Camilla Horn

Acting

Camilla Horn

Born 1903-04-25 · Frankfurt am Main, Germany

The daughter of a railroad official, Camilla Horn was educated in Germany and Switzerland. She initially trained as a dressmaker and received her first job experience in a fashion salon in Erfurt. This was merely a stepping stone for a performing career which began with dance lessons in Berlin and subsequent acting studies under Lucie Höflich. The lithe, blond and strikingly beautiful Camilla soon appeared in cabaret revues staged by Rudolf Nelson. By 1926, she was employed as an extra at Ufa, where she was spotted by the director F.W. Murnau, who found in her the ideal representation of Gretchen for his seminal production of Fausto (1926) . The role catapulted Camilla to instant stardom. Within a year, she was signed by United Artists in Hollywood, befriending Charles Chaplin and, more importantly, studio chairman Joseph M. Schenck. The friendship with Schenck may, or may not, have led to an affair -- depending on which story one is to believe -- but it did result in two high profile starring roles opposite John Barrymore in the torrid melodramas Tempestad (1928) and Amor eterno (1929), both produced by Schenck. Neither film was a commercial success. With the coming of sound, Camilla returned to Europe, briefly appearing on stage in London and Paris, before resuming her screen career in Germany. As the 1930's went on, she rarely turned down a role, playing anything from baronesses and fashion models, to vamps and 'fallen women'. The quality of her films was variable, but there were several noteworthy standouts, such as Hans in allen Gassen (1930) (opposite Hans Albers), Fiesta en palacio (1934) and Payasos (1938) (as a circus artiste, again with Albers). During this tumultuous decade, Camilla conducted a lengthy affair with the singer Louis Graveure, fifteen years her senior. This came to an end in 1938, when Graveure was suspected of espionage by the Gestapo and fled to England, via the Cote d'Azure. After her luxury villa in Berlin was ransacked in search for non-existent clues, Camilla's outspoken criticism of the Nazi regime reached a point where it got her into serious trouble. She saw out the first half of her career with a trio of long forgotten films made in Italy. Having failed in an attempt to flee to Switzerland, she kept a low profile and even tried her hand at farming. After the war, she had a stint as an interpreter for the occupying U.S. forces in Germany. Camilla made a successful return to the stage in a 1948 Frankfurt production of Jean Cocteau's "L'Aigle a Deux Tetes" (aka 'The Eagle Has Two Heads'). She spent the latter half of her acting career playing grand dames, matriarchs and worldly ladies with colourful backgrounds, in both films and on television. In 1974, she was awarded the 'Filmband in Gold' (also known as 'Lola') for lifetime achievement in the German film industry. In her 1985 autobiography, "Verliebt in die Liebe" ('In Love with Love'), she happily recounted her marriages and liaisons.

Acting credits

The Double poster
7.3

Jenny confronts her cousin Harry: Did he embezzle her fortune? No. But he escapes with married lover Germaine only to return quickly because her husband pursues them. Jenny is convinced Harry is his own double and arrests him at gunpoint.

The Double

1934

The Great Desire poster
7.7

A young woman leaves behind her job, home and family to try to make it in the movie business. Features cameos from about three dozen German film stars of the era.

The Great Desire

1930

Faust poster
7.9

God and Satan wager on the soul of a learned and prayerful alchemist as part of their eternal war over Earth.

Faust

1926

White Slaves poster
5.5

Russia, 1917. Revolution is in the air. The Sevastopol anchors In Saint Petersburg. The sailors are thirsty for women and celebration. The ship becomes a dancehall. Bloodbath, pillage and kidnapping follows. A Nazi/Germany propaganda film.

White Slaves

1937

The Song of the Nations poster
8.0

No synopsis available yet.

The Song of the Nations

1931

No artwork available
NR

Péter begins to correspond with the unknown Ági living in Munich while he is spending his military service. After the service he goes to Munich and at the address given by Ági he finds four nice old women who put him up. He cannot find Ági, however.

Spiders

1989

Intimitäten poster
7.0

Peter Korff isn't a famous actor yet, but he is young, handsome, adventurous – and once again hopelessly in love. The object of his affection is named Erika and works as a model at the fashion salon "Yvette." Although the pretty young woman claims to be just as in love with Peter as he is with her, she's always up for a little fling behind his back.

Intimitäten

1948

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Die Erbin

1958

Eva and the Grasshopper poster
9.0

Mary and Eva are best friends, although they couldn't be more different. Armand, Mary's fiancee, falls in love with the seductive Eva, who is busy becoming a revue star. When Eva fails and loses her money, Armand tries to help her out.

Eva and the Grasshopper

1927

Matinee Idol poster
7.5

A well-known actor is murdered. Another performer becomes an amateur sleuth so she can prove her sister is innocent of the crime.

Matinee Idol

1933

A Waltz for You poster
7.0

Ruritanian power struggle with opera singing.

A Waltz for You

1934

Gesucht wird Majora poster
8.0

No synopsis available yet.

Gesucht wird Majora

1949

Fundvogel poster
10.0

Young Jan Bergwall visits his grandmother, the so-called centenary, at Woyland Castle. There he meets his cousin Andrea, who everyone calls "Fundvogel". Jan is fascinated by the young girl's beauty, and soon there is an erotic tension in the air between the two. Although they both have strong feelings for each other, they are afraid to make a commitment, even though their domineering grandmother is determined that they marry. Panicked that he might feel obliged to marry Andrea, Jan escapes from this place. Andrea is deeply disappointed and seeks revenge. Out of spite, she becomes involved with the falconer Bartel and is later raped in a wooden hut. The centigress, concerned about morals and customs, then sends Fundvogel to a convent. She escapes from there and flees into the arms of Jan. When he learns from a letter from the countess what has happened to Andrea, he leaves her a second time. In her despair, Fundvogel then throws herself off a bridge into the floods with suicidal intent.

Fundvogel

1930

No artwork available
8.0

Rudi, who’s been quite the ladies’ man, finally wants to settle down and marry Hilde. So as to not get into a touchy situation with all his many women, he plans to bring them all together the night before his wedding. While sitting alone in his apartment and burning all his old photos and love letters, he notices a woman in the garden. She assets, that she’s hiding from a stubborn admirer and he stupidly offers her to come in … and then it all begins! First, his wife-to-be Hilde shows up, who wants to spend the night before their wedding together. While Rudi tries to hide the unknown woman in his bedroom, a hotel detective shows up and claims he’s following a thief.

Polterabend

1940

The Cheeky Devil poster
10.0

Adaptation of a French comedy, set in Paris, in which a lecherous man sets his sights on a beautiful married woman, whose husband is otherwise distracted.

The Cheeky Devil

1932

The Five Accursed Gentlemen poster
7.0

European tourists on holiday in Morocco are threatened by a native sorcerer who predicts five of them will die, one by one, before the full moon.

The Five Accursed Gentlemen

1932

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

L'angelo del crepuscolo

1942

Der letzte Walzer poster
9.0

Film by Jacoby.

Der letzte Walzer

1934

No artwork available
10.0

No synopsis available yet.

Königin der Arena

1952

Madame Wants No Children poster
10.0

Playboy Paul Le Barroy, weds Elyane Parizot because he is ready for children, and his mistress, Louise Bonvin, is not. After the honeymoon, Elyane informs Paul that she doesn’t want children, either. When Paul leaves her, Elyane blames Louise and confronts the ex-mistress with a gun.

Madame Wants No Children

1926

The Bordellos of Algiers poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

The Bordellos of Algiers

1927

Paura d'amare poster
9.0

No synopsis available yet.

Paura d'amare

1942

I Go Out and You Stay Here poster
8.0

Weimar era screwball comedy about a floor model who is required to go out evenings to escort VIPs while her boyfriend has to wait at home.

I Go Out and You Stay Here

1931

No artwork available
7.0

Music student Verena finds herself torn between two stepbrothers: the carefree Alexander, with whom she is pregnant, and the serious Clemens, who, continuing his father's work, is developing a new drug. Alexander has fallen into deep debt through a dubious business deal and is forced to rely on his brother's help, who sends him to America. Meanwhile, Clemens offers Verena his country house, where she gives birth. Clemens and Verena slowly grow closer. But then Alexander returns, having found honest work and wanting to be a good father to his child. However, when he realizes that Verena has fallen in love with his brother, he angrily drives off and is seriously injured in a car accident. He is saved by Clemens' new drug. The brothers reconcile, and Verena stays with Clemens.

Herz ohne Heimat

1940