Eleni Papadaki(1903-1944)
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Eleni was a Greek actress. A unique woman, a
complex and charismatic personality, full of sensitivities and
tenderness but also brave, determined, strong and risky. She had a
legion of followers but also an army of enemies. Many attempts to
upstage her were often made over the years by people who had the power
and/or connections in the theatrical business; she was often the
subject of bitter jealousy from her fellow actors and actresses; her
rivalry with the Oscar-winning
Katina Paxinou was well-known back in the
days. During the Axis occupation of Greece in World War II the rumor
that she was having an affair with collaborationist Prime Minister
Ioannis Rallis resulted to a new kind of hatred. The
truth is that Eleni Papadaki had saved many people from the Germans
during the War. The Greek Actor's Association finally expelled her from
its ranks. A few months after the liberation of Athens she was arrested
by members of the Greek partisan army and was executed without a trial
as a war criminal. Shortly after her murder was admitted to be "a big
mistake" and "an idiocy" even by the leaders of the Greek partisans.
