Pola Negri
The Iconic Collection [3-DVD]
The Early Films

Before Garbo or Dietrich, there was Pola Negri. She was the first exotic European actress imported to Hollywood during the Silent Film Era, with much fanfare and hoopla. A mesmerizing combination of the animale and sophisticate, Pola became the highest paid actor in the movie business and her glamorous lifestyle, was discussed almost daily in gossip columns worldwide. She was affianced to Charlie Chaplin, all but engaged to Rudolph Valentino until his untimely death, and was the wife to a Count then to Prince Mdvani. Yet today, oddly, she is still little known.

Born in Poland to impoverished minor aristocracy, she was classically trained in song, dance, theater and cinema. Pola originated the cinematic femme fatale. She was discovered by Max Reinhart became a protégée of Ernst Lubitsch and a favorite of Adolf Zucker. Pola made more than 60 films in Europe and America, both in drama and comedy. Her fortunes reversed many times throughout her prolific career, and she ended her days as a supporter of the arts and companion to an eccentric millionaires in San Antonio, Texas.

For the first time on DVD, four of Pola Negri’s first films from the early days of her career in Europe, are now available in the three disc DVD Collector’s Box Set Pola Negri: The Iconic Collection - The Early Films. This set has been a labor of love for independent film production company Bright Shining City Productions and director Mariusz Kotwoski who has been recognized in Poland and the USA for his continued dedication to this Silent Film Era icon.

The collection features two never before released on DVD films: The Polish Dancer (1917) which boasts the title of “first feature film ever made in Poland” and The Yellow Ticket (1918) the first film to expose Anti-Semitism in Imperial Russia. Complementing these two historical gems are Eyes of The Mummy Ma (1918) with co-star Emil Jannings (Radu) who won the first Oscar for best actor in 1929, and Sappho (1921) the story of a love triangle that ends in tragedy. All films have been digitally re-mastered, color corrected and edited with English title cards and set to a beautiful original piano score performed by composer Rick Dejonge.

Bonus Features:

Clips from the award-winning documentary Pola Negri: Life Is A Dream In Cinema.
Musical tango vignette choreographed to Pola Negri's recording of Ich Hab An Dich Gedacht.
Pola Negri slide show & biography
Booklet with film descriptions, photos and credits created by Ia Enstera.

 

 

 

Pola Negri: The Iconic Collection - The Early Films [3-DVD]
B&W / Silent with new English Title Cards
Region 1 / 4:3 / 240 Minutes + extras

Category: Silent Classics, Foreign (Polish, German)

Street Date: Feb 7, 2012

DVD

Silent Classics

UPC: 793573898029

 

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