Konstantin, Leopoldine (1886-1965)

Konstantin, Leopoldine

ACTOR (AUSTRIA)

BORN 12 Mar 1886, Brünn (now: Brno, Czech Republic) - DIED 14 Dec 1965, Wien: Hietzing
BIRTH NAME Konstantin, Leopoldine Eugenie Amelie
CAUSE OF DEATH cardiac arrest
GRAVE LOCATION Wien: Evangelischer Pfarrfriedhof Simmering, 11., Simmeringer Hauptstraße 242 (Gruppe 12, Reihe 01, Nummer 026)

Leopoldine Konstantin was the daughter of Michel Constantin (1855-1911), who worked as an editor of the "Moderne Dichtung" series that were published by Eduard Michael Kafka. She took acting lessons with Alexander Strakosch (1846-1909). They had a son, Alexander, in 1909 and she married him shortly before he died September 1909. He died soon afterwards. In 1907 she debuted at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin under Max Reinhardt. In 1911 she worked for the Berliner Kammerspielen. From 1912 she appeared in movies as well, including "Insel der Seligen" (1913).

After a legal conflict with Max Reinhardt she moved to Vienna in 1916. After initial success she received only minor parts and from 1921 to 1933 she appeared only in the theatre. In 1924 she was successful in the title part of Schiller's "Maria Stuart" at the Volkstheater. In the same year she married the author and ministerial councilor Géza Herczeg (1888-1954). From 1933 she appeared in movies again. She divorced her husband in 1938 and in that year, she emigrated to England.

After her Alexander son died during a bombing raid on London on 11 May 1941, she moved to the USA. Because she hardly spoke English she had to work in a factory. She studied English and in 1946 she had a major supporting role as Claude Rains dominant mother in Hitchcock's "Notorious". In 1948 she returned to Austria, where she lived with her adopted daughter Elisabeth Herczeg (c1915-2011). She appeared in several American television series during the 1950s. In 1965 she died in Vienna.

Images

The grave of Leopoldine Konstantin at the Evangelischer Pfarrfriedhof Simmering, Vienna.
Picture by Androom (15 Aug 2019)