Pola Negri was born in Poland in 1897. After tuberculosis ended her dancing career, she turned to acting. She became a popular stage actress in Poland, and then in Germany, where she caught the attention of film director Ernst Lubitsch. Negri soon became a popular and renowned film actress--so popular, in fact, that she was the first European film star brought to America, by Paramount Studios. She became a huge movie star, the highest paid of her day, and set many fashion trends, including red painted toenails. She eventually fell out with Paramount and returned to Germany, only to flee at the outbreak of World War II. She then essentially retired from film, making only two more movies. Over half of her silent films in Poland, Germany, and the US are lost*, but she leaves behind a legacy that is sadly forgotten by all but the most ardent silent film fans.
*lost films not included in this list
