Elke Sommer, 1960s Hollywood star, dies in Bel Air at 85

Elke Sommer, a central figure in 1960s American comedies and spy films, has died. She was 85 years old.

Sommer died at her residence in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday. Her stepson, Sebastian Walther, confirmed the news to the German newspaper Bild. The Los Angeles Police Department stated that officers responded to a report of an 85-year-old woman dying on her street that evening.

Born Elke Schletz in Berlin on Nov. 5, 1940, she moved to the United States after gaining fame in European cinema during the late 1950s. Her career accelerated when producer Pandro S. Berman cast her in the 1963 film “The Prize.” In that movie, she acted alongside Paul Newman. Her performance earned her a Golden Globe for most promising newcomer.

She achieved wider recognition the following year in “A Shot in the Dark.” In that Pink Panther sequel, she played Maria Gambrelli, a character framed for murder who interacts with Peter Sellers’ Inspector Clouseau. Variety noted in its review that while her role was minor, her appearance made it a secondary concern. She also worked with James Garner, Bob Hope, and Dean Martin during this period.

Her personal life included two marriages. She wed photographer Joe Hyams in November 1964, and they divorced in 1981. She later married German hotelier Wolf Walther in 1993. He died in July at age 77. Sommer also engaged in a public legal battle with Zsa Zsa Gabor. A jury awarded Sommer $3.3 million in a libel suit in 1993 after Gabor and her husband made negative comments about her finances and appearance.

As her acting schedule decreased in the 1970s, Sommer returned to Europe for projects including the World War I film “Zeppelin.” She also starred in two horror films directed by Mario Bava. By the 1990s, she shifted her focus to painting and voice work. She voiced the character Yzma in the German version of “The Emperor’s New Groove.”

Sommer viewed movie star glamour as essential. In a 1967 interview for the film “Deadlier than the Male,” she stated that stars should appear extraordinary to audiences. She said, “They shouldn’t be the girl next door.. They should be something very much above and people should say ‘oh’ and ‘ah’ when they see them.”