Steffi Duna
Encyclopedia
Steffi Duna was a Hungarian
-born film
actress popular in American
and British
films during the 1930s.
of Czechoslovakian extraction, Duna started dancing at the age of nine and first attracted attention as a thirteen year old ballet
dancer in Europe
. Duna made her first stage appearance performing dramatized fairy tales at the Children's Theater of Budapest. Initially opposed to the idea, her father sent her to the best schools in the Hungarian capitol to learn dancing and soon she had danced in most of the capitals of Europe.
During the 1930s Duna played a variety of nationalities. However, despite her European background, she was often cast as fiery Latin femme fatales in films that made full use of her exotic and glamorous persona, such as La Cucaracha
(1934) the first live-action short film made in three-strip Technicolor
.
She made her film debut in The Indiscretions of Eve (1932) in the starring role (along with Jessica Tandy
also making her debut). Signed by RKO Radio Pictures,
Duna played Guninana, the Eskimo
wife of Francis Lederer
, in Man of Two Worlds (1934). Also Czech, Lederer had performed with Duna in the Berlin, Germany presentation of Die Wunderbar.
The films in which she played lead roles such as Panama Lady
(1939) with Lucille Ball
, were popular but did not make her a major star. Her best remembered films are arguably some of those in which she played key supporting roles, such as Anthony Adverse
(1936) and Waterloo Bridge
(1940). In Anthony Adverse Duna performed as a halfcaste in the African sequence.
. The two performed together in Hi, Gaucho (1935). They had a daughter named Juliena Lefaye. They divorced in 1938. In 1940 she married actor Dennis O'Keefe
; they remained together until his death. She retired from films in 1940, and died in Beverly Hills, California
in 1992, aged 82.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
-born film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
actress popular in American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
films during the 1930s.
Hungarian Dancer
Born Stephanie Berindey in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
of Czechoslovakian extraction, Duna started dancing at the age of nine and first attracted attention as a thirteen year old ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
dancer in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Duna made her first stage appearance performing dramatized fairy tales at the Children's Theater of Budapest. Initially opposed to the idea, her father sent her to the best schools in the Hungarian capitol to learn dancing and soon she had danced in most of the capitals of Europe.
Movie Actress
When she first came to Hollywood in 1932, Duna could not speak a word of English. She made up her mind to learn quickly. Directors advised her to stay away from her Hungarian friends to speed up her learning of English. Within a few years she could speak six different languages.During the 1930s Duna played a variety of nationalities. However, despite her European background, she was often cast as fiery Latin femme fatales in films that made full use of her exotic and glamorous persona, such as La Cucaracha
La Cucaracha (1934 film)
La Cucaracha is a 1934 short musical film directed by Lloyd Corrigan. It was designed by Pioneer Pictures to display the new full-color Technicolor Process No. 4 , which had been used since 1932 mainly in Walt Disney cartoons. Jock Whitney and his cousin C. V. Whitney, the owners of Pioneer, were...
(1934) the first live-action short film made in three-strip Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
.
She made her film debut in The Indiscretions of Eve (1932) in the starring role (along with Jessica Tandy
Jessica Tandy
Jessie Alice "Jessica" Tandy was an English-American stage and film actress.She first appeared on the London stage in 1926 at the age of 16, playing, among others, Katherine opposite Laurence Olivier's Henry V, and Cordelia opposite John Gielgud's King Lear. She also worked in British films...
also making her debut). Signed by RKO Radio Pictures,
Duna played Guninana, the Eskimo
Eskimo
Eskimos or Inuit–Yupik peoples are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia , across Alaska , Canada, and Greenland....
wife of Francis Lederer
Francis Lederer
Francis Lederer was a film and stage actor with a successful career, first in Europe, then in the United States.-Europe:...
, in Man of Two Worlds (1934). Also Czech, Lederer had performed with Duna in the Berlin, Germany presentation of Die Wunderbar.
The films in which she played lead roles such as Panama Lady
Panama Lady
- External links :*...
(1939) with Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
, were popular but did not make her a major star. Her best remembered films are arguably some of those in which she played key supporting roles, such as Anthony Adverse
Anthony Adverse
Anthony Adverse is a 1936 American drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay by Sheridan Gibney is based on the sprawling 1,224-page novel of the same title by Hervey Allen.-Plot:...
(1936) and Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge (1940 film)
Waterloo Bridge is a 1940 remake of the 1931 film of the same title, adapted from the 1930 play of the same title.The film was made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Mervyn LeRoy and produced by Sidney Franklin and Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay is by S. N. Behrman, Hans Rameau and George...
(1940). In Anthony Adverse Duna performed as a halfcaste in the African sequence.
Marriage
Duna was married first to the actor John CarrollJohn Carroll (actor)
John Carroll was an American actor and singer. He was born Julian Lafaye in New Orleans, Louisiana....
. The two performed together in Hi, Gaucho (1935). They had a daughter named Juliena Lefaye. They divorced in 1938. In 1940 she married actor Dennis O'Keefe
Dennis O'Keefe
Dennis O'Keefe was an American actor. Born as Edward Vance Flanagan he was the son of Irish vaudevillians working in the United States...
; they remained together until his death. She retired from films in 1940, and died in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
in 1992, aged 82.
Sources
- Bismarck TribuneBismarck TribuneThe Bismarck Tribune is a daily newspaper printed in Bismarck, North Dakota. The Tribune is the primary daily newspaper for south-central and southwest North Dakota. Its average daily circulation is 31,081 on Sundays and 27,620 on weekdays. One notable reporter for the paper was Mark H...
, "Steffi Duna Important Character In Picture", Wednesday, November 20, 1935, Page 8. - Hammond Times, "Hollywood", March 16, 1939, Page 35.
- Oakland Tribune, "Money-Important In Marriage, Or Is It?", Sunday, November 26, 1939, Page 79.
- Salisbury Times, "Dennis O'Keefe Picks That As Official Name", Monday Evening, August 28, 1944, Page 5.