Maria Schell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maria Schell
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Maria Schell in Le notti bianche (1957)
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| Born |
Maria Margarethe Anna Schell
15 January 1926 |
| Died | 26 April 2005 (aged 79) |
| Occupation | Actress, producer |
| Years active | 1942–1996 |
| Spouse(s) | Horst Hächler (1957–1965; divorced) Veit Relin (1966–1986; divorced) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Maximilian Schell (brother) |
Maria Schell (born 15 January 1926, died 26 April 2005) was a famous actress from Austria and Switzerland. She became one of the biggest stars in German movies during the 1950s and 1960s. Maria Schell won important awards for her acting. In 1954, she received the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in the movie The Last Bridge. Two years later, in 1956, she won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her work in Gervaise.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Maria Schell was born in Vienna, the capital city of Austria. Her mother, Margarethe, ran an acting school. Her father, Hermann Ferdinand Schell, was a Swiss poet and writer. Maria's parents were Roman Catholics.
She had three younger siblings who also became actors. Her brother, Maximilian Schell, was a very well-known actor. Her other siblings were Carl Schell and Immaculata "Immy" Schell.
In 1938, when Maria was 12, her family moved to Zürich, Switzerland. This happened after Austria became part of Germany. Maria first started training for a business career. However, she soon began acting after meeting a Swiss actor and director named Sigfrit Steiner.
Maria Schell's Acting Career
Maria Schell made her first movie appearance in 1942 in Steibruch. She acted alongside the famous Swiss actor Heinrich Gretler. After this, she took acting lessons and performed in plays.
After World War II, Maria got her first main role in the 1948 film The Angel with the Trumpet. She then starred in many other movies like The Magic Box (1951), Dr. Holl (1951), So Little Time (1952), and The Heart of the Matter (1953). Her ability to show deep feelings in her acting earned her the nickname Seelchen, which means "little soul."
In 1956, her movie Gervaise was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. While in Hollywood, Maria met actor Yul Brynner. He helped her get the role of Grushenka in the 1958 movie The Brothers Karamazov.
Maria Schell also acted with other famous Hollywood stars. She was in The Hanging Tree (1959) with Gary Cooper. She also starred with Glenn Ford in Cimarron (1960). Other well-known movies she appeared in include Le notti bianche (1957), Rose Bernd (1957), and Superman (1978). She played Mother Maria in Christmas Lilies of the Field, which was a follow-up to Lilies of the Field.
In the 1970s, Maria Schell also appeared on television. She was in an episode of the American show Kojak in 1976. She also made guest appearances in popular German TV series like Der Kommissar and Derrick. Maria also performed on stage, including a praised role in the 1976 Broadway play Poor Murderer.
Maria Schell's Personal Life
Maria Schell was married two times. Her first marriage was to film director Horst Hächler, and they divorced in 1965. Her second marriage was to director Veit Relin, and they divorced in 1986.
She had a daughter from her second marriage, named Marie Theres Relin, who was born in 1966. Marie Theres also became an actress. She is married to the writer Franz Xaver Kroetz and they have three children.
Later Years and Passing
In her later years, Maria Schell faced health challenges. Her last public appearance was at the premiere of a documentary film about her. This film, called My Sister Maria (2002), was made by her brother, Maximilian Schell. Both Maria and Maximilian received the Bambi Award for this film.
Maria Schell lived a quiet life in a small village called Preitenegg in the Austrian Alps. She passed away from pneumonia on 26 April 2005, at the age of 79. After her death, her brother Maximilian shared a statement. He said that Maria suffered quietly and never complained. He admired her for this and felt her death might have been a relief for her, but she was irreplaceable to him.
Autobiographical Works
- 1985: Die Kostbarkeit des Augenblicks. Gedanken, Erinnerungen. (The Preciousness of the Moment. Thoughts, Memories.)
- 1998: "... und wenn's a Katz is!" Mein Weg durchs Leben. ("...and if it's a Cat!" My Path Through Life.)
Filmography
- Steibruch (1942), as Meiti / Gretl
- The Angel with the Trumpet (1948), as Selma Rosner
- Maresi (1948), as Blanka von Steinville - The Daughter
- After the Storm (1948), as Gretel Aichinger
- The Last Night (1949)
- The Angel with the Trumpet (1950), as Anna Linden
- A Day Will Come (1950), as Madeleine
- Dr. Holl (1951), as Angelika Alberti
- The Magic Box (1951), as Helena Friese-Greene
- So Little Time (1952), as Nicole de Malvines
- Until We Meet Again (1952), as Pamela
- Dreaming Lips (1953), as Elisabeth
- As Long as You're Near Me (1953), as Eva Berger
- Diary of a Married Woman (1953), as Barbara Holzmann
- The Heart of the Matter (1953), as Helen Rolt
- The Last Bridge (1954), as Dr. Helga Reinbeck
- Master of Life and Death (1955), as Barbara Bertram, geb. Hansen
- Napoléon (1955, by Sacha Guitry), as Marie-Louise, Napoleon's Austrian wife
- Die Ratten (1955), as Pauline Karka
- Gervaise (1956, by Rene Clement, from Émile Zola's L'Assommoir), as Gervaise Macquart Coupeau, une blanchisseuse douce et courageuse
- Love (1956), as Anna Ballard
- Rose Bernd (1957), as Rose Bernd
- Le Notti Bianche (1957), as Natalia
- The Brothers Karamazov (1958), as Grushenka
- One Life, by Alexandre Astruc (1958, from an eponym novel by Guy de Maupassant), as Jeanne Dandieu épouse de Lamare
- Der Schinderhannes (1958), as Julchen
- The Hanging Tree (1959), as Elizabeth Mahler
- As the Sea Rages (1959), as Mana
- Cimarron (1960), as Sabra Cravat
- The Mark (1961), as Ruth Leighton
- Das Riesenrad (1961), as Elisabeth von Hill
- Only a Woman (1962), as Lilli König
- Zwei Whisky und ein Sofa (1963), as Beate Dehn
- L'assassin connaît la musique... (1963), as Agnès Duvillard
- The Devil by the Tail (1969), as Countess Diane
- 99 Women (1969), as Leonie Caroll
- The Bloody Judge (1970), as Mother Rosa
- La Provocation (1970), as Jeanne
- Dans la poussière du soleil (1972), as Gertie Bradford
- Chamsin (1972), as Miriam
- Die Pfarrhauskomödie (1972), as Irma
- The Odessa File (1974), as Frau Miller
- Change (1975), as Mama
- The Twist (1976), as Gretel
- Voyage of the Damned (1976), as Mrs. Hauser
- Kojak - Season 4, Episode 11: "The Pride and the Princess" (1976), as Sister Lepar Angelica / Princess Viva Dushan
- Derrick (1977-1978), as Luisa van Doom / Erika Rabes
- Superman (1978), as Vond-Ah
- Christmas Lilies of the Field (1979), as Valeska Piontek
- The Martian Chronicles mini-series - Season 1 (1980), as Anna Lustig
- Frau Jenny Treibel (1982, TV film), as Jenny Treibel
- Inside the Third Reich (1983), as Mrs. Speer
- Král Drozdia Brada (1984), as královna, Michalova matka
- 1919 (1985), as Sophie Rubin
- Die glückliche Familie (1987-1991, TV Series), as Maria Behringer
Awards and Honors
Maria Schell received many awards for her acting and contributions to film:
- 1951-1957, 1987, 2002: Bambi award (a German media prize)
- 1954: Honorable Mention at the Cannes Film Festival for The Last Bridge
- 1956: Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for Gervaise
- 1957 and 1958: Golden and Silver Bravo Otto (a German youth magazine award)
- 1974: Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (a high German honor)
- 1977: German Film Awards, Gold Award for her many years of excellent work in German films
- 1980: Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- 1983: Goldene Kamera (a German television award)
- 2002: Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class (a high Austrian honor)
- 2008: A street in Vienna, Austria, was named Maria Schell street in her honor.
See also
In Spanish: Maria Schell para niños
