Overview
Leif Roscher Roschberg (27 February 1909 – 10 May 1967), known professionally as one half of the Rocky Twins, was a Norwegian dancer, actor, and painter. Alongside his identical twin brother, Paal, he headlined major revues in Paris, London, and Pre-Code Hollywood.
Early life and education
Leif was born in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway, into a socially prominent family. His father, Adolf Roscher Roschberg, was a colonel in the Norwegian army.
The Rocky Twins (1927–1937)
At age 18, the brothers were discovered and booked for the 1927 revue Les Ailes de Paris at the Casino de Paris. Their most popular routine involved dressing in elaborate, identical drag to parody the Dolly Sisters. Their impersonation was noted for being "disturbingly beautiful" rather than comedic, making them pioneers of refined androgyny. During the late 1920s and early 1930s, they became icons of the "Pansy Craze," headlining at the Folies Bergère and the Lido. Their striking looks earned them the nickname "The Black Orchids of the North".
Hollywood and film
In 1932, the twins moved to Hollywood, where director Edmund Goulding cast them in the MGM film Blondie of the Follies. Their pirate-themed dance sequence with Marion Davies remains their most famous filmed performance. While in Los Angeles, they became staples of the social circuit, frequently staying at Hearst Castle and socializing with Charlie Chaplin, William Haines, and Tallulah Bankhead.
Painting and later career
After the duo split in 1937, Leif turned toward the fine arts. Following World War II, he settled in New York City, where he reinvented himself as a painter. He held two successful solo exhibitions in New York in 1952, with his work reflecting the same elegance that characterized his stage career.
Personal life
Leif lived a defiant life that challenged the social norms of the 1930s. He was married twice first to Maria Vogt in Vienna in 1939 and later to Jenny Voigt in Canada in 1944. Both marriages ended in divorce. After years abroad in Sicily, Cuba, and the United States, he eventually returned to Oslo, where he worked as a tour guide in his later years.
Death
Leif died on 10 May 1967, in Oslo at the age of 58 and he is buried alongside his brother Paal in Oslo.
Legacy
Leif Roschberg is remembered as a pioneer of queer performance.