The daughter of a railroad official, Camilla Horn was educated in Germany and Switzerland. She initially trained as a dressmaker and received her firstj ob experience in a fashion salon in Erfurt. This was merely a stepping stone for a performing career which began with dance lessons in Berlin and subsequent acting studies under Lucie Höflich. The lithe, blonde and strikingly beautiful Camilla soon appeared in cabaret revues staged by Rudolf Nelson.By 1926, she was employed as an extra at Ufa, where she was spotted by the director F.W. Murnau, who found in her the ideal representation of "Gretchen" for his seminal production of Faust (1926), which catapulted her to instant stardom.
Within a year, she was signed by United Artists in Hollywood, befriending Charles Chaplin and, more importantly, studio chairman Joseph M. Schenck. The friendship with Schenck may or may not have led to an affair -- depending on which story one is to believe -- but it did result in two high-profile starring roles opposite John Barrymore in the torrid melodramas Tempest (1928) and Eternal Love (1929), both produced by Schenck (though neither was a commercial success). With the coming of sound, Camilla returned to Europe, briefly appearing onstage in London and Paris, before resuming her screen career in Germany. As the1930's went on, she rarely turned down a role, playing anything from baronesses and fashion models to vamps and "fallen women." While the quality of her films was variable, there were several noteworthy standouts, such as Hans in allen Gassen (1930), opposite Hans Albers, TheLast Waltz (1934), and FahrendesVolk (1938) (as a circus artiste, again with Albers).
Ross Verlag in Berlin was a German publishing house specialized in photographs and photo postcards of artists. The owner of the company was Heinrich Ross (b. 10 August 1870; d. after 1954).