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Christine Kaufmann

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This article is about the actress. For the Montana state senator, see Christine Kaufmann (politician).
Christine Kaufmann
Kaufmann in 2014
Born
Christine Maria Kaufmann

(1945-01-11)11 January 1945
Lengdorf, Reichsgau Steiermark, German Reich
Died28 March 2017(2017-03-28) (aged 72)
Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Occupation(s)Actress, author, businesswoman
Years active1952–2017
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1963; div. 1968)​
Achim Lenz
​
​
(m. 1974; div. 1976)​
Reno Eckstein
​
​
(m. 1979; div. 1982)​
Klaus Zey
​
​
(m. 1997; div. 2011)​
Children2, including Allegra Curtis

Christine Maria Kaufmann (German: [kʁɪˈstiːnə ˈkaʊfman] ⓘ; 11 January 1945 – 28 March 2017) was a German-Austrian[1] actress, author, and businesswoman. The daughter of a German father and a French mother, she won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress for Town Without Pity in 1961, the first German to be so honoured.

Life and career

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Kaufmann was born in Lengdorf, Styria, Austria (then part of Nazi Germany). Her mother, Geneviève Kaufmann (née Gavaert), was a French make-up artist; her father, Johannes Kaufmann, was a German Luftwaffe officer and engineer.[2]

Kaufmann in Toto, Fabrizi and the Young People Today (1960)

Growing up in Munich, Bavaria, Kaufmann became a ballerina at the Munich Opera. She began her film career at the age of seven in The White Horse Inn (1952) and appeared as a lead actress in Der Schweigende Engel the same year, but gained big attention with Rose-Girl Resli in 1954. She achieved international recognition when she starred with Steve Reeves in The Last Days of Pompeii (1959) and with Kirk Douglas in Town Without Pity (1961). The following year she appeared in Escape from East Berlin and with future husband Tony Curtis in Taras Bulba.

Kaufmann resumed her career, which she had interrupted during her marriage with Curtis, notably with supporting roles in the Rainer Werner Fassbinder films Lili Marleen and Lola. She often worked with German director Helmut Dietl, for example in the satirical television series Monaco Franze. In 1987, she played a glamorous tattoo artist in the cult classic Bagdad Cafe, an offbeat comedy set in a desolate truck stop café and motel in the Mojave Desert. Her last role was Aunt Polly in the American film Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn (2014), co-starring Jake T. Austin and Val Kilmer.

In her later years, Kaufmann was also a successful businesswoman; she promoted her own line of cosmetics products that sold well in Germany. From her 40s until her death, the media often called Kaufmann the "most beautiful grandmother in Germany".[3][4][5] She wrote several books about beauty and health, as well as two autobiographies.

Personal life

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At age 18 in 1963, Kaufmann married her Taras Bulba co-star Tony Curtis. They had two daughters, Alexandra Theodora Dido Curtis (b. 19 July 1964) and Allegra Curtis (b. 11 July 1966). The couple divorced in 1968. Kaufmann married three more times: to television director Achim Lenz (1974–76), musician and actor Reno Eckstein (1979–1982) and illustrator Klaus Zey (1997–2011).[6] On German television, Kaufmann admitted to having an affair with Warren Beatty.[7][8]

Kaufmann enjoyed traveling. She moved from one place to another frequently. She spoke three languages: German, English, and French.

Kaufmann died of leukemia in Munich at age 72 on 28 March 2017, only a few days after she had been diagnosed with the disease.[9][10]

Filmography

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Kaufmann in 2015

Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1952 Im Weißen Rössl Uncredited
1953 Prosecutor Corda Berta Neidhart
Salto Mortale Dascha
The Monastery's Hunter Vronerl
1954 Rose-Girl Resli Resli
The Silent Angel Angelika Helmer
1955 When the Alpine Roses Bloom Christine
1956 Ein Herz schlägt für Erika Erika Kayser
Die Stimme der Sehnsucht [de] Eva
1957 The Winemaker of Langenlois Christl
Widower with Five Daughters Ulla Scherzer
1958 Mädchen in Uniform Mia
Die singenden Engel von Tirol [de] Evi Kramer
Embezzled Heaven Doris
1959 First Love Silvia
Alle lieben Peter Kitty Steiner
Winter Holidays Florence
The Last Days of Pompeii Elena / Ione
1960 The Fabulous Fraud Christine Wilkens
Toto, Fabrizi and the Young People Today Gabriella Cocozza
Red Lips Baby
The Last Pedestrian Christine Cornelius
1961 Constantine and the Cross Livia
Town Without Pity Karin Steinhof
Via Mala Sylvia Lauretz
A Man Named Rocca Geneviève Adé
The Phony American Inge
1962 Swordsman of Siena Serenella Arconti
Escape from East Berlin Erika Jurgens
Terror After Midnight Julie Elgin
Taras Bulba Natalia Dubrov
1964 Wild and Wonderful Giselle Ponchon
1969 Love Birds [de] La Contessa
1971 Murders in the Rue Morgue Madeleine Charron
1972 The Death of Maria Malibran [fr]
1973 Willow Springs [fr] Christine
1974 Goodbye with Mums
1975 By Hook or by Crook
1976 As of Tomorrow Vicky
Goldflocken [fr]
1978 Red Rings of Fear Christina
1979 It Can Only Get Worse Violetta Schimpf
1980 Egon Schiele: Excess and Punishment Edith Harms
1981 Lili Marleen Miriam
Lola Susi
Day of the Idiots Ruth
1983 Das Gold der Liebe Patricias Mutter Uncredited
The Roaring Fifties Natascha
Ziemlich weit weg
The Swing Mme. Lautenschlag
Pankow '95 Laura Zart
1987 Bagdad Cafe Debby
1989 The Story Teller Clara Lilienthal
Hard to Be a God Okana
1994 The Knickerbocker Gang: The Talking Grave Annie Kramer
1998 Caipiranha Karin Wolters
The Sleeper Stationsleiterin
2002 Haider lebt – 1. April 2021 Newssprecherin
2011 Fahr zur Hölle Lilith
2014 Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn Aunt Polly (final film role)

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1970 Bend Sinister Mariette TV film
1970 Wie ein Blitz [de] Diana Valesco TV miniseries
1971 Gestrickte Spuren Fanny Elßler TV film
1972 Der Kommissar Eva Raßner "Traum eines Wahnsinnigen"
1973 Immobilien Jasmin Strothmann TV film
1974 Die Fälle des Herrn Konstantin Gisela Pahl "Der gußeiserne Buddha", "Bankdirektor Alba"
1975 Burning Daylight [de] Margret 'Labiskwee' "Vierauge"
1977 Derrick Marion Kless "Hals in der Schlinge"
1978 Das Männerquartett Nina Huf TV film
1979 Le comte de Monte-Cristo Mme. Danglars TV miniseries
1979 Joséphine ou la comédie des ambitions Mme. Hosten-Lamothe TV miniseries
1979 Der ganz normale Wahnsinn Violetta Schimpf "Drittes Kapitel", "Zweites Kapitel", "Sechstes Kapitel"
1982 Wonderful, Wonderful Times Frau von Pachthofen TV film
1983 Monaco Franze Olga Behrens Main role
1983 Inflation im Paradies Laverne Schuhmann TV film
1987 Die Insel Margit TV film
1988 Julius Caesar Portia TV film
1990–1991 Wenn das die Nachbarn wüßten Kaufhausdirektorin TV series
1993 Glückliche Reise Felicitas von Feilitz "Ibiza"
1993 Missione d'amore Valery TV miniseries
1993 Das Double Jutta Eck TV film
1994 Verliebt, verlobt, verheiratet Maja Kunert TV series
1994 Birkenhof & Lerchenau Theres TV film
1995 Stubbe – Von Fall zu Fall Frau Jensen "Stubbe sieht rot"
1995 Weihnachten mit Willy Wuff II – Eine Mama für Lieschen Gräfin TV film
1996 Balko Frederike Kogel "Ein Toter zuwenig"
1997 Parkhotel Stern Oksana Olejewa "Entscheidungen"
1998 A.S. [de] Nadja Seewald "Das Tier"
1998 Höllische Nachbarn [de] Ingelore Merk TV film
1998 Für alle Fälle Stefanie Frau von Drossel "Goldene Regeln"
1999 Einsatz Hamburg Süd Frau Duenser "Trau keinem!"
2000 SOKO München Margit Finneisen "Das Rendezvous"
2003 Club der Träume – Türkei, Marmaris Adlaya TV film
2007 Die ProSieben Märchenstunde Tante Hortensie "Aschenputtel – Für eine Handvoll Tauben"
2008 Im Namen des Gesetzes Frau Meyer-Arndt "Dunkle Ahnung"
2008 Love Trip Home Marianne Forster TV film
2012 Heiter bis tödlich – Fuchs und Gans Diana Bootz "Eierdiebe"
2013 Stille Adele Vio TV film
2013 Tiere bis unters Dach Frau von Werther "Die Millionenkatze"

References

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  1. ^ „Christine Kaufmann über die Entführung ihrer Töchter in T-online (Retrieved at 28. March 2017)
  2. ^ "Das Doppelleben der Christine Kaufmann" [The double life of Christine Kaufmann]. RP Online (in German). Frankfurt am Main. 2005. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  3. ^ Kaufmann, Christine (2012). "Der Sex-Appeal der schönsten Großmutter Deutschlands". ChristineKaufmann. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  4. ^ Kraft, Katja (2015). "Christine Kaufmann – Deutschlands schönste Oma wird 70" [Christine Kaufmann – Germany's most beautiful grandmother turns 70]. Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). Hamburg. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  5. ^ "Deutschlands berühmte Großmütter" [Germany's famous grandmothers]. Die Welt (in German). Berlin. 11 June 2006. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  6. ^ "Christine Kaufmann lost her battle with leukemia". www.cosmopolis.ch. 28 March 2017.
  7. ^ Lafer! Lichter! Lecker! ZDF, 1 November 2014.
  8. ^ von Mutius, Franziska (2014). "Christine Kaufmann schreibt Hollywood-Affären" [Christine Kaufmann writes Hollywood affairs]. Bild (in German). Berlin. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  9. ^ "Christine Kaufmann, Golden Globe-winning actress who was married to Tony Curtis, dies at 72". Los Angeles Times. 28 March 2017.
  10. ^ "Krebs-Drama um Schauspiel-Legende Christine Kaufmann". www.tz.de (in German). 24 March 2017.
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