German film actress Christa Tordy (1904-1945) was discovered while visiting her cousin Mady Christians in Berlin. In the late 1920s, she briefly became a leading star of the German silent cinema before retiring after marrying Harry Liedtke. She was murdered along with her husband at their home when the Soviet Red Army invaded Germany during World War II.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1947/1, 1927-1928. Photo: Rembrandt.
Austrian postcard by Iris-Verlag, no. 5291. Photo: Ufa.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3439/1, 1928-1929. Photo: Alex Binder, Berlin.
Christa Tordy was born Anneliese Uhlhorn (according to Wikipedia and Steffi-Line; IMDb writes Christine Uhlhorst) in 1904 in Bremen. She spent her childhood in Wiesbaden after her father had retired there.
There, she attended high school, graduating at age 17, and began studying art history, archaeology, philosophy, and literary history in Berlin and Munich, finishing her studies in Wrocław with a doctorate. During her time in school, she also participated in student theatre, creating and staging plays.
In 1925, Tordy visited her cousin Mady Christians while she was working on the film Ein Walzertraum/A Waltz Dream (Ludwig Berger, 1925). Tordy was noticed by director Ludwig Berger or cinematographer Werner Brandes, who persuaded her to undergo a screen test.
After finishing her studies, she decided on a film career and chose the stage name Christa Tordy. Tordy made her film debut in Der Seekadett/The Sea Cadet (Carl Boese, 1926) starring Walter Slezak, followed by the crime film Sein großer Fall/His Toughest Case (Fritz Wendhausen, 1926).
She next starred in the historical film Prinz Louis Ferdinand (Hans Behrendt, 1927), based on the life of Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia (1772–1806). It was part of the series of Prussian films made during Weimar Germany. her co-star was Hans Stüwe, with whom she also appeared in Potsdam, das Schicksal einer Residenz/Potsdam (Hans Behrendt, 1927).
German postcard by Verlag Hermann Leiser, Berlin-Wilm., no. 6376. Photo: Rembrandt, Berlin.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1588/2, 1927-1928. Photo: Ufa.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1803/1, 1927-1928. Photo: Ufa.
In 1928, Christa Tordy played the female lead in Das Geheimnis von Genf/The Man with the Limp (Willy Reiber, Franz Seitz, 1928) with Alfred Abel and Carmen Cartellieri. Next, she appeared in Die Sandgräfin/The Countess of Sand (Hans Steinhoff, 1928) also starring Käthe von Nagy and Jack Trevor.
That year Tordy married film star Harry Liedtke and retired from the film industry shortly thereafter. Her final screen appearance was in the comedy Amor auf Ski/Love on Skis (Rolf Randolf, 1928), with Liedtke.
They had met on the set and fallen in love. Christa was 20 years younger than her husband. During her brief career, she had only appeared in 8 films. From the early 1930s, the couple lived in a villa in the artist's colony 'Meckerndorf' in Bad Saarow-Pieskow on the eastern shore of Lake Scharmützel.
On 28 April 1945, Christa Tordy and Harry Liedtke were murdered there by the Soviet Red Army under mysterious circumstances. Liedtke had probably tried to save his wife from being raped and murdered but died after either being smashed on the head with a beer bottle or after being clubbed to death. Prior to their murder, the couple had attempted suicide.
Tordy and Liedtke's bodies were exhumed in October 1948 and they were buried at Waldfriedhof Saarow-Pieskow Cemetery. Upon Liedtke's ex-wife Käthe Dorsch's death in 1957, she was buried alongside the two.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3042/1, 1928-1929. Photo: Ufa.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3417/1, 1919-1924. Photo: Phoebus-Film AG. Christa Tordy and Harry Liedtke in Amor auf Ski/Cupid on skis (Rolf Randolf, 1928).
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3417/2, 1919-1924. Photo: Phoebus-Film AG. Christa Tordy and Harry Liedtke in Amor auf Ski/Cupid on skis (Rolf Randolf, 1928).
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3462/1, 1928-1929. Photo: Kiesel, Berlin.
Sources: Stephanie D'heil (Steffi-Line - German), Wikipedia, and IMDb.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1947/1, 1927-1928. Photo: Rembrandt.
Austrian postcard by Iris-Verlag, no. 5291. Photo: Ufa.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3439/1, 1928-1929. Photo: Alex Binder, Berlin.
The beautiful niece of Mady Christians
Christa Tordy was born Anneliese Uhlhorn (according to Wikipedia and Steffi-Line; IMDb writes Christine Uhlhorst) in 1904 in Bremen. She spent her childhood in Wiesbaden after her father had retired there.
There, she attended high school, graduating at age 17, and began studying art history, archaeology, philosophy, and literary history in Berlin and Munich, finishing her studies in Wrocław with a doctorate. During her time in school, she also participated in student theatre, creating and staging plays.
In 1925, Tordy visited her cousin Mady Christians while she was working on the film Ein Walzertraum/A Waltz Dream (Ludwig Berger, 1925). Tordy was noticed by director Ludwig Berger or cinematographer Werner Brandes, who persuaded her to undergo a screen test.
After finishing her studies, she decided on a film career and chose the stage name Christa Tordy. Tordy made her film debut in Der Seekadett/The Sea Cadet (Carl Boese, 1926) starring Walter Slezak, followed by the crime film Sein großer Fall/His Toughest Case (Fritz Wendhausen, 1926).
She next starred in the historical film Prinz Louis Ferdinand (Hans Behrendt, 1927), based on the life of Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia (1772–1806). It was part of the series of Prussian films made during Weimar Germany. her co-star was Hans Stüwe, with whom she also appeared in Potsdam, das Schicksal einer Residenz/Potsdam (Hans Behrendt, 1927).
German postcard by Verlag Hermann Leiser, Berlin-Wilm., no. 6376. Photo: Rembrandt, Berlin.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1588/2, 1927-1928. Photo: Ufa.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 1803/1, 1927-1928. Photo: Ufa.
Murdered by the Soviet Red Army under mysterious circumstances
In 1928, Christa Tordy played the female lead in Das Geheimnis von Genf/The Man with the Limp (Willy Reiber, Franz Seitz, 1928) with Alfred Abel and Carmen Cartellieri. Next, she appeared in Die Sandgräfin/The Countess of Sand (Hans Steinhoff, 1928) also starring Käthe von Nagy and Jack Trevor.
That year Tordy married film star Harry Liedtke and retired from the film industry shortly thereafter. Her final screen appearance was in the comedy Amor auf Ski/Love on Skis (Rolf Randolf, 1928), with Liedtke.
They had met on the set and fallen in love. Christa was 20 years younger than her husband. During her brief career, she had only appeared in 8 films. From the early 1930s, the couple lived in a villa in the artist's colony 'Meckerndorf' in Bad Saarow-Pieskow on the eastern shore of Lake Scharmützel.
On 28 April 1945, Christa Tordy and Harry Liedtke were murdered there by the Soviet Red Army under mysterious circumstances. Liedtke had probably tried to save his wife from being raped and murdered but died after either being smashed on the head with a beer bottle or after being clubbed to death. Prior to their murder, the couple had attempted suicide.
Tordy and Liedtke's bodies were exhumed in October 1948 and they were buried at Waldfriedhof Saarow-Pieskow Cemetery. Upon Liedtke's ex-wife Käthe Dorsch's death in 1957, she was buried alongside the two.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3042/1, 1928-1929. Photo: Ufa.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3417/1, 1919-1924. Photo: Phoebus-Film AG. Christa Tordy and Harry Liedtke in Amor auf Ski/Cupid on skis (Rolf Randolf, 1928).
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3417/2, 1919-1924. Photo: Phoebus-Film AG. Christa Tordy and Harry Liedtke in Amor auf Ski/Cupid on skis (Rolf Randolf, 1928).
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3462/1, 1928-1929. Photo: Kiesel, Berlin.
Sources: Stephanie D'heil (Steffi-Line - German), Wikipedia, and IMDb.
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