Elisabeth Handl, a talented and ambitious Austrian dancer-turned-actress, took a significant career pivot when she married Walter Reisch, a renowned Austrian comedy writer-producer, whose most notable Viennese film achievement was the 1934 comedy masterpiece, Maskerade.
This extremely popular film, Maskerade, starred the talented Paula Wessely as Leopoldine "Poldi" Dur, a prim and proper secretary, whose fictional character name displayed a remarkable coincidence with the equally fictional name of a notorious nude model, leading to a multitude of misunderstandings and complications that added to the film's comedic charm.
Walter Reisch, a talented writer and producer, made a daring decision in 1938 to relocate to the United States with his wife, Mrs. Reisch, whose maiden name was Elisabeth Handl.
Upon their arrival, Walter Reisch's career flourished, particularly with the 1939 film Ninotchka, and he went on to achieve further success as a producer.
Mrs. Reisch, who had previously taken on small roles in a few Hollywood films between 1941 and 1944, often portraying young foreign-accented women, including a notable role as Hitler's niece.
However, Elisabeth Handl Reisch chose to adopt a new stage name, "Poldi Dur", which was inspired by the heroine of Reisch's 1934 play Maskerade!
The Reisches might have intentionally chosen this new name to avoid confusion with the established actress Elissa Landi, a prominent figure in the film industry at the time.
It is worth noting that the couple's decision to change their names was a bold move, reflecting their desire to start anew in their adopted country.
The thought of Walter Reisch, a renowned filmmaker, revisiting the iconic story of Maskerade, a masterpiece of literary fiction, and deciding to cast his own wife in the lead role is a notion that defies comprehension.
