Lilli Palmer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lilli Palmer
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Palmer in 1946
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| Born |
Lilli Marie Peiser
24 May 1914 |
| Died | 27 January 1986 (aged 71) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California |
| Nationality | German |
| Years active | 1935–1986 |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | Carey Harrison |
| Relatives | Irene Prador (sister) |
Lilli Palmer (born Lilli Marie Peiser; 24 May 1914 – 27 January 1986) was a famous German actress and writer. She started her acting career in British films in the 1930s. Later, she moved to major Hollywood movies. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role in But Not for Me (1959).
Lilli Palmer also had important roles in the comedy The Pleasure of His Company (1961) and the miniseries Peter the Great (1986). This miniseries earned her another Golden Globe Award nomination. For her work in European films, Palmer won the Volpi Cup and the Deutscher Filmpreis three times.
Contents
Early Life and Family Background
Lilli Palmer chose her last name from an English actress she admired. She was one of three daughters. Her father, Alfred Peiser, was a German Jewish surgeon. Her mother, Rose Lissman, was an Austrian Jewish stage actress. Lilli was born in Posen, Germany (now Poznań, Poland).
When Lilli was four years old, her family moved to Berlin-Charlottenburg. As a young girl, she was a junior champion in table tennis.
Lilli Palmer's Acting Career
Lilli Palmer began her acting journey in France, performing in an operetta at the Moulin Rouge. She then moved to London, where her film career started. While performing in cabaret shows, British talent scouts noticed her. She was offered a contract by the Gaumont Film Company. Her first movie was Crime Unlimited (1935). She appeared in many British films for the next ten years.
Moving to Hollywood
On 25 January 1943, Lilli Palmer married actor Rex Harrison. In 1945, she followed him to Hollywood. She signed with Warner Brothers and acted in several films. Some of her notable movies from this time include Cloak and Dagger (1946) and Body and Soul (1947).
Lilli Palmer also performed in stage plays. In 1951, she even hosted her own television series. Rex Harrison and Lilli Palmer acted together in the popular Broadway play Bell, Book and Candle in the early 1950s. They also appeared in the 1951 British movie The Long Dark Hall. Later, they starred in the film The Four Poster (1952). This movie was based on a famous Broadway play. Lilli Palmer won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress in 1953 for her role in The Four Poster.
Return to Germany and Later Roles
Lilli Palmer and Rex Harrison divorced in 1956. They had one son, Carey, who was born in 1944.
In 1954, Palmer returned to Germany. There, she took on roles in many films and television shows. She continued to play both main and supporting parts in the U.S. and other countries. In 1957, she won the Deutscher Filmpreis for Best Actress. This was for her role as Anna Anderson in The Story of Anastasia. In 1958, she played a teacher alongside Romy Schneider in Mädchen in Uniform (Girls in Uniform). This was a remake of a 1931 film.
In 1961, Palmer starred with Fred Astaire and Debbie Reynolds in The Pleasure of His Company. She also appeared with William Holden in The Counterfeit Traitor (1962). This was a spy thriller based on a true story. She also acted with Robert Taylor in another true Second World War story, Disney's Miracle of the White Stallions (1963). On television, in 1974, she played Manouche Roget in The Zoo Gang. This was a six-part drama series about former freedom fighters from the Second World War.
Lilli Palmer as a Writer
Lilli Palmer wrote a memoir called Change Lobsters and Dance, which was published in 1975. A memoir is a book where someone shares their memories and experiences from their life. She also wrote a novel, The Red Raven, in 1978.
Lilli Palmer's Personal Life
Lilli Palmer's first marriage was to Rex Harrison in 1943. They divorced in 1957. This was so he could marry actress Kay Kendall, who was very ill. Palmer agreed because she was already in a relationship with her future husband, Carlos Thompson.
Lilli Palmer married Argentine actor Carlos Thompson in 1957. They were married until her death in Los Angeles in 1986. She passed away from abdominal cancer at the age of 71. She was survived by her husband, her son, her sisters, and her ex-husband.
Lilli Palmer is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California. Some of the ashes of her first husband, Rex Harrison, were scattered on her grave.
Awards and Honors
Lilli Palmer received many awards and honors throughout her career:
- 1953: Volpi Cup for Best Actress for The Four Poster
- 1956: Deutscher Filmpreis (Silver) for Best Actress in Teufel in Seide
- 1957: Deutscher Filmpreis (Silver) for Best Actress in Anastasia, die letzte Zarentochter
- 1959: Nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for But Not for Me
- 1972: Goldene Kamera for Eine Frau bleibt eine Frau (ZDF TV)
- She has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7013 Hollywood Blvd.
- 1974: Received the Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- 1978: Deutscher Filmpreis (Gold) for Lifetime Achievement
- 1986: Nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for Peter the Great
Images for kids
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Palmer in 1946
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Palmer interviewing German chancellor Helmut Schmidt in 1982
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Lilli Palmer (with husband Rex Harrison), 1950
See also
In Spanish: Lilli Palmer para niños
