Actors - Vilma Banky

Home > Listing Index > Actors > Vilma Banky

	Actors - Vilma Banky

Vilma Banky (January 9, 1898* - March 18, 1991) was an American/Hungarian silent film actress. (*There is some evidence to her being born in 1903.)

Early life

She was born either Vilma Konsics or Vilma Lonchit in Nagydorog, Hungary, and began appearing in films there in 1920. On a trip to Budapest in 1925, Hollywood film producer Samuel Goldwyn discovered the violet-eyed, blonde beauty and signed her to a contract.

Career

She was hailed as The Hungarian Rhapsody and was an immediate hit with American audiences. She appeared opposite such silent greats as Rudolph Valentino and Ronald Colman in films such as The Eagle
(1925), The Son of the Sheik
(1926), The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926) and A Lady to Love (1930). It is commonly believed that her thick Hungarian accent cut her career short with the advent of sound.

After Hollywood

She married actor Rod La Rocque on June 26, 1927, and was with him until his death on October 15, 1969. They had no children. From all accounts theirs was a marriage based on mutual respect and compatability.

Her post Hollywood years were spent selling real estate with her husband and playing golf, her favorite sport. She and her husband created an educational fund for children called The Banky - La Rocque Foundation.

Banky died (believed to be 93 years old) on March 18, 1991, of cardiopulmonary failure. Her ashes were scattered at sea.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Vilma Banky ]

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article Vilma Banky; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.

Actors - Vilma Banky

Early life

Career

After Hollywood

Searches on eBay

Related searches on eBay