Luise Rainer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Luise Rainer
Rainer in 1941
Born	(1910-01-12)12 January 1910 Düsseldorf, Prussia, German Empire
Died	30 December 2014(2014-12-30) (aged 104) Belgravia, London, England
Citizenship	Germany United States United Kingdom
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1926–2006
Spouse(s)	Clifford Odets ​ ​ (m. 1937; div. 1940)​ Robert Knittel ​ ​ (m. 1945; died 1989)​
Children	1

Luise Rainer (born January 12, 1910 – died December 30, 2014) was a famous actress from Germany, America, and Britain. She made history by being the first actor to win two Academy Awards (Oscars) in a row! She was also the longest-living Oscar winner, passing away just 13 days before her 105th birthday.

Luise started acting in Germany when she was only 16. She learned from a top theater director named Max Reinhardt. Soon, she became a well-known stage actress in Berlin. Her acting was highly praised by critics. After performing on stage and in films in Europe, she was discovered by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). This big Hollywood studio signed her to a contract in 1935. Many thought she could become as big a star as Greta Garbo.

Her first American movie was Escapade in 1935. The next year, she had a smaller role in the musical movie The Great Ziegfeld. Even with limited screen time, her emotional performance deeply impressed audiences. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for this role. People even called her the "Viennese teardrop" because of a very dramatic phone scene in the film.

For her next movie, The Good Earth (1937), she played a poor Chinese farm wife. This role was very different from her previous lively character. She won another Academy Award for Best Actress, making her the first actor to win two Oscars in a row! Luise Rainer and Jodie Foster are the only actresses to win two Oscars before turning 30. However, Luise later said that winning two Oscars so quickly made people expect too much from her. She felt it was hard to meet those high expectations.

Luise Rainer's Early Life and Acting Start

Luise Rainer was born on January 12, 1910, in Düsseldorf, Germany. She grew up in Hamburg and later in Vienna, Austria. Her parents were Heinrich and Emilie Rainer. Luise came from a wealthy Jewish family.

Rainer in a publicity photo from 1936

Luise was a very active child. She was a champion runner and loved mountain climbing. She said she wanted to become an actress to use her high energy. Her father, however, wanted her to go to a good school and marry well. But Luise was rebellious and preferred to be independent.

At 16, Luise decided to follow her dream of acting. She went to an audition at the Dumont Theater in Düsseldorf. She later began studying acting with Max Reinhardt, a famous director. By the time she was 18, critics already saw her as a very talented young actress. She soon became a respected stage actress in Berlin. She performed in many plays, including Saint Joan and Six Characters in Search of an Author.

In 1934, after making several German films, a talent scout from MGM saw her perform. He offered her a three-year contract in Hollywood. He thought she would be popular, like the Swedish star Greta Garbo. At first, Luise wasn't very interested in movies. But after seeing the film A Farewell to Arms, she changed her mind. She thought it was beautiful and wanted to make films.

Hollywood Success and Challenges

Luise moved to Hollywood in 1935, hoping to become a big star. The head of MGM, Louis B. Mayer, and other studio leaders believed she had a special charm. They thought she had a "tender vulnerability" that audiences would love. Because her English wasn't perfect, actress Constance Collier helped her improve her speaking skills. Luise learned quickly.

Her first Hollywood movie was Escapade (1935), a remake of one of her Austrian films. She starred alongside William Powell. Luise was not happy with how she looked on screen in the movie. But the film still brought her a lot of attention. People called her "Hollywood's next sensation."

Winning Two Oscars: The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

Rainer as Anna Held in The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

Anna Held (Rainer) with Audrey Dane (Virginia Bruce) in The Great Ziegfeld

Luise's next role was playing the real-life performer Anna Held in The Great Ziegfeld. She again starred with William Powell. The film's producer, Irving Thalberg, believed Luise was the perfect choice for the part. However, studio head Louis B. Mayer thought the role was too small for a rising star like her.

Despite some early doubts, Luise successfully played Anna Held. She showed the character's charm and vulnerability. Her performance, especially one very emotional scene, deeply impressed audiences. In this scene, her character talks to her ex-husband on the phone. She tries to sound happy but then breaks down in tears after hanging up. This powerful performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress. Luise was also given the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress for this role.

Winning Two Oscars: The Good Earth (1937)

Luise's next film was The Good Earth (1937), where she starred with Paul Muni. This role was very different from her previous one. She played a quiet Chinese peasant woman who spoke very little. Her silent but powerful acting was amazing, especially after her emotional phone scene in The Great Ziegfeld. This performance led her to win her second Best Actress Oscar.

This made her the first actress ever to win two Oscars in a row! This amazing achievement wasn't matched by another actress for 30 years. However, Luise later felt that winning two Oscars so early in her career was difficult. She felt it created very high expectations for her future roles.

There were some challenges during the making of The Good Earth. Studio head Louis B. Mayer didn't want Luise to play the role. He wanted her to remain a glamorous star, not a "dismal-looking slave." But Luise wanted to play a realistic character. She refused to wear a "Chinese look" rubber mask. She wanted to act "genuine, honest, and down-to-earth."

Sadly, the film's director, George W. Hill, died during production. Later, the producer, Irving Thalberg, also passed away suddenly at age 37. Luise greatly admired Thalberg. She said his death was a "terrible shock" and that she might have stayed in films longer if he had lived. The movie was dedicated to his memory.

With Paulette Goddard in Dramatic School (1938)

Luise made a few more films for MGM, like The Emperor's Candlesticks (1937) and The Great Waltz (1938). While she still received praise for her acting, these films were not as successful. She was known for being strong-willed and wanting serious roles. She also fought for a higher salary. This led to disagreements with studio head Louis B. Mayer. He reportedly told her, "We made you and we are going to destroy you."

Leaving Hollywood

Luise Rainer and Clifford Odets in January 1937, shortly before their marriage

Luise Rainer made her last film for MGM in 1938 and decided to leave the movie industry. She told Louis B. Mayer that she needed to stop making films because she felt she had nothing more to give. She was disappointed with Hollywood, feeling it was hard to have intellectual conversations there.

She moved to New York City in 1940 to live with playwright Clifford Odets, whom she had married in 1937. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1940. Luise was considered for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind (1939), but she was not chosen.

Later Life and Career

While in Europe, Luise Rainer studied medicine. She enjoyed being treated like a normal student, not a famous actress. She returned to the stage, performing in plays in Manchester and London in 1939. She also appeared on the New York stage in 1942.

She made one more film, Hostages, in 1943. She then stopped making films in 1944 after marrying publisher Robert Knittel. Luise became an American citizen in the 1940s. She and Robert lived in the UK and Switzerland for most of their marriage. Robert Knittel passed away in 1989. They had one daughter, Francesca, and two granddaughters.

Rainer and Maurice Marsac in the TV series Combat! (1965)

Luise made a few appearances on television and stage later in her life. She was in an episode of the World War II TV series Combat! in 1965. She also played twin sisters in an episode of The Love Boat in 1984. She even returned to film in a small role in The Gambler (1997) when she was 86 years old. She also attended the Academy Awards ceremonies in 1998 and 2003.

On January 12, 2010, Luise Rainer celebrated her 100th birthday in London. Many famous people attended, including actor Sir Ian McKellen. She also attended a special event at the British Film Institute where she was interviewed. In April 2010, she returned to Hollywood to present a screening of The Good Earth.

Rainer in September 2011 receiving a star on the Boulevard der Stars

Luise Rainer has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. In 2011, she also received a star on the Boulevard der Stars in Berlin, Germany. This was a special award because she was Germany's only Academy Award-winning actress, and her star had been forgotten at first.

Death

Luise Rainer passed away at her home in London on December 30, 2014. She was 104 years old and died from pneumonia. She lived in a flat that was once home to actress Vivien Leigh. After her death, her personal items were sold at an auction, earning a lot of money for her family.

Filmography

Television appearances