Karlheinz Böhm (1928-2014)

On 29 May 2014, Austrian actor Karlheinz Böhm passed away after a long illness. Böhm, who was sometimes referred to as Carl Boehm or Karl Boehm, played in 45 films. He was the young Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria in the Sissi trilogy. He and Romy Schneider became the perfect couple for the German cinema of the 1950s. Internationally, he was also known for his role as Mark, the psychopathic protagonist of Michael Powell's terrifying thriller Peeping Tom (1960).


Dutch postcard by Gebr. Spanjersberg N.V., Rotterdam; licency holder of Ufa, Berlin; no. 1004. Photo: Ufa.


Dutch postcard by Kolibri, Wormerveer, no. 2168. Photo: Rhombus / Herzog-Film / Czerwonski.


German postcard by Kolibri-Verlag G.m.b.H., Minden (Westf.), no. F 15. Retail price: 25 Pf. Photo: Herzog-Film.


German postcard by Kolibri-Verlag, no. 1447. Photo: Berolina / Constantin-Film / Wesel. Ulla Jacobsson and Karlheinz Böhm in Die heilige Lüge/Saintly Lie (Wolfgang Liebeneiner, 1954).


German postcard by Universum-Film Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin-Tempelhof, no. CK-28. Retail price: 30 Pfg. Photo: Arthur Grimm / UFA.

Elegant young lover

Karlheinz Böhm (sometimes Carl Boehm) was born in Darmstadt, Germany in 1928. His father was the conductor Karl Böhm and his mother the soprano Thea Linhart.

Karlheinz started his career in 1948 as an assistant director of Der Engel mit der Posaune/The Angel with the Trumpet (Karl Hartl, 1948), in which he also played a small part. Later he attended the actor's training at the Burgtheater and subsequently became a member of the ensemble.

In 1952, Karl Hartl brought him to Munich for Haus des Lebens/House of Life (Karl Hartl, 1952) starring Gustav Fröhlich.

In the following decade, Böhm appeared in more than 30 films. His first success was his role as the elegant young lover of Alraune/Mandrake (Arthur Maria Rabenalt, 1952) starring Hildegard Knef.

Then he often appeared as a sincere and respectable young man in films like Salto Mortale (Victor Tourjansky, 1953) with Margot Hielscher, and Ich war ein häßliches Mädchen/I Was an Ugly Girl (Wolfgang Liebeneiner, 1955) featuring beautiful Sonja Ziemann.


Dutch Postcard, no. F 213.


Dutch postcard by Takken, Utrecht, no. 2064.


Dutch postcard by Uitg. Takken, Utrecht, no. 3720. Photo: ERMA-Herzog-film-Wien. Publicity still for Sissi - Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin/Sissi: The Fateful Years of an Empress (Ernst Marischka, 1957).


Dutch postcard by Gebr. Spanjersberg, Rotterdam, no. [.061]. Photo: Ufa. Spanjersberg was at the time the Dutch licence holder of Ufa/Film-Foto. Romy Schneider and Karlheinz Böhm in Sissi - Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin Sissi/Sissi - Fateful Years of an Empress (1957) written and directed by Austrian Ernst Marischka.

A serious image problem

Hugely popular were the three Sissi films. Karlheinz Böhm and Romy Schneider formed the perfect couple of German films in the 1950s.

During the shooting of the first episode, Sissi (Ernst Marischka, 1955), the then 16-year-old Schneider used to call him 'Uncle Karlheinz', although he was just 12 years her senior.

The sequels were Sissi - Die junge Kaiserin/Sissi: The Young Empress (Ernst Marischka, 1956) and Sissi - Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin/Sissi: The Fateful Years of an Empress (Ernst Marischka, 1957).

More stiff juvenile hero parts followed in films like Das Schloß in Tirol/Castle in Tyrol (Géza von Radványi, 1957) opposite Erika Remberg, and Das Dreimäderlhaus/The House of the Three Girls (Ernst Marischka, 1958) with Johanna Matz.

They left Böhm with a serious image problem. He attempted a change in international films, but with his first British film, he succeeded almost too well.


Dutch postcard by N.V. Int. Filmpers (I.F.P.), Amsterdam, no. 1027.


Dutch postcard printed by Takken, Utrecht, no. AX 1980. Photo by Filmex N.V.


Dutch publicity photo by Filmex. Still for Sissi - Die junge Kaiserin (1956) with Vilma Degischer.

Voyeur

Outside of Europe, Karlheinz Böhm is probably best known for his role as the psychopathic voyeur and serial killer Mark in Peeping Tom (Michael Powell, 1960).

The film received slating reviews by British and German critics, but it was re-examined 20 years later and is nowadays considered a masterpiece.

Böhm subsequently appeared with Jayne Mansfield in the striptease thriller Too Hot to Handle (Terence Young, 1959) and the French thriller La Croix des vivants/Cross of the Living (Ivan Govar, 1960) with Pascale Petit.

Next he appeared as the Nazi-sympathizing son of Lee J. Cobb in the remake of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Vincente Minnelli, 1963).

In Hollywood, he also played Jakob Grimm in the Cinerama spectacular The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (Henry Levin, 1963), Ludwig van Beethoven in the Disney production The Magnificent Rebel (Georg Tressler, 1962) and a sadistic agent in The Venetian Affair (Jerry Thorpe) with Robert Vaughn.


German postcard by Kolibri-Verlag, no. 665. Photo: Helios / Schorchtfilm. Still for Haus des Lebens/House of Life (Karl Hartl, 1952).


German postcard by F.J. Rüdel, Filmpostkartenverlag, Hamburg-Bergedorf, no. 628. Photo: Rotary / Deutsche London / Hämmerer. Publicity still for Arlette erobert Paris/ Arlette Conquers Paris (Viktor Tourjansky, 1953).


German postcard by F.J. Rüdel, Filmpostkartenverlag (Rüdel-Verlag), Hamburg-Bergedorf, no. 1294. Photo: Berolina / Constantin / Wesel. Publicity still for Die heilige Lüge/Sacred Lie (Wolfgang Liebeneiner, 1954).


Dutch postcard by Uitg. Takken, Utrecht, no. 1961. Photo: Filmex-Herzog. Still for Kitty und die Grosse Welt (Alfred Weidenmann, 1956).

Ethiopia

In the mid-1960s Karlheinz Böhm moved to Italy and focussed more on his theatre work. In 1964, he made his debut as a director of opera productions. A second German film career began in 1972 when Rainer Werner Fassbinder made full use of Böhm's by now many-layered star image.

He first cast him as the worldly-wise Prussian councillor Wüllersdorf in Fontane - Effi Briest/Effi Briest (1974) opposite Hanna Schygulla, and then as the sadistic husband of Margit Carstensen in the TV thriller Martha (1974). Böhm played a homosexual art dealer in Fassbinder's Faustrecht der Freiheit/Fox and His Friends (1975), and finally, the arrogant, middle-class communist Tillmann in Mutter Küsters Fahrt zum Himmel/Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven (1975) featuring Brigitte Mira.

Later, Böhm was mainly appearing on stage or in TV productions. After losing a bet on the popular German TV show Wetten, dass..? (You Bet That..?) (1981), he founded the charity organization Menschen für Menschen (People For People). For over 30 years, Karlheinz Böhm promoted charities for starving children in Central Africa and Ethiopia.

He was the father of Sissi Böhm (born in 1955) from his first wife Elisabeth Zonewa; Kristina (1959), Michael (1960) and Daniela (1961) from his second wife actress Gudula Blau, and actress Katharina Böhm (1964) from his third wife Barbara Lass.

His fourth wife, Almaz Böhm, a native of Ethiopia, gave birth to their children Nicolas (1990) and Aida (1993). Actor Florian Böhm (1978) is his grandson. Karlheinz Böhm died in Grödig, Salzburg, Austria. He was 86.


German postcard by Kolibri-Verlag, no. 2773.


German postcard by WS-Druck, no. F 139. Retail price: 30 Pfg. (Edges cut off).


German postcard by UFA, no. CK-126. Retail price: 30 Pfg. Photo: UFA. Collection: Geoffrey Donaldson Institute.

Sources: Encyclopedia of European Cinema, Filmportal.de, Wikipedia and IMDb.

This post was last updated on 13 June 2023.

Sissi (1955)

The Austrian film Sissi (Ernst Marischka, 1955), starring Romy Schneider and Karlheinz Böhm, is the first instalment in the hugely popular trilogy of films about Empress Elisabeth of Austria, who was known to her family as 'Sissi'.


Dutch postcard by N.V. Int. Filmpers (I.F.P.), Amsterdam, no. 1027.

Carefree, Impulsive And Nature-Loving

Sissi (Ernst Marischka, 1955) is based around Elisabeth's young years 1852–1854. Princess Elisabeth, nicknamed Sissi (Romy Schneider), is the second oldest daughter of Duke Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria (Gustav Knuth) and Princess Ludovika of Bavaria (Magda Schneider).

Elisabeth is a carefree, impulsive and nature-loving child. She is raised with her seven siblings at the family seat Possenhofen Castle on the shores of Lake Starnberg in Bavaria. She has a happy childhood free of constraints associated with her royal status.

With her mother and her demure older sister Helene (called Néné), 16-year-old Sissi travels from Possenhofen to the spa town of Bad Ischl in Upper Austria. Ludovika's sister, Archduchess Sophie (Vilma Degischer), is the mother of the young emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria (Karlheinz Böhm).

Helene (Uta Franz) is called by Archduchess Sophie to meet the young emperor Franz Joseph in the imperial villa so that the two might be immediately engaged. Sissi is unaware of the real reason for the journey and is forbidden by her aunt to participate in any social events due to her rebellious ways.

Sissi spends her time fishing in the forest where by chance she meets Franz Josef. The emperor is unaware that the girl is his cousin Sissi. He takes a liking to her and invites her for an afternoon hunting trip in the Alps.


Dutch postcard by Takken, Utrecht, no. 2064. Romy Schneider and Karlheinz Böhm.

Future Empress

They meet as arranged in the mountains where they talk and become acquainted. Sissi falls in love with him but does not reveal her true identity. During their trip, Sissi learns of the planned marriage between Franz Joseph with her sister. The Emperor confesses that he envies the man who will marry Sissi and confesses that he feels no connection to Néné.

Upon hearing his indirect declaration of love, Sissi becomes distraught due to her loyalty to Néné. She runs away from Franz Joseph without any explanation.

When Sissi returns to their residence, Néné reveals the reason for the trip to Bad Ischl: to become engaged with Franz Joseph. Unexpectedly, Franz Josef's brother, Carl-Ludwig (Peter Weck), arrives and Sissi is invited by the Archduchess to act as his partner at the Emperor's birthday celebration.

At his birthday party, Franz Joseph is suddenly confronted by Sissi's appearance there with her mother and sister. He realises who Sissi is and tries to talk to her, openly confessing his love and asking her to marry him. Sissi rejects Franz Joseph in order not to betray her sister.

He defies his mother's reservations and Sissi's resistance and announces, to the surprise of his guests, his betrothal to Sissi. Néné is heartbroken and leaves the party crying. Sissi, in a state of shock, is forced to obey the Emperor's wishes.

In Possenhofen, preparations for the wedding have started. Sissi is not excited for her impending marriage, as the hurt Néné has left for an indefinite period. For her sister's sake, Sissi attempts to break her engagement, however, Néné returns with a new suitor, Maximilian Anton, Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis. The sisters reunite and Néné gives her blessings to Sissi for her marriage.

For the wedding ceremony, Sissi travels with her family on the steamboat Franz Joseph down the Danube to Vienna. People line the banks, waving flags and cheering their future Empress. As part of a grand procession, Sissi enters the city in a gilded carriage. The wedding takes place in the Augustinian Church on 24 April 1854.

Although he played her husband in this trilogy, Karlheinz Böhm is only 10 years older than Romy Schneider.


Dutch postcard by Takken, Utrecht, no. AX 1980. Photo: Filmex N.V.

Christmas Special

Sissi was filmed in the original places locations where the Empress visited. These locations included Schönbrunn Palace, the Imperial Villa in Bad Ischl and St. Michael's Church.

Sissi was viewed by 20 to 25 million people in the European cinemas. It is one of the most successful German-language films ever.

The film was followed by Sissi - Die junge Kaiserin/Sissi: The Young Empress (Ernst Marischka, 1956) and Sissi - Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin/Sissi: The Fateful Years of an Empress (Ernst Marischka, 1957). In 1962, a condensed version of the trilogy was released in English under the title Forever My Love.

The trilogy is a popular Christmas television special in several European countries. The Empress' date of birth on Christmas Eve 1837 adds to the appeal of the film as a Christmas special.

The success of the film marked Empress Elisabeth's entrance to popular culture which made the historical figure even more legendary. The popularity of the films attracted tourists to places which were associated with the Empress, specifically those in Austria. The popularity also led to the creation of the 1992 musical Elisabeth, which became the most successful German-language musical of all time. The trilogy was parodied in the animated film Lissi. (2007)

Romy Schneider's role as Elisabeth is considered her acting breakthrough. She became synonymous with her role in the film, even as she progressed in her acting career.

Schneider reprised the role of Elisabeth in Luchino Visconti's film Ludwig (1972), this time portraying the Empress as a mature yet cynical woman.


Dutch postcard by Takken, no. AX 3028. Photo: Filmex N.V. Still: scene with Romy Schneider and Ivan Petrovich from Sissi - Die junge Kaiserin/Sissi: The Young Empress (Ernst Marischka, 1956).


Dutch postcard by Int. Filmpers (I.F.P.), Amsterdam, no. 1535. Publicity still for Sissi – Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin/Sissi – Fateful Years of an Empress (Ernst Marischka, 1957) with Walter Reyer.


Dutch postcard by Uitg. Takken, Utrecht, no. 3720. Photo: ERMA / Herzog-film-Wien. Publicity still for Sissi - Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin/Sissi: The Fateful Years of an Empress (Ernst Marischka, 1957).

Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.