Vilma Bánky
| Vilma Bánky | |
|---|---|
Vilma Bánky in 1930
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| Born |
9 January 1901 Nagydorog, Tolna County, Austria-Hungary (present-day Nagydorog, Republic of Hungary) |
| Died | 18 March 1991 (aged 90) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1919–1933 |
| Spouse(s) | Rod La Rocque (m. 1927–69) (his death) |
Vilma Bánky (9 January 1901 – 18 March 1991) was a Hungarian-born American silent film actress, although the early part of her acting career began in Budapest, spreading to France, Austria, and Germany. Bánky was best known for her roles in The Eagle and The Son of the Sheik with Rudolph Valentino and several romantic teamings with Ronald Colman.
She was born Koncsics Vilma on 9 January 1901 to Bánky Koncsics János (1875-1948) and his wife, Ulbert Katalin (1880-1947) in Nagydorog, Austria-Hungary. Her father was a bureau chief in Franz Joseph's Austro-Hungarian Empire. Shortly after her birth, her father, a police sergeant was transferred to Budapest, and the family relocated. She had two siblings – an older brother, Gyula and a younger sister, Gizella. After graduation from secondary school, Bánky (as she would later be known) took courses to work as a stenographer, but was offered a role in a film.
Her first film appearance was in the now lost film, Im Letzten Augenblick (In the last moment), directed by Carl Boese in Germany in 1919. On a trip to Budapest in 1925, Hollywood film producer Samuel Goldwyn discovered and signed her to a contract. Both her mother and father were vehemently against Bánky's acting career, as was her fiancé; nonetheless, she left for the United States in March 1925, arriving to a great deal of fanfare.
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