Nora Gregor & Anton Walbrook Season

This autumn the ACF London CineClub series presents a special historic film season in the context of the Memorial Year: 1938 Remembered. We explore the very different fates of two of Austria’s pre-war giants of the silver screen: Nora Gregor and Anton Walbrook. The season will be introduced by film historians Brigitte Mayr and Michael Omasta of Synema Vienna.

Nora Gregor, born in 1901 in Gorica, then part of Austria-Hungary became one of the most sought after actresses of her time. She appeared in German speaking as well as Hollywood films and joined the ensemble of the Burgtheater. Following her marriage to the Austrofascist politician Ernst Rüdiger Starhemberg, Nora and her family left Austria in 1938. She died impoverished and forgotten in Chile in 1949.

Anton Walbrook was born in Vienna in 1896 into a family of actors and achieved great success on both stage and screen during the 1930s in Austria and Germany. At the time of the 'Anschluß ' Walbrook’s career was already international and multi-lingual. He settled in the UK in 1937 where his screen presence mesmerized directors such as Powell & Pressburger.

The first film in this mini programme is Gaslight. Based on Patrick Hamilton’s stage thriller, Gaslight tells the story of a homicidal husband played by Anton Walbrook who sets out to drive his wife (Diana Wynyard) insane, when she seems likely to stumble on his guilty past.

Film historians Brigitte Mayr and Michael Omasta of Synema Vienna will give a historical introduction ahead of the screening.

UK, 1940, 80min, English, directed by Thorold Dickinson

What Women Dream featuring Nora Gregor
Thursday 11 October, 7pm, ACF London
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Masquerade in Vienna featuring Anton Walbrook
Tuesday 23 October, 7pm, ACF London
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