Romy Schneider

Infobox actor
name = Romy Schneider


caption = Romy Schneider in the late 1950s
birthname = Rosemarie Magdalena Albach
birthdate = birth date|1938|9|23
location = Vienna, Austria
deathdate = death date and age|1982|5|29|1938|9|23
deathplace = Paris, France
spouse = Harry Meyen (1966–1975)
Daniel Biasini (1975–1981)
domesticpartner = Alain Delon (1959–1963)
cesarawards = Best Actress
1975 "The Important Thing Is To Love"
1978 "A Simple Story"

Romy Schneider (September 23, 1938–May 29, 1982) was an Austrian actress. Born in Vienna, she also held French citizenship and died in Paris at the age of 43.

Early life

Schneider was born "Rosemarie Magdalena Albach" in Vienna into a family of actors that included her paternal grandmother Rosa Albach-Retty, her Austrian father Wolf Albach-Retty and her German mother Magda Schneider. After her parents' divorce in 1945, Magda took charge of Romy and her brother Wolfi, eventually supervising the young girl's career, often appearing alongside her daughter. Romy made her film debut in "Wenn der weisse Flieder wieder blüht" (1953), at the age of 15. Young Romy's career was also overseen by her stepfather, Hans-Herbert Blatzheim, a noted restaurateur who Schneider indicated had an unhealthy interest in her. [cite web
url = http://www.pipole.net/+-romy-schneider-+.html
title = Biography
accessdate = 2007-10-28
publisher = pipole.net
language = French
quote = Romy témoignant par la suite de l’intérêt malsain qu’il lui portait.] [cite web
url = http://www.seniorplaza.nl/BeroemdhBuiten9.htm
title = Biography and career
accessdate = 2007-10-28
publisher = SeniorPlaza.nl
language = Dutch
quote = waarvan Romy later aangaf dat hij een ongezonde belangstelling voor haar had] [cite web
url = http://sz-shop.sueddeutsche.de/szpopups/serie_noire/dvd03_starportrait_Schneider.html
title = Auch das noch — Alice Schwarzer entdeckt Romy Schneider als Frauensymbol
accessdate = 2007-10-28
last = Surkus
first = Andrea
publisher = Süddeutsche Zeitung
language = German
quote = und will mit ihr schlafen] [cite web
url = http://www.fembio.org/biographie.php/frau/biographie/romy-schneider/
title = Biography
accessdate = 2007-10-28
last = Gretter
first = Susanne
publisher = FemBio Frauen-Biographieforschung e.V.
language = German & French
quote = Il a clairement proposé de coucher avec moi.] [cite web
url = http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/archiv/.bin/dump.fcgi/1998/0919/magazin/0066/index.html
title = Der Liebling der Machos
accessdate = 2007-10-28
last = Leinkauf
first = Thomas
date = Date|1998-09-19
publisher = Berliner Zeitung
language = German
quote = Blatzheim in ihrer Jugend mit ihr schlafen wollte.]

Career

Romy Schneider's first movie was "Wenn der weiße Flieder wieder blüht" (When the White Lilacs Bloom Again) in 1953, credited as Romy Schneider-Albach. In 1954, Romy Schneider for the first time portrayed a royal, playing a young Queen Victoria in the Austrian film "Mädchenjahre einer Königin" (known in the U.S. as "The Story of Vicky" and in Britain as "Victoria in Dover"). Schneider's breakthrough came with her portrayal of Elisabeth, Empress Consort of Austria, in the romantic biopic "Sissi" (1955) and its two sequels, Sissi - Die junge Kaiserin (1956) and Sissi - Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin (1957). Less stereotypical films during this busy period include "Robinson soll nicht sterben" (The Legend of Robinson Crusoe) (1957) putting her among a stellar cast and opposite a young Horst Buchholz, and "Monpti" (1957), directed by Helmut Käutner and again opposite Buchholz.

Schneider soon starred in "Christine" (1958), a remake of Max Ophüls's 1933 film "Liebelei" (itself based upon a play by Arthur Schnitzler). It was during the filming of "Christine" that Schneider fell in love with French actor Alain Delon, who co-starred in the movie. She left Germany to join him in Paris. Schneider became engaged to Delon in 1959.

Schneider stayed in France, slowly gaining the interest of film directors such as Orson Welles for "The Trial" (1962), based upon Franz Kafka's "The Trial" and was introduced by Delon to Luchino Visconti.

Under Visconti's direction, she gave performances in John Ford's play "'Tis Pity She's a Whore" and in the film "Boccaccio '70" (segment: "The Job"). A brief stint in Hollywood included appearances in "Good Neighbor Sam", a 1964 comedy with Jack Lemmon, and 1965 "What's New, Pussycat?" costarring Peter O'Toole, Peter Sellers and Woody Allen who also wrote the screenplay.

Scheider and Delon decided to split in 1963. Later she married Harry Meyen (1924–1979), a German director and actor who later committed suicide. The couple had a son, David Christopher Meyen (1966–1981). In 1975, Schneider married Daniel Biasini, her private secretary; they separated in 1981. Their daughter Sarah Magdalena Biasini (born Date|1977-07-14) is also an actress.

Schneider continued starring in films with Alain Delon. Together they did "La Piscine" (The Swimming Pool) (1968). "The Assassination of Trotsky" (1972) followed and Delon remained a lifelong friend.

Romy Schneider worked in France as an actress during the 1970s, giving performances in films such as "Les choses de la vie" (1970), "Max et les ferrailleurs" (1971), "César et Rosalie" (1972), and "Le vieux fusil" (1975). The harsh "L'important c'est d'aimer" (1974) garnered her first César Award (France's equivalent of the Oscar).

On Date|1974-10-30, Romy Schneider created one of the most memorable moments on German television. She was the second guest on Dietmar Schönherr's talk show "Je später der Abend" (The later the evening) when she, after a rather terse interview, remarked passionately to the last guest, bank robber and author Burkhard Driest: "Sie gefallen mir. Sie gefallen mir sehr." (I like you. I like you a lot.) [cite web
url = http://www.stern.de/unterhaltung/tv/599868.html?cp=2
title = Talkshow-Skandale
accessdate = 2008-02-14
publisher = Stern Magazin
language = German] [cite web
url = http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/kino/0,1518,druck-484146,00.html
title = Die Berührbare
accessdate = 2008-02-14
last = Beier
first = Lars-Olav
date = Date|2007-05-23
publisher = Der Spiegel
language = German] [cite web
url = http://www.swr.de/kultur/film/-/id=3240/cat=1/pic=8/nid=3240/did=2181096/pv=gallery/ezv0sr/index.html
title = Romy Schneider — ihre Filme, ihr Leben
accessdate = 2008-02-14
publisher = Südwestrundfunk
language = German]

"Ludwig", Visconti's 1972 film about the life of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, featured her as a much more complex, mature, even bitter Elisabeth of Austria. "Sissi sticks to me just like oatmeal," Schneider once said. [cite web
url = http://www.wieninternational.at/de/node/4375/print
title = Romy Schneider – Bilder einer Ikone
accessdate = 2007-12-19
publisher = Compress VerlagsgesmbH & Co KG
language = German
quote = Sissi pappt an mir wie Griesbrei]

She also acted in "Le Trio infernal" (1974) with Michel Piccoli, and in "Garde à vue" (1981) with Michel Serrault and Lino Ventura.

In 1980 she starred in Bertrand Tavernier's "Death Watch" ("La mort en direct"), based on D. G. Compton's novel, playing a dying woman whose last days are watched on national television via a camera implanted in the brain of a journalist (Harvey Keitel). Her last film was "La Passante du Sans-Souci" ("The Passerby"), (1982).

Death

Schneider began drinking alcohol in excess after the sudden death of her 14-year-old son David on Date|1981-07-05. David had attempted to climb the spiked fence at his stepfather's parents' home when he punctured his femoral artery. When Romy Schneider was found dead in her apartment in Paris on Date|1982-05-29, it was suggested that she had committed suicide by taking a lethal cocktail of alcohol and sleeping pills. However, no post-mortem examination was carried out. She was declared to have died from cardiac arrest. Her tombstone at Boissy-sans-Avoir in the Canton of Montfort-l'Amaury bears the name Rosemarie Albach. Shortly afterwards, Alain Delon arranged for her son David to be buried in the same grave. [cite journal
last = Delon
first = Alain
authorlink = Alain Delon
title = Adieu ma puppelé
journal = Paris Match
issue = #1724
date = Date|1982-06-11
language = French
laysummary = http://www.romy.de/forum/Todestag/alain.htm (German)
laysource = Romy Schneider Archiv]

Enduring popularity

The French journalist Eugène Moineau initiated in 1984 the Prix Romy Schneider; this prize—the most prestigious award for promising actresses in the French film industry—is awarded by a jury each year in Paris in conjunction with the Prix Patrick Dewaere (formerly the Prix Jean Gabin). In 1990, the Austrian newspaper Kurier created the Romy TV Award in honour of Romy Schneider. In 2003, she was voted 78th on the list of the greatest Germans in the German TV programme Unsere Besten (the German version of 100 Greatest Britons)—the second highest ranked actress (Marlene Dietrich was 50th) on that list.

A movie about Romy Schneider's life, titled "Eine Frau wie Romy" (A Woman Like Romy) is planned by Warner Bros. for 2009; Schneider's role is to be played by Yvonne Catterfeld. [cite web
url = http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/kino/0,1518,druck-534779,00.html
title = Ein Soap-Sternchen gibt den Weltstar
accessdate = 2008-02-14
last = Sander
first = Daniel
date = Date|2008-02-12
publisher = Der Spiegel
language = German] [cite web
url = http://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/artikel/848/157429/print.html
title = Ich hatte eine Gänsehaut
accessdate = 2008-02-14
date = Date|2008-02-12
publisher = Süddeutsche Zeitung] In March 2008, a $7 million TV production depicting her life under the title "Romy" was announced; Jessica Schwarz will play the title role. [cite web
url = http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117982998
title = Schneider a magnet for filmmakers
accessdate = 2008-03-30
last = Meza
first = Ed
date = Date|2008-03-27
publisher = Variety]

elected Filmography

*1953 : "Wenn der weiße Flieder wieder blüht" ("When the White Lilacs Bloom Again") by Hans Deppe
*1954 : "Mädchenjahre einer Königin" ("The Story of Vicky") by Ernst Marischka
*1954 : "Feuerwerk" (Fireworks) by Paul Burkhard, Erik Charell, and Kurt Hoffmann
*1955 : "Sissi" by Ernst Marischka
*1956 : "Sissi - Die junge Kaiserin" ("Sissi - The Young Empress") by Ernst Marischka
*1957 : "Sissi - Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin" ("Sissi - Fateful Years of an Empress") by Ernst Marischka
*1957 : "Robinson soll nicht sterben" ("The Legend of Robinson Crusoe") by Josef von Báky
*1957 : "Monpti by Helmut Käutner
*1958 : "Mädchen in Uniform" ("Girls in Uniform") by Géza von Radványi
*1961 : "Boccaccio '70" by Luchino Visconti
*1962 : "The Trial" by Orson Welles
*1962 : "The Victors" by Carl Foreman
*1963 : "The Cardinal" by Otto Preminger
*1964 : "Good Neighbor Sam" by David Swift
*1965 : "What's New, Pussycat?" by Clive Donner
*1965 : "" by Jules Dassin
*1966 : "Triple Cross" by Terence Young
*1968 : "Otley" by Dick Clement
*1969 : "The Swimming Pool" by Jacques Deray
*1970 : "Les choses de la vie" by Claude Sautet
*1970 : "My Lover My Son" by John Newland
*1971 : "Bloomfield" by Richard Harris
*1971 : "The Assassination of Trotsky" by Joseph Losey
*1972 : "César et Rosalie" by Claude Sautet
*1972 : "Ludwig" by Luchino Visconti
*1973 : "Le Train" ("The Train" [UK] / "The Last Train" [US] ) by Pierre Granier-Deferre
*1974 : "L'important c'est d'aimer" by Andrzej Żuławski
*1975 : "Le Vieux Fusil" by Robert Enrico
*1975 : "Les Innocents aux mains sales" ("Innocents with Dirty Hands") by Claude Chabrol
*1978 : "A Simple Story" ("Une histoire simple") by Claude Sautet
*1979 : "Bloodline" by Terence Young
*1979 : "Clair de femme" by Costa Gavras
*1979 : "Death Watch" ("La Mort en direct") by Bertrand Tavernier
*1981 : "Garde à vue" by Claude Miller
*1982 : "La Passante du Sans-Souci" by Jacques Rouffio

References

Literature

* Hans-Jürgen Tast: "Romy Schneider - Ein Leben auf Titelseiten" Schellerten 2008, ISBN 978-3-88842-036-8.

External links

*imdb|0002769
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6974966 Romy Schneider's Gravesite at Boissy-sans-Avoir]

Persondata
NAME= Schneider, Romy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Albach, Rosemarie Magdalena
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Austrian-German actress
DATE OF BIRTH= 1938-9-23
PLACE OF BIRTH= Vienna
DATE OF DEATH= 1982-5-29
PLACE OF DEATH= Paris