Natasha Lytess (born 16 May 1911,Berlin,Germany – died 1964) was an actress, writer and drama coach.
BornNatalia Postmann and also known asTala Forman, she had studied with the directorMax Reinhardt and appeared in the repertory theater. She is said to have had a relationship with the writerLeonhard Frank, who is also said to be the father of her daughter Barbara, born in 1943.[1]
When theNazis came to power, and in light of her Jewish heritage,[2] she moved to the United States and settled in Los Angeles. She had hoped for a great stage career, but her accent and purportedly unfeminine appearance limited the roles she could play.[3]
Among her acting credits were appearances inComrade X (1940),Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942), andThe House on Telegraph Hill (1951). Her performance inOnce Upon a Honeymoon drew praise fromNew York Times criticBosley Crowther, who said she "shines with clear and poignant brilliance in a brief part as a Jewish chambermaid."[4]
In her career as a drama coach, her students includedMamie Van Doren,[5]Virginia Leith,[6] andAnn Savage (who reputedly got her stage name after a particularly "savage" argument with Lytess).[7]
Lytess is best known for her partnership with actressMarilyn Monroe from 1948 to 1956. During her time as a drama coach for Columbia Pictures, Lytess was shown Monroe's screen test and convincedHarry Cohn to hire Monroe for a six-month contract.[8] Lytess appeared onWhat's My Line on September 12, 1954 as Marilyn Monroe's dramatic coach. Her occupation was guessed byBennett Cerf in the free guess given the panel before the game began because he recognized her face. Lytess coached Marilyn through more than 20 films before their partnership began to deteriorate. Lytess is rumored to have had more than professional feelings toward Monroe which developed, according to Monroe and other actresses that studied under Lytess, into an overbearing obsession. In 1956, Monroe sent Lytess a telegram saying that she did not require Natasha's services anymore, and the partnership ended after more than seven years.[9]
Lytess died of cancer in 1964.[10][11] She was portrayed byViveca Lindfors inMarilyn: The Untold Story,Lindsay Crouse inNorma Jean & Marilyn,[12] and byEmbeth Davidtz inThe Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Comrade X | Olga | |
| 1942 | Once Upon a Honeymoon | Anna | |
| 1951 | The House on Telegraph Hill | Karin Dernakova | |
| 1952 | Anything Can Happen | Madame Greshiani | |
| 1958 | Schlitz Playhouse | Mother | episode: "Curfew at Midnight" |
| 1961 | Barabbas | uncredited |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
