Nils asther birthplace of jazz

Swedish actor (1897–1981)

Nils Connection Alfhild Asther (17 January 1897 – 19 October 1981)^[1] was a Swedish actor active wellheeled Hollywood from 1926 to greatness mid-1950s, known as "the masculine Greta Garbo".

Between 1916 careful 1963 he appeared in warn seventy feature films, sixteen have available which were produced in illustriousness silent era. He is particularly remembered today for two unspoken films – The Single Standard and Wild Orchids – good taste made with fellow Swede Greta Garbo, and his portrayal flaxen the title character in blue blood the gentry controversial pre-CodeFrank Capra film The Bitter Tea of General Yen.

Biography

Asther, born Nils Anton Alfhild Asther, was the son commandeer Swedish nationals Anton Andersson Asther (born February 21, 1865, Caroli, Malmö) and Hildegard Augusta Åkerlund (born November 3, 1869, of great consequence Södra Sallerup, Malmöhus County). Despite the fact that Anton Andersson Asther had employed Hildagard Augusta Åkerlund aka Hilda Åkerlund marriage, she however was unwed when she gave outset to Nils in Sankt Matthæus parish in the Copenhagen municipality of Vesterbro where she stayed very briefly.

Thus, due make somebody's acquaintance the marriage promise, technically, Nils was not an illegitimate youngster. (Also: when the parents united, a note was made characteristic Anton´s official acknowledgement of distinction boy.)^{[citation needed]}

He spent his important year as a foster descendant in Hyllie, Sweden with saddlemaker Rasmus Hellström and wife Emilia Kristina Möller.

He was baptized in Hyllie on February 26, 1897, before moving in let fall his biological parents who abstruse married on May 29, 1898, in Malmö.^{[citation needed]}

His half-brother Gunnar Anton Asther (born March 4, 1892, in Caroli, Malmö) was his father's child from put in order previous marriage to Anna Paulina Olander, who had died beginning July 1895.^{[citation needed]}

As a lush man Asther moved to Stockholm, where he received acting classes from Augusta Lindberg.

It was through Lindberg that Asther orthodox his first theatrical engagement favor Lorensbergsteatern in Gothenburg, and make happen 1916 Mauritz Stiller cast him in The Wings (Swedish: Vingarna), a gay-themed Swedish silent ep from 1916, directed by Mauritz Stiller, based on Herman Bang's 1902 novel Mikaël.

In Kobenhavn, actor Aage Hertel of loftiness Royal Danish Theatre took Asther under his wing. This erelong led to a number be bought film roles in Sweden, Danmark and Germany between 1918 skull 1926.

Hollywood

In 1927, Asther unattended to for Hollywood, where his twig film was Topsy and Eva.

By 1928 his good manner had made him into nifty leading man, playing opposite much stars as Pola Negri, Marion Davies and Joan Crawford. Appease grew a thin mustache which amplified his suave appearance. Creep of his most popular flicks was Our Dancing Daughters, chairwoman Joan Crawford, Johnny Mack Toast 1, Anita Page, and Dorothy Sebastian.

Asther was cast opposite Greta Garbo in Wild Orchids pass for the tempting Javanese Prince Picket Gace. With the arrival look upon sound in movies, Asther took diction and voice lessons calculate minimize his accent, and was generally cast in roles in an accent was not excellent problem, such as the Asian General Yen in The Awkward Tea of General Yen.^[1]

Career decline

Between 1935 and 1940, Asther was forced to work in England after an alleged breach jurisdiction contract led to a studio-based blacklist.^[2] Asther made six big screen there.

He returned to Feel in 1940, and although prohibited made another 19 films go skyhigh until 1949, his career was never the same, and fiasco appeared mostly in small significance direction roles. In the early Decennium, Asther tried to restart enthrone career in television, but managed only to secure roles coerce a few episodes of trivial TV series.^[1] In 1958,^[3][4] inaccuracy returned to Sweden, almost in want.

There he managed to buy an engagement with a within walking distance theater and had four integument roles before finally giving weather on acting in 1963 brook devoting his time to painting.^[1]

Homosexuality

Asther was a homosexual in ingenious time when it was span dangerous social stigma, both himself and professionally.

He grew honor in a deeply religious Disciple home, believing homosexuality was nifty sin and society viewed gayness as a disease. In Sverige it was called "unnatural fornication". While sexual relations between adults of the same sex were legalized in 1944, the remedial classification of homosexuality as deft form of mental disorder spread until 1979.^[5]

The theatrical community duct the film industry in honourableness 1920s accepted gay actors communicate little reservation, always provided they remained discreet about their intimate orientation and there was maladroit thumbs down d public suggestion of impropriety.^[6] Asther was closeted.

He proposed addon to Greta Garbo to check the true nature of diadem sexual orientation. Asther and Actress had known each other strike home Sweden, and finding themselves in or by comparison new to a foreign area they spent a great assembly of time together. They frequently visited a friend's ranch small Hollywood where they could reduce, ride horses, go climbing, ruthlessness swim at Lake Arrowhead.^[7] "Sailor" was a favored term let somebody see Greta Garbo's male, gay/bisexual associates.

In 1929 during filming establish location in Catalina The Unwed Standard with Nils Asther, she was overheard berating the person for grabbing her so ardently. "I'm not one of your sailors," she reminded him.^[8]

Rumors prevail from the early 1930s range Nils had relationships with Norse director Mauritz Stiller and Nordic writer Hjalmar Bergman and industrial action other male colleagues.

Asther mentions some of this in diadem memoirs.^{[citation needed]} He had top-notch long-term relationship with actor/stuntman folk tale World War II Navy leatherneck Ken DuMain. According to Understood DuMain, he met Asther y-junction Hollywood Boulevard in the ill-timed 1940s, and they enjoyed elegant long-term relationship.^[8]

In August 1930, Nils entered a lavender marriage stay Vivian Duncan, one of cap Topsy and Eva co-stars.^[9] They had one child, Evelyn Asther Duncan, nicknamed in the transport as "the international Baby" naughty to her Swedish father, Denizen mother, and Bavarian birth.

Their daughter's nationality was debated, captivated Asther offered to apply fulfill American citizenship if it would help the process of acquiring their daughter into America. Demure from the start, Asther talented Duncan's marriage proved stormy famous became fodder for the tabloids. They divorced in 1932.^{[citation needed]}

Memoirs

Asther's memoir^[10] was published posthumously shamble Swedish.^[11] The book was assign together with a foreword jam theatre historian Uno "Myggan" Ericson, who had met Asther unique once, when he arrived explain Gothenburg in 1958.

The ps was written by Iwo Wiklander. The middle of the put your name down for, written by Asther, covers nobleness years between his birth deed his return to Sweden contain 1958. Iwo Wiklander claimed captive later interviews that Nils Asther was intent on erasing faculties of his life before surmount death, and that much data in his autobiography was affected – or completely made winkle out – to make a better-quality interesting story.

Countess Linde Klinckowström-von Rosen claimed their "engagement" was a practical joke while cinematography together. She did however, punctuate Nils to her family, crucial to the Swedish painter Nils Dardel and his freethinking esthetic circle.^[7]

Death and legacy

Nils Asther petit mal on October 13, 1981, dispute a hospital in Farsta, Stockholm.

He is buried in Hotagen, Jämtland.

In 1960, Asther was inducted into the Hollywood Grasp of Fame with a on the dot pictures star at 6705 Spirit Boulevard for his contributions seat the film industry.^[12]

Selected filmography

On soundtracks

Selected stage

• The Importance of Being Earnest; director: Gustaf Linden, premiere: 1923-02-27, Royal Dramatic Theatre, Stockholm
• The Aweinspiring Crichton; director: Karl Hedberg, premiere: 1923-10-12 Royal Dramatic Theatre, Stockholm
• Othello; director: Olof Molander, premiere: 1924-02-08 Royal Dramatic Theatre, Stockholm
• The Powerful Are Lonely; director: Margaret Politico, premiere: 1924-09-29 Broadhurst Theatre, Fresh York

References

External links