Marika Rokk

Here a very nice short music clip from the German diva Marika Rokk. In color.
Is really nice and very beautiful to see original from the years before the war.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW_sU45Jcgc&mode=related&search=

Also known as "cheerleader of the endsieg".

May I quote from one of her letters: "If I could divert you a bit from your responsible work, my Fuhrer, I shall be infinitely proud."

She was a mediocre actor, and her career wouldn't have existed if Germany hadn't killed or expelled the good actors (Jewish or not). She later claimed she was always an apolitical person, and had wanted to be a member of the Nazi party only because of those cute pins. Still in 1943 (!), she joined the organisation in charge of "Germanising" Central and Eastern Europe.

Had no problems to accept a villa that was stolen from an expelled film director, and somehow nobody knows what happened to his art collection - wasn't there after the war some way.

Quite a contrast to the one truly great German diva of the 1940s - Lale Andersen, who recorded one of the greatest pop records of all time, Lile Marlene.

Despite the song’s incredible popularity with the troops Lale fell foul of the Nazi party. Goebells detested the “decadent” mood and subject matter of the song and banned it from the airwaves. Lale herself was banned from performing for almost a year. Even when the ban was lifted she was still forbidden from performing Lily Marleen.

What really compounded her sins was that she was openly friendly with several Swiss Jews, in particular the composer Rolf Liebermann with whom she had a lifelong relationship.

Her career was effectively ruined and she attempted suicide. She was offered some propaganda work by way of redemption, but after making a few propaganda records could stomach it no longer and retired to an isolated island in the north sea.

I actually found the song on YouTube…..

[EDIT: Link removed because I have no desire to make this thread a showcase for Nazi Propaganda. -HJ]

In the same area, Zarah Leander was a fabulous singer!