Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 47

THE NEWS OF THE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD i -o Little. Known Here, Son a's Star Shines Bright in Europe By PEGGY BAUER Mention the name of Sonja Ziemann along the Kur-fuerstendamm in Berlin, it will likely cause a riot. Along Chestnut St. in Philadelphia, it will likely bring only a shrug. I I TO in TO CO -of -jy.

I 1 I v' IT 1. I A a-nnini- i i 6" Tomorrow could be a different story. That's when the popular German actress will be seen in her first American film, "The Secret Ways," world premiering at the Goldman. IX GERMANY, Sonja Ziemann is to movie fans what Elizabeth Taylor is in the U. S.

Her every move is avidly recorded in print. Her every footstep dogged by hordes of shrieking autograph seekers. At 28, she is a veteran of more than 30 films. She first faced the cameras at 15, was a star of the first magnitude at 18 and has been packing them in at the box office ever since. "ALL MY ROLES were she says.

"How would you say? All alike. Always the sweet country girl. In dirndl skirt with back RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE," film version of the Grace Metalious novel, is loaded with new faces and a solid quota of established stars. This sequel to "Peyton Place" casts Tuesday Weld (upper left) as Selena Cross, the same role that brought stardom to Hope Lange in the earlier film. Card Lynley (upper right) portrays Allison MacKenzie, whose best-selling book scandalizes her home town.

Diane Varsi was the "first" Allison. Brett Halsey and Luciana Paluzzi (lower left) have important roles as Ted Carter and his bride. Jeff Chandler (lower right) appears as the New York publisher who falls in love with his young protege, Allison. Two other "oldtimers" in cast are Eleanor Parker and Mary Astor, shown in scene (bottom) with Miss Lynley. Jerry Wald production is scheduled for local release next month.

4 ground of flowers, mountains, forests. Always I was 'the girls' 'The Dutch 'The Black Forest Girl'." Sonja spoke about German-style "trite" casting between nibbles of her continental breakfast at the Warwick. She was here on a publicity tour for "The Secret Ways," a spy drama in which she co-stars with Richard Widmark. "I'M GLAD the picture was made in Europe," she said, referring to location filming in Vienna. "In Hollywood, too many excitements all at once.

This way I was still working in Europe with mostly foreign technicians and cast. Only difference was I speak English." This Sonja does with a delightful accent and only an occasional "kitsch" when an English word eludes her. She's petite "162 centimeters" (5 feet, 2 inches to us) with tousled dark brown hair and deep blue eyes set in a heart-shaped face. Although Sonja has been a big movie star at home since her teens, she said she never Nurtured any Hollywood ambitions. "OLD-FASHIONED now SONJA ZIEMANN new kind of role to make "The Eighth Day of the Week," a German-Polish co-production filmed in Warsaw.

This was her first role and one that brought her international critical acclaim. More importantly, it brought her her husband of a month-and-a-half, Marek Hlasko, a Polish novelist who wrote the scenario for the film. THE IILASKOS are an internationally-minded family. Their home is in San Moritz. While Sonja's touring here, Marek's in Israel working on a new book.

Meanwhile, Sonja's son by a previous marriage, Pierre, 7, is in Berlin attending a French school. The actress' first trip to this country will take her from coast-to-coast, but on that point she said she. had seen little of it except "from a train at night." After a "long fly over the ocean" from Frankfurt, she was taken to "a place very high." (Her suite in a New York hotel, explained a studio aide.) "FROM THE WINDOW, all the lights," she d. "Everything I dream about New York. Only more impressive." Sonja obviously is fascinated by our skyscrapers.

She admitted the one thing she wanted to do while here "a naive thing" was go to the top of the Empire1 State Building. mininiiir ftlliiwilti iifii'kMii imm HnwJi 1mmAJLmbb i A Iff I I i I.HIMMIIM i Hi it lit i Ml in Mllir--f-lliiii ii ii inmi iiiimi European actresses wanting to be Hollywood stars. Some want to go there because of the glamor. What they get Is glamorous publicity. But no parts.

"Besides, films be come so international now. Hollywood comes to Europe. No borders anymore." She first crossed, a border.