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 ( , , ; ; ; or ) 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 seaport, the largest city of northwestern Poland, and se ...

Pomerania Pomerania ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The central and eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, West Pomeranian, Pomeranian Voivod ...

, then in the

German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...

. 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 and Canada. United St ...

'' (''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 lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. 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 sho ...

'' (1934) and ''

La Grande Illusion ''La Grande Illusion'' (French for "The Grand Illusion") is a 1937 French war drama 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 ...

'' (1937). 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) * Hollywood ...

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 director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

production of

Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the Eng ...

's ''

Heart of Darkness ''Heart of Darkness'' is an 1899 novella by Polish-British novelist Joseph Conrad in which the sailor Charles Marlow tells his listeners the story of his assignment as steamer captain for a Belgium, Belgian company in the African interior. Th ...

'' for

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

, but the project was abandoned. She was deported to Germany as an enemy alien during World War II, but returned to France in 1949. She made only two films after the war, '' Justice is Done'' (1950) and her final screen appearance in ''La Dame de pique'' (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 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 Emi ...

's 1934 film ''

''. Parlo was referenced by

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

, 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 art, literature or photography 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. Erot ...

'' album. Its title track commences with the line "My name is Dita, I'll be your mistress tonight..." Burlesque performer Dita Von Teese 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 Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controver ...

'') (1928) - Slave of the Princess * ''Ungarische Rhapsodie'' ('' Hungarian Rhapsody'') (1928) - Marika * '' Manolescu - Der König der Hochstapler'' (1929) - Jeanette * ''Melodie des Herzens'' (''

Melody of the Heart A melody (), also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combination of pitch and rhythm, while more figuratively, the term c ...

'') (1929) - Julia Balog * ''I bora'' (1929) * ''Au bonheur des dames'' (1930) - Denise Baudu * '' Kismet'' (1931, German-language version produced by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

) * ''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'') (1931) - Annie Marlow * '' Honor of the Family'' (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 host, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York News ...

) - 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'' (1937, English-language version of '' Mademoiselle Docteur'') - Dr. Anne-Marie Lesser * ''La Rue sans joie'' (1938) - Jeanne de Romer * ''

Ultimatum An ; ; : ultimata or ultimatums) is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a coercion, threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance (open loop). An ultimatum is generally the ...

'' (1938) - Anna Salic * ''Paix sur le Rhin'' ('' Peace on the Rhine'') (1938) - Hedwige * ''La signora di Montecarlo'' (1938) - Vera * ''L'Inconnue de Monte Carlo'' (1939) - Vera * ''L'Or du Cristobal'' ('' Cristobal's Gold'') (1940) - Lisbeth * ''Justice est faite'' ('' Justice is Done'') (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 Actresses from Szczecin German film actresses German silent film actresses Actors from the Province of Pomerania German expatriate actresses in the United States