood hosted by Pat O'Brien. Features Joan Blondell, Robert Montgomery, Elissa Landi, Warner Baxter, and the coronation of Mary Pickford as "Queen of the Arts." It is not currently clear which number in the series this is because it isn't on IMDB or any listing).
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1930-08-30
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Bolibar
1928-06-26
Bolibar
Overview: Hessian officers' flirtations with an artist's daughter accidentally give signals to the attacking English.
Genres: War Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1928-06-26
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Children of Chance
1930-11-20
Children of Chance
Overview: A casual date at a high-class hotel leads Binnie, an aspiring showgirl, to be mistaken for model and actress Lia de Marita – landing her an audition for the producer of a new musical stage show. Marvelling at her good fortune, what Binnie doesn't know is that Lia is also the wife of a notorious jewel thief and that she's already fled the country in possession of a valuable, ill-gotten necklace!
Genres: Crime Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1930-11-20
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The Price of Things
1930-07-02
The Price of Things
Overview: Courtenay John Dayre is drugged by a jealous spy on the night before his loveless marriage to Anthea. His twin, John Courtenay Dayre, reluctantly agrees to impersonate his brother at the wedding, only to discover a genuine affection for his accidental wife. Meanwhile, Courtenay begins to understand the price of things when he realises that his affair has allowed a valuable military secret to be stolen.
Genres: Drama Crime
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1930-07-02
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Knowing Men
1930-02-01
Knowing Men
Overview: Facing an arranged marriage to a man of dubious morals, heiress Korah Hurley poses as the impoverished travelling companion of her aunt, the Marquise de Jaurmais, in order to test whether her rakish fiancé's affections are truly for her or for the fortune she will inherit.
Genres: Romance Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1930-02-01
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The Great Flirtation
1934-06-15
The Great Flirtation
Overview: An actor is jealous of his wife's stardom.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1934-06-15
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