Elke Sommer, the actress who stole scenes as Maria Gambrelli in the 1964 Pink Panther classic“A Shot in the Dark,”has died of heart failure at her Bel Air home. She was 85, just one week away from her 86th birthday. Her stepson, Sebastian Walther, confirmed the news, noting that her death came only three months after her husband of 32 years, Wolf Walther, passed away from cancer in July.
Born in Berlin, Sommer’s life changed at 17 when she won a beauty contest in Italy and caught the eye of director Vittorio De Sica. From there, she built a career that lasted 58 years, winning a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer in 1964 for“The Prize.”She became an international sex symbol of the 1960s, appearing in films like“The Oscar”and“The Wrecking Crew,”and doing three Playboy shoots along the way.
But perhaps her most enduring legacy is one of loyalty. She refused to reprise her Pink Panther role in 1993’s“Son of the Pink Panther”because her co-star Peter Sellers had died years earlier. And according to her family, she’s now reunited with her beloved husband.“Now she can finally be with her beloved husband again,”her stepson shared.
What’s your favorite Elke Sommer movie moment? Let us know in the comments.
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Local Lawton
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