- Born
- Died
- Gustav Fröhlich was born on March 21, 1902 in Hanover, Germany. He was an actor and director, known for Metropolis (1927), Leb' wohl, Christina (1945) and Seine Tochter ist der Peter (1955). He was married to Maria Hajek and Gitta Alpar. He died on December 22, 1987 in Lugano, Ticino, Switzerland.
- SpousesMaria Hajek(1941 - 1987) (her death)Gitta Alpar(April 5, 1931 - 1935) (divorced, 1 child)
- Froehlich was banned from playing his trade for two years (1941-43) after allegedly slapping Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels in a fit of jealous rage. The ever-roving-eyed Goebbels had been making amorous overtures to Froehlich's then-partner, the actress Lida Baarova. In reality, whether the slap actually happened and only insults were traded is unclear. Nonetheless, the ban stuck.
- He first performed with a touring company and then on the legitimate stage in Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Berlin. After making his reputation as an actor in Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927), Froehlich forsook the theatre for motion pictures. He was briefly in Hollywood in the early 30's, working on German versions of American films. Afterwards, he became one of the most popular and best-paid stars of German cinema in the 30's and 40's, as well as branching out into directing and screenwriting. He graduated to character roles after the war.
- After his marriage with Gilla Alpar he lived together with the actress Lida Baarova. A rumor says that Gustav Fröhlich, when he lost Lida Baarova to propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, he slapped him during a quarrel.
- He was a trainee at a newspaper in 1919.
- Began as editor of a provincial newspaper and author of dime novels.
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