Renate Müller
Encyclopedia
Renate Müller was a German singer and actress in both silent films and sound films, as well as on stage.
One of the most successful actresses in German films from the early 1930s, she was courted by the Nazi Party
to appear in films that promoted their ideals, but refused. Her sudden death at the age of 31 was initially attributed to epilepsy, but after the end of World War II
, witnesses suggested that she had been murdered by Gestapo
officers, although another theory contends that she committed suicide. The true circumstances of her death remain unknown.
, Germany
, Müller entered films in the late 1920s in Berlin and quickly became popular. A blue-eyed blonde, she was considered to be one of the great beauties of her day and along with Marlene Dietrich
was seen to embody fashionable Berlin society. She starred in more than twenty German films, including Viktor und Viktoria
(1933), one of her biggest successes, which was remade
decades later as Victor Victoria with Julie Andrews
.
With the rise of the Nazi Party
, Müller came to be regarded as an ideal Aryan
woman and particularly in light of Dietrich's move to Hollywood, was courted and promoted as Germany's leading film actress. A meeting with Adolf Hitler
in the mid 1930s resulted in Müller being offered parts in films that promoted Nazi ideals.
When she died suddenly, the German press stated the cause as epilepsy
. It was later revealed that she had died as a result of a fall from her hotel window. (According to Channel 4 documentary "Sex and the Swastika", February 2009, she jumped from a Berlin mental home window). Officially described as a suicide
, it was theorised that she took her own life when her relationship with Nazi leaders deteriorated after she showed unwillingness to appear in propaganda
films. She was also known to have been pressured to end a relationship with her Jewish
lover, but had refused. Near the end of her life she became addicted to morphine
. Witnesses also recalled seeing several Gestapo
officers entering her building shortly before she died. It has been asserted she was either murder
ed by Gestapo
officers who threw her from a window, or that she panicked when she saw them arrive and jumped. The true circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear.
One of the most successful actresses in German films from the early 1930s, she was courted by the Nazi Party
National Socialist German Workers Party
The National Socialist German Workers' Party , commonly known in English as the Nazi Party, was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. Its predecessor, the German Workers' Party , existed from 1919 to 1920...
to appear in films that promoted their ideals, but refused. Her sudden death at the age of 31 was initially attributed to epilepsy, but after the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, witnesses suggested that she had been murdered by Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
officers, although another theory contends that she committed suicide. The true circumstances of her death remain unknown.
Life and career
Born in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Müller entered films in the late 1920s in Berlin and quickly became popular. A blue-eyed blonde, she was considered to be one of the great beauties of her day and along with Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
was seen to embody fashionable Berlin society. She starred in more than twenty German films, including Viktor und Viktoria
Viktor und Viktoria
Viktor and Viktoria is a 1933 German musical comedy film directed by Reinhold Schünzel, starring Renate Müller as a woman pretending to be a female impersonator...
(1933), one of her biggest successes, which was remade
Remake
A remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
decades later as Victor Victoria with Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
.
National Socialist German Workers Party
The National Socialist German Workers' Party , commonly known in English as the Nazi Party, was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. Its predecessor, the German Workers' Party , existed from 1919 to 1920...
, Müller came to be regarded as an ideal Aryan
Aryan
Aryan is an English language loanword derived from Sanskrit ārya and denoting variously*In scholarly usage:**Indo-Iranian languages *in dated usage:**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers...
woman and particularly in light of Dietrich's move to Hollywood, was courted and promoted as Germany's leading film actress. A meeting with Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in the mid 1930s resulted in Müller being offered parts in films that promoted Nazi ideals.
When she died suddenly, the German press stated the cause as epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
. It was later revealed that she had died as a result of a fall from her hotel window. (According to Channel 4 documentary "Sex and the Swastika", February 2009, she jumped from a Berlin mental home window). Officially described as a suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, it was theorised that she took her own life when her relationship with Nazi leaders deteriorated after she showed unwillingness to appear in propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
films. She was also known to have been pressured to end a relationship with her Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
lover, but had refused. Near the end of her life she became addicted to morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
. Witnesses also recalled seeing several Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
officers entering her building shortly before she died. It has been asserted she was either murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed by Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
officers who threw her from a window, or that she panicked when she saw them arrive and jumped. The true circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Peter der Matrose | Victoria | |
| 1929 | Drei machen ihr Glück | Gretchen Jürgen | Alternative title: Teure Heimat |
| 1930 | Revolte im Erziehungshaus | Hausvaters tochter | |
| 1930 | Liebe im Ring | Hilde, the Fish Peddler's Daughter | Alternative titles: Love in the Ring, The Comeback |
| 1930 | Mary Dulac | Alternative title: The Son of the White Mountain | |
| 1930 | Liebling der Götter | Agathe | Alternative titles: Darling of the Gods, Der Große Tenor |
| 1930 | Blanche von Lindeneck | Alternative title: The Flute Concert of Sans-Souci | |
| 1931 | Vilma Förster | Alternative titles: Private Secretary, The Office Girl | |
| 1931 | Liebeslied | Maria Körner | |
| 1931 | Victoria | Alternative titles: Storm in a Water Glass, Sturm im Wasserglas, The Flower Woman of Lindenau | |
| 1931 | Erika Heller | Alternative title: The Little Escapade | |
| 1931 | Sunshine Susie Sunshine Susie Sunshine Susie is a 1931 British musical film directed by Victor Saville and starring Renate Müller, Jack Hulbert and Owen Nares. It was based on a novel by István Szomaházy. An alternate German-language version Die Privatsekretärin was made, also starring Renate Müller.It is also known under the... |
Susie Surster | Alternative title: The Office Girl |
| 1932 | Marry Me | Ann Linden | |
| 1932 | Mädchen zum Heiraten | Gerda Arnhold | |
| 1932 | Wie sag' ich's meinem Mann? | Charlotte Oltendorf | Alternative title: How Shall I Tell My Husband? |
| 1932 | Wenn die Liebe Mode macht | Nelly | Alternative title: When Love Sets the Fashion |
| 1933 | Saison in Kairo | Stefanie von Weidling-Weidling, Tochter | Alternative title: Cairo Season |
| 1933 | Idylle au Caire | Stéphy | |
| 1933 | Walzerkrieg | Kati Lanner | Alternative titles: Waltz War, Waltz Time in Vienna, The Battle of the Walzes |
| 1933 | Viktor und Viktoria Viktor und Viktoria Viktor and Viktoria is a 1933 German musical comedy film directed by Reinhold Schünzel, starring Renate Müller as a woman pretending to be a female impersonator... |
Susanne Lohr | Alternative title: Viktor and Viktoria |
| 1934 | Gerte Winter | ||
| 1935 | Liselotte von der Pfalz | Liselotte von der Pfalz | Alternative titles: Liselotte of the Palatinate, The Private Life of Louis XIV |
| 1935 | Liebesleute | Dorothea Rainer | Alternative titles: Hermann und Dorothea von Heute, A Pair of Lovers |
| 1936 | Allotria | Viola | |
| 1936 | Eskapade | Madame Hélène | Alternative titles: Geheimagentin Helene, His Official Wife, Spione in St. Petersburg |
| 1937 | Togger | Hanna Breitenbach |