SCHNEIDER, ROMY

(1938-1982)

Actress. Romy Schneider, or Rosemarie Albach-Retty, was born in Vienna, the daughter of actors Wolf Albach-Retty and Magda Schneider. She debuted in cinema in German director Hans Deppe'sWenn der weisse Flieder wieder bluht(1953). In 1954, she played a young Queen Victoria in the filmMadchenjahre einer Konigin(1954), by Austrian director Ernst Marischka, followed by title roles in Marischka'sSissitrilogy, which follows the story of the Bavarian princess and later Austrian Empress Elizabeth. She costarred for the first time onscreen with her future partnerAlain Delonin Pierre Gaspard'Huit'sChristine(1958), a remake ofMax Ophuls's 1933Liebelei.Her mother had played the same role in the Ophiils original.

In the late 1950s, Schneider and Delon became engaged, although they never married. She maintained a lively theater career and acted onstage with Delon in the playDommage qu'elle soit une putain, directed by Louis Visconti in 1961. The following year, she acted in Visconti's cinematic sketch "Il Lavoro" in the filmBoccacio 70.

Schneider settled in France but became a legendary international film star. In the 1960s, she played in Orson Welles'sThe Trial(1963), David Swift's 1964Good Neighbor Sam(opposite Jack Lemmon), Clive Donner's 1965 filmWhat's New,Pussycat?, with Peter O'Toole, Peter Sellers, and Woody Allen, and Terence Young's 1966Triple Crosswith Christopher Plummer. She continued to star in French films, such asAlain Cavalier'sLe Combat dans l'île(1962),Henri-Georges Clouzot's unfinishedL'Enfer, and Jean Chapot'sLa Voleuse(1966). She and Delon separated in 1963, but she still performed with him in films such asJacques Deray'sLa Piscine(1968). She acted for the first time for directorClaude Sautetalong-sideMichel PiccoliinLes choses de la vie(1969). Schneider would become Sautet's preferred actress.

In the 1970s, Schneider acted oppositeYves MontandinCésar et Rosalie(1972), with Delon in Joseph Losey'sThe Assassination of Trotsky(1972), withJean-Louis Trintignantin Pierre Granier-Deferre'sLe train(1973), and again alongside Piccoli in Francis Girod'sLe Trio Infernale(1974). She replayed the role of Empress Elisabeth in Visconti'sLudwig(1972). In the same decade, she received twoCésarAwards for Best Actress in Andrzej Zulawski'sL 'important c'est d'aimer(1975) and Sautet'sUne histoire simple(1978). She later costarred inConstantin Costa-Gavras'sClair de femme(1979) with Montand. In the 1980s, she played starring roles inBertrand Tavernier'sLa Mort en direct, Girod'sLa banquière(1980), andClaude Miller'sGarde à vue(1981). Her last cinematic performance was in Jacques Ruffio'sLa passante du Sans-souci(1982). She was nominated for a César for Best Actress for her work.