Cornelia Froboess (; born 28 October 1943) is a German actress and a

teen idol A teen idol is a celebrity with a large teenage fan base. Teen idols are generally young but are not necessarily teenagers. An idol's popularity may be limited to teens, or may extend to all age groups. By region Asia East Asia possess ...

of the 1950s and early 1960s. During that time, Froboess appeared in many

West German West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

and Austrian

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...

s, especially after the

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

wave had hit Germany. In those

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

s, she would often portray the typical ' (brat from estBerlin) who craves independence from her strict parents.

Career

As Die Kleine Cornelia she had her first

hit record A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...

in 1951, aged eight, with a song written by her father. "" ("Pack your bathing trunks") is a cheery tune about a group of children going swimming on a hot summer's day at

Wannsee Wannsee () is a locality in the southwestern Berlin borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Germany. It is the westernmost locality of Berlin. In the quarter there are two lakes, the larger ''Großer Wannsee'' (Greater Wannsee, "See" means lake) and the ...

. The title of the song has become a

set phrase Set, The Set, SET or SETS may refer to: Science, technology, and mathematics Mathematics *Set (mathematics), a collection of elements *Category of sets, the category whose objects and morphisms are sets and total functions, respectively Electro ...

and

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

for going swimming easily recognized even by speakers of German who have never heard of the song. As she grew up, she continued recording as Conny, then Conny Froboess. In 1962, Froboess finished in sixth place at the

Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

, where she sang "" (Two little Italians) for Germany. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a

gold disc Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

. The same year she appeared as herself in

Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent film, silent era to the end of the 1960s. ...

The Elusive Corporal ''The Elusive Corporal'' (french: Le Caporal épinglé) is a 1962 French film directed by Jean Renoir that stars Jean-Pierre Cassel, Claude Brasseur, and Claude Rich. It was entered into the 12th Berlin International Film Festival. Renoir shot h ...

''. Later, Froboess became a theatre and movie actress. In 1982, she appeared in

Rainer Werner Fassbinder Rainer Werner Fassbinder (; 31 May 1945 – 10 June 1982), sometimes credited as R. W. Fassbinder, was a German filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the major figures and catalysts of the New German Cinema movement. Fassbinder's main ...

's film ''

Veronika Voss ''Veronika Voss'' (german: Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss, "The Sehnsucht, Longing of Veronika Voss") is a 1982 West German black-and-white drama film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and starring Rosel Zech, Hilmar Thate, and Cornelia Frobo ...

''. In 1988 she played Marthe Schwerdtlein in

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as treat ...

's ''

Faust I ''Faust: A Tragedy'' (german: Faust. Eine Tragödie, links=no, , or aust. The tragedy's first part is the first part of the tragic play ''Faust'' by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and is considered by many as the greatest work of German literature ...

'', a performance that was also released as a film: '' Faust – Vom Himmel durch die Welt zur Hölle''. In 1997 Froboess played the mother of the protagonist Martin Brest (

Til Schweiger Tilman Valentin Schweiger (; born 19 December 1963) is a German actor, voice actor and filmmaker. He runs his own production company, Barefoot Films, in Berlin. Early life Schweiger was born in Freiburg, West Germany, to two teachers. He grew ...

) in the film ''

Knockin' on Heaven's Door "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, written for the soundtrack of the 1973 film ''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid''. Released as a single two months after the film's premiere, it became a worldwide hit, r ...

''. On stage, she appeared in Lessing's ''

Minna von Barnhelm ''Minna von Barnhelm or the Soldiers' Happiness'' (german: Minna von Barnhelm oder das Soldatenglück, ) is a ''lustspiel'' or comedy by the German author Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. It has five acts, was begun in 1763 and completed in 1767 – ...

'' in 1976, staged by

Dieter Dorn Dieter Dorn (born 31 October 1935 in Leipzig) is a German theatre director, also for the opera, the manager of the Münchner Kammerspiele from 1983 to 2001 and now manager of the Bavarian Staatsschauspiel. Career Dieter Dorn studied at the Theat ...

, and played Ellida in

Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

's ''

The Lady from the Sea ''The Lady from the Sea'' ( no, Fruen fra havet, link=no) is a play written in 1888 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen inspired by the ballad '' Agnete og Havmanden''. The drama introduces the character of Hilde Wangel who is again portrayed i ...

'' in 1990. At the

Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival (german: Salzburger Festspiele) is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer (for five weeks starting in late July) in the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amad ...

2004, she played Mary Tyrone in

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earlier ...

's '' Long Day's Journey into Night''.The 2004 Salzburg Festival
at ''The New York Theatre Wire'' The same year she played the title role in

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

's play ''

Mother Courage and Her Children ''Mother Courage and Her Children'' (german: Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder, links=no) is a play written in 1939 by the German dramatist and poet Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956), with significant contributions from Margarete Steffin. Four theatrical ...

''.

Selected filmography

* ''

The Sinful Border ''The Sinful Border'' (german: Sündige Grenze) is a 1951 West German crime film directed by Robert A. Stemmle and starring Dieter Borsche, Inge Egger and Peter Mosbacher. Jan Hendriks won the German Film Award as Best Newcomer. It focuses on the ...

'' (1951) * '' Ideal Woman Sought'' (1952) * ''

Three Days of Fear ''Three Days of Fear'' (german: Drei Tage Angst) is a 1952 West German comedy crime film directed by Erich Waschneck and starring Rudolf Platte, Camilla Spira and Cornelia Froboess.Bock & Bergfelder p. 193 It was shot at the Göttingen Studios. T ...

'' (1952) * ''

Ten on Every Finger ''Ten on Every Finger'' (German: ''An jedem Finger zehn'') is a 1954 West German musical comedy film directed by Erik Ode and starring Germaine Damar, Erich Auer and Loni Heuser.Bock & Bergfelder p.136 It was shot at the Spandau Studios in West Be ...

'' (1954) * ''

The Big Star Parade ''The Big Star Parade'' (German: ''Die große Starparade'') is a 1954 West German musical comedy film directed by Paul Martin and starring Adrian Hoven, Renate Holm and Gunther Philipp. The film's sets were designed by the art director Hans Jü ...

'' (1954) * ''

Let the Sun Shine Again ''Let the Sun Shine Again'' (German: ''Lass die Sonne wieder scheinen'') is a 1955 Austrian-West German musical comedy film directed by Hubert Marischka and starring Hans Holt, Hertha Feiler and Cornelia Froboess.Wagnleitner p.281 Shooting took pl ...

'' (1955) * ''

Hula-Hopp, Conny ''Hula-Hopp, Conny'' is a 1959 West German musical comedy film directed by Heinz Paul and starring Cornelia Froboess, Rudolf Vogel and Susi Nicoletti.Bock & Berfelder p.137 It was shot at the Bavaria Studios in Munich. The film's sets were design ...

'' (1959) * ''

Conny and Peter Make Music ''Conny and Peter Make Music'' (german: Conny und Peter machen Musik) is a 1960 West German musical comedy film directed by Werner Jacobs and starring Cornelia Froboess, Peter Kraus and Gustav Knuth. It is set in a hotel in Lake Lugano, which i ...

'' (1960) * ''

Mariandl ''Mariandl'' is a 1961 Austrian drama film directed by Werner Jacobs and starring Cornelia Froboess, Rudolf Prack and Waltraut Haas. It was followed by a sequel '' Mariandl's Homecoming'' in 1962. A girl living in a hotel aspires to a musical scho ...

'' (1961) * ''

My Husband, the Economic Miracle ''My Husband, the Economic Miracle'' (german: Mein Mann, das Wirtschaftswunder) is a 1961 West German comedy film directed by Ulrich Erfurth and starring Marika Rökk, Fritz Tillmann and Cornelia Froboess.Wiesen p.272 The film portrays the econo ...

'' (1961) * '' The Bird Seller'' (1962) * ''

The Model Boy ''The Model Boy'' (German: ''Der Musterknabe'') is a 1963 Austrian comedy film directed by Werner Jacobs and starring Peter Alexander, Cornelia Froboess and Gunther Philipp. Von Dassanowsky p.184 A doctor poses as his brother and goes to school ...

'' (1963) * ' (1963) * ''

Rheinsberg Rheinsberg () is a town and a municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is located on lake and the river Rhin, approximately 20 km north-east of Neuruppin and 75 km north-west of Berlin. History Fre ...

'' (1967) * ''

Crazy - Completely Mad Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to ...

'' (1973) * ''

Derrick A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, and a ...

'' – Season 4, episode 8: "Via Bangkok" (1977) * ''Derrick'' – Season 5, episode 12: "Ute und Manuela" (1978) * ''Derrick'' – Season 9, episode 2: "Eine Falle für Derrick" (1982) * ''

'' (1982) * ' (1986) * ' (1988) * ' (1994, TV film) * ''

Windstorm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm) ...

'' (2013) and ' (2015)

Awards

*1962:

Goldene Schallplatte Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

*1968: *1985: Member of the

Academy of Arts, Berlin The Academy of Arts (german: Akademie der Künste) is a state arts institution in Berlin, Germany. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the states of Germany. The Academy's predecessor organization was fo ...

*1990:

Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring The Ringelband Foundation has been awarding the Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring with the city of Bensheim and the German Academy of the Performing Arts since 1986. The award is endowed with €10,000. The jury is annually changing. The prize is awarded for a ...

*1994:

Bavarian Film Award The Bavarian Film Awards (german: Bayerischer Filmpreis) have been awarded annually since 1979 by the states of Germany, state government of Bavaria in Germany for “exceptional achievement in German filmmaking.” Along with the Deutscher Filmp ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Froboess, Cornelia 1943 births Living people People from Wriezen People from the Province of Brandenburg German film actresses German television actresses German stage actresses 20th-century German actresses 21st-century German actresses German women singers Schlager musicians Eurovision Song Contest entrants for Germany Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1962 Members of the Academy of Arts, Berlin Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany