Brigitte Helm (March 17, 1908 - June 11, 1996) was a German actress. Her most famous role was in Fritz Lang's Metropolis in 1927. She was born Brigitte Eva Gisela Schittenhelm in Berlin. Her second, and by far the most memorable role, was as Maria in the silent film Metropolis. After Metropolis, Helm made over 30 films, including talking pictures, before retiring in 1936.
Her other appearances include The Love of Jeanne Ney (1927), Gloria (1931), The Blue Danube (1932) and Gold (1934).
In 1935, angered by Nazi control of the German film industry, she moved to Switzerland where she later had 4 children with her second husband Dr. Hugo Kunheim, an industrialist. After her retirement from films she refused to grant any interviews concerning her film career
