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Lily Bouwmeester

Film Actress | * 09/28/1901 († 91, 07/12/1993) | Amsterdam / Mokum (Netherlands)
Lily Geertruida Maria Henriëtte Bouwmeester (28 September 1901 – 12 July 1993) was a Dutch theater and film actress, who was crowned with a Golden Calf for being "the best actress in Pre-War Dutch cinema". ()

Lily Geertruida Maria Henriëtte Bouwmeester (1901–1993) was a Dutch stage and film actress, who received an honorary Golden Calf for being "the best actress in Pre-War Dutch cinema".The daughter of two musicians, Bouwmeester spent her youth touring Europe with her parents. When constant travelling proved to be too exhausting, she moved in with her aunt, actress Theo Mann-Bouwmeester. She dreamed to become a dancer, but her aunt demanded for her to become an actress and sent her to several auditions. At the age of 14, she debuted in a stage production by Herman Heijermans.Bouwmeester made her screen debut in silent film Majoor Frans (1916). In 1917, she landed a contract with a prestigious theatre in Amsterdam and performed at the Stadsschouwburg, receiving much acclaim from theatre critics. While working on a play in 1920, she met actor Theo Frenkel Jr., whom she married in 1921. Soon after that she left the Stadsschouwburg to produce her own plays with her husband.After her divorce in the early 30s, Bouwmeester decided she needed a break and left the theatre. She did not, however, give up acting. In 1935, when the sound film had just been introduced in the Netherlands, she auditioned for the lead role in The Cross-Patch (1935), but had no luck. She was noticed by director Ludwig Berger, who cast her in Pygmalion (1937). The production was a success; Bouwmeester became an instant star and was offered a five-year contract with Paramount Pictures. She declined, however, because her new husband, actor Cor van der Lugt Melsert, was unwilling to travel to the United States with her.During World War II, Bouwmeester secretly took in two Jewish children in her home. After the liberation in 1945, she was offered movie roles again, but declined all offers. She decided to return to theatre instead and played in the famous stage production of Pygmalion. In 1969, she resigned from acting completely.

Photo of Lily Bouwmeester
Most frequent genres for this person: Drama | Romance / Love | Comedies

Known for these Movies & Shows

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Movies with Lily Bouwmeester as Actress(9)

as Nellie van Loon1940 Somewhere in the Netherlands
as Willy Verhulst1939 Tomorrow It Will Be Better
as Judy Aalders1938 Daddy Long Legs
as Annetje Maasdonk1938 Forty Years
as Elisa Doeluttel1937 Pygmalion
as Hélène1937 De Man Zonder Hart
as Zusje van Thérèse1919 The Devil in Amsterdam
as Lilly Vogel1917 The Secret of Delft
as Jonge Francis / Young Francis1916 Major Frans

Full Name: Lily Bouwmeester
Born: Saturday, 09/28 1901 (September) in Amsterdam / Mokum (Netherlands)
Died: Monday, 07/12 1993 (July) in Sliedrecht (aged: 91)
Zodiac sign: Libra (Chinese zodiac sign: Ox)
Father: Louis Bouwmeester
Mother: Julie Marie Arpeau
Other names for Lily Bouwmeester (nicknames, foreign languages etc.):
"Lily Geertruida Maria Henriëtte Bouwmeester"
Lily Bouwmeester frequently works together with these people:
Max Tak (5x, Crew)
Jan Teunissen (5x, Crew)
Aaf Bouber (4x, Actress)
Eduard Verkade (4x, Actor)
Paul Steenbergen (3x, Actor)
Ludwig Berger (3x, Crew)
Frederic Zelnik (3x, Crew)
Maurits Binger (3x, Crew)
WatchPlayStream ID: PEOPLE:991476, Added: 11/27/2018, Last updated: 03/17/2024