Born and raised in Zürich-Oerlikon, Canton of Zürich in Switzerland, to Elise née Boller and Johannes Rudolf, Margrit Rosa Sandmeier dreamed of a circus career. Her parents forced her to make an apprenticeshipt as a photo lab assistant, but she secretly took acting classes and singing lessons. At the age of 18, she married Fritz Pfister, a Swiss actor, and they emigrated to Ibiza, where they operated a chicken farm. But the marriage broke up and she returned to Switzerland. Rainer worked as a cashier at the Zürich hotel Hirschen in 1934, the venue of the Cabaret Cornichon.
Theater, film and television and children's voice actress
After first appearances at the Schweizerisches Volkstheater in 1938, Rainer debuted as chinesische Mutter at the Cabaret Cornichon. Engagements at the Corso Theater Zürich and on occasion of the Swiss National Exhibition Landi'39 at Zürichhorn as Mäiti in the Swiss-German play "Steibruch", brought her artistic breakthrough. In the meanwhile, she also staged on the cabarets Resslirytti in Basel and Nebelhorn in Zürich, but from 1938 to 1950 she was a member of the Cornichon ensemble in Zürich where she met Ruedi Walter. She also played in various radio plays, among others in Regenpfeifer by Jürg Amstein and Artur Beul in 1948. After participation in the musical "Eusi chliini Stadt" at the opening of the Theater am Hechtplatz in Zürich in 1959, Rainer staged there in the 1960s on a regular basis, so in several musicals such as "Bibi Balù" and "Golden Girl". In 1969 Rainer played at the Basler Theater the role of mother in the dialect version of Edward Bond's "Saved". Margrit Rainer's premiered in the 1951 Swiss film Wahrheit oder Schwindel; her most popular films include Peter's mother in Heidi in 1951 and in 1955 in the sequel, Polizischt Wäckerli in 1956, Die Käserei in der Vehfreude two years later, An heiligen Wassern in 1960 and Demokrat Läppli starring Alfred Rasser in 1961, in 1971 Der Kapitän and ten years later Der Erfinder. In the Swiss television she appeared in 25 episodes of Ein Fall für Mändli alongside Ruedi Walter and Inigo Gallo between 1973 and 1975. Beside the stage and television and film, from 1970 to 1982 she participated in a number of children's fairy tales and musicals directed by Jörg Schneider.
Margrit Rainer, Ruedi Walter and Inigo Gallo
Margrit Rainer first appeared with Ruedi Walter as cabaret duo in 1951, first among others in a dialect version of Jan de Hartog's "Das Himmelbett", then in numerous popular dialect farces. As "Ehepaar Ehrsam" in the popular satirical radio program "Spalebärg 77a" from 1955 to 1965 the duo Rainer-Walter became very popular; Spalbärg 77a was filmed in 1957, and in 1962 produced as a musical. Rainer and Walter played in numerous popular dialect plays and farces, and were during thirty years probably the most popular entertainment duo in Switzerland. At the Schauspielhaus Zürich, they had great success in "Die Kleine Niederdorf-Oper" and in 1954 in "Der schwarze Hecht". Great touring successes were among others the dialect adaption of Arthur Lovegrove's "Goodnight, Mrs. Puffin!" in 1969, in 1977 "D'Mueter wott nur s'Bescht", and in 1980 "Potz Millione", both directed by Rainer's spouse Inigo Gallo. Rainer, Gallo and Walter worked in a variety of dialect plays and musicals. Gallo directed, among other things his own Swiss German versions of farces like "Hurra, en Bueb!" "D'Mutter wott nur s'Bescht" and "Potz Millione", that became in 1980 a great success, touring with Rainer, Walter, Gallo and Ines Torelli.
Personal life
Born in Zürich, Margrit Rainer was citizen of Seengen, by first marriage of Richterswil, and since 1975 also citizen of Zürich. Margrit Rainer and Ruedi Walter often was rumored to be a couple; indeed in the early days of their joint cooperation, but in 1959 the private paths of the film and stage partner separated. Margrit Rainer found in Inigo Gallo a new partner who also frequently appeared on the side of Margrit Rainer and Ruedi Walter in films and the theater. and his wife by second marriage, Enzenbühl cemetery, Zürich-Weinegg Margrit Rainer died after a routine intervention: a cyst was removed in her abdomen, but she died a short time later from internal bleeding on 10 February 1982. She was buried at Enzenbühl cemetery in Zürich-Weinegg alongside Inigo Gallo and his wife from first marriage.
Aftermath
Margrit Rainer became very popular as she often played the role of the petty-bourgeois housewife and wife, and was to the early 1980s the most popular Swiss folk actress, the "Mother of the Nation"; radiant and warm...but also complex, dark and broken. Only with this double meaning you will do her justice. Adjacent to the Ruedi-Walter-Strasse in Zürich-Oerlikon where she was born, the Margrit-Rainer-Strasse was named after the popular actress. At the Theater Rigiblick, on occasion of the artist's 100th birthday, in September 2014 premiered Euse Rainer chönnt das au!, a play respectively musical dedicated to Margrit Rainer, who's still popular although she died 32 years ago.
Filmography (selected works)
1981: Potz Millione
1981: Der Erfinder
1973–1975: Ein Fall für Männdli
1972: Nid jetz, Schatz!
1972: Gute Abig, Signor Steiger
1971: Der Kapitän
1969: Pfarrer Iseli
1968: Sommersprossen
1968: Die sechs Kummerbuben
1967: Polizist Wäckerli in Gefahr
1966: Geld und Geist
1962: Der 42. Himmel
1962: Jakobli and Meyeli
1962: Anne Bäbi Jowäger - II. Teil: Jakobli und Meyeli
1961: Demokrat Läppli
1960: An heiligen Wassern
1960: Anne Bäbi Jowäger - I. Teil: Wie Jakobli zu einer Frau kommt
