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Vilma Banky

Vilma Banky

Birthday: 1901-01-09 | Place of Birth: Nagydorog, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]

From Wikipedia Vilma Bánky (January 9, 1901 – March 18, 1991) was a Hungarian-born American silent film actress, although the early part of her acting career began in Budapest, spreading to France, Austria, and Germany. Banky was best known for her roles in The Eagle and The Son of the Sheik with Rudolph Valentino and several romantic teamings with Ronald Colman. She was hailed as "The Hungarian Rhapsody" and was an immediate hit with American audiences. The New York Times remarked in its review of her first American film, The Dark Angel, that she "is a young person of rare beauty ... so exquisite that one is not in the least surprised that she is never forgotten by Hillary Trent" (the movie's leading male character). It is commonly believed that Banky's thick Hungarian accent cut her career short with the advent of sound. However, she began losing interest in films and wanted to settle down with her husband actor Rod La Rocque. By 1928 she had begun announcing her intention to retire in a few years. She married Rod La Rocque in 1927. The couple had no children and remained together until his death in 1969. Vilma Bánky died on March 18, 1991, aged 90.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

1950
The Golden Twenties

as    Self (archive footage)

1930
A Lady to Love

as    Lena Shultz

1928
Two Lovers

as    Donna Leonora de Vargas

1928
The Awakening

as    Marie Ducrot

1927
The Night of Love

as    Princess Marie

1926
The Winning of Barbara Worth

as    Barbara Worth

1926
The Son of the Sheik

as    Yasmin, André's Daughter

1925
The Eagle

as    Mascha Troekouroff