Lily Damita

Beautiful and seductive French actress Lily Damita (1902-1994) appeared in 33 French, Austrian, and Hollywood films between 1922 and 1937. Her marriage with Errol Flynn was tempestuous and led to her nicknames 'Tiger Lil' and 'Dynamita'. In 1970 her only son, Sean Flynn went missing during the Vietnam war. Lily reportedly invested millions to recover him, but sadly she never found her son back.


German postcard by Ross-Verlag, Berlin, no. 1935/1, 1927-1928. Photo: Trude Geiringer (Gertrude Neumann) and Dora Horovitz, Wien.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3150/3, 1928-1929. Photo: F.P.S.


German postcard by Ross-Verlag, no. 3445/1, 1928-1929. Photo: Alex Binder, Berlin.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3770/2, 1928-1929. Photo: Alex Binder.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3866/1, 1928-1929. Photo: F.P.S.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3866/3, 1928-1929. Photo: F.P.S.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3866/4, 1928-1929. Photo: F.P.S. Lily Damita in Der goldene Schmetterling/The Golden Butterfly (Michael Curtiz (as Michael Kertesz), 1926).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 4354/1, 1929-1930. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 4767/1, 1929-1930. Photo: Alex Binder, Berlin. Collection: Didier Hanson.


German postcard by Ross-Verlag, no. 5070/1, 1930-1931. Photo: d'Ora, Paris.

A Life of Mundanity

Lily (also Lili) Damita was born Liliane Marie-Madeleine Carré in Blaye, France (north of Bordeaux), in 1902 (some sources say 1901, 1904 or 1906). She was educated in convents and ballet schools in several European countries, including France, Spain, and Portugal.

At 14, she was enrolled as a dancer at the Opéra de Paris. By the age of 16 she was performing in popular music-halls, eventually appearing in the Revue at the Casino de Paris under the name Lily Deslys. She also worked as a photographic model.

Then a life of mundanity started. When in Biarritz, the Spanish King wanted to be presented to that 'damita dal maillo rojo' (that little lady in the red bathing costume). Lily liked the compliment so much that she kept her nickname and appeared under the name Damita del Rojo.

In 1921 she won a beauty contest by the journal Cinémagazine. The French company Société Cinématographique offered her a role in the silent film La belle au bois dormant/Sleeping Beauty (Stéphane Passet, 1922). She was praised for her beauty and freshness in this film.

Soon other French films followed, including the serial L'Empereur des pauvres/The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1922), La Voyante/The Clairvoyant (Leon Abrams, Louis Mercanton, 1923) with the legendary Sarah Bernhardt, and the drama Corsica (René Carrère, Vanina Casalonga, 1923).


Italian postcard by Edizione E.F.A., no. 937. Photo: Lily Damita in the Austrian silent film Die goldene Schmetterling (Michael Curtiz, 1926).


Austrian postcard by Iris Verlag, no. 375/1. Photo: Manassé, Wien / Sascha. Lily Damita in Das Spielzeug von Paris/Red Heels (Michael Kertesz a.k.a. Michael Curtis, 1925).


Austrian postcard by Iris Verlag, no. 375/2. Photo: Manassé, Wien / Sascha Film, Wien.


Austrian postcard by Iris Verlag, no. 486. Photo: Manassé, Wien / Sascha Film, Wien. Lily Damita in Das Spielzeug von Paris/Red Heels (Michael Kertesz a.k.a. Michael Curtis, 1925).


Austrian postcard by Iris Verlag, no. 763. Photo: Manassé, Wien / Sascha. Collection: Joanna.


Austrian postcard by Iris Verlag, no. 980. Photo: Sascha-Film.


French postcard by Cinémagazine-Edition, Paris, no. 348.


French postcard by Cinémagazine-Selection, Paris, no. 835.


French postcard in the Europe series, no. 637. Photo: Union Artistic Films.


French postcard by Europe, no. 959. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Fabulous offer

Lily Damita went to Vienna to act next to Max Linder in Der Zirkuskönig but left the role to Vilma Banky. Instead, she played in Mihaly Kertesz' (the later Michael Curtiz) Das Spielzeug von Paris/Red Heels (1925), which knew a huge international success.

At the time, she was reportedly engaged to Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, grandson of the ex-Kaiser. Count Kolowrat, the owner of the Viennese Sascha Film, made her a fabulous offer, partly on the instigation of the prince: directors to choose by herself, scripts written especially for her, and ways to turn her into one of Europe's biggest film stars.

Thus happened. Lily's films may not have reached canonical film history but they were huge hits at the box office. They included Fiaker Nr. 13/Cab Nr. 13 (1926) and Der goldene Schmetterling/The Golden Butterfly (1926), both directed by Michael Curtiz.

The latter film, based on a story by P.G. Wodehouse and largely shot in London, probably contained one of Lily's best performances. She and Curtiz married in 1925 and divorced a year later.

Damita continued appearing in European productions directed by G. W. Pabst (Man Spielt nicht mit der Liebe/One Does Not Play with Love; 1926), British director Graham Cutts (The Queen Was in the Parlour; 1927), and Robert Wiene (Die Grosse Abenteuerin/The Amateur Adventure; 1928).


German postcard by Ross-Verlag, Berlin, no. 1232/1, 1927-1928. Photo: Alex Binder.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1232/2, 1927-1928. Photo: Alex Binder, Berlin. Collection: Didier Hanson


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1658/1, 1927-1928. Photo: Phoebus-Film.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1676/2, 1927-1928. Photo: A. Binder, Berlin.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1953/1, 1927-1928. Photo: EPS.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3160/1, 1928-1929. Photo: Alex Binder, Berlin.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3160/2, 1928-1929. Photo: F.P.S.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 4029/1, 1929-1930. Photo: United Artists. Lily Damita and Ronald Colman in The Rescue (Herbert Brenon, 1929).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 4268/1, 1929-1930. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Lily Damita and Don Alvarado in The Bridge of San Luis Rey (Charles Brabin, 1929). The film was shot both as a silent and a sound film.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 4428/1, 1929-1930. Photo: United Artists.

A siren of the tropics

After several Hollywood offers, it was MGM mogul Sam Goldwyn who took Lily Damita to California to perform in The Rescue (Herbert Brenon, 1929) with Ronald Colman, and The Bridge of San Luis Rey (Charles Brabin, 1929), which were rather tedious.

Things went better when Lily played a siren of the tropics in The Cock-Eyed World (Raoul Walsh, 1929) opposite Victor McLaglen.

In the meantime, sound cinema had arrived. Lily didn't master English too well, so she was put in French versions of American films before dubbing became normal. She was cast with the young Gary Cooper in the early Western Fighting Caravans (Otto Brower, David Burton, 1931), and with the young Laurence Olivier in Friends and Lovers (Victor Schertzinger, 1931).

She returned to France and played a young adventuress in On a Vole un Homme/Man Stolen (1933) from the great Max Ophüls. According to Hal Erickson at All Movie, this lighthearted romance was "gorgeously photographed on the French Riviera and other such eye-catching locations". On a Vole un Homme was the first of a brace of films produced in France by Erich Pommer on behalf of Hollywood's Fox Films.

In 1935 Lily married an unknown actor who would become Hollywood's biggest box office attraction, Errol Flynn. She reportedly retired without complaints, but their marriage was rather tempestuous, hit the press, and finished in divorce in 1942.

In 1970, their only son Sean Flynn, a 28 years old photojournalist for Time Magazine and a dead ringer for his father, went missing in Cambodia during the Vietnam war. He was captured by Khmer Rouge guerrillas. In spite of the huge investments by Lily, he was never found and in 1984 he was declared legally dead.

Lily married three times, the last time to retired dairy owner Allen Loomis (1962-1983). All three marriages ended in a divorce. In 1994, Lily Damita died of Alzheimer's disease in Palm Beach, Florida, aged 89.

In March 2010 media reported that remains, that may be those of Sean Flynn (1941-1970), have been found in a mass grave in Cambodia. Tests were scheduled to be conducted on the jaw and femur bone found and were handed over to the U.S. embassy in Phnom Penh. However, the results, released 30 June 2010, by JPAC, showed the remains were not those of Sean Flynn.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 4497/1, 1929-1930. Photo: Fox.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 4993/2, 1929-1930. Photo: Fox.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 5517/2, 1930-1931. Photo: Atelier Manassé, Wien (Vienna).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 5745/1, 1930-1931. Photo: Paramount. Lily Damita in Fighting Caravans (Otto Brower, David Burton, 1931).


German postcard by Ross-Verlag, no. 6016/1, 1931-1932. Photo: Paramount.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 6414/1, 1931-1932. Photo: Paramount. Publicity still for Fighting Caravans (Otto Brower, David Burton, 1931).


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 6870/1, 1931-1932. Photo: Paramount. Cary Grant and Lily Damita in This is the Night (Frank Tuttle, 1932).


French postcard by Erres, no. 32. Photo: M.G.M.


French postcard by Ed. Chantal, Paris, no. 613. Photo: Forrester / Parant.


French postcard by A.N., Paris, no. 647. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.


British postcard in the Film Partners Series, no. P 181. Photo: British & Dominions. Jack Buchanan and Lily Damita in Brewster's Millions (Thornton Freeland, 1935).

Sources: Vittorio Martinelli (Le dive del silenzio), Hal Erickson (AllMovie), Helen Kennedy (Daily News), C. Parker (Starlet Showcase), Wikipedia, and IMDb.

This post was last updated on 12 July 2021.

The Choice of Didier Hanson

Yes I know, you've read it here before: not every postcard at European Film Star Postcards is from my own collection. A friend who shares - and shares - gently numerous scans from his superb collection is Didier Hanson from Belgium. His collection is simply incredible. It contains so many rare postcards from the silent period. Today we proudly present you his choice of his 10 favorite postcards, but like Didier writes: "This list is not listed by preference; and the list could be different next week, even next day....."


Vera Voronina. Austrian postcard by Iris Verlag, no. 5624. Photo: D'Ora (Dora Kallmus), Arthur Benda.


Helena Makowska. German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 758/1, 1925-1926. Photo: Alex Binder.
Didier Hanson: "Two rare russian actresses, rather obscure. Very little is known about them. The pictures are superb,and that makes them really interesting."


Karl Huszár-Puffy. Vintage postcard by Verlag Hartiq, no. 576. Photo: Hartiq.
"Nice smiling face of an unfortunate hungarian actor.He could have been the next Fatty,if..."


Inez van Bree. German postcard by Ross, Berlin, no 1581/1, 1927-1928.
"Not only the picture is superb and ahead of its time,but her life is rather enigmatic, therefore intriguing and interesting."


Gaby Deslys. British postcard by Rotary Photo, no. 11843 Q. Photo: Talbot, Paris.
"Megastar in her time, sweetheart of kings and wealthy men, this picture is incredible. Look at the furs and hat; splendid and impossible to reproduce today!"


Conrad Veidt. German postcard by Ross Verlag, no 1110/1, 1927-1928.
"I selected this one at random,any card of him is interesting. His unique face and posture, besides his acting, have made of him a unique actor.

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Béla Lugosi. Hungarian postcard. Photo: Angelo, Budapest.
"Bela, Bela, Bela!! This card is a super rare one, and represents him as a young aspiring actor, far from the Count D.; Signed too... My card has been used on a multitude of sites, posts, blogs and so on. A gem... Angelo photo."


Erich von Stroheim. French postcard by Viny, no. 92. Photo: Milo Films.
"Incredible photo, and actor, who rewrote his own life in his own terms. No, he was not an aristocrat, but a Jewish bourgeois. And more, he became to believe his own stories. Unique actor, so hieratically photogenic. I like him a lot."


Lily Damita. German postcard by Ross verlag, no. 4767/1, 1929-1930. Photo: Alex Binder, Berlin.
"See the card. She was certainly one of the most beautiful women of the time, if not a great actress."


Genia Nikolaieva. German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 7317/1, 1932-1933. Photo: Atelier Marion, Berlin.
"Russian born actress, began a wonderful career. Goebbels gave her his go to work despite her origins, but she decided to emigrate to the USA, following M. Dietrich's advice. Her accent was too strong, so she became one of the most beautiful secretaries at Warner. How can you be indifferent to such an adventurous (and long) life?"

Didier concludes: "I would have add Ludwig Trautmann, I like him very much, but let's stick to ten....Besides the darlings La Jana And Lya of course!"

Thanks, Didier!