Rediscovering Brigitte Helm

Film Performance and Stardom, 1925-1935

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by Paul Cuff

Type

Biographies

Subject

Actress > Brigitte Helm

Keywords

Brigitte Helm, actress, silent cinema

Publishing date

2026 (November 11, 2026)

Publisher

McFarland & Co

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 281 pages
7 x 10 inches (18 x 25.5 cm)

ISBN

978-1-4766-5976-3

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Book Presentation:
In 1927, Brigitte Helm's sensational debut in Metropolis made her an instant star. Hailed as "fascinating, vigorous, dangerous" on screen, she established an international reputation with a series of hugely popular films. Helm successfully navigated the transition from silent to sound cinema and fought for greater creative influence over her work. Perpetually battling producers, she was ultimately unwilling to be controlled. In 1935, at age 27, she quit film forever. Reevaluating Helm's extraordinary career through groundbreaking archival research, this first monograph on Helm in English is the only exploration of her surviving work, seeking to broaden understanding of her historical significance and artistic achievements.

About the Author:
Paul Cuff is a film historian from the United Kingdom, specializing in silent and early sound cinema. His publications include numerous articles and two books, and he writes the blog The Realm of Silence.

Press Reviews:
"In this, the first English-language monograph on Helm, Cuff reevaluates her career, drawing on extensive archival research and examining all of her surviving films, as well as their production, publicity, and press material. ...crisp black-and-white studio and publicity stills... Cuff presents a comprehensive look at a singular performer that will be of interest to ardent film history readers."―Booklist

"Who doesn’t want to know more about Brigitte Helm, the elegant, expressive star with a brief but brilliantly accomplished career? This sharply written, illuminating study of one of German’s cinema’s most intriguing screen presences could not be more welcome. What is even more rewarding is the breadth of Cuff’s research and the deft, detailed analysis he offers of both Helm’s complex performances, and the evolution of her star persona. A joy to read, and full of new material."―Pamela Hutchinson, film critic and historian

See the publisher website: McFarland & Co

See the complete filmography of Brigitte Helm on the website: IMDB ...