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 and film director, intendant, and theatrical producer. With his innovative stage productions, he is regarded as one of the most pro ...

'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 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 Sch ...

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 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

'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 Hollaender, w ...

and others. After intensive study, she mastered English well enough to appear in ''Two Share a Dwelling'' 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 ''Moritz, Dear Moritz'' (german: Moritz, lieber Moritz) is a 1978 West German drama film directed by Hark Bohm. It was entered into the 28th Berlin International Film Festival. Cast * Michael Kebschull as Moritz Stuckmann * Kyra Mladeck as ...

'' 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 serve i ...

'' (1931). In 1935 she starred in the British film ''

Car of Dreams ''Car of Dreams'' is a 1935 British romantic comedy film directed by Graham Cutts and Austin Melford and starring Grete Mosheim, John Mills, Norah Howard and Robertson Hare. A tycoon's son falls in love with a woman who works at his father' ...

''. 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, painter and one of the most famous gay rights activists in the German-speaking world. In ov ...

's New York 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 * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground ...

''.

Personal life

Mosheim was married three times: to actor

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

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 ...

in London (1937–1948) and to journalist Robert Cooper, who was a correspondent for

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...

. 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 (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

, Germany's highest civilian award.

Partial filmography

* ''

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

'' (Germany 1924) * '' An Artist of Life'' (Germany 1925) * ''

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...

'' (Germany 1926) * '' The Flames Lie'' (Germany 1926) * '' The Fiddler of Florence'' (Germany 1926) * '' Young Blood'' (Germany 1926) * '' Assassination'' (Germany 1927) * '' The Awakening of Woman'' (Germany 1927) * '' The Sporck Battalion'' (Germany 1927) * ''

Carnival Magic ''Carnival Magic'' is a which entered service on 1 May 2011. The ship was named and christened in Venice by her godmother Lindsey Wilkerson, a former patient and current researcher at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. ''Carnival Magic'' ...

'' (Germany 1927) * ''Die Siebzehnjährigen'' (Germany 1928) * ''

The Little Slave ''The Little Slave'' (German: ''Die kleine Sklavin'') is a 1928 German silent comedy film directed by Jacob Fleck and Luise Fleck and starring Grete Mosheim, Fritz Richard and Trude Hesterberg.Krautz p.170 The film's art direction was by Er ...

'' (Germany 1928) * ''

The Green Alley ''The Green Alley'' (German: ''Die Rothausgasse'') is a 1928 German silent film directed by Richard Oswald and starring Grete Mosheim, Gustav Fröhlich and Marija Leiko.Weniger p.303 The film was made by the German branch of Universal Pictures ...

'' (Germany 1928) * ''

Cyanide Cyanide is a naturally occurring, rapidly acting, toxic chemical that can exist in many different forms. In chemistry, a cyanide () is a chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of ...

'' (Germany 1930) * '' Dreyfus'' (Germany 1930) * ''

The Murderer Dimitri Karamazov ''The Murderer Dimitri Karamazov'' () is a 1931 German drama film directed by Erich Engels and Fedor Ozep, starring Fritz Kortner and Anna Sten. It tells the story of a lieutenant who is suspected of having murdered his father. The film is based ...

'' (Germany 1931) * ''

Poor as a Church Mouse ''Poor as a Church Mouse'' (german: Arm wie eine Kirchenmaus) is a 1931 German musical comedy film directed by Richard Oswald and starring Grete Mosheim, Anton Edthofer and Hans Thimig.Kasten & Loacker p. 336 It was based on the 1928 play '' ...

'' (Germany 1931) * ''

'' (UK 1935) * ''Underground and Emigrants'' (US 1976) * ''

'' (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 German emigrants 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