Nils Asther and Kay Francis: in the dressing room

Nils Asther and Kay Francis acted together in two films, Storm at Daybreak (1933) and The Man Who Lost Himself (1941).

From Kay Francis: a passionate life and career by By Lynn Kear, John Rossman, McFarland, 2006

Career difficulties, in addition to marital problems, loomed over Kay in the summer... That same month [June 1933], Kay wrote about visiting Nils Asther in his MGM studio dressing room and having a kissing session. 

Kay had previously kissed Asther at a party about two weeks before. Quite handsome, Nils was gay, and though he was no doubt flattered, there was no chance of a full-blown romance. They had worked together on Storm at Daybreak, which was filmed in the spring of 1933.

Nils Asther and Kay Francis in The Man Who Lost Himself, 1941 

Waiting for a scene to be filmed, 1941

Nils Asther and dogs

I noticed that there are quite a few pictures of Nils Asther with dogs.

German cigarette card, Ross Verlag

MGM publicity shot by Ruth Harriet Louise, probably 1927.
This appears to be the same dog, but older, so perhaps it was his own.

Asther's first American film, Topsy and Eva, 1927. Asther is top left.

The St Bernard at the front took part in the film and belonged to Vivian Duncan, later Asther's wife, middle left.

Storm at Daybreak, 1933

'Nils Asther takes time out to play with his new pet, eight month old Great Dane, Eric.'

 Son of Lassie, 1945

Laddie (son of Lassie), Nils Asther, Peter Lawford

Asther spent most of his scenes in this film playing against the lead canine star, supposedly rescuing Laddie from the Nazis, and then tending to the dog, spoon feeding him and generally lolling around on the floor of their Norwegian hut together (actually filmed in Banff National Park, Canada). Asther seemed right at home.

Nils Asther: 1933 publicity by Clarence Bull

Nils Asther, publicity photographs by Clarence Sinclair Bull for MGM.

On the reverse of the photos is text about his upcoming film, Strange Rhapsody, which by the time of release had been retitled Storm at Daybreak. 

This was the last film Asther did before he left his MGM contract and went freelance.

Nils Asther in Storm at Daybreak, 1933

Storm at Daybreak (1933) - posters

Storm at Daybreak (1933) 

 In 1914, after the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand by a Serb, a Hungarian soldier (Nils Asther) gets involved with the wife (Kay Francis) of a Serbian mayor of a Hungarian town (Walter Huston).

Walter Huston, Kay Francis and Nils Asther with Richard Boleslavsky, director

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