German-American actress Elke Sommer dies at 85 in Los Angeles
The star of 'The Prize' and 'A Shot in the Dark' passed away at her home on Wednesday, her stepson confirmed.
By Jabari Long ·
Elke Sommer, the blonde actress known for her roles in 1960s Hollywood comedies and spy films, has died. She was 85. Her stepson, Sebastian Walther, told the German newspaper Bild that she died at her home in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed responding to the report of an 85-year-old woman found deceased on her block that night.
Sommer was born Elke Schletz in Berlin on November 5, 1940. Her father, a Protestant pastor, died when she was 14. The family moved south in 1942. She began acting in 1958 after being discovered in Italy by a filmmaker and later by Vittorio De Sica. She worked across Europe in Italy, Spain, and England, adopting the surname Sommer.
Her move to Hollywood came after producer Pandro S. Berman saw her in a German drama. He cast her as a chaperone and love interest to Paul Newman in the 1966 film 'The Prize.' That role earned her a Golden Globe for most promising newcomer. She also appeared in the Pink Panther sequel 'A Shot in the Dark' alongside Peter Sellers, and worked with James Garner, Dick Van Dyke, Bob Hope, Dean Martin, and Sharon Tate during the decade.
Sommer’s career slowed in the 1970s, but she returned to work in Europe with films like 'Zeppelin' and 'And Then There Were None.' By the 1990s, she shifted focus to painting while occasionally appearing in television and film. She voiced the character Yzma in the German dub of 'The Emperor’s New Groove.'
She was involved in a public dispute with actress Zsa Zsa Gabor starting in 1984. In 1990, Gabor and her husband made comments in the German media about Sommer’s finances and appearance. Sommer sued for defamation and libel. A jury in 1993 ordered Gabor and her husband to pay Sommer $3.3 million.
Sommer was married to Joe Hyams from 1964 to 1981. She married German hotelier Wolf Walther in 1993. He died in July at age 77. In a 2014 interview, Sommer said she was directed and produced, bringing only her energy to the screen. She noted that movie stars should be extraordinary and above normal to audiences.
