Dita Parlo (born Grethe Gerda Kornstädt or Gerda Olga Justine Kornstädt; 4 September 1908 – 12 December 1971) was a German film actress.

Early life and career

Dita Parlo was born on 4 September 1908 in

Stettin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major s ...

Pomerania Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...

, then in the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

. Sources differ as to whether her birth name was Grethe Gerda Kornstädt or Gerda Olga Justine Kornstädt. Her birth year is also sometimes listed as being 1906. Parlo made her first film appearance in ''

Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...

'' (''Heimkehr'') in 1928 and quickly became a popular actress in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

. During the 1930s she moved easily between German and French films, achieving success in several films, including, in the span of four years, two that are considered among the greatest in cinema history: ''

L'Atalante ''L'Atalante'', also released as ''Le Chaland qui passe'' ("The Passing Barge"), is a 1934 French film written and directed by Jean Vigo, and starring Jean Dasté, Dita Parlo and Michel Simon. After the difficult release of his controversial ...

'' (1934) and ''

La Grande Illusion ''La Grande Illusion'' (also known as ''The Grand Illusion'') is a 1937 French war film directed by Jean Renoir, who co-wrote the screenplay with Charles Spaak. The story concerns class relationships among a small group of French officers who ar ...

'' (1937). She was deported to Germany as an enemy alien during World War II, but returned to France in 1949 and resumed her career. Parlo attempted to establish a career in American films but despite a couple of roles in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

films, was unable to extend her European success. In the late 1930s, she was scheduled to appear in the

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

production of

Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Polish-British novelist and short story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language; though he did not spe ...

's ''

Heart of Darkness ''Heart of Darkness'' (1899) is a novella by Polish-English novelist Joseph Conrad in which the sailor Charles Marlow tells his listeners the story of his assignment as steamer captain for a Belgian company in the African interior. The no ...

'' for

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orph ...

. However, that project did not come to pass. With the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, Parlo returned to Germany. She appeared in only three films during the last thirty years of her life, making her final film appearance in 1965.

Personal life and death

In 1949, she married a Protestant pastor, Franck Gueutal, with whom she remained until her death. She died on 12 December 1971 in Paris, France, although some sources list her death date as 13 December. She is buried at Cimetière Protestant de Montécheroux.

In popular culture

Musician

Steve Adey Steve Adey (born in Great Barr, Birmingham) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. His music is characterised by slow tempos, minimalist arrangements, underpinned by piano and a rich baritone vocal. As of 2018 Adey has released three stu ...

has a song called "Dita Parlo" on his 2012 studio album '' The Tower of Silence''. The song was written in response to

Jean Vigo Jean Vigo (; 26 April 1905 – 5 October 1934) was a French film director who helped establish poetic realism in film in the 1930s. His work influenced French New Wave cinema of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Biography Vigo was born to Emil ...

's 1934 film ''

''. Parlo was referenced by

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

, who said she had been fascinated by Parlo, and took her name for the character she created for her '' Sex'' book and ''

Erotica Erotica is literature or art that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erotic art may use ...

'' album. Its title track commences with the line "My name is Dita, I'll be your mistress tonight..." Burlesque performer

Dita Von Teese Heather Renée Sweet (born September 28, 1972), known professionally as Dita Von Teese, is an American vedette, burlesque dancer, model, and businesswoman. She is credited with re-popularizing burlesque performance, earning the moniker "Que ...

took her name in tribute to Parlo.

Filmography

* ''Heimkehr'' (''

'') (1928) - Anna * ''Die Dame mit der Maske'' ('' The Lady with the Mask'') (1928) - Kitty * ''Geheimnisse des Orients'' ('' Secrets of the Orient'') (1928) - Slave of the Princess * ''Ungarische Rhapsodie'' (''

Hungarian Rhapsody The Hungarian Rhapsodies, S.244, R.106 (french: Rhapsodies hongroises, german: Ungarische Rhapsodien, hu, Magyar rapszódiák), is a set of 19 piano pieces based on Hungarian folk themes, composed by Franz Liszt during 1846–1853, and later ...

'') (1928) - Marika * '' Manolescu - Der König der Hochstapler'' (1929) - Jeanette * ''Melodie des Herzens'' ('' Melody of the Heart'') (1929) - Julia Balog * ''I bora'' (1929) * ''Au bonheur des dames'' (1930) - Denise Baudu * '' Kismet'' (1931, German-language version produced by Warner Bros.) * ''Tänzerinnen für Süd-Amerika gesucht'' (1931) - Dancer Inge * ''Die heilige Flamme'' ('' The Sacred Flame'' (1931) * ''Tropennächte'' ('' Tropical Nights'') (1931) - Alma * ''Menschen hinter Gittern'' (''

Men Behind Bars ''Men Behind Bars'' (German: ''Menschen hinter Gittern'') is a 1931 American Pre-Code drama film directed by Pál Fejös and starring Heinrich George, Gustav Diessl and Egon von Jordan. It is the German language version of MGM's '' The Big Hou ...

'') (1931) - Annie Marlow * ''

Honor of the Family ''Honor of the Family'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code drama film released by First National Pictures (a subsidiary of Warner Bros.), starring Bebe Daniels and Warren William. It was based on the play by Emil Fabre, from the Honoré de Balzac nov ...

'' (1931) - Roszi * ''Wir schalten um auf Hollywood'' (1931) - Herself (uncredited) * '' Mr. Broadway'' (1933, US, starring

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television personality, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New Yor ...

) - The Girl (archive footage) (uncredited) * ''

'' (1934) - Juliette * ''Rapt'' (1934) * '' Mademoiselle Docteur'' (1937) - Anne-Marie Lesser - dite Mademoiselle Docteur - une insaisissable espionne * ''

'' (1937) - Elsa * ''L'Affaire du courrier de Lyon'' (1937) - Mina Lesurques * ''

Under Secret Orders ''Under Secret Orders'', also known as ''Mademoiselle Doctor'', is a 1937 British spy film directed by Edmond T. Gréville and starring Erich von Stroheim, John Loder, Dita Parlo and Claire Luce. It is an English-language version of the Frenc ...

'' (1937, English-language version of '' Mademoiselle Docteur'') - Dr. Anne-Marie Lesser * ''La Rue sans joie'' (1938) - Jeanne de Romer * '' Ultimatum'' (1938) - Anna Salic * ''Paix sur le Rhin'' (1938) - Hedwige * ''La signora di Montecarlo'' (1938) - Vera * ''L'Inconnue de Monte Carlo'' (1939) - Vera * ''L'Or du Cristobal'' (''

Cristobal's Gold ''Cristobal's Gold'' (French: ''L'or du Cristobal'') is a 1940 French drama film directed by Jean Stelli and Jacques Becker and starring Charles Vanel, Conchita Montenegro and Albert Préjean. Jean Renoir helped the original director, Jacques Beck ...

'') (1940) - Lisbeth * ''Justice est faite'' (''

Justice is Done ''Justice Is Done'' (french: Justice est faite) is a 1950 French drama film directed by André Cayatte. It tackles the subject of euthanasia by depicting a court case in which a woman is tried for killing her terminally ill employer at his reques ...

'') (1950) - Elisabeth * ''La Dame de pique'' (1965) - Comtesse Anna Fedorovna (final film role)

References

External links

* *
Photograph and brief biography of Dita ParloVirtual History - Tobacco cardsProfile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parlo, Dita 1908 births 1971 deaths 20th-century German actresses Actors from Szczecin German film actresses German silent film actresses People from the Province of Pomerania German expatriate actresses in the United States