Tala Birell

Tala Birell
Tala Birell in She's Dangerous (1937)
Born
Natalie Bierle[1]

(1907-09-10)10 September 1907
Bucharest, Kingdom of Romania
Died17 February 1958(1958-02-17) (aged 50)
Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, West Germany
Resting placeCemetery of Marquartstein
Citizenship
  • Romania
  • Austria
OccupationFilm actress
Years active1926–1955

Tala Birell (born Natalie Bierle; 10 September 1907 – 17 February 1958) was a Romanian-born[note 1][2][note 2][3] stage and film actress.

Early years

Birell was born Natalie Bierle on 10 September 1907, the daughter of Bavarian businessman Karl Bierle and Stefanie von Schaydakowska, who came from Austro-Hungarian Galicia.[citation needed]

Career

Tala Birell in The Song of Bernadette (1943)

Birell had stage and screen experience in Vienna. She doubled for Marlene Dietrich in German films.

The Oakland Tribune reported that Birell "made her debut in a hit in a Berlin production of Madame Pompadour."[4] She came to England in 1930 to appear in E. A. Dupont's Menschen im Käfig, the German language version of Cape Forlorn, and later went to America to play in the German version of The Boudoir Diplomat.[5] Star of the stage in Europe, she became popular in American films, including a small role in Bringing Up Baby (1938).

In 1940 she appeared onstage in My Dear Children at the Belasco Theatre in New York City. She also appeared on Broadway in Order Please (1934).[6] One of her final on-camera appearances was on the popular 1953 US anthology drama television series Orient Express in the episode titled The Red Sash.[7]

She is buried in the Bavarian village Marquartstein in a family tomb.

Filmography

Notes

  1. ^ The reference book Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins identifies Birell as a Polish-Austrian actress.
  2. ^ A feature about Birell that was published in the Oakland Tribune on April 14, 1935, quotes her as saying "I am Viennese—with a dash of Polish."

References

  1. ^ Joseph F. Clarke (1977). Pseudonyms. BCA. p. 112.
  2. ^ Room, Adrian (2010). Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins, 5th ed. McFarland. p. 62. ISBN 9780786457632. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  3. ^ Rook, Lyle (April 14, 1935). "Truth About Glamour". Oakland Tribune. California, Oakland. p. 58. Retrieved June 26, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ "Many Rivals for 'The Great Garbo'". Oakland Tribune. California, Oakland. January 3, 1932. p. 59. Retrieved June 26, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ "Youngsters To Be Given Opportunity In 1932 Pictures". The Daily Times. Iowa, Davenport. December 19, 1931. p. 8. Retrieved June 26, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ^ "Tala Birell". Playbill. Archived from the original on 27 June 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  7. ^ "Classic Images Magazine". Retrieved August 1, 2010.[permanent dead link‍]
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