Dary Holm

Dary Holm (1897-1960) was a German silent cinema actress. She was the film partner of Harry Piel in several adventure films.


German collectors card by Ross Verlag in the series 'Vom Werden deutscher Filmkunst - Der stumme Film', group no. 42, picture no. 127. Photo: Ufa. Harry Piel and Dary Holm in Panik/Panic (Harry Piel, 1928).


German postcard by Verlag Hermann Leiser, Berlin-Wilm., no. 6237.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 4236/1, 1929-1930. Photo: Alex Binder, Berlin.

Advancing from supporting to leading roles

Dary Holm was born in 1897 in Hamburg, Germany, as Anna Maria Dorothea Meyer. She grew up in Upper Bavaria and decided to take up acting after the First World War.

Initially, she started her film career under the name Anna Holm. Through her colleague Bernd Aldor, she was recommended to director Otto Rippert in 1921, who cast her in his film Die Beute der Erinnyen, with Werner Krauß and Ressel Orla.

In Munich she acted that year in the two-part film Hyänen der Welt (1921) and Der Todessegler (1921), both by Fred Stranz, while in Berlin she acted in Die rätselhafte Zwölf (Martin Hartwig, 1921).

In the following years, Dary Holm advanced from supporting to leading roles. In 1922-1923, she acted in several films at Union-Film-Co. in Munich, often opposite Ernst Rückert, and directed by directors like Franz Seitz and Josef Berger.

Probably one of her first leads she had in 1923 opposite Bernd Aldor in Die Affäre der Baronesse Orlowska/The Affair of Baroness Orlovska (Hans Werckmeister, 1923) while she also acted that year in the - lost - historical biopic Martin Luther (Karl Wüstenhagen, 1923). The film depicts the life of the 16th century Christian reformer Martin Luther. It was shot at historic sites in Erfurt and the Wartburg.


Austrian postcard by Iris-Verlag, no. 761/1. Photo: Lux-Film.


Austrian postcard by Iris Verlag, no. 761/2. Photo: Lux-Film.

The film partner of Harry Piel

From 1924 Dary Holm was regularly cast as a film partner of Harry Piel. They first appeared toergether in Auf gefährlichen Spuren/Dangerous Clues (Harry Piel, 1924), followed by several others, such as Der Mann ohne Nerven/The Man Without Nerves (Harry Piel, 1924), Abenteuer im Nachtexpreß/Adventure on the Night Express (Harry Piel, 1925), the French-German historical adventure film Zigano, der Brigant von Monte Diavolo/Zigano (Harry Piel, 1925) with Denise Legeay , Der schwarze Pierrot/The Black Pierrot (Harry Piel, 1926), and Rätsel einer Nacht/Night of Mystery (Harry Piel, 1927).

In 1927, after Piel's divorce from Johanna Präder, Holm married the popular actor-director. The couple continued together in Panik/Panic (Harry Piel, 1927-1928), Mann gegen Mann/Man Against Man (Harry Piel, 1928), Männer ohne Beruf/Men Without Work (Harry Piel, 1928) with Albert Paulig, Sein bester Freund/His Best Friend (Harry Piel, 1929), Achtung! Auto-Diebe!/Warning! Car thieves! (Harry Piel, 1930), Schatten der Unterwelt/Shadows of the Underworld (Harry Piel, 1931) - which was also shot in French version, and Jonny stiehlt Europa/Johnny Steals Europe (Harry Piel, 1932).

Occasionally, Dary Holm also acted in films by other directors, but most were with Piel from 1924 onward. "Playing with adventure is what attracts me to film", Dary Holm let her audience know. "Certainly, other stars often have more opportunity to reveal their mimic talent and to win the audience's heart with the smile of their beautiful lips and the magic of their eyes. I, however, have to take dangers with my partner and have to win sympathy through my deathly courage. But it also works like this. The tempo of danger that carries me through the film is what gives me the greatest pleasure and not least brings success. This tempo is the most genuine film - the stage can never achieve such a thing!)."

After her first talkies, Dary Holm retired into private life. She died at age 63 in 1960 in Munich and was buried there at the Waldfriedhof. When 2 1/2 years after Harry Piel died too, he was buried in the same grave. And even Piel's third wife, Lilli Stromereder-Piel (1901-1984), was buried there.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, Berlin, no. 1611/1, 1927-1928. Photo: Atelier Sandau, Berlin.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3566/1, 1928-1929. Photo: Ufa.


German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 5776/1, 1930-1931. Photo: Ariël Film / Terra / United Artists. Dary Holm in Schatten der Unterwelt/Shadows of the Underworld (Harry Piel, 1931).

Sources: Stephanie D'heil (Steffi-line.de - German), Filmportal.de, Wikipedia (German and English), and IMDb.