Luise Rainer, Hollywood golden era Oscar winner, dies aged 104

Luise Rainer, a star of cinema's golden era who became the first ever person to win back-to-back Oscars but then walked away from a glittering Hollywood career, has died aged 104.

Rainer, whose roles ranged from the 1930s German stage to television's 'The Love Boat,' died Tuesday at her home in London from pneumonia, said her only daughter, Francesca Knittel-Bowyer.

'She was bigger than life and can charm the birds out of the trees,' Knittel-Bowyer said. 'If you saw her, you'd never forget her.'



Star: Luise Rainer, pictured in 1999, died from pneumonia at her home in London, at the age of 104

The big-eyed, apple-cheeked Rainer gained Hollywood immortality by becoming the first person to win an acting Academy Award in consecutive years, taking the best actress prize for 'The Great Ziegfeld' in 1936 in and 'The Good Earth' in 1937.

It's a feat since achieved by only four other actors. Those trophies marked the peak of Rainer's career, which declined so rapidly that many considered her an early victim of 'the curse of the Oscars.'

Source: Dailymail