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Lil Dagover
Actor

Lil Dagover

29 Sep 1887Born
23 Jan 1980Died
92Age at death
120Credits

Biography

A prominent German film actress born on 30 September 1887 at Madiven, Java, the daughter of a forest ranger in the service of the Dutch authorities. Sent at the age of ten to Baden-Baden to study, she later entered the cinema thanks to her marriage in 1917 to the actor Fritz Dagover who was 25 years her senior. They divorced in 1919 but not before he had introduced her to director Robert Wiene and other notables of German cinema. She made her screen debut in Fritz Lang's Harakiri (1919). Immediately after she appeared in Wiene's classic expressionist film, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (aka The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)).

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Apart from three trips -- one to Sweden in 1927, another to France in 1928-9 and one to Hollywood in 1931 -- most of Lil Dagover's career and fate was linked to that of the German cinema, where her role was usually that of the frail, menaced heroine. She continued to star in a great number of films during the Nazi era. Among her best performances were her roles in Congress Dances (1931), in Gerhard Lamprecht's The Higher Command (1935) and in Veit Harlan's The Kreutzer Sonata (1937). She also acted in the Deutsches Theatre Berlin, the Salzburg Festival, at forces shows and at war theaters. At one time, she was reported to have been a close friend of Adolf Hitler. In 1944, she received the War Merits Cross. Dagover continued her career in post-war Germany, playing many supporting parts until the late 1970s.

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 120 credits.

  1. 1995Otto – The SeriesSeries: Verschiedene (13 episodes)
  2. 1979Tales from the Vienna WoodsFilm: Helene
  3. 1977The StandardFilm: Erzherzogin
  4. 1977Die TeufelsbrautFilm
  5. 1975End of the GameFilm: Gastmann's Mother
  6. 1975Memento MoriFilm: Charmian Colston
  7. 1973The PedestrianFilm: Frau Eschenlohr
  8. 1971GlückspilzeFilm
  9. 1971KolibriFilm: Anna Maria Hansen
  10. 1971Paradies der alten DamenFilm: Leonore Feller
  11. 1971Professor Sound und die PilleFilm: Seine Frau
  12. 1970Scene of the CrimeSeries: Mutter Koenen (1 episode)
  13. 1969Hotel RoyalFilm: Maharani von Dungapur
  14. 1968UnwiederbringlichFilm: Prinzessin Maria Eleonore
  15. 1967Lösegeld für MyladyFilm: Lady Cherfield / Mrs. Flowers
  16. 1967Siedlung ArkadienFilm: Frau Assmann
  17. 1963Reisender ohne GepäckFilm: Herzogin
  18. 1961The Strange CountessFilm: Gräfin / Lady Leonora Moron
  19. 1961Der Mann von draußenFilm: Mrs.Gillis
  20. 1959Buddenbrooks - 2. TeilFilm: Elisabeth Buddenbrook
  21. 1959Buddenbrooks - 1. TeilFilm: Elisabeth Buddenbrook
  22. 1958Trees die uprightFilm: Großmutter
  23. 1957Unter Palmen am blauen MeerFilm: Contessa Celestina Morini
  24. 1956Meine 16 SöhneFilm: Frau Senator Giselius
  25. 1956Kronprinz Rudolfs letzte LiebeFilm: Kaiserin Elisabeth
  26. 1955Die BarringsFilm: Thilde von Barring
  27. 1955Rosen im HerbstFilm: Mutter Briest
  28. 1955Der Fischer vom HeiligenseeFilm: Baronin Hermine von Velden
  29. 1955Ich weiß, wofür ich lebeFilm: Alice Lechaudier
  30. 1954Hubertus CastleFilm: Baronin Gundi Kleesberg
  31. 1953Königliche HoheitFilm: Gräfin Löwenjoul
  32. 1953Red Roses, Red Lips, Red WineFilm: Gräfin Waldenberg
  33. 1952Das Geheimnis vom BergseeFilm: Lamberta
  34. 1950Chased by the DevilFilm: Frau Dakar
  35. 1950Es kommt ein TagFilm: Madame Mombour
  36. 1949Man spielt nicht mit der LiebeFilm: Florentine Alvensleben
  37. 1948Die Söhne des Herrn GasparyFilm: Margot von Korff
  38. 1944Musik in SalzburgFilm: Ursula Sanden
  39. 1943Vienna 1910Film: Maria Anschütz
  40. 1942The Little ResidenceFilm: Herzogin von Lauffenburg
  41. 1940BismarckFilm: Eugénie
  42. 1940Friedrich Schiller – The Triumph of a GeniusFilm: Gräfin Franziska von Hohenheim
  43. 1940Die RäuberFilm
  44. 1939Streit um den Knaben JoFilm: Leonine Brackwieser
  45. 1939Detours to HappinessFilm: Hanna Bracht
  46. 1938Maja zwischen zwei EhenFilm: Maja
  47. 1938TriadFilm: Cornelia Contarini
  48. 1938The Stars ShineFilm: Gast
  49. 1938Rätsel um BeateFilm: Beate Kaiserling
  50. 1937The Kreutzer SonataFilm: Jelaina Posdnyschew
  51. 1937FridericusFilm: Marquise de Pompadour
  52. 1936The Final ChordFilm: Charlotte Garvenberg, seine Frau
  53. 1936August der StarkeFilm: Gräfin Aurore Königsmark
  54. 1936The Girl IreneFilm: Jennifer Lawrence
  55. 1935The Higher CommandFilm: Madame Martin
  56. 1935Lady Windermeres FächerFilm: Mrs. Erlynne
  57. 1935The Bird SellerFilm: Die Kurfürstin
  58. 1934Ich heirate meine FrauFilm: Lisa Behmer
  59. 1934A Woman Who Knows What She WantsFilm: Manon Cavallini
  60. 1934The Fugitive from ChicagoFilm: Eveline
  61. 1933JohannisnachtFilm: Lisa Lers
  62. 1932Married by the StorkFilm: Thea Roland
  63. 1932Barbarina, the King's DancerFilm: Barberina Campanini
  64. 1932The Woman from Monte CarloFilm: Lottie Corlaix
  65. 1931Madame BluebeardFilm: Frau Erika Dankwarth
  66. 1931Congress DancesFilm: Komtesse
  67. 1931Elisabeth of AustriaFilm: Elisabeth von Österreich
  68. 1931The Case of Colonel RedlFilm: Vera Nikolayevna
  69. 1930BoycottFilm: Frau von Generaldirektor Haller
  70. 1930Old SongFilm: Baronin Eggedy
  71. 1930Va BanqueFilm: Harriet Williams
  72. 1930The Second KissFilm: Empress Marie Theresa
  73. 1930There is a woman who will never forget youFilm: Tilly Ferrantes
  74. 1930The White DevilFilm: Nelidowa
  75. 1930The Ring of the EmpressFilm: Catherine the Great
  76. 1929Es flüstert die NachtFilm
  77. 1929Monte CristoFilm: Mercédès / Comtesse de Morcerf
  78. 1929Die EheFilm
  79. 1928La Grande PassionFilm: Sonia de Blich
  80. 1928The Secret CourierFilm: Mme. Thérèse de Renal

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.