Valda Valkyrien(1895-1956)
- Actress
The real-life Baroness DeWitz, Valkyrien played bit parts at Great
Northern in Copenhagen in 1912 before signing with US producer David
Horsley. She later switched to the Thanhouser company who featured her
in exotic melodramas partially filmed in Jacksonville, Florida. William
Fox lured her over to his company with promises of star-billing and
heavy promotion. Unfortunately, Fox failed to deliver and Valkyrien
sued him to the tune of $25,000. The outcome of the suit is lost to
history but Valkyrien was through as a star. She played supporting
roles opposite Clara Kimball Young and was featured in several very
low-budget independent films. Leaving films in favor of the Ziegfeld
Follies, Valkyrien showed up in Hollywood in 1927 with hopes of
resuming her screen career. That didn't happen and she retired
permanently.
