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Greta Nissen(1905-1988)

  • Actress
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Greta Nissen
Greta Ruzt-Nissen was born in Oslo, Norway, on January 30, 1905. As a young girl she studied dance and had intended to make a career out of it. For a while she did, but when she was 19 she appeared in her first big-screen production, The Wanderer (1925). Afterwards she made several more films, but she was one of those who lost much work due to the advent of sound films. One setback for her was when she was chosen for the lead in Hell's Angels (1930) by Howard Hughes but then replaced by Jean Harlow because of her heavy Norwegian accent. The film shot Harlow to stardom. Throughout the 1930s Greta stayed fairly busy. Obviously some roles were better than others, but she never got the breakout role she wanted so badly. After Danger in Paris (1937), Greta left the screen forever. On May 17, 1988, she died of Parkinson's disease. She was 83 years old.
BornJanuary 30, 1905
DiedMay 15, 1988(83)
BornJanuary 30, 1905
DiedMay 15, 1988(83)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Awards
    • 2 wins total

Photos123

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Known for

Edmund Lowe and Greta Nissen in Transatlantic (1931)
Transatlantic
6.0
  • Sigrid Carline
  • 1931
Adolphe Menjou and Greta Nissen in Blonde or Brunette (1927)
Blonde or Brunette
5.6
  • Fanny
  • 1927
Richard 'Skeets' Gallagher and Greta Nissen in The Unwritten Law (1932)
The Unwritten Law
  • Fifi La Rue
  • 1932
The Butter and Egg Man (1928)
The Butter and Egg Man
3.4
  • Mary Martin
  • 1928

Credits

IMDbPro

Actress



  • Paul Cavanagh, Sally Gray, and Greta Nissen in Danger in Paris (1937)
    Danger in Paris
    • Vanda Muroff
    • 1937
  • Honours Easy (1935)
    Honours Easy
    4.5
    • Ursula Barton
    • 1935
  • David Manners, Clifford Mollison, and Greta Nissen in The Luck of a Sailor (1934)
    The Luck of a Sailor
    5.8
    • Queen Helena
    • 1934
  • James Kirkwood and Greta Nissen in Hired Wife (1934)
    Hired Wife
    • Vivian Mathews
    • 1934
  • Spy 77 (1933)
    Spy 77
    5.9
    • Marchesa Marcella Galdi
    • 1933
  • Torin Thatcher in Red Wagon (1933)
    Red Wagon
    6.0
    • Zara
    • 1933
  • George O'Brien and Claire Trevor in Life in the Raw (1933)
    Life in the Raw
    5.6
    • Belle
    • 1933
  • Marian Nixon and Charles 'Buddy' Rogers in Best of Enemies (1933)
    Best of Enemies
    • The Blonde
    • 1933
  • Phil Harris, Helen Mack, and Charles Ruggles in Melody Cruise (1933)
    Melody Cruise
    6.0
    • Elsa Von Rader
    • 1933
  • Donald Cook, Dwight Frye, Adolphe Menjou, and Greta Nissen in The Circus Queen Murder (1933)
    The Circus Queen Murder
    6.1
    • Josie La Tour
    • 1933
  • Richard 'Skeets' Gallagher and Greta Nissen in The Unwritten Law (1932)
    The Unwritten Law
    • Fifi La Rue
    • 1932
  • Victor McLaglen, Greta Nissen, and Nell O'Day in Rackety Rax (1932)
    Rackety Rax
    4.8
    • Voine
    • 1932
  • Lionel Atwill, Bramwell Fletcher, Weldon Heyburn, Greta Nissen, and Wyndham Standing in The Silent Witness (1932)
    The Silent Witness
    6.2
    • Nora Selmer
    • 1932
  • John Boles and Linda Watkins in Good Sport (1931)
    Good Sport
    6.4
    • Peggy Bums
    • 1931
  • Marguerite Churchill and Will Rogers in Ambassador Bill (1931)
    Ambassador Bill
    6.0
    • Countess Ilka
    • 1931

Soundtrack



  • Phil Harris, Helen Mack, and Charles Ruggles in Melody Cruise (1933)
    Melody Cruise
    6.0
    • performer: "This Is the Hour" (1933) (uncredited)
    • 1933

Personal details

  • Alternative names
    • Grethe Rutz-Nissen
  • Height
    • 5′ 4½″ (1.64 m)
  • Born
    • January 30, 1905
    • Oslo, Norway
  • Died
    • May 15, 1988
    • Montecito, California, USA(Parkinson's disease)
  • Spouses
      Stuart Drake EckertJune 2, 1941 - May 17, 1988 (her death, 1 child)
  • Parents
    • Agnes Magdalene Larsen and Carl Andreas Frantz Nissen
  • Other works
    She performed in the musical comedy, "Why Not Tonight?," at the Palace Theatre in London, England with Elizabeth Schooling; M. Braithwaite and Stanislas Idzikowski (Devil) in the cast. Walford Hyden was composer. Ottorino Respighi was composer. Ramon Reed was writer.
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 13 Articles
    • 2 Pictorials
    • 3 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

  • Trivia
    Replaced Greta Garbo in The Love Thief (1926).

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