Tristan Rot, born Herbert Plumpe, was a German film actor and occultist.
Biography[]
Herbert Plumpe was born in Berlin, German Empire, and he became a film actor and married the famous theatre actress Betty Winter. Known to the public by his stage name "Tristan Rot", he was known to be melodramatic and had an interest in the occult, hosting Fraterna Saturnii rituals at his mansion. In 1929, his relationship with Winter deteriorated due to her desire to move to the United States, and, in September, Winter died when a spotlight fell on her head during the filming of Demons of Passion, in which she co-starred with Rot. Rot was initially a suspect in Winter's murder due to Tilly Brooks recalling Rot and Winter's previous arguments, Rot being a member of a Satanist society and jealousy being a possible motive. However, the police were later directed to Walter Weintraub after he and Winter's replacement Vera Lohmann fell from a roof together, with Weintraub cloaked in Rot's film costume. The murderer was later discovered to have been Sandor Gosztony, who was murdered by the Berlin Mafia in retaliation. Rot and his new costar Esther Kasabian finished the film, and they received uproarious applause at the film's premiere.