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Žužemberk: The Town of Knights, Iron and the First Slovenian Star in Hollywood

Published: 13.5.2025

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Žužemberk: The Town of Knights, Iron and the First Slovenian Star in Hollywood

Žužemberk may be best known for its mighty medieval castle perched above the emerald Krka River, but this historic town is also the birthplace of remarkable stories that reach far beyond Slovenia’s borders – including the journey of the first Slovenian actress to make it in Hollywood: Zalla Zarana.

 

Born Rozalija Sršen in Žužemberk in 1897, she set sail for America at the age of just 16, chasing dreams across the Atlantic. Life in San Francisco wasn’t easy, especially with no English and no profession, but Rozalija’s perseverance would eventually take her all the way to the silver screens of Hollywood. Reinvented as Zalla Zarana – a name that sounds like a poetic sunrise in Slovenian – she starred in 20 silent films, playing bold and seductive roles, cabaret singers and even cowgirls in westerns. Her most acclaimed performance came in The Snow, directed by Tod Browning, and she counted comedy legends Laurel and Hardy among her friends.

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