1940

After the sudden rise and meteoric fall of Luise’s star during the 1930s she started the new decade at an all-time low; but the determination which had seen her clash horns with Louis B. Mayer stood her in good stead now when she found herself ostracised from Hollywood but committed to choose her own destiny from here on. If the 1930s was the decade that changed her life forever, then the 40s were the years when she truly found herself. Contrary to popular belief she didn’t walk out of Hollywood altogether, in fact, she still lived in Los Angeles and she now began her journey back from the despair of MGM, a disastrous marriage and the ever-present threat of the Second World War with a fresh desire to do the work she wanted to do. Her name was attached to a number of film projects, but she only made one, Hostages, for Paramount in 1944. The 1940s was the decade when Luise started over, rediscovered the theatre and forged a new future for herself and inadvertantly created a memorable legacy in the process. Notable highlights of this decade include Luise’s divorce from Clifford Odets, her marriage to Robert Knittel and the birth of her daughter, Francesca; her Broadway and television debuts and working with Bertolt Brecht to create The Caucasian Chalk Circle.

The list is in chronological order and includes key dates in Luise’s life and career. A * denotes magazine and newspaper articles and interviews, most of which have been copied in full and are available on this site – click the links to open a new page.

Mar 10: Performs as Shaw’s Saint Joan at the Civic Theater, Washington D.C., directed by Erwin Piscator
May 4: Divorce with Clifford Odets finalised
July: Volunteers for work with the National Child Refugee Committee in New York and works under an assumed name
Aug 27: Appears before Martin Dies, Chairman of the house committee investigating un-American activities with Lionel Stander, Francis Lederer and Franchot Tone denying accusations of Communist connections
Oct 5: Radio broadcast of Lincoln Highway
Oct 15: Attends luncheon, Biltmore Hotel in support of the Roosevelt / Wallace presidential campaign

1941

: Campaigns for Bertolt Brecht to leave Europe for the US and signs an affadavit for him to do so
Mar 1: Radio broadcast of Lincoln Highway
Apr 20: National Variety Artists Annual Benefit Performance in New York
Sep 15 – 20: At the Maplewood Theatre, NJ in J.M. Barrie’s A Kiss for Cinderella

1942

: Meets Bertolt Brecht to discuss and idea for a play for her to star in on Broadway (later to become The Caucasian Chalk Circle)
Mar 10 – Apr 18: Broadway debut, The Music Box Theatre, New York, J.M. Barrie’s A Kiss for Cinderella

1943

Aug 12: Premiere of Hostages, her final American film
Sep 16: Takes part in a war bond rally in Phoenix, Arizona with Franchot Tone, Lois Andrews and Marie McDonald

1944

: Brecht writes The Caucasian Chalk Circle; the role of Grusha was written for Luise at her suggestion
Mar 11: Picture Show: Hostages pictorial*
Dec 28: Appears as Guest Armchair Detective on The Adventures of Ellery Queen

1945

Jan 4: Attends Manuel Komroff painting exhibition, American Artists Galleries, New York
Jul 12: Marries publisher Robert Knittel

1946

Feb: Visits the Ford Motor Company’s Rouge plant. Features on cover of Ford Times magazine.
Jun 2: Birth of daughter, Francesca
Aug 27: Tableau de famille a Orly in Cinémonde magazine*

1947

: Summer theatre tour of the USA in the title role of Maxwell Anderson’s Joan of Lorraine
Jul 25: The Great Waltz re-issued in cinemas in the USA

1948

Aug 30 – Sep 4: Appears as the title character in another prodution of Joan of Lorraine at the Montclair Theatre, NJ

1949

: Visits Italy to discuss a film project with Vittorio de Sica (no film is ever made)
Jan 9: Performs the telephone scene from The Great Ziegfeld on the US television show Toast of the Town
Jan 24: Television debut in The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre episode Trapeze
Feb 6: Second appearance as a guest on US television show Toast of the Town
Apr 16: Cover photo for the French magazine France Illustration showing Luise posing for her portrait by Hungarian painter Dimitri Berea*
Aug: Appears in US television drama Lost Child
Oct 19 – 30: Plays Nina in Chekhov’s The Sea Gull at the Brattle Theatre, Massachusetts
Nov 25: The Return of Luise Rainer in Radio Times magazine*
Nov 27: Makes live UK television debut in By Candlelight
Dec 1: Second live television performance in By Candlelight
Dec 24: Article in the Italian magazine La Settimana Incom, with rare photos of Luise’s visit to Rome*