Thomas Fritsch

He was a dashing romantic heartthrob of the 1960s, the scion of illustrious show business parents. Thomas was born in Dresden, the son of pre-war Ufa Film matinee idol Willy Fritsch and the actress and dancer Dinah Grace. He studied drama, ballet and singing in Hamburg and made his theatrical debut in 1963 at the Stadttheater Heidelberg. Success in films soon followed. Opposite screen icons like Lilli Palmer (Adorable Julia (1962), Das große Liebesspiel (1963)), Daliah Lavi (Black-White-Red Four Poster (1962)) and Senta Berger (Full Hearts and Empty Pockets (1964)), Thomas became one of the most popular juvenile leads of the decade. As early as 1962, he won the prestigious Bambi Award as Best Young Actor. He gained further cinematic exposure through co-starring in European westerns (The Last Ride to Santa Cruz (1964), Legend of a Gunfighter (1964) ) and international co-productions (Uncle Tom's Cabin (1965) ). After he was conscripted to military service in 1966, his fortunes began to