Marta Eggerth

1912 Budapest - 2013 Rye
Marta Eggerth, born April 17, 1912 in Budapest as Márta Eggert, the daughter of banker Paul Eggert and singer Tilly Herezgh/Herzogin Budapest, singer, film actress. Voice studies in Budapest with Erszi Gervay, 1929 in Vienna dramatic presentation with Kammersänger Franz Steiner. 1921 stage debut in children's' parts, 1923 as Olympia in Offenbach's 'Tales of Hoffmann'. From 1930 onwards big success as operetta singer in Vienna, filmstar in so called 'singer films' like ‘Trara um Liebe’ (1931), ‘Leise flehen meine Lieder’ (1933), ‘Die Czárdásfürstin’ (1934), ‘Mein Herz ruft nach Dir’ (1934). 1936 marriage with famous tenor Jan Kiepura, (1902 Sosnowiec, Poland – 1966 Harrisson, N.Y), 1937-42 assisted by 'Mr. Opera' Marcel Prawy as their private secretary. 1938 exile to the U.S.A. via France with s.S. Normandie'. From 1940 on Broadway, first in Vaudeville, later on more than 1000 times in Lehár's ‚Das Land des Lächelns‘ with Kiepura, sensational success in ‚Merry Widow‘, singer/actress in film musicals ( 1942 with Judy Garland and Gene Kelly in ‘Me And My Gal’). After 1945 mainly theatre productions, masterclasses for operetta singers. 1979 Film Prize, ‘Filmband in Gold’; until 1992 president of the Austrian Forum New York. Marta Eggerth passed away December 26, 2013 in Rye, N.Y. Update Primavera Driessen Gruber August 10, 2014