The saying, "she was at the right place at a good time" is very true for Márta Eggert. Her career in film coincided, even more, is inseparable, from the appearance of the new gender, the film musical in the 1920's and 1930's. It was possible due to the talkies.

Eggert inherited the love of music and his talent as a singer. Her mother studied singing at the Music Academy, her father who was a German bank manager was known as music fiend.

The mom gave up her singing career when her daughter, Tilly Herzog, was born. After their divorce, when the actress was only eight, she devoted her life to her daughter's career. Márta Eggert went to German school in Budapest. Her singing career began at the tender age of 17. She played smaller roles at the Hungarian Theatre at the beginning but after she appeared as a quest in a revue in Stockholm, returning home in Budapest she was offered a contract by the Operetta Theatre. She starred at "The Last Verebély Girl" and "Paris Fashion" by Pál Ábrahám. She also played in the "Golden Bird". These were the times of her first and last movie appearance in the film "There is Only One Girl in the World" (1929) by Béla Gaál. Strangely, the movie was originally filmed as a silent film and the music was only added later on. Márta Eggert played the role of Katinka with his partners Pál Jávor and Gusztáv Vándory.

She met Imre Kálmán's sister during a play and she, naturally, introduced Márta to her famous brother. This encounter proved to be really important considering Eggert's career. Kálmán casted her for the second role of the main character of the "Violet of Montmartre" at the Johann Strauss Sheatre in Vienna. When the original first cast stepped down, Eggert succeeded with the role. The show was invited to the Volksoper in Hamburg. Eggert is thought of as a popular operetta primadonna.

She met the director Richard Eichberg in Hamburg who casted her in three of his films in 1931. The (Bräutigamswitwe was filmed at the Beaconsfield Studios in London. From then on, she was ceaselessly invited to play in German and Austrian films. A few of her films were also filmed in languages other than German, eg in 1932 the original "Es war einmal ein Walzer" by Lehár Ferenc directed by Victor Janson entitled "Where is this Lady?" was filmed by Vajda László and Victor Hanbury in English. The attractive and talented Márta Eggert spoke six languages, so she could easily play the same roles in German, English, Italian or French.

In 1932 the producer Gregor Rabinowitsch first gave her the leading role of the Das Lied einer Nacht where her partner was th ePolich opera singer Jan Kiepura. Eventually, Rabinowitsch filmed it with Magda Schneider while Eggert played Mary Collin in "Cárevics" directed by Viktor Janson. Eggert was only 14 hen she first saw Kiepura, the actor ten years older then herself, at the Opera House playing Turandot. From then on, she admired him. In 1934 an old dream came true, they both played in the film "My Heart is Calling for You" directed by Victor Janson. They fell in love and their love was legendary. They married in 1936 and were happily married for the next thirty years. The death of Kiepura put an end to the marriage. Both were good looking good, sang well and were excellent actors. These characteristics predestined their success in private life, too. They starred in a number of films together, eg the English version of Carmine Gallone, or the Bohemian Life directed by Géza Bolváry in 1937 in Austria. The last time they appeared together on the screen was in 1957 in the movie called "Spring in Berlin" directed by Arthur Maria Rabenalt.

After Hitler ceased power, the Jewish film makers in opposition were firmly restricted in Germany and Austria. Most of the directors and producers emigrated, likewise many of the Kiepure friends. To protest against the German occupation of Poland, Kiepura wanted to leave Europe and even though the half Jewish Eggert's career was not in danger just then, the actress decided on leaving right away. The couple moved to New York where Kiepura signed his first overseas contract within a few weeks thanks for his relations. He played Rodolfo of Bohemian Life at the Metropolitan Theatre. Eggert had to wait a little longer to step on stage but in 1940 she did so in the musical "Higher and Higher" on Broadway. She gave concerts in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo, Cuba and Canada, too.

The couple also negotiated with two Hollywood studios, Eggert with the Universal, her husband with the Paramount. Márta was to play in the film "Song of Life" but it was never realized due to the bankruptcy of the studio. Though the owners set things straight at the studio, by that time Eggert had turned her back on Hollywood. The roles she was to play originally were played by others. In one of the films by MGM her partner was Gene Kelly (For me and my Gal, 1942, directed by Busby Berkeley). Both films are remembered as successful movies with Judy Garland and not Márta Eggert. After Eggert's request, her contract with MGM was terminated and she never appeared in any of the Hollywood movies in her life. She returned to musicals playing the "Merry Widow" 2000 times at the Majestic Theatre from 1943 on. One of her successes was the musical "Polonaise" she co-starred with her husband. The couple returned to Europe in 1947 where Eggert starred in 4 films in 10 years. After the death of her husband, Eggert retired from stage for some time and after returning again, she only played minor roles. Nevertheless, she made a hit on Broadway with "Follies" in 1984. Afterwards she played the mother of the leading actress Diane Rigg in "Colette" in Seattle and Denver.

(Adrien Kovács : Our Daughter - Portrait of Márta Eggert)