Maria Schell
Biography
Maria Schell was an Austrian-Swiss actress who was among the leading stars of German cinema during the 1950s and 1960s. Born in Vienna, she entered film after meeting the Swiss actor and director Sigfrit Steiner, making her debut in his 1942 film Steibruch. After World War II she took her first leading role in The Angel with the Trumpet (1948). She won the Cannes Best Actress Award for The Last Bridge (1954) and the Volpi Cup at Venice for Gervaise (1956). Her Hollywood work included The Brothers Karamazov (1958), The Hanging Tree (1959) with Gary Cooper, and Cimarron (1960) with Glenn Ford. Other films were The Magic Box (1952), The Heart of the Matter (1953), Le Notti Bianche (1957), and Superman (1978). She also appeared on Broadway in Poor Murderer and with the Schauspielhaus Zürich in The Visit. Her honors included Bambi Awards, a German Film Award Gold, and a Golden Camera.
79years old at death
- Born Vienna
- Died Preitenegg
- Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
- Maria Margarete Anna Schell (birth name)
Movie Career
- Films
- 11
- Career span
- 30 years1952 to 1982
First and latest
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Big break
While she was in Hollywood, Schell met Yul Brynner, and he pushed for her to be cast as Grushenka in the 1958 film The Brothers Karamazov.
A change of course
Maria Schell started out in commercial training, but her path changed when she met Sigfrit Steiner, a Swiss actor and director, and she soon went into the film business.
First role
Schell premiered in Steiner's 1942 film Steibruch, acting alongside Heinrich Gretler, a well known Swiss actor. She also took acting lessons for several theater engagements.
About the name
Schell's emotional acting earned her the nickname Seelchen, which means little soul, and the nickname was coined by her colleague Oskar Werner.
Beyond film
Schell took to the stage for a praised 1976 Broadway run of Pavel Kohout's Poor Murderer. She also played the lead in Friedrich Durrenmatt's The Visit alongside the Schauspielhaus Zurich ensemble.
Maria Schell movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
- Gervaise1956as Gervaise Macquart Coupeau, une blanchisseuse douce et courageuse
IMDb rating 7.31.8K votes
Most often with
Three actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Trevor Howard's page
David Opatoshu's page
Awards
Four awards and honors from 1954 to 1956, two of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannes Film Festival | |||
| 1954 | Best Actress | Won | |
| Venice Film Festival | |||
| 1956 | Volpi Cup for Best Actress | Won | |
| Other honors | |||
| Austrian Decoration for Science and Art | Won | ||
| Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.