Photograph with dedication by Jewish film actor Hermann Vallentin

Photograph with dedication by Jewish film actor Hermann Vallentin

Photograph with handwritten dedication and signature by Jewish film actor Hermann Vallentin, addressed to Grete Sachs, director of the orthopedic hospital, upon his arrival in the Land of Israel. Jerusalem, 1939. Framed in an old glass frame.

Meiner lieben Grete Sachs

in alter Freundschaft

und hochachtungsvoll

Hermann Vallentin

Jerusalem, Juni 1939

"To the dear Mrs. Grete Sachs,

With long-standing friendship

And deep appreciation,

Hermann Vallentin

Jerusalem, June 1939"

Hermann Vallentin – Jewish-German theater and film actor.

Born in Berlin, May 24, 1872, died in Tel Aviv, September 18, 1945. Vallentin was born into a family of lumber merchants and factory owners. His sister was the actress and singer Rosa Valetti. He studied acting at the Royal Theater in Berlin under Max Grube and Hans Oberländer, and made his stage debut in the 1895/96 season at the Central Theater in Berlin. He went on to perform in various theaters in Berlin and Wiesbaden. Beginning in 1914, Vallentin also became active in cinema and rose to fame as a film actor. He frequently portrayed paternal figures, patriarchs, and authority figures, as well as petty bourgeois characters. Notable film roles include: Der Tunnel (1915) – as the billionaire Lloyd, The Ancient Law (Das alte Gesetz, 1923) – as Heinrich Laube, Der Hauptmann von Köpenick (1931) – as tailor Adolf Wormser, Over the course of his career, he appeared in over 150 silent and sound films.

With the rise of the Nazis in 1933, Vallentin was forced to leave the film world. He emigrated to Czechoslovakia, where he continued to perform in German-language theaters. In 1938, he moved to Switzerland, appearing in the Basel Municipal Theater and the Zurich Theater. In 1939, he immigrated to Mandatory Palestine and settled in Tel Aviv. As he did not speak Hebrew, he retired from acting. Instead, he gave public lectures, recited poetry, and occasionally worked as a German-language newsreader for the Palestine Broadcasting Service. 

25×21 cm. Very good condition.