At the beginning of the 20th century, Avgusta Danilova was a major name in Slovenian-language theater. She appeared in a number of starring roles both in Ljubljana and Trieste. Acclaimed for her work, she also taught acting in both cities.

Unusually for the time, she also spent two stints working in the U.S. She performed for ethnic Slovenian associations both as an actress and a singer; some of her Slovenian songs were even published by Columbia Records.

She also appeared as an extra in a number of American movies, but never became an established name in Hollywood. That could have changed in 1927, when she was offered the role of Sara Rabinowitz, Al Jolson’s mother in The Jazz Singer. The movie was the first full-length movie with dialog; it ushered in the era of “talkies” and changed the film industry forever. Danilova, however, ended up rejecting the offer, apparently saying that she did not have enough time to take on the role.

Years later, Danilova did end up leaving her mark on film history, albeit in Slovenia. In 1948, she played a supporting role in the movie On Our Own Land (Na svoji zemlji), the first full-length feature in the Slovenian language.

She died ten years later, at the age of 88.