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Paula Wessely is a Actor and Executive Producer Autrichienne born on 20 january 1907 at Vienna (Austria)

Paula Wessely

Paula Wessely
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Nationality Austria
Birth 20 january 1907 at Vienna (Austria)
Death 11 may 2000 (at 93 years) at Vienna (Austria)

Paula Anna Maria Wessely (20 January 1907 – 11 May 2000) was an Austrian theatre and film actress. Die Wessely (literally "The Wessely"), as she was affectionately called by her admirers and fans, was Austria's foremost popular postwar actress.

Biography

She was born in Vienna, the daughter of butcher Carl Wessely, younger brother of the late Burgtheater actress Josephine Wessely (1860–1887), whom many believed or still believe to be her sister. Like her adored aunt, Paula Wessely prepared for an artistic career. From 1922 she attended the Vienna State Academy of Music and Performing Arts and later the Max Reinhardt Seminar, while she made her debut as an actress in 1924 at the Volkstheater, followed by several minor roles of the boulevard repertoire, also performing at the Raimund Theater.

Her career proceeded, when in 1926 she became a member of the New German Theatre ensemble in Prague, where she and her future husband Attila Hörbiger (1896–1987) performed in Les Nouveaux Messieurs by Flers and Croisset. In 1927 she returned to the Volkstheater, playing in Ibsen's The Lady from the Sea and Wedekind's Spring Awakening. After being denied the role of Jenny in Brecht's Threepenny Opera in 1929, she quit and joined the ensemble of the Theater in der Josefstadt under director Max Reinhardt. Strongly insisting on major roles, she performed in Der Gemeine by Felix Salten, together with Attila Hörbiger and Hans Moser. Supported by Reinhardt, she played in Schiller's Intrigue and Love at the 1930 Salzburg Festival and in 1932 also in Hauptmann's Rose Bernd under director Karlheinz Martin at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, acclaimed by the audience as well as by critics like Alfred Kerr and colleagues like Werner Krauss. On 23 December 1932, having taken singing lessons, she played the leading role in the premiere of Fritz Kreisler's Singspiel Sissy at the Theater an der Wien. From 1933 until 1938 she again performed at the Salzburg Festival as Gretchen in Goethe's Faust, together with Ewald Balser. In 1936 she made her first appearance on the Burgtheater stage in Shaw's Saint Joan.



Wessely, who was not particularly photogenic, was passed over in favor of Magda Schneider for the role of Christine in Max Ophüls' 1933 filmization of Arthur Schnitzler's Liebelei, a part she had played at Theater in der Josefstadt. Her first major movie role was that of Leopoldine Dur in the 1934 film Maskerade directed by Willi Forst, together with Adolf Wohlbrück. Further appearances in films like Episode by Walter Reisch, for which she was awarded the Volpi Cup as best actress at the 1935 Venice Film Festival, finally made her a star. In 1938 she was the speaking voice of Snow White in the first German-dubbed version of Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Immediately banned by the Nazi authorities after the Austrian Anschluss in the same year, this version was re-released in 1948 in Austria and in 1950 in West Germany (the first public performance ever), for the last time performed in 1957. As Disney Germany re-dubbed this movie in 1966 and again in 1994, both older versions are no longer available — although they are archived at London. Like her brother-in-law Paul Hörbiger, Wessely had publicly acclaimed the Anschluss, after which she smoothly continued her film and theatre career. Her most notorious movie appearance was in the anti-Polish Nazi propaganda film Heimkehr ("Homecoming") by Gustav Ucicky in 1941. Heavily criticized by Austrian intellectuals after World War II, she later publicly regretted her involvement.

On 23 November 1935 Wessely had married Attila Hörbiger at the Vienna Rathaus. They she had three daughters: Elisabeth Orth (born 1936), Christiane Hörbiger (born 1938) and Maresa Hörbiger (born 1945). All three daughters went on to become actresses, in particular Christiane Hörbiger, who today is one of the most popular actresses in German and Austrian cinema and television.

Though after the war she was initially under a profession ban by the Allied authorities, Wessely resumed her career 1945 at the Innsbruck State Theatre with the role of Christine in Liebelei, and again at the Theater in der Josefstadt in Brecht's The Good Person of Szechwan the next year. She also participated in the filming of Ernst Lothar's novel The Angel with the Trumpet in 1947, playing a half-Jewish woman. In 1957 she was again criticized for her appearance in the homophobic film Anders als du und ich by Veit Harlan. Apart from that, she worked mainly as a theatre actress at the Vienna Burgtheater together with her husband for more than 40 years, performing in Raimund's Der Alpenkönig und der Menschenfeind and Der Diamant des Geisterkönigs, again as Gretchen in Goethe's Faust, in Schnitzler's Das weite Land, in Hofmannsthal's Der Unbestechliche with Josef Meinrad and as Ella Rentheim in Ibsen's John Gabriel Borkman. When Attila Hörbiger died of a stroke in April 1987, aged 91, Wessely, by then undisputed doyenne of the Burgtheater, retired at the age of 80.

In her last years she lived a very secluded life in her hometown Vienna and suffered from major depression, caused by the death of her beloved husband. On 20 January 2000 she celebrated her 93rd birthday quietly, with only her three daughters and grandchildren at her home in Vienna-Grinzing. The following April she suffered an acute attack of bronchitis and was admitted to a hospital in Vienna. She died on 11 May 2000 at the venerable age of 93, "peacefully in her sleep", as the Burgtheater management announced the following day. She was buried two weeks later at the side of her husband in an Ehrengrab of the Grinzing cemetery.

Usually with

Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Paula Wessely (15 films)

Display filmography as list

Actress

The Third Sex, 1h31
Directed by Veit Harlan
Origin German
Genres Drama
Themes L'adolescence, Films about children, Films about sexuality, LGBT-related films, Teen LGBT-related films, LGBT-related films, LGBT-related film
Actors Christian Wolff, Paula Wessely, Paul Dahlke, Hans Nielsen, Herbert Hübner, Kurt Vespermann
Roles Christa Teichmann
Rating54% 2.71362.71362.71362.71362.7136
Different from You and Me (§175) centers around the well-to-do Teichmann family in Berlin. Klaus, the 17-year-old son of Werner and Christa Teichmann, has begun to lead a life that increasingly worries his parents. Although he is an outstanding student, Klaus spends most of his free time with Manfred, a low academic achiever raised by a relatively poor single mother. The two boys share an interest in the arts, and Manfred has just published a poem in the local newspaper. Klaus has to protect Manfred from classroom bullies who attack him for his effeteness.
The Third Sex, 1h44
Directed by Veit Harlan, Erik Ode
Origin German
Genres Drama, Musical
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films
Actors Paula Wessely, Germaine Damar, Joséphine Baker, Walter Giller, Loni Heuser, Christian Wolff
Roles Christa Teichmann
Rating55% 2.776912.776912.776912.776912.77691
Fips Kluger, Franz Hempel et le trompettiste Macky sont arrêtés par la police, parce que leur groupe gêne la circulation, puis libérés. Fips raconte comment on en est arrivé là :
Maria Theresia, 1h31
Directed by Emil-Edwin Reinert
Origin Austria
Genres Drama, Historical
Actors Paula Wessely, Erik Frey, Rosa Albach-Retty, Marianne Schönauer, Rudolf Fernau, Dagny Servaes
Roles Maria Theresia
Rating57% 2.8934652.8934652.8934652.8934652.893465
En 1762, l'impératrice autrichienne Marie-Thérèse reçoit une lettre du front la mettant en face de la question d'attaquer la Prusse ou non. Elle décide de mettre fin à la guerre et d'un traité de paix, même s'il lui est difficile de se concentrer sur les affaires d'État. Elle a des problèmes personnels, elle soupçonne son mari François d'être de nouveau avec sa maîtresse, la comtesse Aliano. La nuit, Marie-Thérèse est seule. Le lendemain, son fils lui apporte un médaillon que son père a perdu. À l'intérieur, il y a le portrait de la comtesse Aliano.
The Angel with the Trumpet, 2h12
Directed by Karl Hartl
Origin Austria
Genres Drama, Historical
Actors Paula Wessely, Helene Thimig, Hedwig Bleibtreu, Maria Schell, Alma Seidler, Attila Hörbiger
Roles Henriette Alt, geb. Stein
Rating75% 3.7840953.7840953.7840953.7840953.784095
En 1764, Christoph Alt, un facteur de pianos viennois, fonde une fabrique de pianos et construit une maison où se trouve, au-dessus de la porte, un ange avec une trompette.
Homecoming
Homecoming (1941)
, 1h36
Directed by Gustav Ucicky
Genres Drama
Themes Documentary films about war, Documentary films about historical events, Political films, Documentary films about World War II
Actors Paula Wessely, Attila Hörbiger, Carl Raddatz, Otto Wernicke, Ruth Hellberg, Elsa Wagner
Roles Maria Thomas
Rating42% 2.1171852.1171852.1171852.1171852.117185
In the Wołyń Voivodeship in eastern Poland, the German minority is oppressed by the Polish majority. The physician Dr. Thomas does not have any hospital available and his daughter Marie, who teaches at a German school, and needs an important operation, watches when her school is disseized by Polish authorities and demolished by an angry mob. Dr. Thomas protests to the mayor, noting the constitutionally guaranteed minority rights; however his protest falls on deaf ears. Marie and her fiancé, Dr. Fritz Mutius, drive to the provincial capital, in order to put their protest to the Voivode (governor), but they are not even received there either. Deciding to stay in the capital in order to call on the court the next day, that evening they go to the cinema. They are accompanied there by her friend Karl Michalek, who has been pressed into service by the Polish Armed Forces. When they refuse to sing the Polish national anthem Mazurek Dąbrowskiego with the rest of the audience, Fritz gets grievously hurt by the furious Polish crowd. Marie tries to take her betrothed to a hospital, but he is refused admission and succumbs to his injuries.
Maria Ilona, 1h34
Directed by Géza von Bolváry
Genres Drama
Actors Paula Wessely, Willy Birgel, Paul Hörbiger, Hedwig Bleibtreu, Rosa Albach-Retty, Heinz von Cleve
Roles Maria Ilona von Wolkersdorf
Rating61% 3.0735553.0735553.0735553.0735553.073555
Mirror of Life, 1h35
Directed by Géza von Bolváry
Genres Drama
Actors Paula Wessely, Lina Woiwode, Raoul Aslan, Attila Hörbiger, Karl Ehmann, Maria Eis
Roles Johanna 'Hanna' Karfreit
Rating65% 3.288873.288873.288873.288873.28887
Episode
Episode (1935)
, 1h45
Directed by Walter Reisch
Origin Austria
Genres Comedy
Actors Paula Wessely, Karl Ludwig Diehl, Otto Tressler, Walter Janssen, Friedl Czepa, Rosa Albach-Retty
Roles Valerie Gärtner
Rating65% 3.287323.287323.287323.287323.28732
In Vienna in 1922 daily life is dominated by inflation and unemployment. In the evenings, the population attempt to divert themselves from the miseries of the economic situation by indulgence and excess in bars and clubs. Morale is low, and sinking further.
Masquerade in Vienna, 1h30
Directed by Willi Forst
Genres Comedy, Romantic comedy, Musical, Romance
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films, Operetta films
Actors Anton Walbrook, Paula Wessely, Olga Tschechowa, Walter Janssen, Hans Moser, Julia Serda
Roles Leopoldine Dur
Rating75% 3.7593653.7593653.7593653.7593653.759365
The film is set in Viennese high society of about 1900. After a masked carnival ball, Gerda Harrandt (Hilde von Stolz), wife of the surgeon Carl Ludwig Harrandt (Peter Petersen), allows the fashionable artist Ferdinand von Heidenick (Adolf Wohlbrück) to paint a portrait of her wearing only a mask and a muff. This muff however belongs to Anita Keller (Olga Tschechowa), in secret the painter's lover but also the fiancée of the court orchestra director Paul Harrandt (Walter Janssen), the brother of Gerda's husband.
So Ended a Great Love, 1h34
Directed by Karl Hartl
Origin German
Genres Drama, Historical
Actors Paula Wessely, Willi Forst, Gustaf Gründgens, Franz Herterich, Maria Koppenhöfer, Rose Stradner
Roles Grand Duchess Marie Louise
Rating67% 3.361273.361273.361273.361273.36127
Comme Joséphine ne peut pas donner un héritier à Napoléon, Talleyrand, conseiller politique de Napoléon, fait tout son possible pour la convaincre que le divorce est inévitable. L'empereur a absolument besoin d'un fils. Joséphine a à cette époque 47 ans et souffre beaucoup d'avoir à se séparer de son mari. Après la prononciation du divorce, Metternich, qui contrôle le destin de l'Autriche, reçoit une lettre de Talleyrand. Napoléon lui-même se rapproche de L'empereur François d'Autriche, car le Corse veut une princesse Habsbourg à ses côtés et sur le trône français. Metternich lui répond que l'empereur est d'accord et lui présentera sa fille Marie-Louise, 19 ans.
Sodom and Gomorrah, 1h37
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Origin Austria
Genres Drama
Themes Films about religion, Films based on the Bible, Films about Jews and Judaism, Disaster films
Actors Lucy Doraine, Walter Slezak, Victor Varconi, Béla Balázs, Willi Forst, Paula Wessely
Rating60% 3.000033.000033.000033.000033.00003
À Londres, l'homme d'affaires et spéculateur Jackson Harber provoque une panique boursière. Dans le même temps, il "achète" la jeune Mary Conway à sa mère car il veut la "posséder". Mary, très futile, accepte ce "marché". Les "fiançailles" sont organisées au château d'Harber, donnant lieu à une fête grandiose, pleine de débordements et de débauche. Le fils du spéculateur, Eduard, arrive alors, accompagné de son précepteur, un prêtre. Ce dernier recueille la confession d'un mourant, le sculpteur Harry Lighton, venu là se suicider par désespoir, car la jeune fiancée, dont il était épris, l'a repoussée. Bientôt, Mary séduit Eduard et le pousse à tuer son père. Les deux jeunes gens sont arrêtés et condamnés à mort. Dans sa cellule, Mary se transporte en rêve à Sodome.