Hedwiga Reicher (Born Hedwig Reicher; 12 June 1884 – 2 September 1971) was a German actress. Her performances on Broadway were credited with the original spelling of her first name.[2]

Hedwiga Reicher
Reicher in 1908
Born
Hedwig Reicher

(1884-06-12)12 June 1884
Died2 September 1971(1971-09-02) (aged 87)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesHedwig Reicher
Celia Sibelius
Occupation(s)Opera singer, actress
Notable workConfessions of a Nazi Spy (1939)
Children1
ParentEmanuel Reicher
RelativesFrank Reicher (half-brother), Ernst Reicher (brother)[1]

Reicher was christened Hedwig, but she altered the spelling after she came to the United States because some people called her "Mr. Hedwig".[3] She was half-sister of actor Frank Reicher, sister of actor and screenwriter Ernst Reicher, and daughter of actor Emanuel Reicher.[4][5] Another brother, Hans Reicher, was a sculptor, and her sister, Elly, was an actress.[3]

Reicher's film debut came in The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, produced by Ferdinand Earle.[3]

In addition to acting, Reicher produced two plays with her father and in 1921 had a solo production of Monna Vanna at Los Angeles's Little Theater. She also acted in all three.[3]

On February 2, 1934, Reicher married concert pianist and music teacher Maurice Zam in Hollywood, California.[6]

Hedwig Reicher at the Woman Suffrage Procession in front of the Treasury Building in Washington, D.C., on 3 March 1913.[7]

Selected filmography

edit

Broadway roles

edit
  • On the Eve (1909), her Broadway debut
  • The Next of Kin (1909)
  • Henrik Ibsen's The Lady from the Sea (1911) – Ellida
  • The Thunderbolt (1911)
  • June Madness (1912) – Mrs. Thornborough
  • The Stronger (1913)
  • When the Young Vine Blooms (1915)
  • Caliban of the Yellow Sands (1916) – Cleopatra

--Source: Internet Broadway Database[2]

Other

edit

Reicher was hired to portray the mythological figure Columbia for the Woman Suffrage Procession, a suffrage parade on March 3, 1913, in Washington, DC. According to news reports at the time,[citation needed] the group, which included 5000 to 8000 suffragists, marched from the US Capitol to the Treasury Building, and was watched by a crowd of 500,000 (mostly men). Their intent was to upstage Woodrow Wilson's inauguration, due to take place the following day.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Hedwiga Reicher". Who Is Log. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Hedwig Reicher". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "Repertoire for Hedwiga Reicher". Los Angeles Evening Express. 12 August 1921. p. 19. Retrieved 6 February 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Silent Film Necrology by Eugene Michael Vazzana p.439, 2nd edition c. 2001; McFarland Publishing
  5. ^ Who Was Who On the Screen by Evelyn Truitt page 607, c.1983; RR Bowker Company
  6. ^ "Hedwiga Reicher Is Wed". The New York Times. 4 February 1934. p. N 3. ProQuest 100911312. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  7. ^ Taylor, Alan (1 March 2013). "100 Years Ago, The 1913 Women's Suffrage Parade". The Atlantic.
edit