Lisa Golm, born Luise Schmertzler, embarked on a remarkable journey that would take her from her humble beginnings in Berlin to the glamorous world of Hollywood. Prior to her acting career, her husband, Ernst (Ernest) Golm, had established himself as a dentist, catering to some of the most prominent movie stars in Berlin during the late 1920s and 1930s.
Lisa, meanwhile, pursued her passion for theater as a hobby under the tutelage of the renowned Conrad Veidt. When she and Ernst fled Nazi Germany in the late 1930s, they settled in Southern California, where Ernst continued his dental career from Beverly Hills and Lisa leveraged her acting training to capitalize on the growing demand for German-accented and other ethnic performances in films as the United States geared up for World War II.
Lisa's breakthrough film, Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939),sparked a nationwide phenomenon, with members of the Golm family from different parts of the United States taking the day off work to catch her on the big screen. Lisa and Ernst collaborated on two films, The Hitler Gang (1944) and Mission to Moscow (1943),cementing their status as a formidable on-screen duo.
Despite her penchant for mingling with high society, Lisa was often typecast as maids, a role that seemed at odds with her refined demeanor. Her family nickname, the "red broomstick," which referred to her tall, thin stature and fiery locks, was aptly demonstrated in her few color films, including Rhapsody (1954).
After Ernst's passing, Lisa retired and relocated to Israel, bringing a close to a life filled with drama, both on and off the screen.
