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Sari Maritza
Maritza in 1932
Born	Dora Patricia Detring-Nathan (1910-03-17)17 March 1910 Tianjin, China
Died	July 1987(1987-07-00) (aged 77) U.S. Virgin Islands
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1930–1934
Spouse(s)	Sam Katz (m. 1934-1938)
Relatives	Matthew Nathan (uncle)

Sari Maritza (born Dora Patricia Detring-Nathan; 17 March 1910 – July 1987) was a British film actress of the early 1930s.

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Early years

Born Dora Patricia Detring-Nathan^{[citation needed]} in Tianjin, China, Maritza was the daughter of Major Walter Simeon Nathan,^[1] an army engineer who was an agent and manager in Chinese Mining and Engineering, and his Viennese wife. Her stage name was taken from the titles of two then famous European operettas – Sari and Countess Maritza.^{[citation needed]} British colonial administrator Matthew Nathan was her uncle.^[1]

Film

Maritza entered films in 1930 and gained some notoriety for dancing a tango with Charles Chaplin at the premiere for his film City Lights in 1931.^[2] Although her behaviour was described as lurid, which was silly publicity, she attracted attention and was cast in several low budget, but relatively popular British films.

She made the German-UK film Monte Carlo Madness in Germany in 1932 before traveling to Hollywood, but her few films there for Paramount Studios and RKO Radio Pictures were poorly received.

In America, she was portrayed as an exotic European vamp with emphasis placed on her mother's Austrian heritage, but Maritza had lived most of her life in Britain, and disapproved of the studio's attempts to create a more mysterious facade for her. She retired in 1934 following her marriage, and in later years, admitted that she had been eager to end her career as she did not consider herself to be a capable actress.

The Literary Digest said the name was pronounced SHA-ree MAR-ee-tsa. (Charles Earle Funk, What's the Name, Please?, Funk & Wagnalls, 1936.)

Personal life and death

On October 17, 1934, Maritza married film executive Sam Katz in Phoenix, Arizona.^[3] They divorced in 1938. She died at age 77 in the U.S. Virgin Islands in July 1987.^{[citation needed]}

Filmography

Greek Street (UK, 1930) as Anna
Bed and Breakfast (UK, 1930) as Anne Entwhistle
No Lady (UK, 1931) as Greta Gherkinski
The Water Gipsies (UK, 1932) as Lily Bell
Monte Carlo Madness (Germany/UK, 1932) as Queen Yola
Forgotten Commandments (Paramount, 1932) as Anya Sorina
Evenings for Sale (Paramount, 1932) (with Herbert Marshall, Charlie Ruggles, and Mary Boland) as Lela Fischer
A Lady's Profession (Paramount, 1933) as Cecily Withers
International House (Paramount, 1933) (with W. C. Fields, Bela Lugosi, George Burns, and Gracie Allen) as Carol Fortescue
The Right to Romance (RKO, 1933) (with Ann Harding, Robert Young, and Nils Asther) as Lee Joyce
Her Secret (1933) as Waffles
Crimson Romance (Mascot, 1934) as Alida Hoffman (final film role)

References

^ ^a ^b "Sari Maritza Travels From Chinese Castle to Hollywood". The Evening Review. Ohio, East Liverpool. Associated Press. 8 July 1932. p. 5. Retrieved 22 January 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Petite British Actress Wins Chaplin's Favor–And Dance". The Bee. 4 April 1931. p. 12. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
^ "Sam Katz Weds Sari Maritza". The New York Times. Associated Press. 28 October 1934. p. 30. Retrieved 22 January 2022.