The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to The Associated Press that it had responded to the death of an 85-year-old woman on Sommer’s block that night.

Early Life and Path to Stardom

Sommer was born Elke Schletz in Berlin on November 5, 1940, and grew up during the hardships of World War II. Her family left Berlin for southern Germany in 1942, and her father, a Protestant pastor, died when she was just 14.

She later described those years as marked by poverty, recalling in a 2014 interview with Film Talk that she once milked cows to help make ends meet. After her father’s death, the family lived on very little until she began working as an actress.

Her path to fame began unexpectedly. In 1958, while on a trip to Italy, she was crowned ‘Miss Viareggio.’ Photos from the pageant caught the attention of acclaimed director Vittorio De Sica, who brought her to Rome and gave her a start in film.

Her first role came in The Friend of the Jaguar. In 1959, Berlin producer Artur Brauner signed her, and she went on to star alongside Horst Buchholz in The Death Ship. More German film roles followed, even as a Hollywood career remained, for most German actors and actresses of the era, little more than a dream.

Hollywood Breakthrough and Iconic Roles

Sommer defied those odds. Producer Pandro S. Berman cast her in the drama The Prize opposite Paul Newman, a role that marked a turning point in her career. She went on to win a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer.

Her most enduring role came soon after, in the Pink Panther film A Shot in the Dark. Starring alongside Peter Sellers, she played Maria Gambrelli, a maid framed for murder who becomes the object of Inspector Clouseau’s affection — a part that made her a household name.

Throughout the 1960s, she continued working with some of the era’s biggest stars. Her credits included The Art of Love with James Garner and Dick Van Dyke, Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!, and The Wrecking Crew, in which she acted alongside Dean Martin and Sharon Tate.

Her blonde hair and striking looks often led others to label her a sex symbol at the height of her fame, but Sommer herself never placed much weight on the description. In her 2014 interview with Film Talk, she reflected simply: “My whole life, I have been directed, I have been produced, I spoke the lines written for the character.”

Personal Life and Final Days

Sommer was married to German hotelier Wolf Walther. He died in July of this year at the age of 77. Just months later, she has joined him.

Her last wish was to be buried in the family grave in Marloffstein, Germany.

Rest in peace, Elke Sommer, and thank you for all the wonderful films. Our thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones.