Elke Sommer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elke Sommer
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Sommer in 1965
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| Born |
Elke Schletz
5 November 1940 Berlin, German Reich
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| Years active | 1959–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Joe Hyams
(m. 1964; div. 1993)Wolf Walther
(m. 1993) |
Elke Sommer (born Elke Schletz on November 5, 1940) is a famous German actress and singer. She became a big star in the 1960s and 1970s. You might know her from movies like A Shot in the Dark, which is part of The Pink Panther series. She also starred in the comedy Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! with Bob Hope and the British comedy Carry On Behind.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sommer was born in Berlin, Germany. Her father was a Lutheran minister. During World War II, her family moved to a small village called Niederndorf to be safe.
She went to a special high school that prepared students for university. She was very good at learning languages. However, she found math and science difficult. In 1957, she moved to London for a year to work as an au pair, which is someone who lives with a family to help with childcare while learning the language. This was her first time living away from her family.
Acting Career
How She Was Discovered
While on vacation in Italy, a famous film director named Vittorio De Sica noticed Sommer. She began acting in Italian movies in 1958. That same year, she changed her last name from Schletz to Sommer, which means "summer" in German.
She quickly became a popular star known for her beauty. In the early 1960s, she moved to Hollywood to continue her acting career.
A Star in the 1960s
The 1960s were a busy time for Sommer. She starred as the main actress in many popular films. She acted alongside famous stars like Paul Newman in The Prize and Peter Sellers in A Shot in the Dark.
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Some of her other big movies from this time include:
- The Art of Love with James Garner
- The Oscar with Stephen Boyd
- Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! with Bob Hope
- The Wrecking Crew with Dean Martin and Sharon Tate
In 1964, she won a Golden Globe award for "Most Promising Newcomer Actress" for her role in The Prize. This was a huge honor that showed she was a rising star in Hollywood.
Sommer was also a frequent guest on TV shows. She appeared on The Dean Martin Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson many times.
Movies in the 1970s
In the 1970s, Sommer continued to act in exciting films. She starred with Michael York in the thriller Zeppelin. She was also in a movie based on a famous book by Agatha Christie called And Then There Were None.
In 1975, she starred in the British comedy Carry On Behind. She was paid £30,000 for her role, making her one of the highest-paid actors in the Carry On movie series.
During this decade, she mostly worked on European films. She also recorded several albums as a singer.
Later Work and Painting
After the 1970s, Sommer began to focus more on painting than acting. Because she worked in many different countries, she learned to speak seven languages. Her travels gave her many ideas for her art. Her painting style is often compared to the artist Marc Chagall.
In the 1980s, she hosted a TV show called The Exciting World of Speed and Beauty. She also did voice acting. She was the voice of the character Yzma in the German version of the Disney movie The Emperor's New Groove.
In 2001, she was honored with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars for her contributions to entertainment.
Personal Life
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In 1964, Sommer married Hollywood writer Joe Hyams. They later divorced.
In 1993, she married Wolf Walther, who was the manager of a famous hotel in New York City. Sommer once described how they met while she was starring in a play. She said, "For him, it was love at first sight... I saw him every night in the audience, following me. Every night. And that was the beginning of the greatest love story of my life."
As of 2017, Sommer was living in Los Angeles, California.
Selected Filmography
Here are some of Elke Sommer's most well-known movies and TV shows:
- Men and Noblemen (1959)
- The Victors (1963)
- The Prize (1963)
- A Shot in the Dark (1964)
- Among Vultures (1964)
- The Art of Love (1965)
- The Oscar (1966)
- Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! (1966)
- Deadlier Than the Male (1967)
- The Wrecking Crew (1969)
- Percy (1971)
- Zeppelin (1971)
- Baron Blood (1972)
- Ten Little Indians (1974)
- Carry On Behind (1975)
- The Prisoner of Zenda (1979)
- Inside the Third Reich (1982, TV movie)
- Peter the Great (1986, TV mini-series)
- Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986, TV movie)
- The Emperor's New Groove (2000) - Yzma (German voice)
See also
In Spanish: Elke Sommer para niños
