Anna Querentia Nilsson (1888 - 1974)

Born 30 Mar 1888 in Ystad, Ystad, Malmöhus, Sweden

Ancestors

Wife of Guy Coombs — married Jan 1915 (to about 1922) in Jacksonville, Duval, Florida, United States

Wife of John Marshall Gunnerson — married 16 Feb 1923 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States

Died 11 Feb 1974 at age 85 in Hemet, Riverside, California, United States

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Biography

Anna Nilsson is Notable.

"No tragedy is greater than mine. I am still a young star and suddenly everything is lost" -- Anna Q. Nilsson, after her thigh was fractured after being thrown from a horse.

Anna was one of the top stars of the silent era and was the first Swedish actor to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was chosen the most beautiful actress in the world in 1914 and Photoplay Magazine named her "the ideal American Girl" in 1919. She appeared in films by the top studios in Hollywood, including Goldwyn, Famous Players, Metro and First National. She has dozens of screen credits, both in silent films and the talkies.^[1]

Anna was born 30 March 1888 in Ystad, Sweden, the daughter of Per Nilsson and Anna Jonsdotter.^[2]

Her first husband was the silent screen actor Guy Coombs, who had been in several stage and film productions with her. Most references give the date of their marriage as 1916; however, it is clear they were married before this year. In June 1915, there were several articles in the newspapers that read: "After an all-winter stay down in sunny Florida, two popular Kalen stars, Guy Coombs and Anna Nilsson have returned to New York."^[3] There is a record of Guy Coombs and his wife, Anna, living in Jacksonville, Florida, dated 6 March 1915. So it's likely they were married in either January or February 1915 in Florida.^[4] There are several references in newspapers during 1916 that identify them as husband and wife, but no marriage date is given in any of the articles.^[5] The couple did not have any children, and later divorced. There are references to them being married as late as 1922: From a newspaper article dated 18 May 1922, "Anna Q Nilsson is the wife of Guy Coombs."^[6]

She married John Marshall Gunnerson 16 February 1923 in Los Angeles, California.^[7] John and Anna were divorced 18 October 1925: "Anna Q. Nilsson Granted Divorce From Shoe Man. Anna Q Nilsson was granted an interlocutary decree of divorce from her husband, John Marshall Gunnerson, shoe manufacturer, yesterday. She testified that Gunnerson objected to her pursuing a motion picture career."^[8] There were no children.

Anna died 11 February 1974 in Hemet, Riverside, California.^[9]

Obituary:^[10]

Silent Screen Star Succumbs

Hemet, Calif. (AP)--Swedish-born actress Anna Q. Nilsson, whose silent film career was cut short in the 1920s by a horse-riding injury, is dead at 85.

She died Monday at the Hemet Convalescent Hospital, attendants said. She had been at the hospital for about a year and died of the infirmities of old age, an attending nurse said.

Miss Nilsson's date of birth was listed in hospital records as March 30, 1888. She was born in Ystad, Sweden.

In the late 1940s, 19 years after she was injured in a fall from a horse, Miss Nilsson started a film comeback that was interrupted when she suffered minor injuries in an auto accident.

She acted in a number of motion pictures, including "Thirteenth Juror," "School for Girls," "Farmer's Daughter," "Every Girl Should Be Married" and "Sunset Boulevard." Wikipedia has a fine biography and selected filmography for Anna.^[11]

A Sampling of her Work

There's a movie clip on YouTube featuring Anna's performance in the 1950 Sunset Boulevard, in which she plays an old friend of Norma Desmond's from the silent screen era. The scene is generally referred to as the "Waxworks" scene, and can be found here.^[12]

A compilation of some of her movies has been assembled on YouTube, including Regeneration, 1915, and other works. Some of the videos have been deleted, but it's fairly easy to navigate the compilation, which can be found here^[13]

A short video biography of Anna can be found on YouTube that includes some great photos and information. The video was posted by silentmoviequeen, and can be found here.^[14]

How She Got Into Motion Pictures^[15]

Photoplay Magazine ran a short autobiography of how Anna got her start in show business. Here it is, in Anna's own words:

"Attracted by the illustration on the cover of a popular magazine, a Kalem director purchased a copy of the publication. A month later, as the direct result of this incident, I became a Motion Picture actress. Sounds remarkable, doesn't it? But here is how it all came about. I was born in Sweden and came to this country in 1908. A few months after my arrival I was walking along Riverside Drive, New York City, with a friend, when a kindly old gentleman stopped me and, after handing me his card, inquired whether I would care to pose for him. Of course I was startled and indignant. For some undefined reason, however, I retained the card he had given me and, in relating the incident to a friend that evening, displayed the bit of pasteboard. I was promptly informed that the name it contained, Carol Beckwith, was that of one of the most prominent portrait painters of the day."

"Thus reassured, I later accepted Mr. Beckwith's offer and posed for head, should and arm studies. I worked for that dear old man until just before his death. By that time I had grown to love the work, and so I posed for Penrhrn Stanlaws. Did you know that I am the original "Stanlaw's Girl"! Well, I am. For two years I worked for him exclusively. Later I posed for such famous illustrators and painters as Charles Dana Gibson, F.F. Church, Montgomery Flagg, Harrison Risher, Ben Ali Haggin and quite a few others. One of my pictures caught the eye of Kenean Buel, a Kalem director, as he was passing a newsstand. He purchased a copy of the magazine on the cover of which my likeness appeared, and instituted inquiries concerning me. It wasn't very long before I was offered a position with the Kalem Company, and I have been with them ever since." Anna Nilsson.

Sources

1. ↑ Biography for Anna Nilsson on IMDb, , by Jon C. Hopwood. This biography does a great job of summarizing Anna's work, and includes a filmography.
2. ↑ "Sweden, Household Examination Books, 1880-1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLP3-2N2N : 28 August 2019), Anna Qvirentia in entry for Per Nilsson, from 1893 to 1899; from "Sweden Household Examination Books, 1860-1920," database and images, MyHeritage (https://www.myheritage.com : n.d.); citing from 1893 to 1899, 7274100, AI9, various Lutheran parishes, Sweden.
3. ↑ About Photoplays, Anaconda Standard, Anadonda, Montana, June 20, 1915.
4. ↑ U.S. City Directories, Guy Coombs, 1915; 724 Talleyrand Ave., Jacksonville, Florida; spouse: Anna Coombs.
5. ↑ "Anna Q. Nilsson is married to Guy Coombs. They have just gone into vaudeville. Saginaw News, Saginaw, Michigan, November 2, 1916.
6. ↑ Washington Times, May 18, 1922.
7. ↑ "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPN6-CJJ : 26 November 2014), Anna Q Nilsson, 11 Feb 1974; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
8. ↑ Cincinnati Commercial Tribune Archives, October 19, 1925, page 8.
9. ↑ "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPN6-CJJ : 26 November 2014), Anna Q Nilsson, 11 Feb 1974; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
10. ↑ Tribune, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 1974, Tacoma, WA, page 25.
11. ↑ Anna Q. Nilsson on Wikipedia.
12. ↑ Anna Nilsson's Performance in Sunset Boulevard, the Waxworks Scene.
13. ↑ Compilation of Anna Nilsson's Movie Appearances.
14. ↑ Anna NIlsson Video Biography that can be found on YouTube.
15. ↑ Anna Nilsson Modeling Article 1915 Motion Picture Magazine.