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 The cinema of France comprises 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 prima ...

, 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) * Hollywood ...

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

silent film A silent film is a film without 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 Co ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

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

Pola Negri Pola Negri (; born Barbara Apolonia Chałupiec ; 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 tragedienn ...

. 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. H ...

's musical comedy ''

Under the Roofs of Paris ''Under the Roofs of 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 other instances of the genre. It w ...

'' (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, Ott ...

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

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

. 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 ri ...

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

Charles H. Greiner (1914–1947) during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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 National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...

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 Consti ...

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

Palos Verdes, California The Palos Verdes Peninsula () is a peninsular subregion of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, located within southwestern Los Angeles County, California. It is often called simply "Palos Verdes", and is made up of a group of cities in the Palos ...

, where Illéry lived for the rest of her life.

Selected filmography

* '' Captain Fracasse'' (1929) * ''

Illusions An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the mind normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Although illusions distort the human perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people. Illusions may ...

'' (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, in his directorial debut, and starring Fernand Gravey, Diana and Suzy Vernon. It was made by the French subsidia ...

'' (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. It is referred to, both legally and commonly, as () in French, though ''la fête nationale'' is also u ...

'' (1933) * '' In the Land of the Sun'' (1934) * ''

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.Gobl ...

'' (1934) * '' The Guardian Angel'' (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