Truus van Aalten

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(Click to enlarge.)

German: Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung, Das Buch fur alle, Filmwoche, Filmwelt, Mein Film Illustrierte. Unknown German magazine A: Courtesy of the Nederlands Filmmuseum.

Dutch: Het Weekblad Cinema & Theater, De Rolprent, Rotterdamsche Dameskroniek, De Teylinger.

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This is Truus' own copy of the competition advert that started it all. Printed in the film magazine De Rolprent dated 17 June 1926, this clipping was discovered in Truus' archive after it was donated to the Amsterdam Film Museum in 2009.

TO ALL YOUNG LADIES AND GIRLS IN THE NETHERLANDS

Your dreams could come true!

To all "De Rolprent" readers and girls who love movies:

Every year, the big film studios receive tens of thousands of letters from girls asking to train to be film stars. In response, one of them - Ufa in Berlin - has decided to answer those requests by giving a chance to girls who qualify.

The UFA are making a film in collaboration with the Swedish company Svenska Film Aktiebolaget. It's based on the novel by the Hungarian author Herczeg, "Die Töchter der Frau Gyurkovics" ("The Gyurkovics Girls"). Frau Guyrkovics has seven daughters, and the seven most beautiful and artistically talented women in Europe will be chosen to play them. The Netherlands has been honoured by being invited to be one of the seven countries to send a local film star to Berlin.

This is a real chance for girls who geniunely want to be a movie actress.

So-called "Film schools" and people with inside connections make a lot of promises they can't live up to, encouraging cheating and showing off. But when a really established company like Ufa offers a serious opportunity to get ahead in the race to the studios, "De Rolprent" advises its readers to grab it.

The UFA has asked us to call the attention of interested readers to the following instructions:

You must send: 1: Two clear photographs (one full-face and one profile). 2: A short biography (no longer than 100 words). 3: An accurate record of: (a) Height, (b) Hair colour, (c) Waist measurement, (d) Age, (e) Colour of eyes, (f) Shoe size, (g) Weight, (h) Glove size.

The biography must mention if the applicant had already worked with an amateur or professional theatre company.

We emphasize to our readers that the decision won't be based on these facts, they are to give a clear picture of the applicant. Everyone has a fair chance in the competition.

Along with her six happy colleagues from Germany, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, England and Hungary, the girl selected by the jury will play a lead role in the movie, paving her own Path to Glory.

As an extra surprise we can tell our readers that the star of this picture will be none other than... WILLY FRITSCH (Nick in "Ein Walzertraum")!

The Dutch jury will consist of: the Board of Directors of the NV UFA-Film Mij. in Amsterdam, the director of "Die Töchter der Frau Gyurkovics" Mr CAVALLOS, the CEO of Svenska Films MAURITS STILLER, and the screenwriter and artistic leader DR. MERZBACH.

To help this campaign succeed, the Editorial Board of "De Rolprent", in cooperation with the UFA and the three biggest theatres in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam, have agreed to arrange screen-tests for the thirty most beautiful Dutch applicants. The results will be shown in the three theatres.

Obviously these thirty applicants will be in a fortunate position if a similar or expanded competition is organised in the future - but now it's up to our readers to send their letters and portraits to our Board of Editors before Tuesday July 12th, 1926 at the latest.

Finally we have to tell our attentive readers this: 1: The received letters will be handled in strict confidence and will be looked upon as "editorially secret". 2: Send your entries to: The Board of Editors, "De Rolprent", Heerengracht 453, Amsterdam. In the left-hand corner write "Movie-Application" clearly. 3: Written acknowledgment will only be given if an SAE is enclosed. 4: Telephone acknowledgment can be sought on Saturdays from 13.30 to 15.00. 5: Submissions received after July 12th will not be considered.

Board of Directors UFA-FILM HOLLAND.

Board of Editors "De Rolprent".

For more information about author Herczeg Ferenc and screen idol Willy Fritsc, have a look at Wikipedia.org.

The full cast and crew of Die Sieben Töchter... are listed here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0016886/

Courtesy of the Nederlands Filmmuseum. Translation and research by Sally Mens, copyright © 2009.

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