Elke Sommer Dies at 85 After Hollywood Career
The German-born actress, known for her roles in 'The Prize' and 'A Shot in the Dark,' passed away in Bel Air, Los Angeles, on Wednesday.
By Anthony Shevchenko ·
Elke Sommer, the German-born actress who became a prominent figure in 1960s American cinema, died at the age of 85. Her stepson, Sebastian Walther, confirmed the news to the German news outlet Bild, stating that she passed away at her home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, on Wednesday. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to reports of a deceased 85-year-old woman on her block late Wednesday night.
Sommer’s career began in Europe after she was discovered during a trip to Italy in 1958. Born Elke Schletz in Berlin on Nov. 5, 1940, she adopted the surname Sommer and worked extensively in Italy, Spain, and England. Her breakthrough in Hollywood came when producer Pandro S. Berman cast her in 'The Prize,' where she appeared alongside Paul Newman. Her performance in that film earned her a Golden Globe for most promising newcomer.
She is perhaps best known for her role as Maria Gambrelli in the Blake Edwards film 'A Shot in the Dark.' In that movie, she played a maid framed for murder who catches the attention of Peter Sellers’ character, Inspector Clouseau. During this period, she also starred in 'The Art of Love' with James Garner and Dick Van Dyke, and 'The Wrecking Crew' with Dean Martin and Sharon Tate.
Sommer’s later career saw a shift toward European productions and painting. She appeared in the World War I film 'Zeppelin' with Michael York and the Agatha Christie adaptation 'And Then There Were None.' By the 1990s, she had turned her focus to visual arts, though she continued to make occasional appearances in film and television. She also provided the voice for the character Yzma in the German dub of 'The Emperor’s New Groove.'
The actress was also involved in a high-profile legal dispute with Zsa Zsa Gabor. The conflict began after a 1984 television appearance and escalated in 1990 when Gabor made public comments about Sommer’s finances and appearance. Sommer filed a defamation suit seeking $10 million. In 1993, a jury ruled in her favor, ordering Gabor and her husband to pay $3.3 million in damages.
Sommer married Joe Hyams in November 1964; they divorced in 1981. She later married German hotelier Wolf Walther in 1993. He died in July at the age of 77. In a 2014 interview with Film Talk, Sommer addressed the label of 'sex symbol,' which she described as essentially meaningless. She attributed her appeal to the energy she brought to her roles rather than her physical appearance.
She maintained that movie stars should possess a quality of glamour that sets them apart from the average viewer. In a 1967 television interview for the film 'Deadlier than the Male,' she stated that stars should be 'something extraordinary and above normal.' She believed that audiences who pay high prices for tickets expect to see performers who are distinctly above average, rather than relatable neighbors.
