Pola Illéry
Paula Iliescu Gibson (18 December 1909 – 19 October 1993) known professionally as Pola Illéry, was a Romanian-American actress and singer, best known for her appearances in early French film, and of the latter after emigrating to the United States, in Hollywood films, best known for her portrayal of vamps, she appeared in both silent film and talkie films, in a decade long screen career between 1928 and 1938.
Also recorded as Pola Illery
Pola Illéry

600 × 482 version from Pola-Illery-1.jpg on webcultura.ro · Public domain
- Name
- Pola Illéry
- Birth Name
- Paula Iliescu
- Born
- 18 December 1909
- Birthplace
- Corabia, Kingdom of Romania
- Died
- 19 October 1993
- Place of death
- Palos Verdes, California, U.S.
- Occupation
- Actress, singer
- Spouse
- * James E.
- Full name
- Paula Iliescu.
- Nationality
- France · Romania · United States
- Languages
- French · English
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Documentary summary
Paula Iliescu Gibson (18 December 1909 – 19 October 1993) known professionally as Pola Illéry, was a Romanian-American actress and singer, best known for her appearances in early French film, and of the latter after emigrating to the United States, in Hollywood films, best known for her portrayal of vamps, she appeared in both silent film and talkie films, in a decade long screen career between 1928 and 1938.
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Authority files
wikidata · Q459912 · wikipedia · Pola Illéry
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Pola Illéry • Birth Name — Paula Iliescu • Born — 18 December 1909 • Birthplace — Corabia, Kingdom of Romania • Died — 19 October 1993 • Place of death — Palos Verdes, California, U.S. • Occupation — Actress, singer • Years Active — 1928–1938 • Spouse — * James E. Gibson
Life and career
Life and career
Born into a middle-class Jewish family in Corabia, Romania on 18 December 1909, as Paula Iliescu, she changed her name to "Pola" in tribute to the Polish actress and singer Pola Negri. Illéry made her screen debut appearing in French films in the late-1920s and continuing in roles until the end of the 1930s. She appeared as the lead in René Clair's musical comedy Under the Roofs of Paris (1930). She also played the lead in Parada Paramount, the Romanian-language version of Paramount on Parade (1930), which was made in Paris by Paramount Pictures. She is believed to have made her last film appearance's in 1938. Illéry married a United States Army Air Corps Major Charles H. Greiner (1914–1947) during World War II and moved to the United States with him on May 26, 1946. The marriage only lasted a few months before he was killed in an accident. She worked for the American Red Cross as a nurse during the war and took up American citizenship in 1946. She later married James Gibson and the couple moved to Palos Verdes, California, where Illéry lived for the rest of her life. Illéry died on 19 October 1993, at the age of 83.
Selected filmography
Selected filmography
• Captain Fracasse (1929) • Illusions (1930) • Under the Roofs of Paris (1930) • The Man in Evening Clothes (1931) • Bastille Day (1933) • In the Land of the Sun (1934) • Street Without a Name (1934) • The Guardian Angel (1934)
Identity
Identity
Pola Illéry is recorded with the occupation film actor. Recorded as a citizen of United States.

Romanian born actress and singer Paola Iliescu, professionally known as Pola Illéry
500 × 710 version from Pola-Illery-1.jpg on webcultura.ro
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1909
Pola Illéry was born on 18 December 1909.
1993
Pola Illéry died at Palos Verdes Estates.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Pola Illéry was born at Corabia.
Birthplace
Pola Illéry died at Palos Verdes Estates.
Deathplace
Corabia.
Birth place
Palos Verdes Estates.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Pola Illéry”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q459912: Pola Illéry
Unverified · Wikidata
References
Citations
References
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reference work
Partially resolvedauthority record
Unverified
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Identity and origins. Recorded at birth as Paula Iliescu. The authorities additionally record the heading Pola Illery. Her recorded languages were French and English.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
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