Nils Anton Alfhild Asther (17 January 1897 – 19 October 1981)Swedish Film Database
– in Swedish only was a Swedish actor active in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

from 1926 to the mid-1950s, known as "the male

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragedy, ...

". Between 1916 and 1963 he appeared in over seventy feature films, sixteen of which were produced in the

silent era A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

. He is mainly remembered today for two silent films – ''

The Single Standard ''The Single Standard'' is a 1929 American romantic drama film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer directed by veteran John S. Robertson and starring Greta Garbo, Nils Asther, and Johnny Mack Brown. This was Greta Garbo's fifteenth film and her second c ...

'' and '' Wild Orchids'' – he made with fellow Swede

, and his portrayal of the title character in the controversial

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...

film ''

The Bitter Tea of General Yen ''The Bitter Tea of General Yen'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama war film directed by Frank Capra and starring Barbara Stanwyck, and featuring Nils Asther and Walter Connolly. Based on the 1930 novel of the same name by Grace Zaring Stone, th ...

''.

Biography

Asther, born Nils Anton Alfhild Asther, was the son of Swedish nationals Anton Andersson Asther (born February 21, 1865, Caroli,

Malmö Malmö (, ; da, Malmø ) is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal populat ...

) and Hildegard Augusta Åkerlund (born November 3, 1869 in Södra Sallerup,

Malmöhus County Malmöhus County ( sv, Malmöhus län) was a county of Sweden 1719–1996. On 1 January 1997 it was merged with Kristianstad County to form Skåne County. It had been named after Malmöhus, a castle in Malmö, which was also where the governor ori ...

). Although Anton Andersson Asther had promised Hildagard Augusta Åkerlund aka Hilda Åkerlund marriage, she however was unwed when she gave birth to Nils in Sankt Matthæus parish in the

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

borough of Vesterbro where she stayed very briefly. Thus, due to the marriage promise, technically, Nils was not an illegitimate child. (Also: when the parents married, a note was made of Anton´s official acknowledgement of the boy.) He spent his first year as a foster child in Hyllie, Sweden with saddlemaker Rasmus Hellström and wife Emilia Kristina Möller. He was christened in Hyllie on February 26, 1897 before moving in with his biological parents who had married on May 29, 1898 in Malmö. His half-brother Gunnar Anton Asther (born March 4, 1892 in Caroli, Malmö) was his father's child from a previous marriage to Anna Paulina Olander, who had died in July 1895. WP Nils Asther

As a young man Asther moved to

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, where he received acting lessons from Augusta Lindberg. It was through Lindberg that Asther received his first theatrical engagement at Lorensbergsteatern in

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

, and in 1916

Mauritz Stiller Mauritz Stiller (born Moshe Stiller, 17 July 1883 – 18 November 1928) was a Swedish film director of Finnish Jewish origin, best known for discovering Greta Garbo and bringing her to America. Stiller had been a pioneer of the Swedish film ...

cast him in '' The Wings'' (Swedish: Vingarna), a gay-themed Swedish silent film from 1916, directed by

, based on

Herman Bang Herman Joachim Bang (20 April 1857 – 29 January 1912) was a Danish journalist and author, one of the men of the Modern Breakthrough. Biography Bang was born in Asserballe, on the small Danish island of Als, the son of a South Jutlandic vicar ...

's 1902 novel Mikaël. In Copenhagen, actor

Aage Hertel Aage Hertel (17 October 1873 – 3 January 1944) was a Danish stage, radio and film actor whose career began in the 1890s working as a stagehand and set painter. Hertel appeared in approximately ninety films during the silent film area. Early li ...

of the

Royal Danish Theatre The Royal Danish Theatre (RDT, Danish: ') is both the national Danish performing arts institution and a name used to refer to its old purpose-built venue from 1874 located on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The theatre was founded in 1748, first ser ...

took Asther under his wing. This soon led to a number of film roles in Sweden, Denmark and Germany between 1918 and 1926.

Hollywood

In 1927, Asther left for Hollywood, where his first film was ''

Topsy and Eva ''Topsy and Eva'' is a 1927 American drama silent film directed by Del Lord and written by Catherine Chisholm Cushing, Scott Darling, Dudley Early and Lois Weber. D. W. Griffith also directed additional scenes. It is based on the two key female ...

''. By 1928 his good looks had made him into a leading man, playing opposite such stars as

Pola Negri Pola Negri (; born Apolonia Chalupec ; 3 January 1897 – 1 August 1987) was a Polish stage and film actress and singer. She achieved worldwide fame during the silent and golden eras of Hollywood and European film for her tragedienne and femme ...

Marion Davies Marion Davies (born Marion Cecilia Douras; January 3, 1897 – September 22, 1961) was an American actress, producer, screenwriter, and philanthropist. Educated in a religious convent, Davies fled the school to pursue a career as a chorus girl ...

and

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...

. He grew a thin mustache which amplified his suave appearance. One of his most popular films was ''

Our Dancing Daughters ''Our Dancing Daughters'' is a 1928 American silent drama film starring Joan Crawford and John Mack Brown about the "loosening of youth morals" that took place during the 1920s. The film was directed by Harry Beaumont and produced by Hunt Str ...

'', starring

Johnny Mack Brown John Brown (September 1, 1904 – November 14, 1974) was an American college football player and film actor billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career. He acted and starred mainly in Western (genre), Western films. Early lif ...

Anita Page Anita Page (born Anita Evelyn Pomares; August 4, 1910 – September 6, 2008) was an American film actress who reached stardom in the final years of the silent film era. She was referred to as "a blond, blue-eyed Latin" and "the girl with the mos ...

, and

Dorothy Sebastian Dorothy Sebastian (born Stella Dorothy Sabiston; April 26, 1903The book ''Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory'' gives Sebastian's date of birth as April 26, 1907. – April 8, 1957) was an American film and stage actress. Ear ...

. Asther was cast opposite Greta Garbo in '' Wild Orchids'' as the tempting Javanese Prince De Gace. With the arrival of

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

in movies, Asther took diction and voice lessons to minimize his accent, and was generally cast in roles where an accent was not a problem, such as the Chinese General Yen in ''

''.

Career decline

Between 1935 and 1940, Asther was forced to work in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

after an alleged breach of contract led to a studio-based blacklist. Asther made six films there. He returned to Hollywood in 1940, and although he made another 19 films up until 1949, his career was never the same, and he appeared mostly in small supporting roles. In the early 1950s, Asther tried to restart his career in television, but managed only to secure roles in a few episodes of minor TV series. In 1958, he returned to Sweden, almost destitute. There he managed to get an engagement with a local theater and had four film roles before finally giving up on acting in 1963 and devoting his time to painting.

Homosexuality

Asther was a homosexual in a time when it was a dangerous

social stigma Social stigma is the disapproval of, or discrimination against, an individual or group based on perceived characteristics that serve to distinguish them from other members of a society. Social stigmas are commonly related to culture, gender, rac ...

, both personally and professionally. He grew up in a deeply religious Lutheran home, believing homosexuality was a sin and society viewed homosexuality as a disease. In Sweden it was called "unnatural fornication". While sexual relations between adults of the same sex were legalized in 1944, the medical classification of homosexuality as a form of mental disorder continued until 1979. The theatrical community and the film industry in the 1920s accepted gay actors with little reservation, always provided they remained discreet about their sexual orientation and there was no public suggestion of impropriety. Asther was closeted. He proposed marriage to

to hide the true nature of his sexual orientation. Asther and Garbo had known each other in Sweden, and finding themselves relatively new to a foreign land they spent a great deal of time together. They often visited a friend's ranch outside Hollywood where they could relax, ride horses, go climbing, or swim at Lake Arrowhead.Nils Asther: Narrens väg – Ingen gudasaga, (Carlsson Bokförlag, 1988) "Sailor" was a favored term for Greta Garbo's male, gay/bisexual friends. In 1929 during filming on location in Catalina ''

'' with Nils Asther, she was overheard berating the actor for grabbing her so roughly. "I'm not one of your sailors," she reminded him.Silent Topics: Essays on Undocumented Areas of Silent Film by Anthony Slide Rumors exist from the early 1930s that Nils had relationships with Swedish director

and Swedish writer

Hjalmar Bergman Hjalmar Fredrik Elgérus Bergman (19 September 1883 in Örebro, Sweden – 1 January 1931 in Berlin, Germany) was a Swedish writer and playwright. Biography The son of a banker in Örebro, Bergman briefly studied philosophy at Uppsala Univers ...

and with other male colleagues. Asther mentions some of this in his memoirs. He had a long-term relationship with actor/stuntman and World War II Navy sailor Ken DuMain. According to Ken DuMain, he met Asther on Hollywood Boulevard in the early 1940s, and they enjoyed a long-term relationship. In August 1930, Nils entered a

lavender marriage A lavender marriage is a male–female mixed-orientation marriage, undertaken as a marriage of convenience to conceal the socially stigmatised sexual orientation of one or both partners. The term dates from the early 20th century and is used al ...

with

Vivian Duncan The Duncan Sisters (Rosetta and Vivian Duncan) were an American vaudeville duo who became popular in the 1920s with their act ''Topsy and Eva''. Biography Early career Rosetta (November 23, 1894Sources differ on their birth dates. These are ta ...

, one of his ''

'' co-stars. They had one child, Evelyn Asther Duncan, nicknamed in the media as "the international Baby" due to her Swedish father, American mother, and Bavarian birth. Their daughter's nationality was debated, and Asther offered to apply for American citizenship if it would help the process of getting their daughter into America. Right from the start, Asther and Duncan's marriage proved stormy and became fodder for the tabloids. They divorced in 1932.

Memoirs

Asther's memoir was published posthumously in Swedish. The book was put together with a foreword by theatre historian Uno "Myggan" Ericson, who had met Asther only once, when he arrived in Gothenburg in 1958. The afterword was written by Iwo Wiklander. The middle of the book, written by Asther, covers the years between his birth and his return to Sweden in 1958. Iwo Wiklander claimed in later interviews that Nils Asther was intent on erasing parts of his life before his death, and that much material in his autobiography was exaggerated – or completely made up – to make a more interesting story. Countess Linde Klinckowström-von Rosen claimed their "engagement" was a practical joke while filming together. She did however, introduce Nils to her family, and to the Swedish painter

Nils Dardel Nils Dardel (full name Nils Elias Kristofer von Dardel, sometimes known as ''Nils de Dardel'') was a 20th-century Swedish Post-Impressionist painter, grandson to famous Swedish painter Fritz von Dardel. Biography Dardel was born in Bettna, S ...

and his freethinking artistic circle.

Death and legacy

Nils Asther died on October 13, 1981, at a hospital in

Farsta Farsta is a district in the borough with the same name in southern Stockholm. Farsta is located about eight kilometers south of Stockholm city. The district neighbours to Hökarängen, Sköndal, Larsboda, Farsta Strand and Fagersjö. It is al ...

, Stockholm. He is buried in Hotagen,

Jämtland Jämtland (; no, Jemtland or , ; Jamtish: ''Jamtlann''; la, Iemptia) is a historical province () in the centre of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders Härjedalen and Medelpad to the south, Ångermanland to the east, Lapland to the north a ...

. In 1960, Asther was inducted into the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

with a motion pictures star at 6705 Hollywood Boulevard for his contributions to the film industry.

Selected filmography

* '' The Wings'' (1916) – Aspiring actor * ''Hittebarnet'' (1917, Short) – Kurt * ''Retten sejrer'' (1918) * ''

A Trip to Mars ''Himmelskibet'', ''Excelsior'' / ''A Trip to Mars'' / ''Das Himmelschiff'' is a 1918 Danish film about a trip to Mars. In 2006, the film was restored and re-released on DVD by the Danish Film Institute. Phil Hardy says it is "the film that mark ...

'' (1918) – Wounded Martian Citizen (uncredited) * ''Solen der dræbte'' (1918) – Jan * ''Gyurkovicsarna'' (1920) – Bandi Gyurkovics * ''Vem dömer'' (1922) – Apprentice * '' The Secret of the Duchess'' (1923) * ''Norrtullsligan'' (1923) – Baby's Fiancé *'' Charles XII's Courier'' (1924) – Stanislaus * ''Wienerbarnet'' (1924) – Charles Dupont * ''

Letters Which Never Reached Him ''Letters Which Never Reached Him'' (German: ''Briefe, die ihn nicht erreichten'') is a 1925 German silent film directed by Frederic Zelnik and starring Albert Bassermann, Marcella Albani and Mia Pankau. The film's sets were designed by the art ...

'' (1925) * ''

Love's Finale ''Love's Finale'' (german: Finale der Liebe) is a 1925 German silent film directed by Felix Basch and starring Nils Asther and Lucy Doraine. The film's sets were designed by the art director Carl Ludwig Kirmse. Cast In alphabetical order *Nil ...

'' (1925) – Dr. Gaston Lasar * ''

Her Husband's Wife ''Her Husband's Wife'' (german: Der Mann seiner Frau) is a 1926 German silent film directed by Felix Basch and starring Nils Asther, Lucy Doraine, and Erich Kaiser-Titz. Cast *Nils Asther *Lucy Doraine *Erich Kaiser-Titz *Rudolf Klein-Rogge *Olg ...

'' (1926) * ''

Three Cuckoo Clocks ''Three Cuckoo Clocks'' (German: ''Die drei Kuckucksuhren'') is a 1926 German silent film, silent drama film directed by Lothar Mendes and starring Lillian Hall-Davis, Nina Vanna and Nils Asther. The film's sets were designed by the art director ...

'' (1926) – Reginald Ellis * '' The Golden Butterfly'' (1926) – Andy, sein Sohn * ''Das süße Mädel'' (1926) – The Prince's Son * ''

Wrath of the Seas ''Wrath of the Seas'' or ''When Fleet Meets Fleet'' (German: ''Die versunkene Flotte'') is a silent war film released in 1926. Directed by Graham Hewett and Manfred Noa and starring Bernhard Goetzke, Agnes Esterhazy and Nils Asther.Bock & Bergf ...

'' (1926) – Torpedooffizier Günther Adenried * ''

The Man with the Counterfeit Money ''The Man with the Fake Banknote'' or ''The Man with the Counterfeit Money'' (German: ''Der Mann mit der falschen Banknote'') is a 1927 German silent crime film directed by Romano Mengon and starring Nils Asther, Vivian Gibson and Margarete Lan ...

'' (1927) * ''Gauner im Frack'' (1927) – George Valeska * ''Hotelratten'' (1927) – Fürst Ladrone * ''

'' (1927) – George Shelby * '' Sorrell and Son'' (1927) – Christopher 'Kit' Sorrell * ''

The Blue Danube "The Blue Danube" is the common English title of "An der schönen blauen Donau", Op. 314 (German for "By the Beautiful Blue Danube"), a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866. Originally performed on 15 Februa ...

'' (1928) – Erich von Statzen * ''

Laugh, Clown, Laugh ''Laugh, Clown, Laugh'' is a 1928 American silent drama film starring Lon Chaney and Loretta Young (her film debut). The movie was directed by Herbert Brenon and produced by Irving G. Thalberg for MGM Pictures. The film was written by Elizabet ...

'' (1928) – Luigi * '' The Cossacks'' (1928) – Prince Olenin Stieshneff * ''

Loves of an Actress ''Loves of an Actress'' is a lost 1928 American silent romantic drama film directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring Pola Negri. It was produced by Adolph Zukor and Jesse Lasky with the distribution through Paramount Pictures. The film had a soun ...

'' (1928) – Raoul * ''

The Cardboard Lover ''The Cardboard Lover'' is a 1928 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Marion Davies, Nils Asther and Jetta Goudal. It was produced by Cosmopolitan Productions and distributed by Metro Goldwyn Mayer. ...

'' (1928) – Andre * ''

'' (1928) – Norman * ''

Dream of Love ''Dream of Love'' is a 1928 American silent biographical drama film directed by Fred Niblo, and starring Joan Crawford and Nils Asther. The film is based on the 1849 French tragedy ''Adrienne Lecouvreur'' by Eugène Scribe and Ernest Legouvé ...

'' (1928) – Prince Maurice de Saxe * '' Wild Orchids'' (1929) – Prince De Gace * ''

The Hollywood Revue of 1929 ''The Hollywood Revue of 1929'', or simply ''The Hollywood Revue'', is a 1929 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code musical comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was the studio's second feature-length musical, and one of their earliest ...

'' (1929) – Nils Asther (scenes deleted) * ''

'' (1929) – Packy Cannon * ''

The Sea Bat ''The Sea Bat'' is a 1930 American pre-Code melodrama thriller film directed by Lionel Barrymore and Wesley Ruggles, starring Raquel Torres, Charles Bickford and featuring Boris Karloff. Part of the film was filmed on location in Mazatlán, ...

'' (1930) – Carl * ''

But the Flesh Is Weak ''But the Flesh Is Weak'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Jack Conway and written by Ivor Novello based on his 1928 play '' The Truth Game''. The film stars Robert Montgomery, Nora Gregor, Heather Thatcher, Edward Everett ...

'' (1932) – Prince Paul * ''

Letty Lynton ''Letty Lynton'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code drama film starring Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery (actor), Robert Montgomery and Nils Asther. The film was directed by Clarence Brown and based on the 1931 Letty Lynton (novel), ...

'' (1932) – Emile Renaul * ''

The Washington Masquerade ''The Washington Masquerade'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Charles Brabin and written by John Meehan and Samuel Blythe. The film stars Lionel Barrymore, Karen Morley, Diane Sinclair, Nils Asther and Reginald Barlow. The ...

'' (1932) – Brenner * ''

'' (1932) – Gen. Yen * ''

Storm at Daybreak ''Storm at Daybreak'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by Richard Boleslawski, written by Bertram Millhauser, and starring Kay Francis, Nils Asther, Walter Huston, Phillips Holmes, Eugene Pallette and C. Henry Gordon. It was relea ...

'' (1933) – Captain Geza Petery * ''

The Right to Romance ''The Right to Romance'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film starring Ann Harding and Robert Young and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Premise Ann Harding plays a successful plastic surgeon who meets a local playboy, played by Robert Young ...

'' (1933) – Dr. Helmuth Heppling * ''

If I Were Free ''If I Were Free'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by Elliott Nugent and written by Dwight Taylor, based on the play, ''Behold, We Live'' by John Van Druten. The film stars Irene Dunne, Clive Brook, Nils Asther and Henry Steph ...

'' (1933) – Tono Cazenove * ''

By Candlelight ''By Candlelight'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by James Whale. The film is based on the Austrian play ''Candle Light'' by and Karl Farkas, which was adapted to the English-speaking stage by P. G. Wodehouse. The film stars ...

'' (1933) – Prince Alfred von Rommer * '' Madame Spy'' (1934) – Captain Franck * '' The Crime Doctor'' (1934) – Gary Patten * ''

The Love Captive ''The Love Captive'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by Max Marcin and written by Karen DeWolf, adapted from Marcin's play of the same name. The film stars Gloria Stuart, Nils Asther, Paul Kelly, Alan Dinehart, Renee Gadd, and Russ Bro ...

'' (1934) – Dr. Alexis Collender * '' Love Time'' (1934) – Franz Schubert * ''

Abdul the Damned ''Abdul the Damned'' is a 1935 British drama film directed by Karl Grune and starring Fritz Kortner, Nils Asther and John Stuart. It was made at the British International Pictures studios by Alliance-Capitol Productions. It is set in the Ottoma ...

'' (1935) – Chief of Police Kadar-Pasha * ''

The Prisoner of Corbal ''The Prisoner of Corbal'' is a 1936 British historical drama film directed by Karl Grune and starring Nils Asther, Hugh Sinclair and Hazel Terry. It is also known by the alternative title ''The Marriage of Corbal''. It is set against the backd ...

'' (1936) – Varennes * ''

Guilty Melody ''Guilty Melody'' is a 1936 British drama film directed by Richard Pottier and starring Don Alcaide, Gitta Alpar and John Loder. It was based on a short story by Hans José Rehfisch. In the film, a British spy falls in love with a singer who ...

'' (1936) – Galloni * ''

Make-Up Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...

'' (1937) – Bux * ''

Tea Leaves in the Wind ''Tea Leaves in the Wind'' is a 1938 British drama film directed by Ward Wing and starring Nils Asther, Eve Shelley and Gibson Gowland. It was shot on location in Ceylon.Wood p.97 Cast * Nils Asther as Tony Drake * Eve Shelley as Margot Hasti ...

'' (1938) – Tony Drake * '' The Man Who Lost Himself'' (1941) – Peter Ransome * ''

Forced Landing A forced landing is a landing by an aircraft made under factors outside the pilot's control, such as the failure of engines, systems, components, or weather which makes continued flight impossible. For a full description of these, see article on ' ...

'' (1941) – Colonel Jan Golas * ''

Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day ''Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by Harold S. Bucquet, starring Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, and Laraine Day. It is the eighth of a total of nine Dr. Kildare pictures made by the MGM studios. When MGM decided ...

'' (1941) – Constanzo Labardi * '' Flying Blind'' (1941) – Eric Karolek * ''

The Night of January 16th ''Night of January 16th'' (sometimes advertised as ''The Night of January 16th'') is a theatrical play by Russian-American author Ayn Rand, inspired by the death of the "Match King", Ivar Kreuger. Set in a courtroom during a murder trial, an ...

'' (1941) – Bjorn Faulkner * ''

The Night Before the Divorce ''The Night Before the Divorce'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Lynn Bari, Mary Beth Hughes and Joseph Allen, adapted from the 1937 play of the same name by Gina Kaus and Ladislas Fodor.Alpi p.110 Main c ...

'' (1942) – Victor Roselle * '' Sweater Girl'' (1942) – Prof. Henri Menard * ''

Night Monster ''Night Monster'' is a 1942 American black-and-white horror film featuring Bela Lugosi and produced and distributed by Universal Pictures Company. The movie uses an original story and screenplay by Clarence Upson Young and was produced and direc ...

'' (1942) – Agor Singh * ''

Submarine Alert ''Submarine Alert'' is a 1943 American film directed by Frank McDonald, produced by Pine-Thomas Productions and released by Paramount Pictures. The film stars Richard Arlen, Wendy Barrie, Nils Asther, Roger Pryor, Marc Lawrence and Ralph Sanford ...

'' (1943) – Dr. Arthur Huneker * ''

Mystery Broadcast ''Mystery Broadcast'' is a 1943 American mystery film directed by George Sherman and written by Dane Lussier and Gertrude Walker. The film stars Frank Albertson, Ruth Terry, Nils Asther, Wynne Gibson, Paul Harvey, and Mary Treen. The film was re ...

'' (1943) – Ricky Moreno * '' The Hour Before the Dawn'' (1944) – Kurt van der Breughel * ''

Bluebeard "Bluebeard" (french: Barbe bleue, ) is a French folktale, the most famous surviving version of which was written by Charles Perrault and first published by Barbin in Paris in 1697 in ''Histoires ou contes du temps passé''. The tale tells the st ...

'' (1944) – Inspector Jacques Lefevre * ''

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

'' (1944) – Thomas Leroux * ''

The Man in Half Moon Street ''The Man in Half Moon Street'' is a 1945 science fiction romantic melodrama dealing with a man who retains his youth and cannot die, living throughout the ages. The plot is similar to Oscar Wilde's '' Picture of Dorian Gray'', except that t ...

'' (1945) – Dr. Julian Karell * ''

Son of Lassie ''Son of Lassie'' (also known as ''Laddie, Son of Lassie'') is a 1945 American Technicolor feature film produced by MGM based on characters created by Eric Knight, and starring Peter Lawford, Donald Crisp, June Lockhart and Pal (credited as L ...

'' (1945) – Olav * ''

Jealousy Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety. Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgust. ...

'' (1945) – Peter Urban * ''

Love, Honor and Goodbye ''Love, Honor and Goodbye'' is a 1945 American comedy film directed by Albert S. Rogell and written by Arthur Phillips, Lee Loeb and Dick Irving Hyland. The film stars Virginia Bruce, Edward Ashley, Victor McLaglen, Nils Asther, Helen Broderick ...

'' (1945) – Tony Linnard * '' The Feathered Serpent'' (1948) – Prof. Paul Evans * ''

Samson and Delilah Samson and Delilah are Biblical figures. Samson and Delilah may also refer to: In music * ''Samson and Delilah'' (opera), an opera by Camille Saint-Saëns * ''Samson & Delilah'' (album), released in 2013 by V V Brown * "Samson and Delilah" (t ...

'' (1949) – Prince (uncredited) * '' That Man from Tangier'' (1953) – Henri * '' When Darkness Falls'' (1960) – Tord Ekstedt, Vicar * ''Svenska Floyd'' (1961) – Vincent Mitella * '' The Lady in White'' (1962) – Simon Ek * '' Suddenly, a Woman!'' (1963) – Londonchefen (final film role)

On soundtracks

* ''

'' (1941) as uncredited performer: "

Ride of the Valkyries The "Ride of the Valkyries" (german: Walkürenritt Ritt der Walküren, links=no) refers to the beginning of act 3 of ''Die Walküre'', the second of the four operas constituting Richard Wagner's ''Der Ring des Nibelungen''. As a separate piece ...

" and "Tableau Russe"" (Symphonic Suite Composed by

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

) * ''

'' (1933) as performer: "Roses from the South"

Selected stage

* ''

The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...

''; director: Gustaf Linden, premiere: 1923-02-27,

Royal Dramatic Theatre The Royal Dramatic Theatre ( sv, Kungliga Dramatiska Teatern, colloquially ''Dramaten'') is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's five running stages. The the ...

, Stockholm * ''

The Admirable Crichton ''The Admirable Crichton'' is a comic stage play written in 1902 by J. M. Barrie. Origins Barrie took the title from the sobriquet of a fellow Scot, the polymath James Crichton, a 16th-century genius and athlete. The epigram-loving Ernest is p ...

''; director: Karl Hedberg, premiere: 1923-10-12 Royal Dramatic Theatre, Stockholm * ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

''; director: Olof Molander, premiere: 1924-02-08 Royal Dramatic Theatre, Stockholm * ''The Strong Are Lonely''; director:

Margaret Webster Margaret Webster (March 15, 1905 – November 13, 1972) was an American-British theater actress, producer and director. Critic George Jean Nathan described her as "the best director of the plays of Shakespeare that we have." Life and caree ...

, premiere: 1924-09-29

Broadhurst Theatre The Broadhurst Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street (Manhattan), 44th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1917, the theater was designed ...

, New York

References

External links

* * ''Ritt genom livet''. Linde Klinckowström-von Rosen, Stockholm: Hökerberg. 1962. Libris 1240991 * * *
Nils Asther
at Virtual History {{DEFAULTSORT:Asther, Nils Swedish male silent film actors 20th-century Swedish male actors Gay actors Swedish male film actors Swedish male television actors LGBT actors from Sweden Male actors from Copenhagen Male actors from Stockholm Swedish expatriates in the United States Expatriate male actors in the United States 1897 births 1981 deaths 20th-century LGBT people