Sigrid Gurie

Sigrid Gurie (born Sigrid Gurie Haukelid, May 18, 1911 – August 14, 1969) was a Norwegian American motion picture actress from the late 1930s to early 1940s.[1]

Sigrid Gurie
Sigrid Gurie in Algiers (1938)
Born
Sigrid Gurie Haukelid

(1911-05-18)May 18, 1911
New York City, U.S.
DiedAugust 14, 1969(1969-08-14) (aged 58)
Mexico City, Mexico
Years active1937–1950
Spouse(s)Thomas Stewart (1935–c. 1938) (divorced)
Dr. Lawrence Spangard (1939–1948) (divorced)
Lynn Abbott (1958–1961) (divorced)
RelativesKnut Haukelid brother

Early life

Gurie was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her father was a civil engineer who worked for the New York City Subway from 1902 to 1912. Since Sigrid Gurie and her twin brother Knut Haukelid were born in the United States, the twins held dual Norwegian-American citizenship. In 1914 the family returned to Norway. Sigrid Gurie subsequently grew up in Oslo and was educated in Norway, Sweden, and Belgium.[2] In 1935 Gurie married Thomas Stewart of California; she filed for divorce in 1938.[3] Her brother became a noted member of the Norwegian resistance movement during World War II.[4]

Career

In 1936, Gurie arrived in Hollywood. Film magnate Sam Goldwyn reportedly took credit for discovering her, promoting his discovery as "the Norwegian Garbo" and billed her as "the siren of the fjords". She starred as Kokashin, daughter of Kublai Khan, in the 1938 production of The Adventures of Marco Polo,[3] When the press discovered Gurie's birth in Flatbush, Goldwyn then claimed "the greatest hoax in movie history." She was then scapegoated for the film's failure

She went on to give worthwhile performances in such films as Algiers (1938), Three Faces West (1940) and Voice in the Wind (1944). She had a minor role in the classic Norwegian film Kampen om tungtvannet (1948). The movie was based principally on the book Skis Against the Atom which was written by her brother,[5] Knut Haukelid, a noted saboteur and member of the Norwegian resistance against German occupation in World War II.

Later years and death

In the late 1940s she attended the Kann Art Institute, operated in West Hollywood by abstract artist Frederick I. Kann (1886–1965). She studied oils and portraiture. Among her works were landscapes, portraits and pen and ink sketches.

From 1961-69 she lived in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where she continued painting, and was also designing jewelry for Royal Copenhagen in Denmark.

She entered the hospital in Mexico City on an emergency basis for a recurring kidney problem, then developed a blood clot that passed through her lungs, which led to her death.

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1937The Road BackSoldier's wifeUncredited
1938AlgiersInes
1938The Adventures of Marco PoloPrincess Kukachin
1939The Forgotten WomanAnne Kennedy
1939RioIrene Reynard
1940Three Faces WestLeni "Lenchen" Braun
1940Dark Streets of CairoEllen Stephens
1944Voice in the WindMarya
1944Enemy of WomenMagda Quandt
1948Kampen om tungtvannet
(released internationally as Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water)
1948Sword of the AvengerMaria Louisa
1948SofiaLinda Carlsen
1950The Du Pont StorySophie du Pont

References
  1. "Sigrid Gurie". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  2. "Sigrid Gurie: Norwegian American Actress". lawzone.com. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  3. ""The Flower of Flatbush" Makes Good: Sigrid Gurie loves Gary Cooper in "Marco Polo"". Life. 1938-04-18. p. 29. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  4. "WW II 'Hero of Telemark' Knut Haukelid dead at 82". Santa Cruz Sentinel. California, Santa Cruz. Associated Press. March 11, 1994. p. D - 6. Retrieved October 21, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Knut Haukelid". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
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