Anna Held facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anna Held
Born	Helene Anna Held (1872-03-19)19 March 1872 Warsaw, Congress Poland
Died	12 August 1918(1918-08-12) (aged 46) New York City, U.S.
Resting place	Cemetery of the Gate of Heaven
Occupation	Actress singer
Spouse(s)	Maximo Carrera ​ ​ (m. 1894; div. 1908)​
Partner(s)	Florenz Ziegfeld (1897–1913)
Children	1

Helene Anna Held (born March 19, 1872 – died August 12, 1918) was a famous Polish-French stage performer. She became well-known on Broadway. A show producer named Florenz Ziegfeld discovered her in London. He brought her to America.

From 1896 to 1910, Anna Held was one of Broadway's most popular stars. She was known for her charming and playful style. She often played Parisian singers and comedians. Her shows were very successful. Many of them set new records for how many people attended. Her lively style also helped inspire the famous Ziegfeld Follies shows.

Early Life and Beginnings

Anna Held at the Scala (Paris), poster by Alfred Choubrac (1890).

Anna Held was born Helene Anna Held in Warsaw, Congress Poland. Her father, Shimmle Held, was a glove maker. Her mother, Yvonne Pierre, was French-Jewish.

Sources give different years for her birth. But 1872 is generally accepted. In 1881, her family had to leave Poland. They moved to Paris, France because of attacks against Jewish people. Her father's business failed. He then worked as a janitor. Her mother ran a kosher restaurant.

Anna started working in the clothing industry. Later, she became a singer in Jewish theaters. She performed in Paris and then London. After her father passed away, she continued her singing career. As a young woman, Anna Held became a Roman Catholic.

A Star on Stage

Starting Her Career

Portrait of Held around 1908, by Léopold-Émile Reutlinger

Held and her daughter, Lianne

Anna's lively personality made her very popular. Her career as a stage performer quickly grew. By the time she and Ziegfeld arrived in New York, people were already very curious about her. When she finally performed on Broadway, critics were not always impressed. But the public loved her.

Broadway Successes

Held, in an 1890s publicity photo

Anna Held, by Aimé Dupont

Some people believe Anna Held's success came more from her image than her pure talent. She presented a new kind of image to audiences. These audiences were starting to enjoy new social freedoms. From 1896, Anna had many successful shows on Broadway. One popular show was A Parisian Model (1906–1907). These shows helped Ziegfeld earn a lot of money. Anna herself also became a millionaire. Ziegfeld was very good at creating publicity stunts. This kept Anna Held's name famous.

Anna Held helped shape the idea for the famous Ziegfeld Follies. These shows started in 1907. She helped Ziegfeld become very successful in his career. In 1909, Ziegfeld began a relationship with actress Lillian Lorraine. Anna hoped he would return to her. But he later became interested in another actress, Billie Burke. He married Billie Burke in 1914.

Film Career

In 1916, Anna Held starred in the film Madame la Presidente. A New York entertainment producer named Oliver Morosco cast her in the main role. She was paid $25,000 for her performance in the movie.

Later Years and Passing

After her show Miss Innocence, Anna Held left Broadway. During World War I, she performed in vaudeville shows. She also toured France. She performed for French soldiers. She helped raise money for the war effort. People saw her as a war hero. She was admired for her bravery in traveling to the front lines.

Held's grave in Gate of Heaven Cemetery

Held's footstone

In 1917, Anna toured the United States a lot. She was in a show called Follow Me. But her health declined. She had to stop the show in January 1918. She then stayed at the Hotel Savoy in New York City. Her health continued to get worse. Anna Held had been fighting a type of cancer called multiple myeloma for a year. News reports at the time wrongly suggested her illness was caused by wearing very tight corsets.

Anna Held passed away on August 12, 1918. Her funeral was held at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan. Florenz Ziegfeld did not attend. He had a fear of death and never went to funerals. Anna Held is buried at Cemetery of the Gate of Heaven in Hawthorne, New York.

Legacy and Influence

Luise Rainer in her Academy Award portrayal of Held in The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

• The MGM film The Great Ziegfeld (1936) tells a story about the relationship between Ziegfeld and Held. Luise Rainer won an Academy Award for playing Anna Held.
• In 1978, Columbia Pictures released a made-for-television movie. It was called Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women. Barbara Parkins played Anna Held in this film.
• The American poet Carl Sandburg wrote a poem for Anna Held. It was called An Electric Sign goes Dark. This poem is in his collection Smoke and Steel.
• In 1976, Anna's daughter, Lianne Carrera, opened a museum. It showed her mother's personal items and stage costumes. The museum was in San Jacinto, California.

Stage Performances

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Anna Held para niños