22.00 USD
Lya is one of our favorite 1920s stars. Here, she is wearing a fancy spiderweb hair decoration. It looks as though it might have been fashioned of silver? An uncommon image of Miss de Putti.
This card was published by Ross Verlag of Berlin in about 1929, just a couple of years before the actress's unhappy death. Interestingly, this particular card was printed (co-published?) by Ballerini and Fratini of Florence, Italy, one of our favorite Italian publishers of celebrity portrait postcards. This might have something to do with its being an uncommon image.
She was born Amalia Putti, in Austro-Hungary, in 1897. She began in vaudeville, but made her screen debut in 1918, and was successful as both a stage and screen actress in Germany. Coming to the US in 1926, she was unable make a really successful go of Hollywood, did some work on Broadway, traveled to England, where she made some silent films, and then returned to the US to give her career there another try, but sadly died of pneumonia in New York, in 1931.
Below, you can follow our link to Youtube, to a 10 minute segment of the film "The Sorrows of Satan," a D.W. Griffith silent from 1926, in which Lya played the "vamp." Beginning at approx. 6:30 on the clip, you get about 3 minutes of Lya being vampy. We watched the entire film, in its parts, on Youtube (you will see it offered in its segments to the right of the window, once you've followed the link), but the print is not great, there is no musical score included, and all in all, we cannot rave about it. Still, if you think you want to try it, do start at part 1 of 9, as 8 of 9 (where our link takes you), is one big spoiler.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaRsN5ZsZgE
Incidentally, and having nothing whatsoever to do with our card, but rather with the film clip we hoped you were able to see, the novel upon which "Sorrows of Satan" (a Faustian romantic fantasy) was based, was written by an extremely popular author at the turn of the century, Marie Corelli. She wrote romances with a pronounced "white light occult" flavor, and was apparently a friend of Oscar Wilde's. Red attempted reading some of her stuff decades ago, but is sorry to admit to finding it just a bit too dusty for fun :) The given name Mavis, by the way, found its origin in that novel, and was given added popularity, no doubt, by the film.
Wonderful unposted condition on this card. Please examine our high res scans for detail.
Postage is for first class shipping in a secure photo mailer, and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will refund the postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of sudden increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more.
And please come visit our blog at:
redpoulaine.blogspot.com
where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!