Mary Johnson

Biography

Mary Johnson, born Astrid Maria Carlsson, Fors, Eskilstuna, in 1896, was a Swedish stage and screen actress, active 1913-1931. She was born into a home of simple living conditions. At 15 she found her way to Stockholm and the actress Karin Swanström's theatre company. Mary Johnson married the actor Karl Gerhard in 1913, made her stage and screen debut two years later, and was discovered by Hasselblad Studios and photographer/director Georg af Klercker. Her breakthrough happened in "Snows of Destiny" (1919), an adaptation of Selma Lagerlöf's novel, directed by Mauritz Stiller. She re-married the Norwegian actor Einar Rød in 1920, acted in Swedish films and toured theaters in Norway. The German producer Trianon-Film spotted Mary Johnson an offered her leading parts till the company went bankrupt and another German producer Rex-Film suggested her as Hedvig Ekdal in "The Wild Duck/ Das Haus der Luges" in 1926. Mary Johnson starred in 10 more German pictures till she fell in love with the world famous German actor Rudolf Klein-Rogge, who became her third husband in 1932. Hitler and World War II affected the couple heavily. They lost most of the assets and artistic careers and was force to move to their summerhouse in Graz, Austria. Mary Johnson did not return to the screen or the stage and Rudolf Klein-Rogge made only one minor appearance in the film "Hexen" in 1949. After his death in 1955 Mary Johnson returned to Sweden and settled in Stockholm unnoticed. She passed away twenty years later, in 1975.