Edith Hancke (; 14 October 1928 – 4 June 2015) was a German

stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

and

television actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

Life and career

Edith Hancke, daughter of a bank clerk, grew up in

Berlin-Charlottenburg Charlottenburg () is a Boroughs and localities of Berlin, locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Established as a German town law, town in 1705 and named after Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, Queen consort of Kingdom ...

. She received an education at the Lettehaus and, at the age of 20, attended Marlise Ludwig's acting school at Wilmersdorfer Wilhelmsaue. She received her first engagements at Berlin theaters beginning in 1948. She made guest appearances at the Renaissance Theater, the Deutsches Theater, the Schlosspark Theater, the Schillertheater, the Theater am Kurfürstendamm and the Berliner Komödie, among others. Her real profession remained the theater. Several times she received the Golden Curtain, the award for the most popular actress in Berlin. Edith Hancke also performed for two years as a member of the cabaret Die Stachelschweine. She appeared in 150 episodes of the popular radio entertainment series ''Pension Spreewitz'' on RIAS. Even at the age of 72, she starred in the play ''Fenster zum Flur'' for one year. From 1981 to 1987, she was the narrator in the RIAS radio play series ''Damals war's - Geschichten aus dem alten Berlin''. She thus succeeded the narrator Ewald Wenck, who died in 1981. Through her work as a dubbing artist, Hancke's voice (which was the result of a botched tonsillectomy as a child) can be heard in many foreign films, such as the Czechoslovakian musical feature film ''

Lemonade Joe ''Lemonade Joe, or the Horse Opera'' () is a 1964 Czechoslovak musical comedy film, directed by Oldřich Lipský and written by Jiří Brdečka, based on his novel and stage play. A parody of the American Western, the film centers on a clean-livi ...

'' (1964). She dubbed Baby Sinclair on the U.S. series ''

Dinosaurs Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...

''. She had been married since 1972 to fellow actor Klaus Sonnenschein, whom she had met at the Theater Tribüne in 1970, in their third marriage and lived with him in their home in Holstein and in Berlin-Schlachtensee. In the TV film ''Schaumküsse'' (2009), Hancke and Sonnenschein made a joint appearance as a married couple, which was their last role as actors for both of them.

Selected filmography

* ''

The Beaver Coat ''The Beaver Coat'' () is a satirical play by Gerhart Hauptmann premiered in Berlin in 1893. The work is an example of a German naturalistic ''Diebskomödie'', or 'thief's comedy'. The drama takes place "somewhere in Berlin... around the end of ...

'' (1949) - Adelheid Wolff * '' Bürgermeister Anna'' (1950) - Grete Drews * ''

The Merry Wives of Windsor ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...

'' (1950) - Lehrling bei Reich (uncredited) * ''

Modell Bianka ''Modell Bianka'' is an East German film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the u ...

'' (1951) - Jungarbeiterin Inge Lang * '' We'll Talk About Love Later'' (1953) - Frau Pingel * '' The Abduction of the Sabine Women'' (1954) - Fräulein Müller-Muthesius * '' Sky Without Stars'' (1955) - Frau am Kontrollpunkt * '' Your Life Guards'' (1955) - Zofe * '' Urlaub auf Ehrenwort'' (1955) - Erna * '' A Thousand Melodies'' (1956) * '' The Captain from Köpenick'' (1956) - Sick girl * '' If We All Were Angels'' (1956) - Junge Animierdame * ''Ein Mann muß nicht immer schön sein'' (1956) - Frl. Zimmermann, Sekretärin * '' Spring in Berlin'' (1957) - Uschi Paulsen * ''Madeleine Tel. 13 62 11'' (1958) - Edith - The Maid * '' Schmutziger Engel'' (1958) - Gerti * ''Schwarzwälder Kirsch'' (1958) - Jette Palm * '' The Muzzle'' (1958) - Billa * ''Ohne Mutter geht es nicht'' (1958) - Hausmädchen Elisabeth * '' My Ninety Nine Brides'' (1958) - Ruth * ''Kleine Leute mal ganz groß'' (1958) - Marie Maier * ''

Court Martial A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the mili ...

'' (1959) - Frl. Wehner * ''

Peter Shoots Down the Bird ''Peter Shoots Down the Bird'' () is a 1959 West German comedy film directed by Géza von Cziffra and starring Peter Alexander, Germaine Damar and Maria Sebaldt. It was shot at the Spandau Studios in Berlin. The film's sets were designed by ...

'' (1959) - Fräulein Lehmann * ''

Of Course, the Motorists ''Of Course, the Motorists'' () is a 1959 West German comedy film directed by Erich Engels and starring Heinz Erhardt, Maria Perschy and Erik Schumann.Hake p. 120 The film's sets were designed by the art director Walter Haag. Cast * Heinz Er ...

'' (1959) - Autofahrerin * ''Arzt aus Leidenschaft'' (1959) - Schwester Elvira * ''

Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool typically constructed with airfoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight, designed to return to the thrower. The origin of the word is from Australian Aborigin ...

'' (1960) - Woman in train * ''Als geheilt entlassen'' (1960) - Lore * ''

I Learned That in Paris I, or i, is the ninth letter and the third vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''i'' (pronounced ), plu ...

'' (1960) * ''Vertauschtes Leben'' (1961) * ''Bei Pichler stimmt die Kasse nicht'' (1961) - Emma * '' The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi'' (1961) - Lukretia * ''Am Sonntag will mein Süsser mit mir segeln gehn'' (1961) - Minna, die Köchin * ''

The Strange Countess ''The Strange Countess'' () is a 1961 West German crime film directed by Josef von Báky and starring Lil Dagover, Joachim Fuchsberger and Marianne Hoppe. It is based on Edgar Wallace's 1925 novel of the same title, and is part of a long-runni ...

'' (1961) - Lizzy Smith * '' Beloved Impostor'' (1961) - Stewardess * ''So liebt und küsst man in Tirol'' (1961) - Ida Würzig * ''Dicke Luft'' (1962) - Fräulein Weierlein * ''Ohne Krimi geht die Mimi nie ins Bett'' (1962) - Mimi * ''Universo di notte'' (1962) - Self - Host German Version * ''

Breakfast in Bed "Breakfast in Bed" is a soul–R&B song written by Muscle Shoals songwriters Eddie Hinton and Donnie Fritts for Dusty Springfield. It takes a knowing spin on the line " You Don't Have to Say You Love Me", the title of a song that had previousl ...

'' (1963) - Mrs. Müller * ''

Holiday in St. Tropez ''Holiday in St. Tropez'' is a 1964 West German comedy film directed by Ernst Hofbauer and starring Vivi Bach, Ann Smyrner, and Rudolf Prack.Hobsch p. 27 Plot Carlos Fonti and his wife Marisa are in the midst of constructing their hotel, St. Tro ...

'' (1964) - Friedericke Kussmaul * '' Don't Tell Me Any Stories'' (1964) - 'Veilchen' (NSU Prinz) (voice) * ''

Black Eagle of Santa Fe ''Black Eagle of Santa Fe'' () is a 1965 West German and Italian international co-production western film directed by Alberto Cardone and Ernst Hofbauer. Story Ranch workers disguised as soldiers murder Indians in order to stir up trouble with ...

'' (1965) - Alice * ''Tausend Takte Übermut'' (1965) - Ernestine Glücklich * ''Das große Glück'' (1967) - Mrs. Kleinschmitt * ' (1967) - Miss Nilsson * ''Paradies der flotten Sünder'' (1968) - Grete * ''Otto ist auf Frauen scharf'' (1968) - Garderobenfrau * ''

Charley's Uncle ''Charley's Uncle'' () is a 1969 West German comedy film directed by Werner Jacobs and starring Gila von Weitershausen, Karl Michael Vogler and Heidy Bohlen.Bock & Bergfelder, p. 252. The film was a loose adaptation of Brandon Thomas' 1892 play ...

'' (1969) - Helga * '' Heintje: A Heart Goes on a Journey'' (1969) - Lieschen * '' Why Did I Ever Say Yes Twice?'' (1969) - Hausmädchen * '' Our Willi Is the Best'' (1971) - Elsetraut Knöpfke * '' Old Barge, Young Love'' (1973) - Eleonore Strunz * ''Unsere Tante ist das Letzte'' (1973) - Sieglinde Hirsekorn, Otto-Wilhelms Frau * ''Meister Eder und sein Pumuckl'' (1982) - Frau Bauer

References

Bibliography

* Cowie, Peter. ''World Filmography: 1967''. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, 1977.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hancke, Edith 1928 births 2015 deaths German film actresses German stage actresses German television actresses 20th-century German actresses 21st-century German actresses Actresses from Berlin Rundfunk im amerikanischen Sektor people Burials at the Waldfriedhof Zehlendorf