Ivy Martinek(1880-1949)

Ivy Martinek was born into a German Naval family and had a brother who was called George. Quite how she ended up in the circus is unknown. She met and had a child with Oceano Martinek, eventually marrying him in 1903 just before they sailed to America to perform in a troupe of acrobatic dancers with the Barnum and Bailey Circus. Both Ivy and her husband Oceano moved away from circus performing to silent movies, first with Pathe Freres and then, in an attempt by British Colonial to spice up the UK silent movies, both of them came to Britain and eventually settled in the UK. She was a beautiful dark-haired eponymous heavyweight heroine who starred in many early silent action-adventure films mainly directed and co-starring her husband, H.O. Martinek, for the British & Colonial Film Company, making her film debut as Annette in 'Her Lover's Honour' in 1909, Perhaps she's best remembered in the title role of 'The Three-Fingered Kate' , an action-adventure series made between 1909-12, and also the 'Lieutenant Daring' series in 1912. Ivy also performed under the name of Montford in 1913. Her final film 'When Paris Sleeps' a comedy co-starring and directed by A.V.Bramble in 1917.