Osa Massen
in The Master Race (1944)
Born
Aase Madsen Iversen

(1914-01-13)13 January 1914
Copenhagen, Denmark
Died2 January 2006(2006-01-02) (aged 91)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1935–1981
Spouse(s)Allan Hersholt (1938–1945)
Harvey R. Cummins (1947–1951)
Dr. Stanley Vogel (1953–1962?)

Osa Massen (born Aase Madsen Iversen, 13 January 1914[1] – 2 January 2006) was a Danish actress who became a successful movie actress in Hollywood. She became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1941.[2]

Background and early career

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark,[3] she began her career as a newspaper photographer, then became an actress. She first came to the United States in 1937. She was recorded as Aase Madsen-Iversen, Danish actress, aged 23, on the manifest of the S/S Normandie, which sailed from Southampton, England, on December 18, 1937, and arrived at the Port of New York on December 23, 1937.

Massen's first film was Kidnapped (1935).[4] She notably appeared as Melvyn Douglas' unfaithful wife dealing with blackmailer Joan Crawford in A Woman's Face (1941). She also appeared as a mysterious woman with something to hide in Deadline at Dawn (1946). She also starred with Lloyd Bridges in the movie Rocketship X-M (1950), the first space adventure of the post-World War II era.

Later in her career, Massen appeared in guest roles on many television programs. She made three guest appearances on Perry Mason. In 1958, she played Lisa Bannister in "The Case of the Desperate Daughter", where she was reunited with her "Master Race" daughter Gigi Perreau, and in 1959, she played Sarah Werner in "The Case of the Shattered Dream". Her last television role was in 1962 when she played Lisa Pedersen in "The Case of the Tarnished Trademark".

Personal life

She was married three times, each with a relatively short duration, including once to Allan Hersholt, the son of Jean Hersholt, on December 15, 1938.[1]: 229 

Death

Massen died on January 2, 2006, 11 days before her 92nd birthday, following unspecified surgery in Hollywood, California.[5][note 1][6] Her remains are buried at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California[3] with a plaque that lists her name as Osa Massen Vogel.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1935KidnappedGrethe
Bag Københavns kulisserEva Lindemann
1939Honeymoon in BaliNoel Van Ness
1941Honeymoon for ThreeJulie Wilson
A Woman's FaceVera Segert
Accent on LoveOsa
You'll Never Get RichSonya
The Devil Pays OffValeria DeBrock
1942IcelandHelga Jonsdottir
1943Background to DangerAna Remzi
Jack LondonFreda Maloof
UndercoverSailor's Girlfrienduncredited
1944The Black ParachuteMarya Orloff
Cry of the WerewolfElsa Chauvet
The Master RaceHelena
1946Tokyo RoseGreta Norburg
Deadline at DawnHelen Robinson
The Gentleman MisbehavesChincilla
Strange JourneyChristine Jenner
1948Million Dollar WeekendCynthia Strong
1949Night Unto NightLisa
1950Rocketship X-MDr. Lisa Van Horn
1955WiegenliedErnestine Schumann-Heink
1958Outcasts of the CityLeda Mueller

Notes

  1. ↑ The book Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2006: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture says Massen "... died of complications from surgery in a Santa Monica, California, convalescent home ...".

References

  1. 1 2 Hans J. Wollstein (1994). Strangers in Hollywood: the history of Scandinavian actors in American films from 1910 to World War II. Scarecrow Press. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-8108-2938-1. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  2. ↑ Copy of Petition for Naturalization #90276, filed in Los Angeles, California under the name 'Aase Madsen Iversen Hersholt, Ancestry.com; accessed 30 September 2015.
  3. 1 2 Wilson, Scott (17 August 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. ISBN 9780786479924. Retrieved 8 June 2019 – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ "Osa Massen, 91; 1940s Danish-Born Actress Famous as Femme Fatale". Los Angeles Times. 14 February 2006. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  5. ↑ Willis, John; Monush, Barry (1 May 2010). Screen World 2007. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9781557837295. Retrieved 8 June 2019 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ Lentz, Harris M. III (2007). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2006: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. McFarland. pp. 230–231. ISBN 9780786452118. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
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