Mercedes Dagmar Godowsky (November 24, 1897 – February 13, 1975) was an American

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

actress.

Biography

Godowsky was born in Chicago, Illinois, on November 24, 1897, the daughter of Polish-Jewish composer

Leopold Godowsky Leopold Mordkhelovich Godowsky Sr. (13 February 1870 – 21 November 1938) was a virtuoso pianist, composer and teacher, born in what is now Lithuania to Jewish parents, who became an United States of America, American citizen in 1891. He ...

and Frederica "Frieda" Saxe (1870–1933), who was of German descent, although she later claimed she was born in

Vilna Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

(present-day

Vilnius, Lithuania Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

) in her autobiography, ''First Person Plural''. She had an older sister, Vanita Hedwig (1892–1961), and two younger brothers, Leopold Godowsky Jr. and Gutram "Gordon" (1905–1932), who was born in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. In November 1914, the family immigrated from

Liverpool, England Liverpool is a port city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population of (in ), Liverpool is the administrative, c ...

, to

Montreal, Quebec Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, in Canada. Her

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

film career spanned the years from 1919 through 1926. She played in '' A Sainted Devil'' (1924) with

Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor who starred in several well-known sile ...

and ''

The Story Without a Name ''The Story Without a Name'' is a 1924 American silent melodrama film directed by Irvin Willat and based on a novel by Arthur John Arbuthnott Stringer, Arthur Stringer, which was published in conjunction with the film. It was produced by Famous ...

'' (1924). The latter co-starred Tyrone Power Sr. and

Louis Wolheim Louis Robert Wolheim (March 28, 1880 – February 18, 1931) was an American actor, of both stage and screen, whose rough physical appearance relegated him to roles mostly of thugs, villains and occasionally a soldier with a heart of gold in ...

. Among her other film credits are ''Red Lights'' (1923), '' The Common Law'' (1923), ''Virtuous Liars'' (1924), and '' The Price of a Party'' (1924). Dagmar Godowsky 02

Personal life

Godowsky wed silent screen actor Frank Mayo in

Tijuana, Mexico Tijuana is the most populous city of the Mexican state of Baja California, located on the northwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico. Tijuana is the municipal seat of the Tijuana Municipality, the hub of the Tijuana metropolitan area and the most popu ...

, on October 2, 1921. She named actress

Anna Luther Anna Luther (July 7, 1893 – December 16, 1960), sometimes credited as Ann Luther or Anne Luther, was an American actress. She was known as "the Poster Girl". Early life and career Anna Luther was born in Newark, New Jersey on July 7, 1893, a ...

as co-respondent in a suit brought against Mayo in March 1925. The marriage was annulled on August 28, 1926, on the grounds that Mayo had another wife.(In 1925, Frank Mayo's first wife Joyce Eleanor Moore sued him over a property settlement she entered into with him in 1923. This trial reveals that the divorce decree between Frank Mayo and Joyce Moore was never granted, so the marriage of Frank Mayo and Dagmar Godowski is annulled.) On June 24, 1926, Godowsky remarried to James D. Sloan. In 1958, Godowsky published a thoroughly candid (disputed; according to the

Arthur Rubinstein Arthur Rubinstein Order of the British Empire, KBE OMRI (; 28 January 1887 – 20 December 1982) was a Polish Americans, Polish-American pianist.

biography by Harvey Sachs, Godowsky's memoirs were "apparently uninhibited but in fact heavily self-censored") autobiography titled ''First Person Plural''. She wrote, "I lived only for pleasure and I spoiled my own fun. Where was I running? From whom? Little feet running around the globe. Nothing but circles, and I never once bumped into myself."Godowsky, Dagmar. ''First Person Plural. The Lives of Dagmar Godowsky by Herself''. New York: The Viking Press, 1958. In the book, she named

Enrico Caruso Enrico Caruso (, , ; 25 February 1873 – 2 August 1921) was an Italian operatic first lyric tenor then dramatic tenor. He sang to great acclaim at the major opera houses of Europe and the Americas, appearing in a wide variety of roles that r ...

, Arthur Rubinstein,

Jascha Heifetz Jascha Heifetz (; December 10, 1987) was a Russian-American violinist, widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time. Born in Vilnius, he was soon recognized as a child prodigy and was trained in the Russian classical violin styl ...

Charles Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered ...

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century c ...

, and Valentino among her "great loves." When queried about the number of husbands she had, Godowsky responded, "Two of my own, my dear, and several of my friends'." In her later years, she made frequent appearances in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and on television talk shows in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Death

Godowsky died aged 77 in Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan on February 13, 1975. It was the anniversary of her father's birth. Her funeral was held at Riverside Chapel. She was buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in

Westchester, New York Westchester County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The county is the seventh most populous coun ...

. She was survived by her brother,

Leopold Leopold may refer to: People * Leopold (given name), including a list of people named Leopold or Léopold * Leopold (surname) Fictional characters * Leopold (''The Simpsons''), Superintendent Chalmers' assistant on ''The Simpsons'' * Leopold B ...

. He was married to Frances Gershwin, sister of

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned jazz, popular music, popular and classical music. Among his best-known works are the songs "Swan ...

Partial filmography

*''

The Red Lantern ''The Red Lantern'' is a 1919 American silent film, silent drama film starring Alla Nazimova, who plays dual roles, and directed by Albert Capellani. It is notable today for being Anna May Wong's screen debut. A single print survives in Europe ...

'' (1919) *'' Bonds of Honor'' (1919) *'' The Kid and the Cowboy'' (1919) *''

Stronger Than Death ''Stronger Than Death'' is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Black Label Society. It was initially released in Japan on March 7, 2000, with 11 tracks and in a blood red jewel case. It was released outside Japan almost a mont ...

'' (1920) *'' Hitchin' Posts'' (1920) *'' The Forged Bride'' (1920) * '' The Path She Chose'' (1920) *'' The Trap'' (1922) * ''

The Strangers' Banquet ''The Strangers' Banquet'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Marshall Neilan and starring Hobart Bosworth, Claire Windsor, and Rockliffe Fellowes.Connelly p. 272 It is based on the 1919 novel of the same title by Brian Oswald Don ...

'' (1922) *''

The Altar Stairs ''The Altar Stairs'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Lambert Hillyer and featuring Frank Mayo, Louise Lorraine, Lawrence Hughes and Boris Karloff in an early role. The screenplay was written by Doris Schroeder, George Hively a ...

'' (1922) * '' Red Lights'' (1923) *'' The Common Law'' (1923) *''

'' (1924) *'' Meddling Women'' (1924) *'' A Sainted Devil'' (1924) * '' Virtuous Liars'' (1924) * ''

Roulette Roulette (named after the French language, French word meaning "little wheel") is a casino game which was likely developed from the Italy, Italian game Biribi. In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various grouping ...

'' (1924) * ''

Greater Than Marriage ''Greater Than Marriage'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Victor Halperin and starring Marjorie Daw, Lou Tellegen Lou Tellegen (born Isidor Louis Bernard Edmon van Dommelen;"Lou Tellegen, Idol of Stage and Silent Screen, St ...

'' (1924) *''

Playthings of Desire ''Playthings of Desire'' is a 1924 American silent melodrama film produced and directed by Burton L. King and starring Estelle Taylor. Cast Preservation A print listed as being complete of ''Playthings of Desire'' is located in the Library ...

'' (1924) *''

The Lost Chord "The Lost Chord" is a song composed by Arthur Sullivan in 1877 at the bedside of his brother Fred Sullivan, Fred during Fred's last illness. The manuscript is dated 13 January 1877; Fred Sullivan died five days later. The lyric was written as a ...

'' (1925) * '' Camille of the Barbary Coast'' (1925) *'' The Price of a Party'' (1926) * '' In Borrowed Plumes'' (1926)

References

Citations

Bibliography

*"Dagmar Godowsky, 78, Vamp Of the Silent Screen, Is Dead", ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', February 14, 1975, Page 35. *"Frank Mayo Accused By Silent Screen Star", ''

Oakland Tribune The ''Oakland Tribune'' was a daily newspaper published in Oakland, California, and a predecessor of the '' East Bay Times''. It was published by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group. Founded in 1874, the ''Tribune'' ...

'', Wednesday Evening, March 18, 1925, Page 1.

External links

*
Dagmar Godowsky
New York Public Library Digital Gallery photo *

Nickolas Muray Nickolas Muray (born Miklós Mandl; 15 February 1892 – 2 November 1965) was a Hungarian-born American photographer and Olympic saber fencer. Early and personal life Muray was born in Szeged, Hungary, and was Jewish. His father Samu Mandl was ...

photographic studies of ''Dagmar Godowsky''
photo #1
{{DEFAULTSORT:Godowsky, Dagmar 1897 births 1975 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Chicago American film actresses American silent film actresses American people of Polish-Jewish descent Dagmar Godowsky Jewish American actresses 20th-century American Jews