Margarete Emma Dorothea "Grete" Mosheim (8 January 1905 – 29 December 1986) was a German film, theatre, and television actress.

Early life

Mosheim was born in Berlin, Germany on 8 January 1905, the daughter of a Jewish man, Markus Mosheim (1868–1956) and his non-Jewish wife, Clara Mosheim née Hilger (1875–1970). Her sister was actress Lore Mosheim, who appeared in at least nine movies.

Theatre

Mosheim started her acting career at the age of 17 and was a member of Deutsches Theater, Berlin from 1922 to 1931. She began studying at

Max Reinhardt Max Reinhardt (; born Maximilian Goldmann; 9 September 1873 – 30 October 1943) was an Austrian-born Theatre director, theatre and film director, theater manager, intendant, and theatrical producer. With his radically innovative and avant-gard ...

's School of Drama under Berthold Held in early 1922, alongside

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

. Mosheim became established under Max Reinhardt, and in 1925 he gave her the chance to substitute in the play ''Der sprechende Affe'' by

René Fauchois René Fauchois (31 August 1882 – 10 February 1962) was a French dramatist, librettist and actor. Stagestruck from his youth, he moved from his native Rouen to Paris as a teenager to pursue a stage career. He had early success both as an actor a ...

when the female lead became ill. Mosheim learned the difficult role from

Albert Bassermann Albert Bassermann (7 September 1867 – 15 May 1952) was a German stage and screen actor. He was considered to be one of the greatest German-speaking actors of his generation and received the famous Iffland-Ring. He was married to Elsa Schiff w ...

in just 24 hours and became a

superstar A superstar is someone who has great popular appeal and is widely known, prominent, or successful in their field. Celebrities referred to as "superstars" may include individuals who work as actors, musicians, athletes, and other media-based profe ...

almost overnight. Until 1933, when she went to London to escape

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

's rise to power, she was pre-eminent in the Berlin theatre scene. She performed in a wide variety of roles, being equally at home in drama and comedy. She also appeared in musical revues and recorded songs by

Friedrich Hollaender Friedrich Hollaender (in exile also Frederick Hollander; 18 October 189618 January 1976) was a German film composer and author. Life and career He was born in London to a Jewish family, where his father, operetta composer Victor Hollaend ...

and others. After intensive study, she mastered English well enough to appear in ''Two Share a Dwelling'' by Alice Campbell in London in 1935. She appeared again on stage in Germany from 1952 on, but did not return to films – other than in a few TV roles – until her appearance as the grandmother in '' Moritz, Dear Moritz'' in 1978.

Films

Mosheim appeared in numerous German films, mostly silent movies, starting with ''Michael'' in 1924. Until she fled Germany in 1933, she starred in many films, including '' Dreyfus'' (1930) and ''

Yorck ''Yorck'' is a 1931 German war film directed by Gustav Ucicky and starring Werner Krauss, Grete Mosheim and Rudolf Forster.Noack p.59 It portrays the life of the Prussian General Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg, particularly his refusal to ser ...

'' (1931). In 1935, she starred in the British film '' Car of Dreams''. In 1976, she appeared in

Rosa von Praunheim Holger Bernhard Bruno Mischwitzky (born Holger Radtke; 25 November 1942), known professionally as Rosa von Praunheim, is a German film director, author, producer, professor of directing and one of the most influential and famous LGBT social move ...

's film ''

Underground and Emigrants Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * Buenos Aires Underground, a rapid transit system * London Underground, a rapid transit system * ...

''.

Personal life

Mosheim was married three times: to actor

Oskar Homolka Oskar Homolka (12 August 1898 – 27 January 1978) was an Austrian film and theatre actor, who went on to work in Germany, Britain and the United States. Both his voice and his appearance fitted him for roles as communist spies or Soviet officia ...

in Berlin (1928–1933), to industrialist

Howard Gould Howard Gould (June 8, 1871 – September 13, 1959) was an American financier and the son of Jay Gould. Early life Gould was born in Manhattan on June 8, 1871 to railroad financier Jay Gould (1836–1892) and Helen Day Miller (1838–1889). He w ...

in London (1937–1948) and to journalist Robert Cooper, who was a correspondent for ''The Times''. She had no children.

Death

Mosheim died from cancer in New York City on 29 December 1986, aged 81.

Honours

In 1984, she was awarded the

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...

, Germany's highest civilian award.

Partial filmography

* ''

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name * Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...

'' (Germany 1924) * ''

An Artist of Life ''An Artist of Life'' () is a 1925 German silent film directed by Holger-Madsen and starring Erna Morena and Grete Mosheim.Bock & Bergfelder p. 229 The film's sets were designed by the art director Art director is a title for a variety of s ...

'' (Germany 1925) * ''

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

'' (Germany 1926) * ''

The Flames Lie ''The Flames Lie'' (German: ''Die Flammen lügen'') is a 1926 German silent drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Hans Adalbert Schlettow, Ruth Weyher and Henny Porten.Grange p.239 It was shot at the Staaken Studios in Berlin. The ...

'' (Germany 1926) * '' The Fiddler of Florence'' (Germany 1926) * '' Young Blood'' (Germany 1926) * ''

Assassination Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

'' (Germany 1927) * '' The Awakening of Woman'' (Germany 1927) * '' The Sporck Battalion'' (Germany 1927) * '' Carnival Magic'' (Germany 1927) * ''Die Siebzehnjährigen'' (Germany 1928) * '' The Little Slave'' (Germany 1928) * '' The Green Alley'' (Germany 1928) * ''

Cyanide In chemistry, cyanide () is an inorganic chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Ionic cyanides contain the cyanide anion . This a ...

'' (Germany 1930) * '' Dreyfus'' (Germany 1930) * '' The Murderer Dimitri Karamazov'' (Germany 1931) * ''

'' (Germany 1931) * '' Poor as a Church Mouse'' (Germany 1931) * '' Car of Dreams'' (UK 1935) * ''Underground and Emigrants'' (US 1976) * '' Moritz, Dear Moritz'' (Germany 1978)

References

External links

* *
Photographs of Grete Mosheim in Virtual History

Grave

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mosheim, Grete 1905 births 1986 deaths German stage actresses German film actresses German silent film actresses German musical theatre actresses Emigrants from Nazi Germany Immigrants to the United Kingdom Immigrants to the United States Actresses from Berlin Gould family Jewish German actresses Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 20th-century German actresses Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United Kingdom 20th-century German women singers