Paula Iliescu Gibson (18 December 1909 – 19 October 1993) known professionally as Pola Illery, was a Romanian-American actress and singer, best known for her appearances in early

French film French cinema consists of the film industry and its film productions, whether made within the nation of France or by French film production companies abroad. It is the oldest and largest precursor of national cinemas in Europe; with primary influ ...

, and of the latter after emigrating to the United States, 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) * Hollywoo ...

films, best known for her portrayal of vamps, she appeared in both

silent film 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, w ...

and talkie films, in a decade long screen career between 1928 and 1938.

Biography

Born into a middle-class Jewish family in

Corabia Corabia () is a small Danube port located in Olt County, Oltenia, Romania, which used to be part of the now-dissolved Romanați County before World War II. Across the Danube from Corabia lies the Bulgarian village of Gigen. History Beneath ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

as Paula Iliescu, she changed her name to "Pola" in tribute to the Polish actress and singer

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 femm ...

. Illéry made her screen debut appearing in French films in the late-1920s and continuing in roles until the end of the 1930s. She appeared as the lead in

René Clair René Clair (11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette, was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. He wen ...

's musical comedy ''

Under the Roofs of Paris ''Under the Roofs of Paris'' (french: Sous les toits de Paris) is a 1930 French film directed by René Clair. The film was probably the earliest French example of a filmed musical-comedy, although its often dark tone differentiates it from othe ...

'' (1930). She also played the lead in ''Parada Paramount'', the Romanian-language version of ''

Paramount on Parade ''Paramount on Parade'' is a 1930 all-star American pre-Code revue released by Paramount Pictures, directed by several directors including Edmund Goulding, Dorothy Arzner, Ernst Lubitsch, Rowland V. Lee, A. Edward Sutherland, Lothar Mendes, O ...

'' (1930), which was made in Paris by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

. She is believed to have made her last film appearance's in 1938. Illéry married a

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

Major Major ( commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicato ...

Charles H. Greiner (1914–1947) during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and moved to the United States with him on May 26, 1946. The marriage only lasted a few months before he was killed in an accident. She worked for the

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the des ...

as a nurse during the war and took up

American citizenship Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...

in 1946. She later married James Gibson and the couple moved to

Palos Verdes, California The Palos Verdes Peninsula (''Palos Verdes'', Spanish for "Green Sticks") is a landform and a geographic sub-region of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, within southwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. Located in the S ...

, where Illéry lived for the rest of her life.

Selected filmography

* '' Captain Fracasse'' (1929) * '' Illusions'' (1930) * ''

'' (1930) * ''

The Man in Evening Clothes ''The Man in Evening Clothes'' (French:''Un homme en habit'') is a 1931 American pre-Code comedy film directed by René Guissart and starring Fernand Gravey, Diana and Suzy Vernon.Goble p.800 It was made by the French subsidiary of Paramoun ...

'' (1931) * ''

Bastille Day Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. In French, it is formally called the (; "French National Celebration"); legally it is known as (; "t ...

'' (1933) * ''

Street Without a Name ''Street Without a Name'' (French: ''La Rue sans nom'') is a 1934 French drama film directed by Pierre Chenal and starring Constant Rémy, Gabriel Gabrio and Paule Andral. It is based on the 1930 novel '' La Rue sans nom'' by Marcel Aymé.Goble p.9 ...

'' (1934)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Illery, Pola 1909 births 1993 deaths American film actresses American people of Romanian-Jewish descent People from Palos Verdes, California Romanian emigrants to the United States Romanian film actresses Romanian silent film actresses 20th-century American actresses People from Corabia