Biography

Divorced in 1938, she moved to the United States via Britain. She spoke no English at that time, and had to take a job as a factory worker until, after intensive language study, she landed a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's 1946 film Notorious, in which she played Claude Rains' mother, although she was only 3 years older than he.

Austrian theatre and film character actress, on stage at the Deutsche Theater in Berlin from 1907. Acted in German sound films during the first half of the 1930's, before moving to Britain and then to the United States. Best remembered internationally for her sole Hollywood film role, as the autocratic, venomous mother of Claude Rains (who was just three years her junior) in Hitchcock's Notorious (1946), in which film she was credited as "Madame Konstantin".

Lost her son during a bomb attack on London in World War II.

At the beginning of her American exile she was forced to work in a factory before stage engagement and few movies followed little by little.

In 1938 she went via London - where she lost her son during the last German air raid over London - into American exile.