Ebba Thomsen
German postcard by Verlag Herm. Leiser, no. 5299.
Ebba Thomsen (1887-1973) was a Danish actress during the golden era of silent films in Denmark. Thomsen was best known for her roles as the elegant leading lady opposite the Danish matinee idol Valdemar Psilander.
Ebba Thomsen was born in Copenhagen as the daughter of one of the leading fashion designers of the time. She made her debut at Det Ny Teater in 1910 and began filming in 1912 at Nordisk Film. From the beginning to the early 1920s, she was one of the most used actresses of the time and appeared in about 75 films - the majority as the lead actress. Just like her female colleagues Clara Wieth and Elsie Fröhlich she achieved film star status in Denmark, particularly while working with Nordisk Film's biggest male film star Valdemar Psilander, e.g. in Den sorte kansler (August Blom, 1912), Den glade løjtnant (Robert Dinesen, 1912), and Arbejdet adler (Dinesen, 1914). Thomsen was also paired with Robert Dinesen (e..g. in Guvernørens datter, Blom 1912; Den tredie magt, Blom 1913) and Olaf Fönss (e.g. Atlantis, Blom 1913; Den mystiske Fremmede, Holger-Madsen 1914; Verdens Undergang, Blom 1916), as well as with Gunnar Tolnaes, Alf Blütecher, Einar Zangenberg, and Svend Kornbeck. While August Blom did many of her films in 1912, from 1913 it was Robert Dinesen who directed most of her films. In the early 1920s Fritz Magnussen often directed her. Thomsen was usually cast as princesses, countesses, or artists.
In a newspaper interview for her 50th birthday, Thomsen said that her "unique success depended on two things: "First, that Psilander and I suited one another. I was actually a little too tall for him, yet our types suited each other, our movements, our acting. In short, we were a born 'film-couple'." Thomsen then credited her father with giving her "an absolute sense of style. I knew precisely how every fabric should look on me, whether it was a princess' gown or a washerwoman's rags."
In 1915 Thomsen married the Norwegian actor Thorleif Brinch Lund, with whom she had acted in I Farens Stund (Dinesen, 1915). In 1917 she left Nordisk Film and traveled with her husband to Norway, where they ran a touring company, but without much success. In 1920 Thomsen returned to Denmark and cinema, and recorded a number of films for Astra film with director Fritz Magnussen. In 1924 she recorded the last two films for Nordisk film and then withdrew from the film in 1925. In 1930 she performed one last time at the Dagmarteatret. In 1952, she returned briefly to record her only sound film; Husmandstøsen [The Housewife] by Alice O'Fredericks. She was then 65 years old. Ebba Thomsen died on 18 December 1973, at the age of 86, and is buried in Gentofte Cemetery.
Sources: Danish Film Database, Wikipedia (English and Danish), and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
Ebba Thomsen
German postcard by Verlag Herm. Leiser, no. 5299.
Ebba Thomsen (1887-1973) was a Danish actress during the golden era of silent films in Denmark. Thomsen was best known for her roles as the elegant leading lady opposite the Danish matinee idol Valdemar Psilander.
Ebba Thomsen was born in Copenhagen as the daughter of one of the leading fashion designers of the time. She made her debut at Det Ny Teater in 1910 and began filming in 1912 at Nordisk Film. From the beginning to the early 1920s, she was one of the most used actresses of the time and appeared in about 75 films - the majority as the lead actress. Just like her female colleagues Clara Wieth and Elsie Fröhlich she achieved film star status in Denmark, particularly while working with Nordisk Film's biggest male film star Valdemar Psilander, e.g. in Den sorte kansler (August Blom, 1912), Den glade løjtnant (Robert Dinesen, 1912), and Arbejdet adler (Dinesen, 1914). Thomsen was also paired with Robert Dinesen (e..g. in Guvernørens datter, Blom 1912; Den tredie magt, Blom 1913) and Olaf Fönss (e.g. Atlantis, Blom 1913; Den mystiske Fremmede, Holger-Madsen 1914; Verdens Undergang, Blom 1916), as well as with Gunnar Tolnaes, Alf Blütecher, Einar Zangenberg, and Svend Kornbeck. While August Blom did many of her films in 1912, from 1913 it was Robert Dinesen who directed most of her films. In the early 1920s Fritz Magnussen often directed her. Thomsen was usually cast as princesses, countesses, or artists.
In a newspaper interview for her 50th birthday, Thomsen said that her "unique success depended on two things: "First, that Psilander and I suited one another. I was actually a little too tall for him, yet our types suited each other, our movements, our acting. In short, we were a born 'film-couple'." Thomsen then credited her father with giving her "an absolute sense of style. I knew precisely how every fabric should look on me, whether it was a princess' gown or a washerwoman's rags."
In 1915 Thomsen married the Norwegian actor Thorleif Brinch Lund, with whom she had acted in I Farens Stund (Dinesen, 1915). In 1917 she left Nordisk Film and traveled with her husband to Norway, where they ran a touring company, but without much success. In 1920 Thomsen returned to Denmark and cinema, and recorded a number of films for Astra film with director Fritz Magnussen. In 1924 she recorded the last two films for Nordisk film and then withdrew from the film in 1925. In 1930 she performed one last time at the Dagmarteatret. In 1952, she returned briefly to record her only sound film; Husmandstøsen [The Housewife] by Alice O'Fredericks. She was then 65 years old. Ebba Thomsen died on 18 December 1973, at the age of 86, and is buried in Gentofte Cemetery.
Sources: Danish Film Database, Wikipedia (English and Danish), and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.