Schell, Maria (1926–2005)

Austrian actress. Name variations: acted as Gritli Schell. Born Maria Margarethe Anna Schell in Vienna, Austria, Jan 15, 1926; died April 26, 2005, in Preitenegg, Carinthia, Austria; dau. of Hermann Ferdinand Schell (Swiss playwright) and Marguerite (de Noé) Schell (actress); sister of Maximilian Schell (actor, director, producer, and screenwriter); attended School of Theatrical Arts, Zurich; m. Horst Hächler (film director), April 27, 1957 (div. 1965); m. Veit Relin (Austrian actor and director), 1966 (div. 1988); children: (1st m.) Oliver Schell; (2nd m.) Marie-Theres Relin.

Internationally acclaimed actress, auditioned for a small role in Swiss film and was awarded the lead (1942); did a stint with State Theater of Bern; featured in Austrian film Der Engel mit der Posaune (1948), which led to 7-year contract with Alexander Korda; starred in over 20 European films, including The Magic Box (1951), The Heart of the Matter (1953), Die letzte Brücke (The Last Bridge), for which she won Best Actress at Cannes (1954), as well as Napoléon (1955) and Gervaise (1956); made US film debut as Grushenka in The Brothers Karamazov (1958), followed by Hanging Tree (1959) and Cimarron (1961), both westerns; also starred in 3 US tv dramas, including a 2-part dramatization of For Whom the Bell Tolls; all but retired from films (1963), returning occasionally for a character role; acted and served as co-producer of film So oder so ist das Leben (1976); made last American film, Superman (1978); continued to perform in theater; other films include The Mark (1961), The Odessa File (1974), Follies Bourgeoises (1976), Voyage of the Damned (1976), La Passante du Sans-Souci (La Passante, 1982) and 1919 (1985).

See also (documentary) My Sister Maria (2002); and Women in World History.