Vera Zorina was born in Germany on
Jan. 2, 1917 as Birgitta Hartwig. Her mother was Norwegian,
and she was to make clear in future years that she considered herself to be a
Norwegian.
Zorina was brought up in Kristiansund where
she debuted as a dancer at the old Festiviteten. She was a star in Europe in the
mid 1930s and danced all over the continent and had several tours in the U.S.
So acclaimed was she in the West End production of "On Your Toes" in
London that Samuel Goldwyn Studios brought her to the U.S. in 1937 (where she
has lived since). Her seven films are listed below.
She became a regular on Broadway in a succession
of hits. During the 1960s, Zorina scored a success as director of the musical
"Cabaret" in Oslo. In the 1970s, Zorina was appointed Director of
the Norwegian Opera in Oslo. She continued touring the U.S. until her retirement
in the early 1980s.
Zorina died April 7, 2003 at her home in New Mexico.