
The Silent Muse
The Memoirs of Asta Nielsen
Asta Nielsen(Author)
Julie K. Allen(Editor)
Camden House Inc (Publisher)
Published on 13. May 2022
Book
Hardback
350 pages
978-1-64014-126-1 (ISBN)
Description
WINNER: Danish American Heritage Society 2025 Best Book award
The memoirs of the pioneering Danish silent film star Asta Nielsen in English translation for the first time, with scholarly introduction and annotations.
From her explosive screen debut in The Abyss (1910) through her "scandalous" fourth marriage at age 89, the Danish actress Asta Nielsen (1881-1972) was a darling of fans and the press, a global star without parallel in the silent era. So famous in Germany that she was known simply as "die Asta," during her two decades of active filmmaking Nielsen also published about her career, her impoverished childhood, her breakthrough into film, the price of fame, and her interactions with the German film industry.
In 1938 Nielsen returned to Denmark, where she published her memoirs in two volumes in 1945-46, expanding on her earlier writings. This carefully crafted, colorful text offers eyewitness insights into early European film, Nielsen's star persona, and the challenges of stardom in Germany in the tumultuous period before World War II. Yet although they have appeared in multiple Danish, German, and Russian editions, the memoirs have never been published in English until now. Nielsen's work has enduring value for transnational film history, and the recent growth of interest in women's contributions to early film makes the time ripe for this translation. Julie K. Allen accompanies the text with a scholarly introduction and annotations, and a foreword by leading early film scholar Jennifer M. Bean frames the volume.
The memoirs of the pioneering Danish silent film star Asta Nielsen in English translation for the first time, with scholarly introduction and annotations.
From her explosive screen debut in The Abyss (1910) through her "scandalous" fourth marriage at age 89, the Danish actress Asta Nielsen (1881-1972) was a darling of fans and the press, a global star without parallel in the silent era. So famous in Germany that she was known simply as "die Asta," during her two decades of active filmmaking Nielsen also published about her career, her impoverished childhood, her breakthrough into film, the price of fame, and her interactions with the German film industry.
In 1938 Nielsen returned to Denmark, where she published her memoirs in two volumes in 1945-46, expanding on her earlier writings. This carefully crafted, colorful text offers eyewitness insights into early European film, Nielsen's star persona, and the challenges of stardom in Germany in the tumultuous period before World War II. Yet although they have appeared in multiple Danish, German, and Russian editions, the memoirs have never been published in English until now. Nielsen's work has enduring value for transnational film history, and the recent growth of interest in women's contributions to early film makes the time ripe for this translation. Julie K. Allen accompanies the text with a scholarly introduction and annotations, and a foreword by leading early film scholar Jennifer M. Bean frames the volume.
Reviews / Votes
Lively, readable, and engaging, the book also confirms the important creative role of actors in the forging of the new art of cinema. -- Diana Holmes * Modern Language Review *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Columbia, MD
United States
Publishing group
Boydell & Brewer Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
41 b/w illus.
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
661 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-64014-126-1 (9781640141261)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
05/2022
1st Edition
De Gruyter
€48.99
Available for download

E-Book
05/2022
1st Edition
Boydell & Brewer
€48.99
Available for download
Persons
ASTA NIELSEN (1881-1972) was a Danish actress, one of the greatest stars of the silent film era. JULIE K. ALLEN is Professor of Comparative Literature and Scandinavian Studies at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. JULIE K. ALLEN is Professor of Comparative Literature and Scandinavian Studies at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
Author
Editor
Customer
Foreword
Translation
Customer
Content
List of Illustrations
Foreword - Jennifer M. Bean
Acknowledgments
Introduction - Julie K. Allen
THE SILENT MUSE
Part I: My Path to Film
Part II: Film
Epilogue
Asta Nielsen Filmography
Bibliography
Index
Foreword - Jennifer M. Bean
Acknowledgments
Introduction - Julie K. Allen
THE SILENT MUSE
Part I: My Path to Film
Part II: Film
Epilogue
Asta Nielsen Filmography
Bibliography
Index