Continental Sex Appeal Comes Back (1937) 🇬🇧

Continental glamour, which, as a marketable movie commodity, has slumped considerably in recent years, is staging a come-back. Sex Appeal, with an Accent, fell into discredit largely through the series of much-boomed "second Garbos" who failed to arrive.

Now the success of Simone Simon and Luise Rainer has changed all that and the European It Girls are flocking to Hollywood in the biggest European invasion since America first caught a glimpse of the Dietrich legs, announced that it would go as far as cancelling Germany's national debt to get the owner and asked: "Tell me, pretty maiden, are there any more at home like you?"

Some of them will doubtless be built up into million-dollar personalities in the Hollywood film factories, to the vast benefit of the wardrobes of the wives of the American movie moguls and the American industry generally.

To those of us who have optimistically cherished down the years the beautiful thought that one day we will discover and develop some obscure, but talented, Continental into an international star of Garbo calibre, the big trek to Hollywood is rather disquietening.

After all, we are on the spot and we saw most of them first. Picturegoer told the British film kings about Danielle Darrieux, for instance, months before Universal got round to collecting her signature on a contract.

We did, to a certain extent, seize our opportunity so far as the delightful Annabella is concerned, it is true, but even then we allowed Hollywood to snatch her away from us.

Annabella, moreover, is not the only star now headed for Hollywood who was introduced into English-speaking talkies in this country.

Perhaps, however, we will have better luck with Mara Losseff, who was discovered by Jack Buchanan and makes her British film debut in that star's new picture, "The Sky's the Limit."

Mara was born in Vladivostok, but at the age of seven fled to Japan with her parents to escape the revolutionary reign of terror. She was educated in a convent in Yokohama and later in Germany. In the last few years she has made a reputation on the continental musical stage, where she sang with Tauber. Buchanan met and signed her when she visited England last winter.

Darryl Zanuck, who markets the charms and talents of Mlle. Simon, is the biggest Hollywood bidder in the European glamour market. In addition to the volatile Simone, he has Annabella, who is to do one more film here before crossing the Atlantic, Else Argal and Germaine Aussey, all from la belle France. Twentieth Century-Fox executives, with some experience of the Simon's Gallic whimsicalities, are bearing up as well as can be expected.

Out of the boundless kindness of my heart, I hope that Hollywood will be able to do something for Mademoiselle Aussey, who has a cross to bear.

It seems that Germaine is a disappointed girl. European film stars, she declares, just haven't any kissing technique at all and she hopes the Hollywood men can do better. Page Tyrone Power, please!

She makes her American debut in "Lancer Spy," but has so far failed to comment on the osculatory efficiency of George Sanders.

Mr. Samuel Goldwyn, of course, is getting ready to unleash Sigrid Gurie on an expectant picture populace in The Adventures of Marco Polo.

Sam believes that in Sigrid, who has the advantage of also being a Scandinavian, he has at last found the elusive "new Garbo."

She is at the moment being put through the usual Goldwyn "hush hush" star routine (no parties, public appearances or photographs), which is still a good story, but not nearly so good a story as it was when it was applied to the last Goldwyn protege, Anna Sten.

Almost all that is known of her is that she was discovered in the Norwegian National Theatre.

M.-G.-M. also has a mystery star. Her name, according to the press boys, is Della Lind, she is Viennese, and she will be seen in the remake of "He Who Gets Slapped," but it is not widely advertised that she appeared in a number of British films, including "Going Gay" and "The Scotland Yard Mystery," as Grete Natzler.

This department, which fell in love with the little French girl when it saw "Mayerling," will be particularly interested in following the Hollywood fortunes of Danielle Darrieux, who is due in America any day now.

Danielle, in Hollywood parlance, is a "looker." I hope that they don't try to spoil her delicate and distinctive beauty by putting her through the Hollywood mould. So far, however, the signs have not been too promising.

That "Darrieux (pronounced 'Dare You')" publicity announcement, for instance, is neither good pronunciation nor an accurate description of her particular appeal, while Simone Simon has never lived down the derision caused by that "pronounced See-moan See-moan" campaign. Paramount also has its Parisiènne. She is Olympe Bradna and she was christened Olympe because she was born between the matinée and evening show at the Olympic Theatre in Paris in 1920. She is in “The Last Train From Madrid.”

The same studio also has Isa Miranda, discovered in an obscure Italian film, and Franciska Gaal, who is from Budapest, is 23, and is a Baroness in private life.

Franciska makes her Hollywood bow in the leading feminine role in "The Buccaneer," which is being produced by Cecil B. de Mille, who, with a typical de Mille flourish, describes her as "a youthful combination of Helen Hayes, Mary Pickford, Elisabeth Bergner and Clara Bow."

And over at Columbia they are preparing to make an international star of Dolly Haas, another of those continentals Hollywood has imported via England, where she appeared in “Girls Will Be Boys” and “Broken Blossoms.” Dolly will be seen shortly in Paris on Broadway.

So far the new invasion is almost wholly feminine. Continental masculine sex appeal, however, is represented by Fernand Gravet. "The King and the Chorus Girl" has not been shown here yet, but in America it has established him as the greatest femme rave since Taylor. America's women are just counting the days until he returns in “True Confession.”

Gravet appeared in several British pictures a year or so ago without setting the Thames on fire. Well, perhaps they do these things better in Hollywood after all.

M. D. P.

Franciska Gaal, Budapest's gift to the movies

Collection: Picturegoer Magazine, August 1937