Kirsten Heiberg - Ich bin wie ich bin ! (Schellack version, 1939)

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Three female singers will be presented in today's videos. Their common link : all were foreigners in the country where they were succesful : Kirsten Heiberg, Norwegian and Rosita Serrano, a Chilean achieved their greatest successes in Germany. Eva Busch, a German refugee from the Nazi regime achieved great succes in France in the late 1930s.....

The first singer is the beautiful Norwegian actress Kirsten Heiberg (1907-76). The song "Ich bin wie ich bin" (I am what I am) was composed by Werner Eisbrenner for the movie "Frauen für Golden Hill" which featured Heiberg in her first leading role.

Heiberg - born into a wealthy artistic family - had a career in Scandinavia before coming to Vienna where she was expected to replace Zarah Leander in "Axel an der Himmelstür". Heiberg who had already been overshadowed by Leander in Scandinavia felt little for the idea and a new operetta "Pam Pam" was written for her. While in Vienna she met the famed German composed Franz Grothe. They fell in love and married... After a singing part in "Napoleon ist an allem Schuld" she was starred in a number of movies including "Frauen für Golden Hill", "Alarm auf Station III" and "Der singende Tor" (1939, opposite Benjamino Gigli). She was usually cast as a dangerous vamp.... She achieved her greatest popularity with her husbands songs - especially the chanson "Ja und Nein" which he wrote for "Der singende Tor".

The outbreak of the Second World War was the start of a deeply unhappy period for Heiberg. She was furious over the occupation of her native Norway and tired of being typecast as femme fatale in propaganda spy capers such aas "Falschmünzer" and "Achtung, Feind hört mit" both released in 1940. She was suspended did not make any movies in 1941 and 1942. She returned to studios for a part in "Titanic" (1942/43) which was only released in Germany after the war. In1943 she also starred in "Liebespremiere" the musical for which she is best remembered today - with music by her husband Franz Grothe ("Komm, Zauber der Nacht"; "Ich bin heut' frei, meine Herrn" and "Mein Herz liegt gefangen in deiner Hand"). She starred in a handful of movies until the collapse of the Third Reich.

After the War her marriage to Franz Grothe broke down and after starringin three movies Kirsten Heiberg returned to Norway where the public did not forgive her for having worked in Nazi-Germany. She was offered no movie parts and returned to the stage and gave acting classes. She returned to German sudios one final time in 1954 for the movie "Bei dir war es immer so schön" - which was built around Theo Mackeben's most famous melodies. Kirsten Heiberg died in 1976 of cancer - nearly forgotten. One of the few mourners at her grave was her former husband Franz Grothe with whom she had remained on very friendly terms....

More info :
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirsten_...

On this recording of "Ich bin wie ich bin" Kirsten Heiberg is accompanied by the famed "Goldene Sieben" orchestra.

The video features pictures of Kirsten Heiberg as well as Belgian movie posters of "Alarm of Station III", "Achtung Feind hört mit!" and "Falschmünzer" as well as few sequences from some of her movies.

About the record :

Electrola
E.G 6580 / ORA. 3421
Berlin,
1939

Record in good condition.

This record was transferred with a 78rpm phono preamp and Ortofon Om78 cartridge and stylus in order to get an acceptable 78rpm playback.