Signe Hasso
Encyclopedia
Signe Hasso was a Swedish
-born American
actress, writer and composer.
parish of Stockholm, Sweden in 1915. Signe Hasso debuted at the prestigious Royal Dramatic Theatre
in the year 1927 at the age of 12.
film director
/cameraman Harry Hasso
whom she subsequently married. In 1940, she moved to the United States
, where she was signed to a contract by RKO Studios, who promoted her as "the next Garbo
". She and Hasso divorced in 1941.
Her first role of note was as "Mademoiselle" in Heaven Can Wait
(1943). Her other roles during the 1940s included The Seventh Cross (1944), Johnny Angel
(1945), The House on 92nd Street
(1945), A Scandal in Paris
(1946) and A Double Life
(1947).
By the 1950s, her Hollywood career had stalled. In 1957, her son (and only child) was killed in a car accident. From then on, she divided her time between making films in Sweden and acting on stage in New York until she returned to Hollywood in the mid 1960s.
In her later years, Hasso won acclaim for her work as a songwriter and writer, and for her work translating Swedish folk songs
into English. In 1977, she wrote her debut novel, Momo, depicting her childhood in the interwar Stockholm.
She was also a songwriter. Her second album, Where the Sun Meets the Moon, was released in 1979 and consisted of her own versions of Swedish folk tunes. She continued acting, making her final appearance in 2001, in a television documentary
about Garbo.
in 2002, aged 86, from pneumonia
resulting from lung cancer
.
named her Member 1st Class of the Royal Order of Vasa. Hasso has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
for her contribution to motion pictures, at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, writer and composer.
Background
Signe Eleonora Cecilia Larsson was born in the KungsholmenKungsholmen
Kungsholmen is an island in Lake Mälaren in Sweden, part of Stockholm City. It is situated north of Riddarfjärden and considered part of the historical province Uppland....
parish of Stockholm, Sweden in 1915. Signe Hasso debuted at the prestigious Royal Dramatic Theatre
Royal Dramatic Theatre
The Royal Dramatic Theatre is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's eight running stages....
in the year 1927 at the age of 12.
Career
In 1933, she made her first film, Tystnadens hus, with GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
/cameraman Harry Hasso
Harry Hasso
Harry Hasso wasborn in Germany in Frankenthal 1904. He workedin Sweden and Germany as a cameraman andalso wrote some of the music and manuscripts for some...
whom she subsequently married. In 1940, she moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where she was signed to a contract by RKO Studios, who promoted her as "the next Garbo
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
". She and Hasso divorced in 1941.
Her first role of note was as "Mademoiselle" in Heaven Can Wait
Heaven Can Wait (1943 film)
Heaven Can Wait is a 1943 American comedy film produced and directed by Ernst Lubitsch. The screenplay was by Samson Raphaelson based on the play Birthday by Leslie Bush-Fekete. The music score was by Alfred Newman and the cinematography by Edward Cronjager.The film tells the story of a man who has...
(1943). Her other roles during the 1940s included The Seventh Cross (1944), Johnny Angel
Johnny Angel
Johnny Angel is a film noir directed by Edwin L. Marin, written by Frank Gruber and Steve Fisher from the novel Mr. Angel Comes Aboard by Charles Gordon Booth. The movie features George Raft, Claire Trevor, Signe Hasso, and Hoagy Carmichael....
(1945), The House on 92nd Street
The House on 92nd Street
The House on 92nd Street is a 1945 black-and-white spy film directed by Henry Hathaway. The film, shot mainly in New York City, was released shortly after the end of World War II. The House on 92nd Street was made with the full cooperation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation , and its head, J....
(1945), A Scandal in Paris
A Scandal in Paris
A Scandal in Paris is a fictionalized 1946 biographical film, directed by Douglas Sirk and starring George Sanders. It depicts the life of Eugène François Vidocq, a French criminal who reformed and became a famous French prefect of police during the Napoleonic era.-Plot:The rogue who would later...
(1946) and A Double Life
A Double Life
A Double Life is a 1947 film noir which tells the story of an actor whose mind becomes affected by the character he portrays. The movie starred Ronald Colman and Signe Hasso...
(1947).
By the 1950s, her Hollywood career had stalled. In 1957, her son (and only child) was killed in a car accident. From then on, she divided her time between making films in Sweden and acting on stage in New York until she returned to Hollywood in the mid 1960s.
In her later years, Hasso won acclaim for her work as a songwriter and writer, and for her work translating Swedish folk songs
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
into English. In 1977, she wrote her debut novel, Momo, depicting her childhood in the interwar Stockholm.
She was also a songwriter. Her second album, Where the Sun Meets the Moon, was released in 1979 and consisted of her own versions of Swedish folk tunes. She continued acting, making her final appearance in 2001, in a television documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about Garbo.
Death
She died in Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 2002, aged 86, from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
resulting from lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
.
Awards
In 1935, she received the Theatre League's De Wahl-stipendium and in 1939 the first Nordic nordiska Gösta Ekmanpriset. In 1972, the King of SwedenGustaf VI Adolf of Sweden
Gustaf VI Adolf - Oscar Fredrik Wilhelm Olaf Gustaf Adolf - was King of Sweden from October 29, 1950 until his death. His official title was King of Sweden, of the Goths and of the Wends. He was the eldest son of King Gustaf V and his wife Victoria of Baden...
named her Member 1st Class of the Royal Order of Vasa. Hasso has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
for her contribution to motion pictures, at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard.
Selected works
- Momo (1977)
- Kom slott (1978)
- Inte än (1988)
- Om igen (1989)
- Tidens vän (1990)
Partial filmography
- Assignment in BrittanyAssignment in BrittanyAssignment in Brittany is a 1943 film directed by Jack Conway. It stars Jean-Pierre Aumont and Susan Peters.-Cast:*Jean-Pierre Aumont as Bertrand Corlay / Capt. Pierre Matard*Susan Peters as Anne Pinot*Margaret Wycherly as Mme. Henriette Corlay...
(1943) - Heaven Can WaitHeaven Can Wait (1943 film)Heaven Can Wait is a 1943 American comedy film produced and directed by Ernst Lubitsch. The screenplay was by Samson Raphaelson based on the play Birthday by Leslie Bush-Fekete. The music score was by Alfred Newman and the cinematography by Edward Cronjager.The film tells the story of a man who has...
(1943) - The Story of Dr. WassellThe Story of Dr. WassellThe Story of Dr. Wassell is a Technicolor World War II film set in the Dutch East Indies, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and starring Gary Cooper, Laraine Day, Signe Hasso, and Dennis O'Keefe. It is based on the wartime activities of US Navy Doctor Corydon M...
(1944) - The Seventh Cross (1944)
- The House on 92nd StreetThe House on 92nd StreetThe House on 92nd Street is a 1945 black-and-white spy film directed by Henry Hathaway. The film, shot mainly in New York City, was released shortly after the end of World War II. The House on 92nd Street was made with the full cooperation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation , and its head, J....
(1945) - Johnny AngelJohnny AngelJohnny Angel is a film noir directed by Edwin L. Marin, written by Frank Gruber and Steve Fisher from the novel Mr. Angel Comes Aboard by Charles Gordon Booth. The movie features George Raft, Claire Trevor, Signe Hasso, and Hoagy Carmichael....
(1945) - A Scandal in ParisA Scandal in ParisA Scandal in Paris is a fictionalized 1946 biographical film, directed by Douglas Sirk and starring George Sanders. It depicts the life of Eugène François Vidocq, a French criminal who reformed and became a famous French prefect of police during the Napoleonic era.-Plot:The rogue who would later...
(1946) - Where There's LifeWhere There's LifeWhere There's Life is a 1947 comedy film. The film's title derives from a line in Don Quixote .-Plot:...
(1947) - A Double LifeA Double LifeA Double Life is a 1947 film noir which tells the story of an actor whose mind becomes affected by the character he portrays. The movie starred Ronald Colman and Signe Hasso...
(1947) - To the Ends of the EarthTo the Ends of the Earth (film)To the Ends of the Earth is an American crime film noir directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Sidney Buchman and Jay Richard Kennedy. The drama features Dick Powell, Signe Hasso, and others.-Plot:...
(1948) - CrisisCrisis (1950 film)Crisis is a 1950 drama film starring Cary Grant, directed by Richard Brooks. The story of an American couple who inadvertently become embroiled in a revolution, it was based on the short story "The Doubters" by George Tabori.-Plot:Dr...
(1950) - This Can't Happen HereThis Can't Happen HereThis Can't Happen Here is a 1950 Swedish film directed by Ingmar Bergman.-Cast:* Signe Hasso – Vera* Alf Kjellin – Almkvist* Ulf Palme – Atkä Natas* Gösta Cederlund – The Doctor* Yngve Nordwall – Lindell* Hannu Kompus – The Priest...
(1950) - Code Name: HeraclitusCode Name: HeraclitusCode Name: Heraclitus is a 1967 American thriller film starring Stanley Baker and Leslie Nielsen.-Plot:Stanley Baker stars as a British spy who investigates the past of Lydia Constantine , the widow of secret agent Constantine . Lydia is suspected of selling cold war secrets to the Communists...
(1967) - The Black BirdThe Black BirdThe Black Bird is a 1975 film released December 25, 1975 starring George Segal and Stephane Audran. It is a comedy sequel to the well-regarded 1941 film version of The Maltese Falcon with Segal playing Sam Spade's son, Sam Spade Jr and Elisha Cook Jr...
(1975) - I Never Promised You a Rose GardenI Never Promised You a Rose Garden (film)I Never Promised You a Rose Garden is a 1977 film based on the Joanne Greenberg novel of the same name.In the wake of the success of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Roger Corman was able to get funding for a movie version of Rose Garden. Bibi Andersson played Dr. Fried, while Kathleen Quinlan...
(1977)