Natasha Lytess

Natasha Lytess (16 May 1911 – 12 May 1963) was an actress, writer and drama coach.

Life Born Natalia Postmann and also known as Liesl Massary and Tala Forman, she had studied with the director Max Reinhardt and appeared in the repertory theater. She is said to have had a relationship with the writer Leonhard Frank, who is also said to be the father of her daughter Barbara, born in 1943.

When the Nazis came to power, and in light of her Jewish heritage, she moved to the United States and settled in Los Angeles. She had hoped for a great stage career, but her accent and purportedly unfeminine appearance limited the roles she could play.

Among her acting credits were appearances in Comrade X (1940), Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942), and The House on Telegraph Hill (1951). Her performance in Once Upon a Honeymoon drew praise from New York Times critic Bosley Crowther, who said she "shines with clear and poignant brilliance in a brief part as a Jewish chambermaid."

In her career as a drama coach, her students included Mamie Van Doren, Virginia Leith, and Ann Savage (who reputedly got her stage name after a particularly "savage" argument with Lytess).

Lytess is best known for her partnership with actress Marilyn Monroe from 1948 to 1956. During her time as a drama coach for Columbia Pictures, Lytess was shown Monroe's screen test and convinced Harry Cohn to hire Monroe for a six-month contract. Lytess appeared on What's My Line on September 12, 1954 as Marilyn Monroe's dramatic coach. Her occupation was guessed by Bennett Cerf in the free guess given the panel before the game began because he recognized her face. Lytess coached Marilyn through more than 20 films before their partnership began to deteriorate. Lytess is rumored to have had more than professional feelings toward Monroe which developed, according to Monroe and other actresses that studied under Lytess, into an overbearing obsession. In 1956, Monroe sent Lytess a telegram saying that she did not require Natasha's services anymore, and the partnership ended after more than seven years.

Death Lytess died of cancer in 1963. She was portrayed by Viveca Lindfors in Marilyn: The Untold Story, Lindsay Crouse in Norma Jean & Marilyn, and by Embeth Davidtz in The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1940 Comrade X Olga 1942 Once Upon a Honeymoon Anna 1951 The House on Telegraph Hill Karin Dernakova 1952 Anything Can Happen Madame Greshiani 1958 Schlitz Playhouse Mother episode: "Curfew at Midnight"1961 Barabbas uncredited