Zita Johann

Dark, intriguing leading lady who appeared in seven films of the early 1930s after enjoying success on the New York stage. Johann made her screen debut in a leading role in D.W. Griffith's last film, the extremely low-budgeted, uneven but striking Depression-era document, "The Struggle" (1931). The following year she played the role for which she is best remembered: the woman that revived Egyptian high priest Im-Ho-Tep (Boris Karloff) is convinced is the reincarnation of his love from thousands of years ago in the poetic horror classic, "The Mummy" (1932). Johann brought an appropriately haunted, vague quality to the role, but despite leads in several others films, including the lively actioner "Tiger Shark" (1932), did not catch on as a popular star. Late in 1933 she was reduced to playing the title role in a poverty row drama, "The Sin of Nora Moran" (1933), and after one more film Johann, who disliked Hollywood, returned to the stage to continue her career.