Sweetheart of the Gods (German: Liebling der Götter) is a 1960 West German biographical film directed by Gottfried Reinhardt and starring Ruth Leuwerik, Peter van Eyck, and Harry Meyen. The film portrays the life of Renate Müller, a German film actress who died in 1937 in mysterious circumstances. A variety of rumours about Müller's death had developed, but the filmmakers chose to portray it as suicide following Nazi pressure over her relationship with a Jewishdiplomat. Following legal objections from Müller's family, the ending was toned down to make her final fate more vague.[1]
Leuwerik recreates scenes and songs from several of Müller's films. However their star personae were very different, with Müller famous as a girl-next-door while Leuwerik played the role in her more usual refined fashion. Although set in the 1930s, stylistically the film often resembles the late 1950s.[2]Willy Fritsch, a German star of the 1930s who had acted alongside Müller in two films, appears in a small role.[3]
Bergfelder, Tim (2005) [2004]. International Adventures: German Popular Cinema and European Co-Productions in the 1960s. New York: Berghahn Books. ISBN978-1-57181-539-2.
