Zarah Leander

Zarah Leander

Born: March 15, 1907
Died: June 23, 1981
in Karlstad, Värmlands län, Sweden
Zarah Leander (German pronunciation: [ˈt͡sa.ʁa leː.ˈʔan.dɐ]; 15 March 1907 – 23 June 1981) was a Swedish singer and actress whose greatest success was in Germany between 1936 and 1943, when she was contracted to work for the state-owned Universum Film AG (UFA). Although no exact record sales numbers exist, she was probably among Europe's best-selling recording artists in the years prior to 1945. Her involvement with UFA caused her films and lyrics to be identified as Nazi propaganda. Though she had taken no public political position and was dubbed an "Enemy of Germany" by Joseph Goebbels, she remained a controversial figure for the rest of her life. As a singer, Leander was known for her confident style and her deep contralto voice, and was also known as a "female baritone".

Movies for Zarah Leander...

Die Akte Zarah Leander
Title: Die Akte Zarah Leander
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: October 23, 2013
Type: Movie
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The Great Yiddish Love
Title: The Great Yiddish Love
Character: (archive footage)
Released: January 1, 2002
Type: Movie
Set in Berlin and New York's Lower East Side, The Great Yiddish Love stars the self-exiled Marlene Dietrich and her Nazi-endorsed replacement, Zarah Leander. It is a melodrama of love, emigration, and betrayal reassembled from Hollywood, German Ufa and Yiddish films from the 1930s and 40s.
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Title: Hitlers Frauen
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: April 25, 2001
Type: TV
"Hitler's Women" - A six part series about some of the women Hitler enjoyed and adored.
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Stjärnbilder
Title: Stjärnbilder
Character: (archive footage)
Released: September 10, 1995
Type: Movie
A tribute to Swedish film, which was made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of film in 1995 and consists of about a hundred clips from Swedish film history with many of its stars.
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Memories of Berlin: The Twilight of Weimar Culture
Title: Memories of Berlin: The Twilight of Weimar Culture
Character: Self - Interviewee
Released: October 7, 1976
Type: Movie
The film tells the cultural story of Berlin during the Weimar Republic through interviews with a number of persons who were involved in literature, film, art, and music during the period. It includes interviews with Christopher Isherwood, Louise Brooks, Lotte Eisner, Elisabeth Bergner, Francis Lederer, Carl Zuckmayer, Gregor Piatigorsky, Claudio Arrau, Rudolf Kolisch, Mischa Spoliansky, Herbert Bayer, Mrs. Walter Gropius, and Arthur Koestler.
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Ein Walzer zu zweien
Title: Ein Walzer zu zweien
Character: Self
Released: November 29, 1975
Type: Movie
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Ich bin die Leander - das muss reichen…
Title: Ich bin die Leander - das muss reichen…
Character: Self
Released: December 31, 1974
Type: Movie
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Title: Spécial cinéma
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: September 25, 1974
Type: TV
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Title: Das Sonntagskonzert
Character: Self
Released: June 15, 1969
Type: TV
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Title: Seniorenclub
Character: Self
Released: December 14, 1968
Type: TV
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How I Learned to Love Women
Title: How I Learned to Love Women
Character: Olga
Released: October 2, 1966
Type: Movie
An erotic comedy about the many affairs of a young man with different women.
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Title: Hör hin, schau zu!
Character: Self
Released: January 16, 1965
Type: TV
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Das Blaue vom Himmel
Title: Das Blaue vom Himmel
Character: Désirée
Released: November 27, 1964
Type: Movie
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Title: Vergißmeinnicht
Character: Self
Released: October 9, 1964
Type: TV
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Title: Gut gefragt ist halb gewonnen
Character: Self
Released: September 26, 1964
Type: TV
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Konstgjorda Pompe
Title: Konstgjorda Pompe
Released: December 31, 1963
Type: Movie
Summer revue from 1963
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The Blue Moth
Title: The Blue Moth
Character: Julia Martens
Released: August 26, 1959
Type: Movie
Julia Martens is a wrongly convicted murderess who is released from prison after thirteen years. She begins a new career as a chanson singer and her now grown-up son, who has been told that his mother is dead, has no idea who Julia Martens really is. One day he is suspected of murder and Julia intervenes.
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It Was Always So Nice with You
Title: It Was Always So Nice with You
Character: Filmstar
Released: March 16, 1954
Type: Movie
While working as an accountant in his uncle's factory, talented young pianist Peter dreams of becoming a famous composer. When he shows his work to a producer, he manages to convince him to give him a chance. From time to time he gets bigger contracts that keep him more and more away from home and his young wife Elisa. When he "discovers" and supports a pretty ballerina in Munich, a rumor starts that he's having an affair. He fails to realize that his marriage is threatened.
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Ave Maria
Title: Ave Maria
Character: Sängerin Karin Twerdy
Released: September 7, 1953
Type: Movie
Karin Twerdy used to be an opera singer but now, in order to pay for her daughter Daniela's education in a religious school, she performs in a shady nightclub. Industrialist Dietrich Gontard, the father of Karin's school friend Christa, falls for her. But when he learns the truth about her he is outraged and rejects her. At a loss and not to stand in the way of Daniela's future, Karin chooses to disappear...
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Cuba Cabana
Title: Cuba Cabana
Character: Arabella
Released: December 19, 1952
Type: Movie
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Gabriela
Title: Gabriela
Character: Gabriela
Released: April 6, 1950
Type: Movie
Gabriela once a famous singer who enjoyed great success. She married, had a daughter Andrea, but pursued her career. Now that Andrea has matured into a young woman, Gabriela is overwhelmed by maternal remorse.
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Leckerbissen
Title: Leckerbissen
Character: Self - film scenes (archive footage)
Released: June 5, 1948
Type: Movie
"Gems" - Embedded in a frame story, the film shows excerpts from 18 entertainment films of the time, among others, "The Gypsy Baron", "The Three Codonas", "La Habanera", "Viennese Blood", "Sophienlund", and "Mask in Blue".
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As Long As I Live
Title: As Long As I Live
Character: Singer
Released: January 21, 1946
Type: Movie
Following a trivial road accident, Ariane, an international adventuress, falls in love with Bernard Fleuret, a young artist-painter with diseased lungs. Being pursued by the police, she chooses to hide in the sanatorium where the young man is treated. Ariane proves so smitten by love that she finally changes her ways: she decides to let herself be arrested, sure as she is she will be reunited with her loved one later on.
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Damals
Title: Damals
Character: Vera Meiners aka Gloria O'Connor
Released: April 23, 1943
Type: Movie
Vera Meiners' life was sweet but unfortunately for her, it was not to last. Her husband, Jan, left her after she met a former lover in a harmless friendly meeting. Forced to resume her disrupted medical career, she worked in a Swiss clinic but, without the knowledge of the chief surgeon, Vera ordered a risky operation to be performed and was thereafter fired. Penniless, she then works in Spanish nightclubs in order to provide for herself and her child. After many years, she runs into her friend Frank again in one of these nightclubs...
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The Great Love
Title: The Great Love
Character: Hanna Holberg
Released: June 12, 1942
Type: Movie
The attractive Oberleutnant Paul Wendlandt is stationed in North Africa as a fighter pilot. While in Berlin to deliver a report he is given a day's leave, and on the stage of the cabaret theatre "Skala" sees the popular Danish singer Hanna Holberg. For Paul it is love at first sight. When Hanna visits friends after the end of the performance, he follows her, and speaks to her in the U-Bahn. After the party in her friends' flat, he accompanies her home and chance throws them further together when an air raid warning forces them to take cover in the air raid shelter. Hanna reciprocates Paul's feelings, but after a night spent together Paul has to return immediately to the front. There now follows a whole series of misunderstandings, and one missed opportunity after another. While Hanna waits in vain for some sign of life from Paul, he is flying on missions in North Africa. When he tries to visit her in her Berlin flat, she is giving a Christmas concert in Paris.
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Der Weg ins Freie
Title: Der Weg ins Freie
Character: Antonia Corvelli
Released: May 6, 1941
Type: Movie
In Vienna, during the 1848 Revolution, opera singer Antonia Corvelli marries Detlev von Blossin, a rich landowner. But, as she refuses to give up her career, her infuriated husband returns to Pomerania without her. After falling into the clutches of the cruel and wicked count Stefan Oginski, whose lover she unfortunately becomes, Antonia has no other choice but to pass for dead in order to escape him. She then returns to Italy where she joins small theater companies under various aliases. Until one day she is overtaken by her fate...
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The Heart of a Queen
Title: The Heart of a Queen
Character: Maria Stuart
Released: November 1, 1940
Type: Movie
As the title "The Queen's Heart" suggests, this early German black and white version of Mary Queen of Scott's eventful reign and death focuses on her emotional perception rather lyrically, with some songs, mainly by her.
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The Desert Song
Title: The Desert Song
Character: Grace Collins
Released: November 17, 1939
Type: Movie
When the famous singer Grace Collins got off the plane that had flown her a remote place in Northen Africa little did she know she would meet love and adventure there. If she came there, it was to visit Sir Collins, her stepfather. Falling in love was not on the agenda but how could she resist the charm of Nic Brenten, an alluring and idealistic Dutch engineer? Butcan devotion and generosity really compete with the greed of someone like Sir Collins, a cynical financier who wants to dispossess the locals of the copper mine Brenten helps them to develop ?...
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It Was a Gay Ballnight
Title: It Was a Gay Ballnight
Character: Katharina Alexandrowna Murakina
Released: August 12, 1939
Type: Movie
1865. Katharina goes to a ball in Moscow. There she meets again Tchaikowsky, her first and only love. The young, who is now married to wealthy Michael Iwanowitsch Murakin, a man she does not love, has not forgotten Piotr Illich, the (not yet) famous composer. Both are still in love with each other but Piotr is engaged to Nastassia, a dancer, while for her part Katharina cannot leave her husband. Tchaikowky's first love then decides to sacrifice her happiness to the success of the composer, sponsoring him in secret. Something Piotr will learn only years after. When Katharina finds herself free at last it is too late: Tchaikowsky is dying of cholera and she only has time to close his eyes.
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Der Blaufuchs
Title: Der Blaufuchs
Character: Ilona Paulus
Released: December 14, 1938
Type: Movie
Ilona, the bored wife of an easily distracted professor, falls in love with his friend Tibor, a world-traveler and ladykiller. Although she pursues him, he declines to take advantage of the situation, because she's married to his best friend. Only after her husband shows an interest in a co-worker is it possible for a happy ending to take place for the two new couples.
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The Four Companions
Title: The Four Companions
Character: Sängerin
Released: October 1, 1938
Type: Movie
Four graduates of an industrial design school team up and form a small business. The protagonist is so excited by the venture that she turns down the proposal of her dashing instructor. Time passes and her three partners lose interest in the business for different reasons. This leaves the heroine who has a change of heart and decides to forgo the business and marry the instructor after all.
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Homeland
Title: Homeland
Character: Magda von Schwartze
Released: June 25, 1938
Type: Movie
In 1885, famous New York Metropolitan Opera singer Maddalena dall' Orto is scheduled to perform at a festival in the German residence of Ilmingen. It soon becomes obvious that she is non other than Magda von Schwartze, who left the town eight years ago against her father's wishes to become a singer.
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La Habanera
Title: La Habanera
Character: Astree Sternhjelm
Released: December 18, 1937
Type: Movie
While vacationing in Puerto Rico, a young Swedish woman falls in love with and marries a powerful local landowner. Ten years later, their marriage has turned sour; meanwhile, two Swedish doctors have arrived on the island to investigate a mysterious fever.
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To New Shores
Title: To New Shores
Character: Gloria Vane
Released: August 30, 1937
Type: Movie
A 19th-century London cabaret singer is deported to prison in Australia. Her crime? Taking the blame when her lover bounces checks.
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Premiere
Title: Premiere
Character: Carmen Daviot
Released: February 25, 1937
Type: Movie
As Fraulein Leander prepares for opening night, her life is thrown into turmoil by a variety of romantic misadventures. But she manages to show up on stage at the appointed time, scoring a huge success.
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The Marriage Game
Title: The Marriage Game
Character: Tora Diidiken
Released: November 25, 1935
Type: Movie
The sculptress Tora Diidiken is married to the sculptor Gunnar Grahn and they both compete in a contest to design a statue for the public square in Hicksville.
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The Wrong Millionaire
Title: The Wrong Millionaire
Character: Marguerite Lebon
Released: October 26, 1931
Type: Movie
The American boat is on its way to Gothenburg. On board are the Swedish-American millionaire Fridolf F. Johnson from Detroit (Håkan Westergren) and his male secretary of the same name (Fridolf Rhudin). The millionaire stays hidden in his cabin with the secretary and does not appear on deck. A journalist arrives out at sea by airplane and asks for an interview, which the millionaire refuses to agree to. The journalist disguises himself as a steward, puts on a hidden camera (a spy camera) in the buttonhole, enters with a tea tray and photographs the wrong person - the secretary.
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Dante's Mysteries
Title: Dante's Mysteries
Character: Grand Café Guest / Singing Demon
Released: February 23, 1931
Type: Movie
Dante, the great conjurer, performs at the Café Grans, a fashionable hotel-restaurant. Face to a dumbfound patrons he does his most famous tricks among which card manipulations or sawing a woman in half.