02 Mar Rosita Serrano
Rosita Serrano, WWII era singer and actress … the “Chilean Nightingale”
Rosita Serrano, born in 1914, was a beautiful World War II era singer and actress who grew up in Chile. With her mother, an opera singer, and her father, a diplomat, she moved to Germany in 1936. There she became very popular and performed for many high-ranking Nazis.
According to OSS reports, Rosita was often Hitler’s guest for dinner. On April 1, 1943, she sang at the house of Hermann Göring, Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, and as a gift received a fabulous diamond bracelet. “Göring assured her that in all personal and political matters she would receive his private protection.”
In 1943 Serrano went to Sweden with her mother on tour. She traveled in Sweden and Finland with her guitar and was reportedly mistress of the director of the Berlin Office of Aerotransport AB, a Swedish airline company that is today part of SAS.
That year Rosita sang in a concert sponsored by the King of Sweden, the proceeds of which were used to benefit Jewish refugees who had been persecuted by the Nazi regime. Because of this the Germans accused her of being a spy and banned her music and her films. She was unable to return there until after the war.
On May 20, 1944, Rosita Serrano attended a large cocktail party at the apartment of Col. Felix Hardison. The party was in honor of Maj. Arthur Conradi, Jr., the assistant MilitaryAir Attache. Herman Allen, who worked with the internees, was at that party also.
Moreover, later that evening there was a party hosted by Rosita Serrano at Bellmansro restaurant. In attendance there, according to OSS records, were none other than Lts. Herman F. Allen and Charles W. “Smithy” Smith, the bombardier and pilot of the Liberty Lady. The boys got around, didn’t they?
I have not yet found any evidence that Ms. Serrano was actually spying for either the Allies or the Nazis. It sounds like she was consorting with all of them and was on everyone’s watch list. I would love to know more. Email pat@libertyladybook.com
After the war, Rosita went to the United States where she sang at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles, and a local critic wrote “Rosita Serrano joins the beauty of Hedy Lamar and the spark of Brazilian Carmen Miranda.” She returned to Germany in 1951 and was in a couple of films, but her popularity never returned. She spent her later years back in Chile, her native country, where in the year 1997 the “Chilean Nightingale” died in poverty.
Gerald Allen
Posted at 12:36h, 26 JulyI am writing a book of Rosita. Hugo Samual who lives in Los Angeles and grew up in Chile had a romantic love afair for many years. My neighbor . Rosita left her tapes to Hugo she recorded about her life before she died. I have those tapes and I am writing a book about Hugo and her. Rosita’s mom use to sing in Hugo’s Villa in Chile.
Mr Ingmar van de Sande
Posted at 07:28h, 28 JulyDear Sir,
I am very interested in the book you will be writing about Rosita Serrano. Can you give me information where I can buy it? Or when it will be finished?
Thank you very much,
Ingmar van de Sande
Gerald Allen
Posted at 11:36h, 28 JulyHugo and I are still working on this book. I live in the Palm Springs , Calf. area
Hugo . I will let you know when
Karl Strauss
Posted at 15:33h, 29 NovemberI am too interested in the book ,I am a fan of hers.thx Karl 11-29 2012 .When i was a kid in Germany she sang on the radio.