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Ilka Grüning


Foto: Praesens Film AG (P. Gassmann)

1876 - 1964

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The actress Ilka Grüning was born Ilka Henriette Grünzweig in Vienna.

She became already established at the theater at the end of the 19th century and she was successful on stages in Berlin and Bremen.

When the silent film became established as well she took part in her first movie "Die Kunst des Schminkens" (12). But her real film career began in 1919 and found the height of her career in the 20s.

To her first movies belong "Peer Gynt" (19), "Die Welt ohne Liebe" (19) and "Rose Bernd" (19).

Afterwards she became a demanded actress in the silent movie era and Ilka Grüning appeared in a rash of important productions of those years.
To her well-known movies of the 20s belong "Monika Vogelsang" (20), "Maria Magdalene" (20), "Katharina die Grosse" (20), "Christian Wahnschaffe" (21), "Der Roman der Christine von Herre" (21), "Lady Hamilton" (21), "Luise Millerin" (22), "Phantom" (22), "Nora" (23), "Der Schatz" (23), "Friedrich Schiller" (23), "Die Finanzen des Grossherzogs" (24), "Die freudlose Gasse" (25), "Dr. Bessels Verwandlung "(27) and "Der rote Kreis" (29).

Ilka Grüning took part in only one more movie during the 30s called "Hasenklein kann nichts dafür" (32) where she played the role of Mrs. Hasenklein.
As a Jew she was no longer able to work as an actress in Germany and she earned her living with her acting school. But in 1938 she had to leave Germany and she emigrated via France to the USA where she arrived in 1939.

There she was able to continue her film career and she impersonated numerous small parts in movies like "Underground" (41), "Desperate Journey" (42), as Mrs. Leuchtag in "Casablanca" (42), "The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler" (43), "Madame Curie" (43), "Address Unknown" (44), "Temptation" (46), "Letter from an Unknown Woman" (48), "A Foreign Affair" (48) and "The Great Sinner" (49).

Her last cinematical works came at the beginning of the 50s into being with "Convicted" (50) and "Passage West" (51).

When she returned to Europe for the first time since 15 years she appeared in a theater play in Germany and other countries. They were able to win her over to play in the Swiss movie "Die Venus vom Tivoli" (53). It was her only European movies after the war and her last film at all.

Besides her acting career Ilka Grüning founded together with Lucie Höflich her own acting school. To her well-known students belong Inge Meysel, Brigitte Horney and Lilli Palmer.


Other movies with Ilka Grüning:
Pogrom (19) Die Prostitution/Die sich verkaufen (19) Aladin und die Wunderlampe (19) Todesurteil (19) Das Grauen (20) Eine Demimonde-Heirat (20) Können Gedanken töten? (20) Der Gefangene (20) Der Sklave seiner Leidenschaft (20) Sklaven des zwanzigsten Jahrhunderts (20) Figaros Hochzeit (20) Die Erlebnisse der berühmten Tänzerin Fanny Elssler (20) Der Abenteurer von Paris (20) Weltbrand (20) Menschen (20) Die Bestie im Menschen (20) Hannerl und ihre Liebhaber (21) Die Verschwörung zu Genua (21) Die Diktatur der Liebe (21) Die grosse und die kleine Welt (21) Aus den Tiefen der Grossstadt (21) Um den Sohn (21) Die Fremde aus der Elstergasse (21) Die Erbin von Tordis (21) Seefahrt ist Not! (21) Der Leidensweg eines Achtzehnjährigen (21) Aus den Memoiren einer Filmschauspielerin (21) Der Schicksalstag (21) Das zweite Leben (21) Die Schuldige (21) Lotte Lore (21) Die Geheimnisse von Berlin (21) Die Dame und der Landstreicher (22) Die siebtente Nacht (22) Aus den Erinnerungen eines Frauenarztes (22) Jenseits des Stromes (22) Jugend (22) Macht der Versuchung (22) Es leuchtet meine Liebe (22) Bigamie (22) Der falsche Dimitri (22) Zwei Welten (22) Wem nie durch Liebe Leid geschah! (22) Die Kreutzersonate (22) Der grosse Wurf (22) Das hohe Lied der Liebe (22) Tiefland (23) Das Weib auf dem Panther (23) Die Fledermaus (23) Der Menschenfeind (23) Der rote Reiter (23) Die Austreibung (23) Daisy – Die Abenteuer einer Lady (23) Freund Ripp (23) Das schöne Mädel (23) Das Geschöpf (24) Mater dolorosa (24) Kaddisch (24) Soll und Haben (24) Gehetzte Menschen (24) Die Liebesbriefe einer Verlassenen (24) Des Lebens Würfelspiel (25) Elegantes Pack (25) Geheimnisse einer Seele (26) Halloh – Caesar! (27) Familientag im Hause Prellstein (27) Herbstzeit am Rhein (28) Dyckerpotts Erben (28) Ein Mädel und drei Clowns (28) Zwischen vierzehn und siebzehn (29) Melodie des Herzens (29) Dangerously They Live (41) Kings Row (42) Friendly Enemies (42) Iceland (42) This Is the Army (43) The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler (43) There's Something About a Soldier (43) An American Romance (44) Murder in the Music Hall (46) Rendezvous 24 (46) Desperate (47) Repeat Performance (47) Raw Deal (48) Words and Music (48) Caught (49) Mr. Soft Touch (49) Captain China (50) Payment on Demand (51) Serie "Chevron Theatre: Night Train to Danger " (52)

 
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