CNN: Hitler filmmaker dies aged 101
Bruce Calvert
Hitler filmmaker dies aged 101
BERLIN, Germany --Photographer and filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, best known for
the Nazi propaganda films "Triumph of the Will" and "Olympia," has died at the
age of 101.
Riefenstahl, who suffered cancer, died in her sleep at her home south of Munich
on Monday night, her companion Horst Kettner told the online service for the
German personality magazine Bunte.
"Her heart simply stopped," The Associated Press quoted Kettner as saying.
Riefenstah celebrated her 100th birthday last year amid renewed criticism of her
work for the Third Reich.
Cologne-based organization Rom had accused her of using 120 Gypsies from
concentration camps as extras in her film "Lowlands" between 1940 and 1942. It
said she then failed to prevent them from being returned to the Nazi camp
system, where many died.
The group also accused Riefenstahl of Holocaust denial, a crime in Germany, for
dismissing the allegations as nonsense in an interview printed in the
Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper in April 2002.
The filmmaker later issued a statement saying her remarks on their survival had
been a misunderstanding and that she regretted the Nazi persecution of Gypsies.
She also defended her work by saying she was only filming what was happening in
Germany at the time.
She gained wide acclaim for "Triumph of the Will," a documentary on the 1934
Nuremberg rally, and "Olympia," a filmed record of the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Riefenstahl always denied political involvement with the Nazi party or any
romantic link with German dictator Adolf Hitler who selected the
dancer-turned-actress to be Nazi Germany's official filmmaker. But he gave her
vast resources to make movies that idealized and glorified Nazism.
Although she admitted "Triumph of the Will" was used to promote Nazi ideals, she
said that was not her intention. "One can use it for propaganda, but ... it is
no propaganda film. There is not one single anti-Semitic word in my film," she
told The Associated Press.
"In 1934 people were crazy and there was great enthusiasm for Hitler. We had to
try and find that with our camera," she told CNN in a 1994 interview.
Her biographer, Rainer Rother, said the filmmaker's view was simplistic though.
"I think she might not have been an anti-Semitic woman, but she still was aware
of what was going on."
Brian Winston, a media scholar at the University of Westminster, agreed.
"Riefenstahl represents a big lie and she's been lying for 50 years. She was
extremely close to the regime and her only defense is that she wasn't a party
member," he told CNN.
Riefenstahl was acquitted twice by allied "denazification courts" after the war
ended in 1945 but was jailed by French occupation authorities for helping the
Nazi propaganda machine. Blacklisted as a filmmaker, she turned to still
photography, although her work was boycotted by West German magazines.
She was ostracized in Germany after World War II and spent an active later life
protesting against condemnation of her Nazi links. In recent years she earned a
partial rehabilitation and many newspapers gave extensive coverage to her 100th
birthday.
She rebuilt her reputation with photographs of Nuba tribesmen in southern Sudan
and at the age of 72 took up diving, the subject of her last film released in
2001, "Underwater Impressions," a celebration of marine life mainly in the
Indian Ocean.
Bruce Calvert
--
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Stephen Cooke
On Tue, 9 Sep 2003, Bruce Calvert wrote:
> http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/09/germany.riefenstahl/index.html
>
> Hitler filmmaker dies aged 101
>
> BERLIN, Germany --Photographer and filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, best known for
> the Nazi propaganda films "Triumph of the Will" and "Olympia," has died at the
> age of 101.
>
> Riefenstahl, who suffered cancer, died in her sleep at her home south of Munich
> on Monday night, her companion Horst Kettner told the online service for the
> German personality magazine Bunte.
>
> "Her heart simply stopped," The Associated Press quoted Kettner as saying.
Waitaminute....Leni Riefenstahl had a heart?
swac
Ya learn something new everyday.
Rick Levinson
"Stephen Cooke" <am...@chebucto.ns.ca> wrote in message
news:Pine.GSO.3.95.iB1.0.103...@halifax.chebucto.ns.ca.
..
Not to be a troll, but I'd like to make a modest suggestion:
Let's not have a flame war thread about LR.
We've had more than enough of these. You can google this group and read all
the postings you want about LR, TRIUMPH OF THE WILL, her four years in an
internment camp after the war, etc etc etc.
Let's just say that LR was making films in the new millennium, which is
extraordinary; that her political affiliations will always remain
controversial no matter what your opinion is of those affiliations; and that
one thing is certain: the world has lost one of the most gifted filmmakers
of the 20th century.
And let's leave it at that.
Rick
Max Nineteennineteen
Richard M Roberts
>
> "Stephen Cooke" <am...@chebucto.ns.ca> wrote in message
> news:Pine.GSO.3.95.iB1.0.103...@halifax.chebucto.ns.ca
Most gifted filmmaker, what, Hitler bought her furs?
RICHARD M ROBERTS
Robert Lipton
Rick Levinson wrote:
Why did you have to say that much?
Bob
R H Draney
>
>BERLIN, Germany --Photographer and filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, best known for
>the Nazi propaganda films "Triumph of the Will" and "Olympia," has died at the
>age of 101.
If I may ask a non-political question....
We've now lost both Bob Hope and Leni Riefenstahl, both over 100 years of age,
and within the space of about a month....
So who now takes up the mantle of "the person we're beginning to think will
*never* die"?...r
Opencity
their annual roll call of the celebrated cinematic dead?
Ulrich Ruedel
"R H Draney" <dado...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> So who now takes up the mantle of "the person we're beginning to think
will
> *never* die"?...r
Didn't Jerry Lewis once announce (on Larry King?) he intends to beat George
Burns' longevity?
I wish him luck (and health)!
Uli
(looking forward to those Jerry Lewis SE DVDs, Jim Neibaur and all)
Brian Westley
Kitty Carlisle? Though she's only 93.
---
Merlyn LeRoy
John Aldrich
wrote:
>Bruce Calvert filted:
Charles Lane. He has to be breathing hard on 100.
--John A.
R H Draney
>>*never* die"?...r
>
>Charles Lane. He has to be breathing hard on 100.
Long as he *is* breathing (actually, he hit 104 back in January)...he's still an
entertaining talk-show guest...his first film role was SMART MONEY in 1931, so
he's *almost* on-topic for this group....
I hear Weird Al Yankovic is considering making another movie fourteen years
after UHF...if it's going to be a sequel it'd be nice if he'd get definite about
it before losing any more of the original cast members...Vance Colvig and Billy
Barty are both out of reach now, and if he doesn't get a move on, Kevin McCarthy
may be next (he's 89 now)....r
Archie Waugh
John Aldrich wrote:
> >So who now takes up the mantle of "the person we're beginning to think will
> >*never* die"?...r
>
> Charles Lane. He has to be breathing hard on 100.
>
> --John A.
I met Charles Lane in 1979, and he looked 100 then!
I adore him...he's my role model for crotchety curmudgeonism.
Archie Waugh
Archie Waugh
"sexy" number in Metropolis? Reminescent of Elaine Bene's "Dry Heaves"
style on Seinfeld.
And of course, who could forget the great dancing on "Sprockets"?
Archie "Two Left Feet" Waugh
Archie Waugh
Rick Levinson wrote:
>
> Not to be a troll, but I'd like to make a modest suggestion:
>
> Let's not have a flame war thread about LR.
>
> We've had more than enough of these. You can google this group and read all
> the postings you want about LR, TRIUMPH OF THE WILL, her four years in an
> internment camp after the war, etc etc etc.
>
> Let's just say that LR was making films in the new millennium, which is
> extraordinary; that her political affiliations will always remain
> controversial no matter what your opinion is of those affiliations; and that
> one thing is certain: the world has lost one of the most gifted filmmakers
> of the 20th century.
>
> And let's leave it at that.
>
> Rick
Here, here.
Archie Waugh
Mile Films
Well, off the top of my head, there's Mary Wigman and her student Hanya Holm,
to start off with. Then there's Pina Bausch and Rudolph von Laban (though he
was actually born Hungarian). Kurt Jooss and Harald Kreutzberg were pretty
amazing.
Look it up, Archie--Hanya had damn good Broadway credentials! :-) She was
Agnes' main rival for the best musicals.
In fact, Mary Wigman's books were an inspiration to me when looking for fabrics
and costumes back in college (ie. it helped me fake my way through two
classes...)
And to get back on subject, there's a book out on Dancing for Hitler, or
something like that, about many of these wonderful dancers during the Nazi era.
It'd be a great title for a Leni biography. ;-)
As for German comedies...
Dennis Doros
Milestone Film & Video
email: Mile...@aol.com
website: www.milestonefilms.com
WaverBoy
"R H Draney" <dado...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:bjl9l...@drn.newsguy.com...
Fay Wray is getting up there...96 next Monday, I believe. One of my
favorite screen presences of all time. King Kong, Mystery Of The Wax
Museum, Dr. X, The Vampire Bat...I love her in all of 'em. I'd love to see
her in the 1929 version of Four Feathers...is this film lost? I've never
even seen a review of it anywhere, let alone a copy of the film.
Foto28
>favorite screen presences of all time. King Kong, Mystery Of The Wax
>Museum, Dr. X, The Vampire Bat...I love her in all of 'em. I'd love to see
>her in the 1929 version of Four Feathers...is this film lost? I've never
>even seen a review of it anywhere, let alone a copy of the film.
>
I'm very partial to Fay too...I'll watch anything that she's in. There are a
lot of her mid-30s films that seem to be completely unknown and unseen.
I haven't seen the '29 FOUR FEATHERS in years, but I remember liking it very
much. It used to be in the MCA TV package of Paramount films, where it had
accidentally been included because its music and effects track was erroneously
thought to have been a dialogue soundtrack. I never saw a 16mm print offered,
although some undoubtedly are around.
===============
Danny Burk
www.dannyburk.com - fine art photography
If you wish to email me, make an obvious correction to the address posted
above.
Lokke Heiss
> and within the space of about a month....
>
> So who now takes up the mantle of "the person we're beginning to think will
> *never* die"?...r
What you are thinking is the essence of a popular website titled
'Celebrity Death Watch.'
Bob Hope and Katherine Hepburn both 'graced' the front rankings of
this list for many years, indeed both performers are in the celebrity
death watch Hall of Fame, and perhaps it's fitting they both bowed out
at about the same time (I guess Hope wins by a neck and a few extra
heart beats).
I just checked the list, and the consensus is the Johnny-Come-Latelies
are Pope John Paul II and Ronald Reagan. I guess they are both
performers, although waiting for which will go first will have none of
the drama of Bob vs. Kate. (I don't think Reagan and John Paul II were
ever in a movie together.)
R H Draney
>
>Not surprising...Germans simply can't dance...did you see False Maria's
>"sexy" number in Metropolis? Reminescent of Elaine Bene's "Dry Heaves"
>style on Seinfeld.
>And of course, who could forget the great dancing on "Sprockets"?
>Archie "Two Left Feet" Waugh
I was going argue with you about that, but it looks like Rudolf Friml was
Bohemian, so we'll let it slip....r
Stephen Cooke
> Max Nineteennineteen wrote:
On Wed, 10 Sep 2003, Archie Waugh wrote:
>
> > And, having just seen The Holy Mountain, one of the worst dancers.
> Not surprising...Germans simply can't dance...did you see False Maria's
> "sexy" number in Metropolis? Reminescent of Elaine Bene's "Dry Heaves"
> style on Seinfeld.
> And of course, who could forget the great dancing on "Sprockets"?
> Archie "Two Left Feet" Waugh
I wonder if Leni ever saw The Producers...
Springtime for Hitler and Germany
Winter for Poland and France
Springtime for Hitler and Germany
Come on, Germans, go into your dance
Springtime for Hitler and Germany
Goosestep's the new step today....
swac
Don't be stupid, be a smartie! Come and join the Nazi party!
James Roots
> Bruce Calvert filted:
Bruce, you stop filting RIGHT NOW!
Jim
Bill Coleman
Bill Coleman
-------------------
lokke...@yahoo.com (Lokke Heiss) wrote in
news:50c2fb1d.03090...@posting.google.com:
Greta de Groat
WaverBoy wrote:
> Fay Wray is getting up there...96 next Monday, I believe. One of my
> favorite screen presences of all time. King Kong, Mystery Of The Wax
> Museum, Dr. X, The Vampire Bat...I love her in all of 'em. I'd love to see
> her in the 1929 version of Four Feathers...is this film lost? I've never
> even seen a review of it anywhere, let alone a copy of the film.
Interestingly, NPR Morning Edition announced he birthday this morning. I
immediately checked my AMS calendar hanging next to the bathroom sink!
greta
RFCSAC627N
>So who now takes up the mantle of "the person we're beginning to think will
>*never* die"?...r
All things considered, Keith Richards.
Frederica
"RFCSAC627N" <rfcsa...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030910121718...@mb-m26.aol.com...
I would have said Warren Zevon, but...
Frederica
Stephen Cooke
But a.m.s. has all the Bruce that filt to print!
swac
R H Draney
Forgot about *that* category...should probably add Brian Wilson and Bob Weir to
the list then; certain parts of all three died a *long* time ago....r
Precode
It's around; in fact, it ran at Cinefest a couple of years ago.
Has anyone yet mentioned the obvious choice: Ronald Reagan?
Mike S.
(hey, how about "Springtime For Bonzo"?)
Archie Waugh
Mile Films wrote:
> As for German comedies...
Viktor und Viktoria.
Although, in fact, that is the only one.
:-)
Archie Waugh
Archie Waugh
Stephen Cooke wrote:
>
> Don't be stupid, be a smartie! Come and join the Nazi party!
I vas born in Dusseldorf
and that is why they call me Rolf!
Archie Waugh
By the way, you know that's Mel Brooks saying the line you mention (he dubbed
it in). He also is dubbed in on that line in the Broadway musical!
Eric Stott
Archie Waugh wrote:
The others are all Austrian.
Stott
Dr. Giraud
<<I was going argue with you about that, but it looks like Rudolf Friml was
Bohemian, so we'll let it slip....r >>
Lillian Harvey was half-German, and she did all right.
Shawn Stone
James Roots
Stephen, have you been smoking those unfilted
cigarettes again?
Jim
R H Draney
>
>Stephen Cooke (am...@chebucto.ns.ca) writes:
>> On 10 Sep 2003, James Roots wrote:
>>
>>> R H Draney (dado...@earthlink.net) writes:
>>> > Bruce Calvert filted:
>>>
>>> Bruce, you stop filting RIGHT NOW!
>>
>> But a.m.s. has all the Bruce that filt to print!
>
>cigarettes again?
Someone on another newsgroup who doesn't seem to like *any* of my quote-marker
phrases would prefer that be "unfult cigarettes"....r
Precode
Wrong-o, Archibald. Mel's line is "Don't be shtupid, be a shmarty/Come
and join ze Nazi Party!" Incidentally, on Broadway that got a huge
burst of recognition applause; in L.A., nothing.
Mike S.
"I just wanna say what's in my heart: ba-dump, ba-dump,
ba-dump..."--Mel, accepting his Oscar for THE PRODUCERS' screenplay
Precode
Go rent a wonderful movie I released last year: WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF
FIRE. I came up with the tagline for the poster and ads: "A New Comedy
From Germany. Seriously."
Mike S.
"I'm not a madam. I'm a conci-urge!"
Rick Levinson
"Dr. Giraud" <shawn...@aol.commie> wrote in message
news:20030910230827...@mb-m11.aol.com...
Kongreß tanzt with subtitles. Harvey reminded me of Carole Lombard - a
blonde beauty with a flair for light comedy. I haven't read much about her
talkie career but apparently she didn't quite 'come across' when she arrived
in H'wood.
Rick
Dr. Giraud
Kongreß tanzt with subtitles. Harvey reminded me of Carole Lombard - a
blonde beauty with a flair for light comedy. I haven't read much about her
talkie career but apparently she didn't quite 'come across' when she arrived
in H'wood. >>
I've seen I AM SUZANNE (Fox, 34) and the movie & Harvey are terrific.
Shawn Stone
Archie Waugh
Unless you mean I was quoting the wrong line. In which case you misundestood, I was
referring to the line Stephen quoted, then simply followed up with another favorite
wacky rhyme.
AW
P.S. - Believe it or not, my name is Archie, no Archibald. Scottish, not English!
Ulrich Ruedel
"Archie Waugh" <glam...@gte.net> wrote
Lubitsch's early comedies are quite delightful.
As for German comedies in general....
maybe that was one of the reasons for his leaving :-)
Uli
Robert Lipton
Ulrich Ruedel wrote:
Some of Lubitsch's German cpmedies are delightful. Some are all right.
Some are simply the best German comedies of the era and stink. Most
are lost.
Bob
Stephen Cooke
On 11 Sep 2003, James Roots wrote:
> Stephen Cooke (am...@chebucto.ns.ca) writes:
> > On 10 Sep 2003, James Roots wrote:
> >
> >> R H Draney (dado...@earthlink.net) writes:
> >> > Bruce Calvert filted:
> >>
> >>
> >> Bruce, you stop filting RIGHT NOW!
> >
> > But a.m.s. has all the Bruce that filt to print!
>
> Stephen, have you been smoking those unfilted
> cigarettes again?
Yes, but it's my only Viceroy.
swac
Sitting on a Chestefield as I type this.
R H Draney
Conjuring up the mental image of one butt meeting another....r
Stephen Cooke
Ha! LMAO! (a.k.a. Laugh My Ash Off)
swac
Precode
> Well, EXCUUUUUUUSE me for not writing it phoenetically!
> Unless you mean I was quoting the wrong line. In which case you misundestood, I was
> referring to the line Stephen quoted, then simply followed up with another favorite
> wacky rhyme.
> AW
>
No, I indeed thought you meant the Dusseldorf line. Apologies all around.
Mike S.
(who's no Nathan Lane)
William Ferry
a smoking jacket! I'll be lucky if you don't strike me for that one!
--
Yours for bigger and better silents,
Bill Ferry (who manages to work Jack Benny into yet another post!)
"Stephen Cooke" <am...@chebucto.ns.ca> wrote in message
news:Pine.GSO.3.95.iB1.0.103...@halifax.chebucto.ns.ca...
Brent McKee
Funny, I'm remembering the old radio commercial about blowing smoke
rings while your Chesterfield burns. (That image is a real knee
slapper if you're a Canadian. Probably for a Brit too.)
--
Brent McKee
To reply by email, please remove the capital letters (S and N) from
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