Minna Stern (20 March 1894 – 25 May 1982), known professionally as Hermine Sterler, was a German-American actress whose career spanned both the silent and the

talkie A sound film is a motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, percep ...

film eras on two continents.

Career

Sterler, who appeared in several Hollywood films, was once affiliated with the

Burgtheater The Burgtheater (literally:"Castle Theater" but alternatively translated as "(Imperial) Court Theater"), originally known as '' K.K. Theater an der Burg'', then until 1918 as the ''K.K. Hofburgtheater'', is the national theater of Austria in Vi ...

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. She debuted in 1918 at the Residenztheater

Hannover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German States of Germany, state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germa ...

and later performed in Berlin, where she appeared at the Kleinen Theater ("Little Theater"). She played a saloon lady and, from 1921, often appeared in German silent film. She flourished as a

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

in roles of young wives and mothers. In 1930, she appeared as Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna in ''

Rasputin, Demon with Women ''Rasputin, Demon with Women'' (German: ''Rasputin, Dämon der Frauen'') is a 1932 German drama film directed by Adolf Trotz and starring Conrad Veidt, Paul Otto and Hermine Sterler. It portrays the influence wielded by Grigori Rasputin over th ...

''. In 1933, a German government decree was enacted by

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 19 ...

under the auspices of a newly created agency called Die Reichskulturkammer. The decree stipulated that Jewish actors were, among other things, prohibited from performing on German stage. Sterler, who was a Jew, relocated to

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

in 1933, where she continued to work in theater and cinema. The ''

Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germany ...

'' of

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

ended her artistic career there. Sterler next moved to London. In 1938, she immigrated to the United States from Zurich under her birth name Minna Stern. Film director

Wilhelm Dieterle William Dieterle (July 15, 1893 – December 9, 1972) was a German-born actor and film director who emigrated to the United States in 1930 to leave a worsening political situation. He worked in Hollywood primarily as a director for much of his ...

gave Sterler her first role in American cinema. During

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 opposin ...

and after, Sterler played mostly small roles in Hollywood productions portraying German or other European women. In the 1944 anti-Nazi film ''

The Hitler Gang ''The Hitler Gang'' is a 1944 American pseudo-documentary film directed by John Farrow, which traces the political rise of Adolf Hitler. Described as a "documentary-propaganda" film by its studio, Paramount Pictures, the historical drama is based ...

'', she played the wife of

Ernst Hanfstaengl Ernst Franz Sedgwick Hanfstaengl (; 2 February 1887 – 6 November 1975) was a German-American businessman and close friend of Adolf Hitler. He eventually fell out of favour with Hitler and defected from Nazi Germany to the United States. He lat ...

. On November 10, 1944, Sterler became a United States naturalized citizen in the

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California The United States District Court for the Central District of California (in case citations, C.D. Cal.; commonly referred to as the CDCA or CACD) is a Federal trial court that serves over 19 million people in Southern and Central California, m ...

at Los Angeles. She gave actress

Piper Laurie Piper Laurie (born Rosetta Jacobs; January 22, 1932) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the films ''The Hustler'' (1961), '' Carrie'' (1976), and '' Children of a Lesser God'' (1986), all of which brought her Academy Award no ...

private acting lessons when Laurie was a child.

Death

Hermine Sterler died on 25 May 1982, aged 88, in her native

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

Selected filmography

Silent film * ''Die Hexe'' (1921) * ''

Hannele's Journey to Heaven ''Hannele's Journey to Heaven'' (German: ''Hanneles Himmelfahrt'') is a 1922 German silent film directed by Urban Gad and starring Margarete Schlegel, Margarete Schön and Hermann Vallentin.Rentschler, Eric. ''German Film & Literature''. Routledg ...

'' (1922) - Frau Berger * '' Lumpaci the Vagabond'' (1922) * ''

The Five Frankfurters ''The Five Frankfurters'' (german: Die fünf Frankfurter) is a 1922 German silent historical film directed by Erich Schönfelder. It was based on a 1912 play of the same title about the rise of the Rothschild family. The film's sets were desig ...

'' (1922) - Gräfin Stadion * '' The Love Nest'' (1922) * ''Der Mann mit der eisernen Maske'' (1923) * '' Paganini'' (1923) - The Duchess * ''

People in Need People in Need (PIN) ( cz, Člověk v tísni) is a Czech nonprofit, non-governmental organisation based in Prague, Czech Republic. PIN implements humanitarian relief and long term development projects, educational programmes, and human rights pr ...

'' (1925) - Elisabeth Ditten, Gutsbesitzerin * ''

The Hanseatics ''The Hanseatics'' (german: Hanseaten) is a 1925 German silent film directed by Gerhard Lamprecht and starring Tamara Karsavina, Fritz Alberti and Hermine Sterler.Grange p.211 The film's sets were designed by the art director Otto Moldenhauer ...

'' (1925) * ''

People to Each Other ''People to Each Other'' (german: Menschen untereinander) is a 1926 German silent film directed by Gerhard Lamprecht Gerhard Lamprecht (6 October 1897 – 4 May 1974) was a German film director, screenwriter and film historian. He direct ...

'' (1926) - Oberin des Gefängnisses * ''

Children of No Importance ''Children of No Importance'' or ''The Illegitimate'' (German: ''Die Unehelichen'') is a 1926 German Silent film, silent Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Gerhard Lamprecht and starring Bernhard Goetzke, Margarete Kupfer and Els ...

'' (1926) - Frau Berndt * ''

Orphan of Lowood ''Orphan of Lowood'' (German: ''Die Waise von Lowood'') is a 1926 German silent drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Evelyn Holt, Olaf Fønss and Dina Diercks. It is based on the 1847 British novel ''Jane Eyre'' by Charlotte B ...

'' (1926) - Lehrerin * ''Wie bleibe ich jung und schön - Ehegeheimnisse'' (1926) * ''

German Women - German Faithfulness ''German Women - German Faithfulness'' (German: ''Deutsche Frauen - Deutsche Treue'') is a 1927 German silent drama film directed by Wolfgang Neff and starring Eugen Neufeld, Philipp Manning and Helga Thomas.Loveless, 2005, p. 205 Its title ...

'' (1927) - Regine Vollrath * ''

Prinz Louis Ferdinand ''Prinz Louis Ferdinand'' is a 1927 German silent historical drama film directed by Hans Behrendt and starring Kurt Junker, Christa Tordy, Hans Stüwe and Jenny Jugo. It was partly shot at the EFA Studios in Berlin. The film's sets were desig ...

'' (1927) - Rahel Lewis * ''

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

'' (1927) * ''

Regine Regine () or Régine is a feminine given name. Regine is a German-French form of Regina, and Régine is a French form of Regina. People with the first name include: Regine * Regine Heitzer (born 1944), Austrian figure skater * Regine Hildebrandt ...

'' (1927) - Die Hausdame * ''Das Schicksal einer Nacht'' (1927) * '' Dame Care'' (1928) - Seine Frau * '' Endangered Girls'' (1928) * ''

The Lady from Argentina ''The Lady from Argentina'' (German: ''Das Fräulein aus Argentinien'') is a 1928 German silent film directed by Siegfried Philippi and starring Hans Albers.Parish p.4 The film's sets were designed by the art directors Gustav A. Knauer and Willy ...

'' (1928) * '' The Sinner'' (1928) - Odettes Mutter * ''Mädchenschicksale'' (1928) - Irinas Mutter * ''

Der Ladenprinz ''Der Ladenprinz'' (''The Shop Prince'') is a 1928 German silent film directed by Erich Schönfelder, starring Harry Halm, La Jana and Paul Henckels and also with La Jana, Sig Arno and Hermine Sterler. It was adapted from a novel by . Kurt Mün ...

'' (1928) - Rosanna * ''

Strauss Is Playing Today ''Strauss Is Playing Today'' (german: Heut' spielt der Strauss) is a 1928 German silent drama film directed by Conrad Wiene and starring Alfred Abel, Hermine Sterler and Imre Ráday. The film was made at the Tempelhof Studios in Berlin.Jung, Uli ...

'' (1928) - Anna, seine Frau * ''

The Republic of Flappers ''The Republic of Flappers'' (German: ''Die Republik der Backfische'') is a 1928 German silent comedy film directed by Constantin J. David and starring Käthe von Nagy, Raimondo Van Riel and Ernst Stahl-Nachbaur.Eickhoff p.494 The title refe ...

'' (1928) - Fräulein Helmers * ''

Adam and Eve Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. ...

'' (1928) - Frau Konsul Jensen * ''

The Blue Mouse ''The Blue Mouse'' (german: Die blaue Maus) is a 1928 German silent comedy film directed by Johannes Guter and starring Jenny Jugo, Harry Halm, and Brita Appelgren. The film's sets were designed by the art director Jacek Rotmil Jacek Rotmil ...

'' (1928) - Frau Lebodier * ''

The Hero of Every Girl's Dream ''The Hero of Every Girl's Dream'' (German: ''Der Held aller Mädchenträume'') is a 1929 German silent film directed by Robert Land and starring Harry Liedtke, Betty Bird and Hermine Sterler.Rogowski p.120 The film's sets were designed by Robe ...

'' (1929) - Madame Turbon * ''

The Girl from the Provinces ''The Girl from the Provinces'' (German:''Das Mädel aus der Provinz'') is a 1929 German silent film directed by James Bauer.Gerhard Lamprecht. ''Deutsche Stummfilme, Volume 9'' p.585 The art direction was by Robert A. Dietrich. Cast In alphabe ...

'' (1929) - Magda Ronacher * '' The Right to Love'' (1930) - Frau Gebhard - eine Offizierswitwe Talkies * ''Les saltimbanques'' (1930) - Stella Daniela * ''Die Somme: Das Grab der Millionen'' (1930) * ''Zärtlichkeit'' (1930) - Frl. Lorrmann - Haushälterin * ''

The Other In phenomenology, the terms the Other and the Constitutive Other identify the other human being, in their differences from the Self, as being a cumulative, constituting factor in the self-image of a person; as acknowledgement of being real; h ...

'' (1930) - Hallers Schwester * ''

Marriage in Name Only ''Marriage in Name Only'' (german: Namensheirat) is a 1930 German drama film directed by Heinz Paul and starring Evelyn Holt, Erika Dannhoff, and Wolfgang Zilzer.Bock & Bergfelder p. 397 The film's sets were designed by Robert A. Dietrich Ro ...

'' (1930) - Hanna v. Späth, Schwester Veltens * '' Two People'' (1930) - Gräfin Enna * ''

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

'' (1931) - Miß Miller * ''

I Go Out and You Stay Here ''I Go Out and You Stay Here'' (german: Ich geh' aus und Du bleibst da) is a 1931 German comedy film directed by Hans Behrendt and starring Camilla Horn, Berthe Ostyn, and Hermine Sterler. A separate French-language film was also produced. The ...

'' (1931) - Stephanie Derlett, Inhaberin eines Modesalons * ''

The Theft of the Mona Lisa ''The Theft of the Mona Lisa'' (german: Der Raub der Mona Lisa) is a 1931 German drama film directed by Géza von Bolváry and starring Trude von Molo, Willi Forst, and Gustaf Gründgens. It is based on a true story. It was shot at the Tempelh ...

'' (1931) * '' 24 Hours in the Life of a Woman'' (1931) - Erika * ''

'' (1932) - Zarin * ' (1932) - Geheimrätin von Schendell * ''Eine von uns'' (1932) * ''Mieter Schulze gegen alle'' (1932) * ''

The First Right of the Child ''The First Right of the Child'' (german: Das erste Recht des Kindes) is a 1932 German drama film directed by Fritz Wendhausen and starring Hertha Thiele, Eduard Wesener and Helene Fehdmer. The film's sets were designed by the art director E ...

'' (1932) * ''

Adventures on the Lido ''Adventures on the Lido'' (German: ''Abenteuer am Lido'') is a 1933 Austrian musical comedy film directed by Richard Oswald and starring Alfred Piccaver, S.Z. Sakall and Nora Gregor. Because Oswald was a Jew, both this and another film of hi ...

'' (1933) - Lucena * '' Voices of Spring'' (1933) * ''

Unfinished Symphony An unfinished symphony is a fragment of a symphony, by a particular composer, that musicians and academics consider incomplete or unfinished for various reasons. The archetypal unfinished symphony is Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 8 (sometimes c ...

'' (1934) - Princess Kinsky * ''Alles für die Firma'' (1935) - Ella Sonndorfer * '' Little Mother'' (1935) - Leontine * ''Te quiero con locura'' (1935) - Leontine * ''

Scandal Sheet Tabloid journalism is a popular style of largely sensationalist journalism (usually dramatized and sometimes unverifiable or even blatantly false), which takes its name from the tabloid newspaper format: a small-sized newspaper also known as ...

'' (1939) - Mrs. Kopal * '' My Son Is Guilty'' (1939) - Barney's Mother (uncredited) * '' Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet'' (1940) - Miss Marquardt * '' Jennie'' (1940) - Mother Schermer * ''

So Ends Our Night ''So Ends Our Night'' is a 1941 drama directed by John Cromwell (director), John Cromwell and starring Fredric March, Margaret Sullavan and Glenn Ford. The screenplay was adapted by Talbot Jennings from the novel ''Flotsam (novel), Flotsam'' by G ...

'' (1941) - Berlin Nurse (uncredited) * ''

Shining Victory ''Shining Victory'' is a 1941 American drama film based on the 1940 play '' Jupiter Laughs,'' by A. J. Cronin. It stars James Stephenson, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Donald Crisp, and Barbara O'Neil. It is the first film directed by Irving Rapper. ...

'' (1941) - Miss Hoffman * ''

Nazi Agent ''Nazi Agent'' is a 1942 American spy film directed by Jules Dassin, in his first feature-length film for MGM. It stars Conrad Veidt playing identical twins, one loyal to the United States (U.S.), the other a dedicated German Nazi. Plot The U. ...

'' (1942) - Mrs. Mohr (uncredited) * ''

Kings Row ''Kings Row'' is a 1942 film starring Ann Sheridan, Robert Cummings, Ronald Reagan and Betty Field that tells a story of young people growing up in a small American town at the turn of the twentieth century. The picture was directed by Sam Wood. ...

'' (1942) - Secretary (uncredited) * ''

Secret Agent of Japan ''Secret Agent of Japan'' is a 1942 film directed by Irving Pichel. It was the first American anti-Japanese war film produced by a major studio after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The film stars Preston Foster as a nightclub owner in Shanghai who b ...

'' (1942) - Mrs. Alecsandri * ''

Reunion in France ''Reunion in France'' is a 1942 American war film distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Joan Crawford, John Wayne, and Philip Dorn in a story about a woman in occupied France who, learning her well-heeled lover has German connections, aids ...

'' (1942) - Woman (uncredited) * ''

Bomber's Moon ''Bomber's Moon'' is a 1943 American wartime propaganda film, produced by 20th Century Fox, based on an unpublished magazine serial "Bomber's Moon" by Leonard Lee. Plot Captain Jeff Dakin ( George Montgomery) is shot down over Germany on a bomb ...

'' (1943) - Greta - Maid (uncredited) * ''

Hostages A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized, such as a relative, employer, law enforcement or government to act, or refr ...

'' (1943) - Gestapo Agent (uncredited) * '' Women in Bondage'' (1943) - German Mother (uncredited) * ''

'' (1944) - Frau Hanfstaengel (uncredited) * ''

They Live in Fear ''They Live in Fear'' is a 1944 American film starring Otto Kruger. The film was known as ''America's Children''. Filming was announced in August 1943. Otto Kruger joined the film in March 1944.SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD New York Times 3 ...

'' (1944) - Frau Stoesen (uncredited) * ''

Betrayal from the East ''Betrayal from the East'' is a 1945 American spy drama film starring Lee Tracy and Nancy Kelly. The film was directed by William A. Berke and based on the book ''Betrayal from the East: The Inside Story of Japanese Spies in America'' by Alan H ...

'' (1945) - Keller (uncredited) * ''

The Falcon in San Francisco ''The Falcon in San Francisco'' is a 1945 American crime and mystery film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and stars Tom Conway, Rita Corday and Edward Brophy, who played the recurring role of "Goldie" Locke. The film was the 11th in The Falcon serie ...

'' (1945) - Ms. Carla Keyes (uncredited) * '' Renegades'' (1946) - Mrs. Jackorski (uncredited) * ''

The Razor's Edge ''The Razor's Edge'' is a 1944 novel by W. Somerset Maugham. It tells the story of Larry Darrell, an American pilot traumatized by his experiences in World War I, who sets off in search of some transcendent meaning in his life. The story beg ...

'' (1946) - Nurse (uncredited) * ''

Golden Earrings ''Golden Earrings'' is a 1947 romantic spy film made by Paramount Pictures and starring Ray Milland and Marlene Dietrich. It was directed by Mitchell Leisen and produced by Harry Tugend from a screenplay by Frank Butler, Helen Deutsch and Ab ...

'' (1947) - Greta Krosigk * '' Railroaded!'' (1947) - Mrs. Ryan * '' Letter from an Unknown Woman'' (1948) - Mother Superior (uncredited) * ''

Berlin Express ''Berlin Express'' is a 1948 American drama film starring Robert Ryan, Merle Oberon and Paul Lukas, and directed by Jacques Tourneur. Thrown together by chance, a group of people search a city for a kidnapped peace activist. Set in Allied-occupi ...

'' (1948) - Frau Borne (uncredited) * ''

The Dark Past ''The Dark Past'' is a 1948 American film noir psychological thriller film starring William Holden, Nina Foch, and Lee J. Cobb. Directed by Rudolph Maté, the Columbia Pictures release is a remake of ''Blind Alley'' (1939), also released by Colum ...

'' (1948) - Mrs. Linder (uncredited) * '' The Mating Season'' (1951) - German Woman (uncredited) * ''The Congregation'' (1952) * ''

How to Marry a Millionaire ''How to Marry a Millionaire'' is a 1953 American screwball comedy film directed by Jean Negulesco and written and produced by Nunnally Johnson. The screenplay was based on the plays ''The Greeks Had a Word for It'' (1930) by Zoe Akins and ''Loc ...

'' (1953) - Madame (uncredited) * '' There's Always Tomorrow'' (1955) - Tourist's Wife * '' My Father, the Actor'' (1956) - Frl. Dr. Mahlke * ''

Kelly and Me ''Kelly and Me'' is a 1957 American comedy film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and written by Everett Freeman. The film stars Van Johnson, Piper Laurie, Martha Hyer, Onslow Stevens, Herbert Anderson, Douglas Fowley and Frank Wilcox. The film was r ...

'' (1956) - Hilda (uncredited) * ''

Torn Curtain ''Torn Curtain'' is a 1966 American Political thriller, political thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Paul Newman and Julie Andrews. Written by Brian Moore (novelist), Brian Moore, the film is set in the Cold War. It is about ...

'' (1966) - Old Woman Entering at Bus Stop (uncredited) (final film role)

Family

Sterler ''(née'' Minna Stern) was born 20 March 1894 in

Bad Cannstatt Bad Cannstatt, also called Cannstatt (until July 23, 1933) or Kannstadt (until 1900), is one of the outer stadtbezirke, or city boroughs, of Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Bad Cannstatt is the oldest and most populous of Stuttgart's b ...

, to Max Stern (born 1853) and Bertha Wormser ''(née'' Bertha Emilia Wormser; 1865–1936), both of whom married each other 5 July 1888.

References

General bibliography

* Kester, Bernadette. ''Film Front Weimar: Representations of the First World War in German Films of the Weimar Period (1919-1933)''. Amsterdam University Press, 2003.

Inline citations

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sterler, Hermine 1894 births 1982 deaths German stage actresses German film actresses German silent film actresses 20th-century German actresses Actresses from Stuttgart German expatriate actresses in the United States