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Trude Berliner

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Trude Berliner (February 28, 1903 - February 26, 1977) Born Gertrude Berliner in Berlin, Germany. She was one of many Jewish actors and actresses that were forced to flee Europe when the Nazis came to power in 1933. Berliner became a famous cabaret performer in Berlin. In 1925, she appeared in her first movie, a silent film called Krieg im Frieden. Berliner would wait four years before her second movie, but her film career would then take off. In 1929, she appeared in Dich hab ich geliebt, which would become the first German talkie released in the United States. Berliner appeared in a number of well known movies in Germany during the 1930's; Masken, Ich heirate meinen Mann, Der Hochtourist, Die unsichtbare Front, Grossstadtnacht and Kaiserwalzer. Es war einmal ein Musikus was her last movie in Germany. Released in 1933, it also featured S.Z. Sakall. This was the fourth German movie that Berliner and Sakall appeared together in.

Being Jewish, she left Germany when Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in 1933 and went to France. In 1939, she immigrated to the United States. However, in Hollywood Berliner was not able to continue her promising movie career, receiving only bit roles in four movies, and it would be three years before she received any part in any movie.

Trude Berliner in Casablanca

In 1942, Berliner received her first part in an American movie, Casablanca. She portrayed a woman playing baccarat with a Dutch banker (played by Torben Meyer). In her one line in movie, she says to the waiter Carl (played S.Z. Sakall), "Will you ask Rick if he will have a drink with us?", to which Carl responds, “Madame, he never drinks with customers. Never. I have never seen it.”

Later that year, she had another bit part in the World War II romance Reunion in France starring John Wayne and Joan Crawford. The following year, Berliner played Frau Reitler in The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler. Her last movie was a small uncredited role as a German actress in the musical The Dolly Sisters in 1945 starring Betty Grable, June Haver and C.Z. Sakall.

Berliner lived quietly in California until she died on February 26, 1977 in San Diego just two days shy of her 74th birthday.