Greta Nissan

Greta Nissan, real name Grethe Ruzt-Nissen, (January 30, 1906-May 17, 1988) was an early film actress of the late 1920s through the late 1930s.

Born in Oslo, Norway, she studied dance in her youth, and immigrated to the United States with her family as a child. She had roles in two films in 1923 and 1924, and two in 1925, with one, "The Wanderer", bringing her to the attention of producers. However, like many stars of the silent film era, Nissan had difficulty making the transition to talking films. She won the lead role in the movie "Hell's Angels" in 1930, but was replaced by actress Jean Harlow due to Nissan's heavy Norwegian accent. The film made Harlow a superstar.

Throughout the 1930s, despite the "Hell's Angels" setback, she stayed fairly active in films. She played the lead role in the 1932 film "Rackety Rax", which was the first film for up and coming B-movie actress Nell O'Day. From 1931 to 1935 she starred in sixteen films. Her last role was in the 1937 film "Cafe Colette", after which she retired from acting.

She disappeared from acting circles for several decades. She died of Parkinson's disease on May 17th, 1988, in Montecito, California. In 2003, fifteen years after her death, she was featured in a documentary titled "Norwegian Actresses in Hollywood", directed by Oyvind Asbjornsen and Niels Petter Solberg. The film featured interviews with actress Virginia Mayo, who was not of Norwegian origin but who was used for insight into the world of Hollywood in its early years. The documentary also featured interviews with actor Forrest J. Ackerman, in edition to featuring many interviews with actresses who were of Norwegian origin.

References

* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0632895/ Greta Nissan filmography]