![]() Seven years later, trapped in 'little girl' roles, Moore had sought a way out of the long dresses and demure ringlets that she knew no longer represented young American women. Her sharply bobbed hair and uninhibited style owed a lot to American comic actress Colleen Moore, who'd appeared in her first film in 1916. Truus had a distinctive look - her mixture of boyish yet feminine energy was very 1920s. Ufa continued to employ her for the following year, after which she worked for various other film companies. ![]() She decided to stay in Berlin and make a career as an actress. When the credits ran at the end, her name wasn't even mentioned - but this was the new, tough Truus van Aalten, not the kid from Arnhem any more. Soon she was grateful that nobody could see her in the dark as she hid at the back of her box, crying all over her beautiful new dress. What nobody had told her was that the film had been edited severely to get it to length - her scenes had been shortened or cut altogether. She sat in her box, trembling with nerves as the lights went down, waiting for her scenes to appear. It's possible that the more sophisticated ladies present may have thought that in a dress so decorated and with so many colours in it, she looked rather like an over-decorated birthday cake, but Truus was delighted with it. ![]() In preparation for the premiere of A Sister of Six, Truus had a dress made specially. 'Which ones? For how long? Go get a copy of 'Eat Well And Stay Healthy' - we can't use fat girls in films!' 'Have you done any exercises yet today, Trulala?' she would cry. She also badgered the still-chubby girl to lose some of her 106 pounds. Nicknaming her 'Trulala', Olga taught her the disciplines of movie work and encouraged her to be more serious in her approach to it. ![]() Truus adored Olga, later citing her as a major influence both personally and professionally. ![]() She'd been acting since 1917, and had become one of Germany's most popular stars. Her claim to be related to Anton Chekhov was true, but she also loved to spin the most amazing yarns about her early life: she was close to Tsar Nicholas II, had met Rasputin and had fled the Revolution disguised as a mute peasant woman, hiding her jewellery in her mouth. Olga was a fascinating woman, born in exotic Transcaucasia, part of the Russian Empire. At Ufa Truus was introduced to a major figure in her life, highly respected actress Olga Tschechowa, who became her unofficial mentor and mother-figure in movieland. ![]()
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