Hertha von Walther was born Hertha Stern und Walther von Monbary in Hildesheim, Germany. At the tender age of 17, she made the bold decision to run away from her boarding school and pursue her passion for acting at a school in Leipzig. This marked the beginning of her journey in the world of theater and opera, where she gained valuable experience as an extra.
A year later, she traveled to Berlin to work with the renowned director Max Reinhardt, which proved to be a turning point in her career, as she achieved her breakthrough on stage. However, she soon discovered that the theater did not provide a lucrative income, leading her to take on smaller but well-paid roles in films.
Her earliest film performances include "Destinée", "Herzog Ferrantes Ende", "Am Rande der Grossstadt", and "Tragödie der Liebe", where she had the opportunity to work alongside the legendary Marlene Dietrich as an extra.
Her first major film success came in 1924 with "Der Berg des Schicksals", starring alongside Luis Trenker. She then worked with director Georg Wilhelm Pabst on several occasions, including the internationally acclaimed production "Die freudlose Gasse". Over the years, she collaborated with various notable directors, such as Friedrich Zelnik, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, Richard Oswald, Paul Czinner, and Fritz Lang, often taking on roles that were considered dubious.
Some of her most notable silent films include the worldwide success "Faust", "Die Weber", "Svengali", "Dr. Bessels Verwandlung", "Spione", and "Die Ehe".
