Grete Mosheim

Margaret "Grete" Mosheim (8 January 1905 - 29 December 1986) was a German film, theatre and television actress of Hungarian Jewish ancestry.

Early life

Mosheim was born in Berlin, Germany on 8 January, 1905. Her sister was fellow actress Lori Lahner, who had a rather briefer film career, appearing only in "Summer Storm" in 1944.

Theatre

She started in the theatre at the age of 17 and was a member of Deutsches Theater, Berlin from 1922 to 1931.

Mosheim started acting classes at Max Reinhardt's School of Drama under Berthold Held in early 1922 alongside Marlene Dietrich. They discovered that they had both had affairs with Held, and became great friends.

Mosheim became established under Max Reinhardt, and in 1922, he gave her, then only seventeen, the chance to substitute in the American play "The Speaking Ape" when the female lead became ill. Within twenty-four hours Mosheim learned the difficult role from Albert Bassermann and became a superstar almost overnight - "die Mosheim". Until 1933, when she emigrated to London, she was pre-eminent in the Berlin theatre scene, appearing in widely varied roles - equally at home in drama and comedy.

Film

Mosheim appeared in numerous German films, mostly silent movies. Firstly "Michael" in 1924, then over the next nine years, numerous interesting roles in important films such as "Dreyfus" (1930) and "Yorck" (1931).

Personal life

Mosheim married twice, but had no children:
* Firstly, to actor Oscar Homolka in Berlin on 28 June 1928; dissolved in London in 1933.

* Secondly, the industrialist Howard Gould in 1937; divorced in 1947.

Later life

Mosheim died in New York City on 29 December, 1986 of cancer. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Greta Mosheim, 81, A German Leading Lady Of The Theater |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50713FB3A5D0C738FDDAB0994DE484D81 |quote=Grete Mosheim, a leading Berlin and West German stage actress, died of cancer yesterday at her home in Manhattan. She was 81 years old. Miss Mosheim was a leading lady in Berlin in the 1920's and early 30's, starring in many Max Reinhardt productions. She gained particular notice in ... |publisher=New York Times |date=December 30, 1986, Tuesday |accessdate=2008-06-07 ]

Filmography (selective)

* "Michael" (Germany 1924)
* "Derby" (Germany 1926)
* "Der Geiger von Florenz" (Germany 1926)
* "Junges Blut" (Germany 1926)
* "Die Siebzehnjährigen" (Germany 1928)
* "Dreyfus" (Germany 1930)
* "Der Mörder Dimitri Karamasoff" (Germany 1931)
* "Yorck" (Germany 1931)
* "Car of Dreams" (UK 1935)
* "Underground and Emigrants" (USA 1976)
* "Moritz, lieber Moritz" (Germany 1978)

References

External links

*
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0608653 Grete Mosheim at IMDb]
* [http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=669 Tobacco card photographs of Grete Mosheim]