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Kaaren Verne

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Kaaren Verne
Verne in 1942
Born
Ingeborg Greta Katerina Marie-Rose Klinckerfuss

(1918-04-06)6 April 1918
Died23 December 1967(1967-12-23) (aged 49)
Cause of deathheart ailment
Resting placeCalvary Cemetery, St Paul, Minnesota
Other namesKaren Verne
Catherine Young
OccupationActress
Years active1940–1966
Spouse(s)Arthur Young (1936-1945) (divorced)
Peter Lorre (1945-1950) (divorced)
James Powers (1951-1967) (her death)
ChildrenAlastair Young (1937-2015)
Catharine Lorre Baker (1953-1985) (adopted)[1]

Kaaren Verne (6 April 1918 – 23 December 1967), was a German-born actress. Sometimes billed as Karen Verne, she was originally a stage actress and member of the Berlin State Theatre.

Life and career

Verne was born in Berlin and christened Ingeborg Greta Katerina Marie-Rose Klinckerfuss,[2] Related to the Bechstein family, her first marriage took place when she was 17.[3]

She fled[4] the Nazis in 1938 and made her English language film début in the 1939 British film Ten Days in Paris.[5] When British film production stopped during World War II, she emigrated to the United States.[3]

At first, the studios tried to downplay her German heritage by briefly changing her professional name to Catherine Young, but after America's entry into World War II, the publicity value of a Teutonic actress who had turned her back on Nazism was too good to avoid.

Verne was married three times, to:

  • Musician Arthur Young (30 August 1936 - May 1945; divorced); 1 son, Alastair, who lived in South West England (1937-2015)
  • Actor Peter Lorre (25 May 1945 - 1950; divorced)
  • Film historian James Powers (1951 - 23 December 1967; her death)

Verne and James Powers adopted Peter Lorre's daughter Catharine following his death in 1964.

(An Associated Press news story published January 19, 1955, tells that Verne obtained a divorce decree from Harold R. Susman, who was described as "sales director for a clothing manufacturer.")[6]

Verne remained in films until her death, appearing in such films as Ship of Fools (1965).[7] She died at age 49 and was buried in Calvary Cemetery, St Paul, Minnesota.

Filmography

See also

References

Notes
  1. ^ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104554157
  2. ^ Youngkin, Stephen D. (2005). The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-2360-7.
  3. ^ a b "As Exotic as Dietrich or Lamarr". Wide World News. 10 February 1942. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  4. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/73350/Kaaren-Verne/biography
  5. ^ Lowrance, Dee (March 8, 1942). "From Hitler to Hollywood". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. Every Week Magazine. p. 25. Retrieved April 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ^ "Close Watch on Actress". The Kansas City Times. Missouri, Kansas City. Associated Press. January 19, 1955. p. 1. Retrieved April 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ "Movies: Biography for Kaaren Verne". The New York Times.