
Café: A Shot in the Dark was one of the funniest comedies of the 1960s. Your performance as Maria the maid was a perfect complement to Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau. What was it like working with Sellers and director Blake Edwards?
Elke with Peter Sellers in A Shot in the Dark. |
Café: You made two films with acclaimed horror director Mario Bava: Baron Blood and Lisa and the Devil. How would you describe Bava as a director?
ES: Mario Bava was one of the kindest, sweetest, and most fatherly men I ever knew. Actually, I called him my "papa." He was a very decisive director who told you exactly what he wanted and how he wanted it, and I clung to his every word and followed his orders to the letter. Because he was my "papa." And you do what your father says.
Café: You made a delightful--and glamorous--villain in the spy spoof The Wrecking Crew (we loved your death scene!). What are your memories of working with Dean Martin and Sharon Tate?
![]() |
Elke with Sharon Tate. |
Café: Of your English-language films, which one was your favorite and why?
ES: The Oscar with Stephen Boyd--a movie that, in my opinion, did not receive the recognition it deserved. Tony Bennett had his first role in a motion picture in The Oscar and we became friends. We even went to the premiere together: he with his mother, and I with my mother. And he felt inspired by my paintings and started painting himself.
Café: You appeared with most of the great comedians of the 1960s: Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Dick Van Dyke, and Peter Sellers. Who was the funniest and why?
Elke with Jack Benny. |
Café: You appeared in a 1971 TV pilot for a sitcom called The Elke Sommer Show (aka Elke) co-starring Peter Bonerz. How did you feel when CBS didn't pick up the series?
ES: Please don’t think of me as arrogant. I do remember Peter Bonerz, of course I do, but I do not remember that series, not at all. But please don’t hold this against me. I have been working in this business for more than fifty years and you would be amazed how many projects are planned or even started and never come to pass. It just happens and you move on. And, obviously, you forget--completely.
Café: You've appeared in numerous stage plays, such as Woman of the Year, Irma La Douce, and Cactus Flower. You even won a Joseph Jefferson Award as Guest Artist in a Chicago production of Born Yesterday. What are some of your favorite stage roles and why?

Café: You became interested in art at a young age and had your first painting exhibition at age 24 in Beverly Hills. How would you describe your artistic style and who were your greatest influences?
![]() |
Elke Sommer's painting Elephant Girl. |
Café: You played tennis with greats like Ilie Natashe and Billie Jean King. In fact, Sports Illustrated nicknamed you "The Brute." Were you really that competitive on the court?
ES: Yes, I was. I loved playing tennis and I was really good at it--not good enough to be a professional, but good enough to play celebrity tournaments and win a lot of them. They called me “The Brute” because of my topspin backhand, which must have been…well, brutal.
Café: How did you meet your husband Wolf Walther?
![]() |
Elke and husband Wolf Walther. |
Café: Do you have any upcoming appearances that you'd like to share with your fans?
ES: I am constantly receiving offers, but so far, there hasn't been anything that interested me. I am dreaming of a role that’s really different. I would love to play an old hooker or a toothless street person. When this dream part comes along, I will shout it from the mountaintops. Until then, I can finally enjoy what I have, time with my husband and with our dog and my beautiful houses here in Beverly Hills and in Germany--life in a pure and unobstructed form.
You can learn more about Ms. Sommer by visiting her web site at www.elkesommeronline.com.
ES: I am constantly receiving offers, but so far, there hasn't been anything that interested me. I am dreaming of a role that’s really different. I would love to play an old hooker or a toothless street person. When this dream part comes along, I will shout it from the mountaintops. Until then, I can finally enjoy what I have, time with my husband and with our dog and my beautiful houses here in Beverly Hills and in Germany--life in a pure and unobstructed form.
You can learn more about Ms. Sommer by visiting her web site at www.elkesommeronline.com.
It was a pleasure to read your interview with such an accomplished and lovely woman.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderfully classy actress! I just love that picture of Elke and Sharon Tate.
DeleteGreat interview and I echo your thoughts on A SHOT IN THE DARK. Wonder who was responsible for the bit where in frustration, she bites Closeau's shoulder in the car.
ReplyDeleteKevin, I should have asked about the shoulder bite (which I thought was hilarious). I forgot about it until after the interview when I was doing a screen cap of Maria and Clouseau riding in the car naked as they speed away from the nudist camp.
DeleteElke Sommer mentioned that scene when she was interviewed in 2007, by a German TV channel.
DeleteAccording to her, the bite was improvised on the spot. It wasn't in the script, but a consequence of her leaning into the embarrassment the scene called for.
(Although she herself would not have been embarrassed about being seen in the nude.)
She remembered struggling to get rid of two hairs from Seller's shoulder, that got stuck in her teeth, while filming of the scene continued.
I absolutely loved reading your interview with Miss Sommer, Rick! I enjoyed both of her theatrical choices and would have enjoyed watching her performances. My family loves "A Shot in the Dark" and we have viewed it together many times. It was one of the last movies I saw with my father and I can still hear him laughing and laughing. This is truly a memory I will always cherish. I think the photos of Miss Sommer are beautiful. I especially loved the picture of her in that exquisite red gown standing next to Jack Benny.
ReplyDeleteToto, I loved hearing about your father laughing through A SHOT IN THE DARK. It's one of my all-time favorite comedies and I have shown it to many relatives and friends. I can testify that it never ages and is equally funny to all ages.
DeleteHi, Rick, and Hello, Elke! : )
ReplyDeleteSuch great questions you've asked and the wonderful things she said about her co-stars and especially Jack Benny. What an enjoyable read and a glimpse into the life of such a talented actress.
All the best!
Page
Rick - I was so excited to see that you snagged an interview with one of my favorite 1960s beauties.; After seeing her in the so funny "A Shot in the Dark," I always followed her in the fan mags and kept an eye on her. She sounds like a lovely and happy woman and your interview was just perfect.; Loved it.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting movie Elke starred in was the 1975 remake of TEN LITTLE INDIANS directed by Peter Collinson (1936-1980). It plays like a weird parody of the 1966 film; I believe the '75 version uses the same script as the '66 with only a few differences. To wit: The setting of the '66 movie was a snowy Alpine resort while the setting of the 1975 film was an Iranian hotel in the middle of the desert. I'd seen the 1966 version of TEN LITTLE INDIANS several times before I watched the '75 version and I watched the '75 movie several more times after my 1st viewing and I've concluded it's like director Collinson thought it would be fun to tweak the mood of the movie from dead serious in '66 to slightly off-kilter and a lil' jokey here 'n' there throughout the film. It's hard to describe, but if you watch the '66 and then immediately watch the '75 I think you'll see what I'm trying to convey. I hope! :) I like the '75 version of TEN LITTLE INDIANS quite a bit, although the critics apparently did not.
ReplyDelete