Pola Negri: Hollywood's First Femme Fatale

22. Final Days

195 22 Final days The Moon-Spinners made a big splash and could have revived Negri’s career, but she didn’t want to do any more movies. She simply didn’t have to work that hard anymore. When she went to London for the premiere, she was well received by the media and felt appreciated among the fans. She decided it was the best moment to withdraw from professional life and leaveonahighnote.WilliamHallfromtheLondonEveningNewsreported: It was in its fantastic, colossal, unbelievable way, a moment of utter glory—the descent of Miss Pola Negri upon her doting public at noon today. Pola Negri, queen of the vamps, temperamental empress of film passion, petticoated cyclone of the twenties— whose heavy-lidded sex appeal caused male audiences to faint in their seats—was in town making a comeback. We waited breathlessly , and Miss Negri did not fail us. A stir in the crowd outside the Dorchester’s Gold Room, a gasp, and Miss Negri swept in with a friend. “Friend” being a three-year-old cheetah straining at its steel chain. Pola Negri, in black satin, black lace elbow-length gloves, her jet-black hair swept under a black turban, did not flinch as the cheetah lashed out with its claws. “Stop that, darling, you will frighten the gentlemen.” To the adulators, the adorers, the admirers thronging the Gold Room, Miss Negri brought the dear, dead, golden days of Hollywood back for one sweet moment.1 Tempting as it was to continue, Pola stepped out of the public eye, doing very little self-promotion and immersing herself in her charities instead. Brother Alexis Gonzales explains her involvement: Pola Negri 196 Pola was very generous to everybody: to the church, to any poverty program. When I told her there were young children and students who wanted to learn something about drama or see some film, Pola always said, “I will donate something for this group,” and she always did. Pola would send a check. I think she was sincere. She was very honest and down to earth. Pola was not the prima donna that the press sometimes made her out to be. She had been a hard worker—a lot of that is in the Polish character. You don’t get anything for free; you work for it, and you take pride in what you do—and Pola always did. When Pope John II was elected and she realized he was Polish, she was absolutely delighted.2 Negri was content with her present life situation. She liked San Antonio, although Margaret West’s death had hit her hard. Because Negri was provided for in Margaret’s will, she could have taken up residence anywhere , but she chose to stay in San Antonio. The West family looked after her and tended to her affairs. She had a supportive group of friends and strong association with her church and the priests there. The clear, dry air of San Antonio probably aided her weak lungs. Local children often saw her in the garden among her beautiful flowers, wearing white silk slacks and a broad-brimmed hat. Negri was always kind whenever they approached her. She even let little girls try on her rings. Her skin was still white as fine porcelain, her hair very black with some threads of gray. Negri’s gentle smile told everyone that she was at peace. In 1968, at the Theater of the Performing Arts, Negri received the keys to the city of San Antonio. She was the first person to be honored in this fashion. Her life became deliciously simple. She had a bungalow-type condo at the Chateau Dijon and was attended by a chauffeur and a maid. Sometimes she took part in various civic affairs, but mostly she worked on her book and just enjoyed the luxury of letting life flow by. When Liza Minnelli was preparing for her award-winning role as Sally Bowles in Cabaret, her father, director Vincente Minnelli, urged her to study Pola Negri. In 1974 Vincente Minnelli approached Negri to appear in the film A Matter of Time with Liza, but Negri could not accept the role because of her failing eyesight. Up until the time she turned seventy-seven, Negri traveled to New York twice a year. She made appearances at the Museum of Modern Art Final days 197 when retrospectives of her films appeared there. She was invited to speak...