Leontine Sagan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leontine Sagan
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| Born |
Leontine Schlesinger
13 February 1889 |
| Died | 20 May 1974 (aged 85) |
| Occupation | Theatre director and actress |
| Spouse(s) | Victor Fleischer |
Leontine Sagan (born Leontine Schlesinger; 13 February 1889 – 20 May 1974) was an Austrian-Hungarian theatre director and actress. She is most famous for directing the film Mädchen in Uniform in 1931.
Besides directing for movies and the stage, Sagan also acted in several films. She passed away in Pretoria, South Africa in 1974, when she was 85 years old.
Early Life and Education
Leontine Sagan was born in 1889, possibly in Budapest or Vienna. She trained with Max Reinhardt, a famous theatre director known for his amazing stage designs.
In 1899, when she was a child, Leontine moved to South Africa with her family. This was just before the Second Boer War. She went to a German-language school in Johannesburg. Later in her life, Sagan married Dr. Victor Fleischer, who was a publisher and writer.
Career Highlights
Sagan directed three films during her career. She is best remembered for her first film, Mädchen in Uniform (1931). This movie was special because it had an all-female cast. It was also groundbreaking for its themes about friendship and school life, and for how the film's profits were shared among the team.
When she was a teenager, Leontine Sagan worked as a stage actress in Germany and Austria. She also appeared in several movies, including The Holy Mountain (1926), The Great Leap (1927), and The White Ecstasy (1930). She became well-known internationally in 1931 after directing Mädchen in Uniform.
After her famous film came out, Sagan moved to England. There, she directed Men of Tomorrow. She also worked for the film director Alexander Korda at his studios. Later, she became a theatre producer in Manchester. She was the first female producer at London's Drury Lane theatre. She successfully produced many musicals by Ivor Novello in the West End. These included Glamorous Night (1935) and The Dancing Years (1939). These popular shows helped save Drury Lane from closing in the 1930s.
Towards the end of her career, Sagan moved back to South Africa. She became a very important director in South African theatre. She also helped start the National Theatre in Johannesburg. In 1948, she directed the National Theatre's first English play, Dear Brutus by J.M. Barrie. She also directed An Inspector Calls.
Books About Leontine Sagan
- Lights and Shadows: The autobiography of Leontine Sagan, Johannesburg 1996
- Michael Eckardt (ed.): Leontine Sagan. Licht und Schatten. Schauspielerin und Regisseurin auf vier Kontinenten. Hentrich & Hentrich, Berlin 2010, ISBN: 978-3-941450-12-7.
See also
In Spanish: Leontine Sagan para niños
