Mady Christians facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mady Christians
Born	Marguerita Maria Christians (1892-01-19)January 19, 1892 Vienna, Austria-Hungary
Died	October 28, 1951(1951-10-28) (aged 59) Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S.
Years active	1916–1950
Spouse(s)	Dr. Sven von Mueller
Relatives	Christa Tordy (cousin)

Mady Christians (born January 19, 1892 – died October 28, 1951) was a famous actress. She was born in Austria and became well-known in Germany. Later, she had a very successful career in movies and plays in the United States. However, her career ended when she was put on a list called the Hollywood blacklist. This happened during a time known as the McCarthy period.

About Mady Christians' Life

Mady Christians and Paul Lukas in the original Broadway play Watch on the Rhine (1941).

Mady Christians was born on January 19, 1892. Her father, Rudolph Christians, was a famous German actor. When Mady was one year old, her family moved to Berlin, Germany. In 1912, they moved to New York City in the United States. There, her father became the manager of a theater called the Irving Place Theatre. Five years later, Mady went back to Europe to study acting with a famous director named Max Reinhardt.

Mady Christians acted in many European movies before the early 1930s. In 1929, she starred in the first full sound film made in Germany. It was called It's You I Have Loved. In 1933, she came to the United States for a play called Marching By. The next year, she was offered a contract to act on Broadway. This allowed her and other German artists to find safety in the United States away from the Nazi government.

On Broadway, Mady Christians played important roles. She was Queen Gertrude in Hamlet and Lady Percy in Henry IV, Part I. These plays were directed by Margaret Webster. Mady also starred in Lillian Hellman's play Watch on the Rhine. In 1944, she played the main character in the play I Remember Mama. Her last movie roles were in All My Sons and Letter from an Unknown Woman. Both movies came out in 1948.

During World War II, Mady Christians helped with political work. She supported refugees, which are people who had to leave their homes. She also worked for the rights of workers, especially in theater and film. She helped with efforts to support Russia during the war. These political activities later caused problems for her with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other groups that were against communism.

The Hollywood Blacklist

Mady Christians spoke out against a group called the House Un-American Activities Committee. This committee investigated people in the United States. In 1950, the FBI started looking into Mady Christians. They thought she might be a "hidden communist."

When her name appeared in a book called Red Channels, her acting career was basically over. This book listed people who were thought to have communist ideas. Being on this list meant that she could no longer get acting jobs in Hollywood or on television. This was known as being "blacklisted."

Mady Christians' Death

Mady Christians passed away on October 28, 1951. She was 59 years old. She died from a brain bleed. Some people believe that the stress from being watched by the FBI and being blacklisted contributed to her death.

Selected Movies

Images for kids

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  Hungarian poster for the 1917 German film Das verlorene Paradies (The Lost Paradise)

See also

In Spanish: Mady Christians para niños