Kosmorama #283: Betty Nansen
Betty Nansen cultural status as the grand diva of Danish theater earned her unheard-of deals with Danish Nordisk Films Kompagni and with Fox in the US. But how did she manage the transition from stage to screen, make a name for herself in the gossip magazines of the US and how did her fans react to Nansen’s sudden film celebrity status?
This issue of Kosmorama is published in cooperation with Danish Silent Film, where you can see Nansen’s surviving films and read more.
What made Betty Nansen a celebrity in American media and how did her fans relate to the image produced by US magazines? Alice A. Salamena explores how Nansen deliberately constructed a celebrity image and analyses the reactions in her fan letters in:
How did Betty Nansen transform her cultural capital as the queen of Danish theatre to an international film career? This article – published in Danish only is – an abridged chapter from Vito Adriaensen’s upcoming book Velvet Curtains and Gilded Frames: The Art of Early European Cinema:
Enjoy your read!