Kaaren Verne (6 April 1918 – 23 December 1967) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

-born actress, long based in the United States. Sometimes billed as Karen Verne, she was originally a stage actress and member of the Berlin State Theatre.

Life and career

Verne was born in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

and christened Ingeborg Greta Katerina Marie-Rose Klinckerfuss. Related to the Bechstein family, her first marriage took place when she was 18. She fled the Nazis in 1938 and made her

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...

film début in the 1939 British film ''

Ten Days in Paris ''Ten Days in Paris'', also known as ''Missing Ten Days'' and ''Spy in the Pantry'', is a 1940 British spy film directed by Tim Whelan and starring Rex Harrison, Kaaren Verne and C. V. France. The screenplay concerns a man in Paris who turns out ...

''. When British film production stopped 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 ...

, she emigrated to the USA. At first, the studios tried to downplay her German heritage by briefly changing her professional name to ''Catherine Young'', but after America's entry into World War II, the publicity value of a Teutonic actress who had turned her back on

Nazism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

was too good to avoid. Verne was married three times, to: * Musician Arthur Young (30 August 1936 – May 1945; divorced); 1 son, Alastair (1937–2015) * Actor

Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before movin ...

(25 May 1945 – 1950; divorced) * Film historian James Powers (1951 – December 23, 1967; her death) Verne and James Powers adopted Peter Lorre's daughter, Catharine Lorre Baker (1953–1985), following his death in 1964. An ''

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

'' news story published January 19, 1955, tells that Verne obtained a divorce decree from Harold R. Susman, who was described as "sales director for a clothing manufacturer." Kaaren Verne remained in films until her death, appearing in ''

Ship of Fools The ship of fools is an allegory, originating from Book VI of Plato's ''Republic'', about a ship with a dysfunctional crew. The allegory is intended to represent the problems of governance prevailing in a political system not based on expert kn ...

'' (1965).

Death

Verne died at age 49 of a reported heart ailment in

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

. She was interred in Calvary Cemetery,

St Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...

.''Resting Places''
books.google.ca; accessed 6 August 2021.

Filmography

Films *''

'' (1940) - Diane de Guermantes *''

Sky Murder ''Sky Murder'' is a 1940 detective film starring Walter Pidgeon as detective Nick Carter in his third and final outing for MGM as Nick Carter. The film was part of a trilogy based on original screen stories starring the popular literary series ch ...

'' (1940) - Pat Evans *'' The Wild Man of Borneo'' (1941) - Actress in Film Scene (uncredited) *''

Underground 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 (S ...

'' (1941) - Sylvia Helmuth *'' All Through the Night'' (1942) - Leda Hamilton *''

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) - Elise Sandor *'' The Great Impersonation'' (1942) - Baroness Stephanie Idenbraum *''

Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon ''Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon'' (1942) is the fourth in the Sherlock Holmes (1939 film series), Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series of 14 Sherlock Holmes films which updated the characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to the then p ...

'' (1942) - Charlotte Eberli *''

The Seventh Cross ''The Seventh Cross'' (german: Das siebte Kreuz) is a novel by Anna Seghers, one of the better-known examples of German literature circa World War II. It was first published in Mexico by ''El Libro Libre'' In 1942. The English translation came o ...

'' (1944) - Leni *''

The Bad and the Beautiful ''The Bad and the Beautiful'' is a 1952 American melodrama that tells the story of a film producer who alienates everyone around him. The film was directed by Vincente Minnelli, written by George Bradshaw (writer), George Bradshaw and Charles Sch ...

'' (1952) - Rosa (uncredited) *''

The Story of Three Loves ''The Story of Three Loves'' (also known as ''Equilibrium'') is a 1953 American Technicolor romantic anthology film made by MGM. It consists of three stories, "The Jealous Lover", "Mademoiselle", and "Equilibrium". The film was produced by Si ...

'' (1953) - Madame Legay (segment "Equilibrium") (uncredited) *'' The Juggler'' (1953) - Woman Mistaken for Hans' Wife (uncredited) *''

A Bullet for Joey ''A Bullet for Joey'' is a 1955 film noir directed by Lewis Allen and starring Edward G. Robinson and George Raft. The picture involves a gangster who sneaks into Canada to kidnap a scientist for the communists. The supporting cast features ...

'' (1955) - Viveca Hartman *'' Outside the Law'' (1956) - Mrs. Pulenski *'' Silk Stockings'' (1957) - Postwoman (uncredited) *''

'' (1965) - Frau Lutz *''

Madame X ''Madame X'' (original title ''La Femme X'') is a 1908 play by French playwright Alexandre Bisson (1848–1912). It was novelized in English and adapted for the American stage; it was also adapted for the screen twelve times over sixty-five ...

'' (1966) - Nurse Riborg (final film role) Television *''

Fireside Theatre ''Fireside Theatre'' (also known as ''Jane Wyman Presents'') is an American anthology drama series that ran on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the first successful filmed series on American television. Productions were low-budget and often based ...

'' (1954) - Anna *''Crusader'' (1 episode, 1956) - Mrs. Hawelka *''

The Gale Storm Show ''The Gale Storm Show'' is an American sitcom starring Gale Storm. The series premiered on September 29, 1956, and ran until 1960 for 125 half-hour black-and-white episodes, initially on CBS and in its last year on ABC. Its title is also seen ...

'' (1 episode, 1956) - Marya Jezek *''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'' (1 episode, 1958) - Frau Schuman *''

Bronco A bucking horse is any breed or either gender of horse with a propensity to buck. They have been, and still are, referred to by various names, including bronco, broncho, and roughstock. The harder they buck, the more desirable they are for rod ...

'' (1 episode, 1959) - Ilse von Waldenheim *''

Michael Shayne Michael "Mike" Shayne is a fictional private detective character created during the late 1930s by writer Brett Halliday, a pseudonym of Davis Dresser. The character appeared in a series of seven films starring Lloyd Nolan for Twentieth Century Fo ...

'' (1 episode, 1960) - Flora *''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...

'' (1 episode, 1961) - Innkeeper *''

The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

'' (1 episode, 1961) - Mrs. Schoenbrun—Landlady *''

Kraft Suspense Theatre The ''Kraft Suspense Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced and broadcast from 1963 to 1965 on NBC. Sponsored by Kraft Foods, it was seen three weeks out of every four and was pre-empted for Perry Como's ''Kraft Mu ...

'' (1 episode, 1965) - Inge *''The Duel at Mont Saint Marie'' (1966, TV episode) *'' 12 O'Clock High'' (1 episode, 1966) - Woman Refugee

References

Notes

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Verne, Kaaren 1918 births 1967 deaths American film actresses German stage actresses Actresses from Berlin 20th-century American actresses 20th-century German actresses Emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States American television actresses

Life and career

Death

Filmography

See also

References

External links