All The Babes
Biography
About Lya Mara
Latvian actress Lya Mara was born Aleksandra Gudowicz on 1 August 1897 in Riga, Latvia. She became one of the biggest stars of German silent cinema. As a young girl, she wanted to become a chemist, inspired by Maria Skłodowska-Curie. In 1913, she moved with her family to Warsaw, where she began her career as a dancer.
Her first film role was a small part in the 1916 short film We want husband, credited as Mia Mara. Soon after, she appeared in Bestia (The Beast), directed by Alexander Hertz and starring Pola Negri. When Negri left for Berlin, Mara followed. In Germany, her first film was Halkas Gelöbnis (1918), directed by Alfred Halm. She married the film's producer, Frederic Zelnik, that year. Zelnik promoted her to stardom, casting her in films like Anna Karenina (1919) and Charlotte Corday. In 1920, their production company was named Zelnik-Mara-Film GmbH. Hundreds of her photographs were issued as postcards and trade cards, cementing her popularity.
A serious car accident at the end of the 1920s interrupted her career. When sound cinema arrived in 1929, she struggled to adapt. Her only sound film was Everyone Asks for Erika (1931). After Hitler took power in 1933, she and Zelnik left for London. Zelnik died in 1950. Mara spent her last years in Switzerland and died on 1 March 1960.
Record
Profile details
Personal
- Died
- Tuesday 1st of March 1960 (age 62)
- Birthplace
- Riga, Latvia
- Ethnicity
- Caucasian
- Sexuality
- Straight
Body
- Boobs
- Real/Natural
Frequently asked
How did Lya Mara get her start in acting?
She began as a dancer in Warsaw, then landed her first small film role in the 1916 short We want husband, followed by a part in Bestia, which starred Pola Negri.
What was the name of the production company she co-founded?
In 1920, her husband Frederic Zelnik's company was renamed Zelnik-Mara-Film GmbH, reflecting her starring role in their productions.
Why did her career decline in the late 1920s?
A serious car accident interrupted her work, and she found it difficult to adapt to the new demands of sound films after 1929.
How did her life change after 1933?
She and her husband left Germany for London, where they lived until his death in 1950; she later moved to Switzerland.
Did you know
- She was born as Aleksandra Gudowicz in Riga, which was then part of the Russian Empire.
- As a child, she dreamed of becoming a chemist, inspired by Marie Curie.
- Her first film credit used the name Mia Mara.
- She married director Frederic Zelnik in 1918, the same year her first German film was released.
- Her popularity was boosted by postcards and trade cards featuring her photograph.
- She only made one sound film, Everyone Asks for Erika, directed by her husband.
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