Mona Maris

Mona Maris (born Mona María Emita Capdevielle or María Rosa Amita Capdevielle; November 7, 1903 – March 23, 1991) was an Argentine film actress. Some sources give her full birth name as Rosa Emma Mona María Marta Capdevielle.

Early life Mona Maris was believed to have been born either as Mona María Emita Capdeville or María Rosa Amita Capdeville (or Cap de Vielle), or María Rosa Amita Capdeville (or Cap de Vielle) Some sources give her full birth name as Rosa Emma Mona María Marta Capdevielle. Her mother was of Basque ancestry and her father was of Catalan ancestry. Orphaned when she was four years old, she lived with her grandmother in France and was educated at a convent there, as well as in England and Germany. By the age of 19, she spoke four languages — French, German, English and Spanish.

Film career

Maris' ambition to become an actress originated during World War I, when she was a student in Luders, France. She and her classmates wrote, directed, and presented short plays to entertain soldiers billeted near the school. After graduation Maris begged to go to England and her mother finally relented. In England she found a woman was given much more freedom than in either Spain or South America. She traveled to England under the indirect chaperonage of an Argentine family.

Her stay was intended to last only six months, but was extended another two years. The Argentine ambassador in Berlin received a letter which led to Maris being introduced to the President of the United Film Association. Soon she journeyed to Germany, where she participated in Universum Film AG productions. She was given a screen test during which the camera was not loaded with film. A prominent director noticed Maris and offered her a five-year contract. She counseled with her grandmother, who reluctantly allowed her to accept.

Maris' screen debut was in the German film Los Esclavos del Volga, directed by Richard Eichberg.

Joseph Schenck, president of United Artists, granted her the prospect of a Hollywood career. At the time she had completed just four films in Germany. Her Hollywood film career began with the 1925 movie The Apache.

Described by Life as "a living testament to the Good Neighbor Policy", Maris resumed her Hollywood career in 1941 with the film Flight from Destiny, and she informally advised studios on authenticity in films marketed to South America.

Spanish, French, and German came easily for her, but in the early years of sounds films, her English was almost unintelligible.

From 1931 to 1941, she starred in 19 Spanish-language versions of successful American pictures, which were produced by the Fox Film Company. Maris also appeared in seven English dialogue motion pictures for three studios.

In 1985, Maris described her image as an actress. "They used to hiss whenever I was on screen," she said. "I was always playing the heavy. Here (in Argentina) when they need a heavy, they get an English girl. There (in the United States), when they needed a heavy, it was the Spanish girl."

Personal life She was married twice. Her first marriage took place while she was working in Europe and dissolved before she traveled to the United States. She married Herman Rijck Gelderman in 1960; they divorced in 1969.

She began an affair with Clarence Brown in 1931, and he reportedly proposed to her. Despite multiple sources listing them as being married, they were not, and the affair ended shortly after the proposal, with Maris later saying she ended the relationship because she had her "own ideas of marriage then."

Maris had no children.

Partial filmography

The Apache (1925) – Lisette Blanchard The Prince of Pappenheim (1927) – Prinzessin Antoinette The Little People (1927) – Lucia Morelli The Prince of Pappenheim (1927) – Prinzessin Antoinette The Serfs (1928) – Leibeigene Tatjana, eine Waise Spy of Madame Pompadour (1928) – Die Zarin Whirl of Youth (1928) The Three Women of Urban Hell (1928) – May Lyssenhop Romance of the Rio Grande (1929) – Manuelita Under a Texas Moon (1930) – Lolita Roberto The Arizona Kid (1930) – Lorita One Mad Kiss (1930) – Rosario El precio de un beso (1930) – Rosario Montes Del mismo barro (1930) – Elena Neal A Devil with Women (1930) – Rosita Fernandez Cuando el amor ríe (1930) – Elvira Alvarado Seas Beneath (1931) – Fraulein Lolita The Passionate Plumber (1932) – Nina Estrados South of the Rio Grande (1932) – Consuela Delgado The Man Called Back (1932) – Lilaya Once in a Lifetime (1932) – Phyllis Fontaine (uncredited) El caballero de la noche (1932) – Lady Elena The Death Kiss (1932) – Mrs. Agnes Avery (uncredited) Le plombier amoureux (1932) Secrets (1933) – Señora Lolita Martinez Una viuda romántica (1933) – Estrella Polar Forbidden Melody (1933) – Peggy No dejes la puerta abierta (1933) – Sra. Lucrecia Delfi Yo, tú y ella (1933) – Laura White Heat (1934) – Leilani Kiss and Make-Up (1934) – Countess Rita Downward Slope (1934) – Raquel Un capitan de Cosacos (1934) – Olga Nicolaievna Tres Amores (1934) – Lola Duval The Singer of Naples (1935) – Teresa Asegure a su mujer (1935) – Rita Martin The Eternal Jew (1940) – Herself Flight from Destiny (1941) – Ketti Moret Underground (1941) – Fräulein Gessner Law of the Tropics (1941) – Rita A Date with the Falcon (1942) – Rita Mara My Gal Sal (1942) – Countess Mariana Rossini Pacific Rendezvous (1942) – Olivia Kerlov I Married an Angel (1942) – Marika Berlin Correspondent (1942) – Carla Tampico (1944) – Dolores Garcia The Desert Hawk (1944, Serial) – Princess Azala The Falcon in Mexico (1944) – Raquel Heartbeat (1946) – Ambassador's Wife Monsieur Beaucaire (1946) – Marquisa Velasquez (uncredited) The Avengers (1950) – Yvonne The Lady of the Camellias (1953) Camila (1984) – La Perichona (final film role)