Philippine Amann (10 March 1905 – 2 or 3 August 1990),
known professionally as Betty Amann, was a German-American film actress. Born to American parents in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, she began her acting career in the United States with the film ''The Kick-Off'' (1926). She is perhaps best known for her role in ''
Asphalt
Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...
'' (1929).
Early years
Philippine Amann was born in 1905 (some sources say 1906 or 1907) in Pirmasens to a Swiss-German
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
family. She has also been referred to as
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
. Raised in America, Amann studied painting at the National Academy School of Fine Arts in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
; she had been an intent lover of art and painting since childhood.
Career
![Betty Amann](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Betty_Amann.jpg)
Amann acted in small parts at the May Palace Theater
before making her screen debut in ''The Kick-Off'' (1926), credited as Bee Amann. She next appeared in seven
Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'.
Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in the ...
short comedies, including ''
The Campus Vamp
''The Campus Vamp'' is a 1928 American silent comedy short starring Daphne Pollard and Johnny Burke. "This early Mack Sennett comedy features a young Carole Lombard as well as the early two color Technicolor film" for a beach sequence that incl ...
'' (1928), which also featured a pre-Hollywood fame
Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard (born Jane Alice Peters; October 6, 1908 – January 16, 1942) was an American actress, particularly noted for her energetic, often off-beat roles in screwball comedies. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Lombard 2 ...
.
Her first major film role was in the western ''
Trail of the Horse Thieves'' (1929). In 1928, she traveled to Germany, where she met
Erich Pommer
Erich Pommer (20 July 1889 – 8 May 1966) was a German-born film producer and executive. Pommer was perhaps the most powerful person in the German and European film industries in the 1920s and early 1930s.
As producer, Erich Pommer was involved ...
and
Joe May
Joe May (born Joseph Otto Mandl; 7 November 1880 – 29 April 1954) was an Austrian film director and film producer and one of the pioneers of German cinema.
Biography
After studying in Berlin and a variety of odd jobs, he began his career a ...
, who picked her for the female lead in ''
Asphalt
Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...
'' (1929). It was Pommer who gave Amann the pseudonym Betty.
She remained in Germany, where she next starred in ''
The Convict from Istanbul
''The Convict from Istanbul'' (German: ''Der Sträfling aus Stambul'') is a 1929 German silent drama film directed by Gustav Ucicky and starring Heinrich George, Betty Amann and Paul Hörbiger.Prawer p.84 It was shot at the Babelsberg Studios in ...
'' (1929) with
Heinrich George
Georg August Friedrich Hermann Schulz (9 October 1893 – 25 September 1946), better known as Heinrich George (), was a German stage and film actor.
Career Weimar Republic
George is noted for having spooked the young Bertolt Brecht in his first ...
and
Paul Hörbiger
Paul Hörbiger (29 April 1894 – 5 March 1981) was an Austrian theatre and film actor.
Life and work
Paul Hörbiger was born in the Hungarian capital Budapest, then part of Austria-Hungary, the son of engineer Hanns Hörbiger, founder of the ...
. The newspaper ''Vossische Zeitung'' wrote of her role in the film, "She was not at all born to portray unexperienced, middle-class girls".
She followed up with ''
The White Devil'', and traveled to Poland, where she appeared in ''
Niebezpieczny romans
''Niebezpieczny romans'' is a 1930 Polish film directed by Michał Waszyński.
Cast
* Bogusław Samborski ... Hieronim Spiewankiewicz
* Helena Stepowska ... Mrs. Spiewankiewiczowa
* Józef Orski ... Hieronim's Son
*Betty Amann ... Ada
*Eug ...
'' (1930), which was her last silent film.
Her talkie debut was in ''
The Great Longing
''The Great Longing'' (german: Die große Sehnsucht) is a 1930 German comedy film directed by Steve Sekely in his directorial debut and starring Camilla Horn, Theodor Loos, and Harry Frank. It was shot at the EFA Studios in Berlin. The film's ...
'' (1930), which she appeared in as herself. Her following speaking parts included a millionaire's daughter in ''
Oh Those Glorious Old Student Days'' (1930), as well as an alluring stranger who turns out to be a murderess in
Carl Froelich
Carl August Hugo Froelich (5 September 1875 – 12 February 1953) was a German film pioneer and film director. He was born and died in Berlin.
Biography
Apparatus builder and cameraman
From 1903 Froelich was a colleague of Oskar Messter, one of ...
's crime film ''
Hans in Every Street
''Hans in Every Street'' (german: Hans in allen Gassen) is a 1930 German crime film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Hans Albers, Camilla Horn, and Betty Amann
Philippine Amann (10 March 1905 – 2 or 3 August 1990), known professi ...
'' (1930).
In 1931, she traveled to England, where she appeared in
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
's ''
Rich and Strange
''Rich and Strange'', released in the United States as ''East of Shanghai'', is a 1931 romance film directed by Alfred Hitchcock during his time in the British film industry. The film was adapted by Hitchcock, his wife Alma Reville, and Val V ...
'' (1931), as well as an array of comedies. Back in Germany, she starred in ''
The Big Bluff The Big Bluff may refer to:
* The Big Bluff (1955 film), an American film directed by W. Lee Wilder
* The Big Bluff (1933 German film), a comedy film directed by Georg Jacoby
* The Big Bluff (1933 American film)
''The Big Bluff'' is a 1933 Amer ...
'', ''Die kleine Schwindlerin'', and ''
Tugboat M 17
''Tugboat M 17'' (German: ''Schleppzug M 17'') is a 1933 German drama film directed by Heinrich George and Werner Hochbaum and starring Heinrich George, Berta Drews and Betty Amann.Bock & Bergfelder p.10 George, a prominent actor, directed much of ...
'', in which she portrayed a prostitute and thief who seduces a family man.
Upon the rise of
Nazism
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...
, Amann emigrated to England. She married David B. Stillman in 1938 and returned to America for the final time. Her final film role was as a harbor prostitute in
Edgar G. Ulmer's treasure hunter movie ''
Isle of Forgotten Sins
''Isle of Forgotten Sins'' is an American South Seas adventure film released on August 15, 1943 by PRC, with Leon Fromkess in charge of production, directed by Edgar G. Ulmer (also credited with original story) and featuring top-billed John Carr ...
'' (1943).
In 1987, Amann received the German award
Filmband in Gold
The German Film Award (), also known as Lola after its prize statuette, is the national film award of Germany. It is presented at an annual ceremony honouring cinematic achievements in the German film industry. Besides being the most important ...
for her long and outstanding work and performance for the German film. Uta Berg-Ganschow wrote of her, "Her eyes are the mirror of other people's wishes. That's what makes them attractive – they're brazen. These eyes do not reveal anything, they merely attract looks. Men are quick to jump upon these wishes: the calculated tear, the teetering bow above her bottom, her curls. All this is banished into the world of the demimonde. But why would the viewers care into what kind of social figure their fantasy is transformed?
Instead of becoming the picture of fallen morality, Betty Amann becomes the picture of self-assured transgression."
Personal life and death
Amann was married to David B. Stillman until his death in April 1963.
Amann died of
Alzheimers
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As t ...
on 2 or 3 August 1990. She was cremated at Ferncliff Crematorium in
Hartsdale, New York
Hartsdale is a hamlet located in the town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 5,293 at the 2010 census. It is a suburb of New York City.
History
Hartsdale, a CDP/hamlet/post-office in the town of Green ...
on 4 August 1990 and buried at
Willowbrook Cemetery
Willowbrook Cemetery is located at 395 Main Street in Westport, Connecticut. Established in 1847, the cemetery is located close to Westport's downtown area, and features the burials of many members of Westport's historic families, including the ...
in
Westport, Connecticut
Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, along the Long Island Sound within Connecticut's Gold Coast. It is northeast of New York City. The town had a population of 27,141 according to the 2020 U.S. Census.
History
...
on 23 May 1991.
Filmography
References
External links
*
*
Betty Amann at the Collector's Homepage AutographsPhotos of Betty Amann
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amann, Betty
1905 births
1990 deaths
People from Pirmasens
People from the Palatinate (region)
German emigrants to the United States
Jewish German actresses
American people of German-Jewish descent
American film actresses
American silent film actresses
German film actresses
German silent film actresses
20th-century German actresses
20th-century American actresses