During the early 1900s, it was not unusual for movie publicists to exaggerate the background and accomplishments of their stars. It appears this may have been the case with Mlle. Valkyrien, a movie star who was advertised as “a star of the Royal Danish Ballet.” Valkyrien was her stage name, said to have been given to her by the King of Denmark: “Valkyrien, Year of 1914”, after winning the title of the most beautiful woman in Denmark. The reality is this: her real name was Adele Frede, and she was born in Iceland. Whether she ever did more than study at the Royal Danish Ballet is a mystery.
Valkyrien made her film debut in 1906 in Denmark, but apparently she wasn’t the amazing actress her publicity touted. In 1914 she came to the United States where she appeared in films as a “famed Norwegian dancer”. She went on to work for several film companies, including Thanhouser who filmed movies in Jacksonville Florida. One that featured Valkyrien was “Hidden Valley”, filmed partially in Mayport.
Valkyrien appeared briefly with the Ziegfeld Follies, but soon married an import-export merchant and settled in Los Angeles, where she was known simply as Mrs. Robert Stuart Otto.
She passed away on October 22, 1956 and is buried in Los Angeles.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Dance History Factoid # 142:
“Valkyrien performed in silent movies, and may have been a
dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet.”
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