LÃda Baarová (born Ludmila Babková; 7 September 1914 â€" 27 October
2000) was a Czech-Austrian actress who for two years was the mistress
of the Nazi propaganda minister of Germany, Joseph Goebbels.Born in
Prague, Baarová studied acting at the city's Conservatory and
received her first film role in the Czechoslovak film Pavel ÄŒamrda's
Career (Kariéra Pavla Čamrdy) at the age of 17. Her mother sang in a
choir and appeared in several theatre plays; her younger sister, Zorka
Janů (1921â€"1946), also became a film actress. In 1934, Baarová
left Prague for Berlin after winning a contest at the UFA film studios
for a role in the film Barcarole.In Berlin, she made a successful
appearance in the film Barcarole (1935), along with the German actor
Gustav Fröhlich (1902â€"1987). She and Fröhlich, meanwhile divorced
from the Hungarian opera singer Gitta Alpár, became lovers and
starred together in several films. Baarová also performed on stage at
the Deutsches Theater and the Volksbühne. She received several job
offers from Hollywood studios. She turned them down under pressure
from the Nazi authorities, but later regretted it and claimed to her
biographer, Josef Škvorecký: "I could have been as famous as Marlene
Dietrich."
2000) was a Czech-Austrian actress who for two years was the mistress
of the Nazi propaganda minister of Germany, Joseph Goebbels.Born in
Prague, Baarová studied acting at the city's Conservatory and
received her first film role in the Czechoslovak film Pavel ÄŒamrda's
Career (Kariéra Pavla Čamrdy) at the age of 17. Her mother sang in a
choir and appeared in several theatre plays; her younger sister, Zorka
Janů (1921â€"1946), also became a film actress. In 1934, Baarová
left Prague for Berlin after winning a contest at the UFA film studios
for a role in the film Barcarole.In Berlin, she made a successful
appearance in the film Barcarole (1935), along with the German actor
Gustav Fröhlich (1902â€"1987). She and Fröhlich, meanwhile divorced
from the Hungarian opera singer Gitta Alpár, became lovers and
starred together in several films. Baarová also performed on stage at
the Deutsches Theater and the Volksbühne. She received several job
offers from Hollywood studios. She turned them down under pressure
from the Nazi authorities, but later regretted it and claimed to her
biographer, Josef Škvorecký: "I could have been as famous as Marlene
Dietrich."
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.