Ursula Grabley (8 December 1908 – 3 April 1977) was a German actress. She appeared in more than 80 films and television shows between 1929 and 1977. Her acting career started during the late silent era and blossomed in the

sound era A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed befo ...

that soon followed. The cast of the 1929 silent film Katharina Knie included Ursula and her then husband

Viktor de Kowa Viktor de Kowa (also spelled Victor de Kowa, born Victor Paul Karl Kowalczyk; 8 March 1904 – 8 April 1973) was a German stage and film actor, chanson singer, director, narrator, and comic poet. Life He was born the son of a farmer and engineer ...

. She trained as a ballet dancer. Her film career stalled during the war years after a private altercation with Nazi propaganda minister

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and philologist who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief Propaganda in Nazi Germany, propagandist for the Nazi Party, and ...

. From the 1950s onwards, she often played motherly figures in films and on television. She provided the German voice for

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...

. Ursula died of a stroke during a theatrical tour of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof".

Selected filmography

* '' Katharina Knie'' (1929) * '' The Concert'' (1931) * '' That's All That Matters'' (1931) * '' The Black Hussar'' (1932) * '' Spell of the Looking Glass'' (1932) * '' The Golden Anchor'' (1932) * ''

Voices of Spring Voices or The Voices may refer to: Film and television * ''Voices'' (1920 film), by Chester M. De Vonde, with Diana Allen * ''Voices'' (1973 film), a British horror film * ''Voices'' (1979 film), a film by Robert Markowitz * ''Voices'' (19 ...

'' (1933) * ''

The Marathon Runner ''The Marathon Runner'' () is a 1933 German sports film directed by Ewald André Dupont and starring Brigitte Helm, Hans Brausewetter and Ursula Grabley. It was based on a 1928 novel by Werner Scheff, adapted by screenwriter Thea von Harbou. The f ...

'' (1933) * ''

Scandal in Budapest ''Scandal in Budapest'' () is a 1933 German-Hungarian comedy film, filmed in Hungary in the German language and directed by Géza von Bolváry and Istvan Szekely and starring Franciska Gaal, Werner Pledath, and Lotte Spira. It was made at Budap ...

'' (1933) * '' Bashful Felix'' (1934) * ''

At the Strasbourg ''At the Strasbourg'' () is a 1934 German comedy film directed by Franz Osten and starring Hans Stüwe, Ursula Grabley, and Anna von Palen.Bock & Bergfelder p. 536 The film's sets were designed by the art directors Kurt Dürnhöfer and Max Knaa ...

'' (1934) * '' The Tannhof Women'' (1934) * ''

Annette in Paradise ''Annette in Paradise'' () is a 1934 German-Czech musical film directed by Max Obal and starring Ursula Grabley, Hans Söhnker and Ida Wüst.Bock & Bergfelder p. 128 A separate Czech language version was also released. The film's sets were desig ...

'' (1934) * ''

Make Me Happy ''Make Me Happy'' () is a 1935 German musical comedy film directed by Arthur Robison and starring Julia Serda, Albert Lieven and Richard Romanowsky.Kreimeier p. 234 It was made by Germany's largest film company UFA. A separate French-language ve ...

'' (1935) * ''

The Call of the Jungle ''The Call of the Jungle'' (German: ''Der Dschungel ruft'') is a 1936 German adventure film directed by and starring Harry Piel and also featuring Paul Henckels, Ursula Grabley and Gerda Maurus.Reimer & Reimer p.227 It was shot at the Johannistha ...

'' (1936) * ''

Ride to Freedom ''Ride to Freedom'' () is a 1937 German historical war film directed by Karl Hartl and starring Willy Birgel, Viktor Staal and Hansi Knoteck. The film is set in the 1830s during Poland's November Uprising against the Russian Empire. It portrays t ...

'' (1937) *'' The Chief Witness'' (1937) * ''

A Girl from the Chorus ''A Girl from the Chorus'' () is a 1937 German comedy film directed by Carl Lamac and starring Anny Ondra, Viktor Staal and Ursula Grabley. It is set in the theatre world of Berlin around the turn of the twentieth century. It was shot at the Ba ...

'' (1937) * ''

The Impossible Mister Pitt ''The Impossible Mister Pitt'' (German: ''Der unmögliche Herr Pitt'') is a 1938 German adventure crime film directed by and starring Harry Piel. It also features Willi Schur, Leopold von Ledebur and Hilde Weissner. It was shot at the Babelsberg ...

'' (1938) * ''

Hurrah! I'm a Father ''Hurrah! I'm a Father'' or ''Hurrah! I'm a Papa'' () is a 1939 German comedy film directed by Kurt Hoffmann and starring Heinz Rühmann, Albert Florath, and Carola Höhn. It was shot at the Marienfelde and Tempelhof Studios in Berlin ...

'' (1939) * ''

Twilight Twilight is daylight illumination produced by diffuse sky radiation when the Sun is below the horizon as sunlight from the upper atmosphere is scattered in a way that illuminates both the Earth's lower atmosphere and also the Earth's surf ...

'' (1940) * ''

Anna Alt ''Anna Alt'' (also known as ''Soloist Anna Alt,'' ) is a 1945 German drama film directed by Werner Klingler. The movie stars Anneliese Uhlig, Will Quadflieg and Emil Lohkamp.Hake p. 200 The story follows a talented pianist who sacrifices her o ...

'' (1945) * ''

Under the Bridges ''Under the Bridges'' () is a 1946 German drama film directed by Helmut Käutner and starring Hannelore Schroth, Carl Raddatz and Gustav Knuth. The film was shot in Berlin during the summer of 1944, but was not released until after the defeat o ...

'' (1946) * ''

Blondes for Export ''Blondes for Export'' () is a 1950 West German crime thriller film directed by Eugen York and starring Lotte Koch, Catja Görna and René Deltgen. Norbert Jacques wrote the screenplay, adapting his own novel. It was shot at the Göttingen Studi ...

'' (1950) * ''

The Colourful Dream ''The Colourful Dream'' () is a 1952 West German Musical film, musical comedy film directed by Géza von Cziffra and starring Vera Molnar (actress), Vera Molnar, Josef Meinrad and Ursula Grabley. It was made at the Tempelhof Studios in Berlin wit ...

'' (1952) * ''

They Call It Love ''They Call It Love'' () is a 1953 West German comedy film directed by John Reinhardt and starring Winnie Markus, Curd Jürgens and Richard Häussler.Bock & Bergfelder p. 232 It was shot at the Bavaria Studios in Munich. The film's sets were desi ...

'' (1953) * ''

Confession Under Four Eyes ''Confession Under Four Eyes'' (German: ''Geständnis unter vier Augen'') is a 1954 West German crime drama film directed by André Michel and starring Hildegard Knef, Carl Raddatz and Ivan Desny.Broadbent & Hake p.123 It was shot at Göttingen ...

'' (1954) * ''

Mamitschka ''Mamitschka'' is a 1955 West German comedy-drama film directed by Rolf Thiele and starring Mila Kopp, Rudolf Platte and Jester Naefe. It was shot at the Göttingen Studios and on location around Bamberg in Bavaria. The film's sets were design ...

'' (1955) * ''

Father's Day Father's Day is a day set aside for honoring one's father, as well as fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. "Father's Day" complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Mother's Day and, in som ...

'' (1955) * ''

Without You All Is Darkness ''Without You All Is Darkness'' (German: ''Ohne dich wird es Nacht'') is a 1956 West German drama film directed by and starring Curd Jürgens.DeGrazia & Furlough p.361 Eva Bartok, René Deltgen and Ursula Grabley also star. The film's sets were de ...

'' (1956) * ''

The Night Before the Premiere ''The Night Before the Premiere'' () is a 1959 West German musical comedy film directed by Georg Jacoby and starring Marika Rökk, Theo Lingen and Wolfgang Lukschy.Koepnick, Lutz Peter. ''The Cosmopolitan Screen: German Cinema and the Global Imag ...

'' (1959) * ''

Heaven, Love and Twine ''Heaven, Love and Twine'' (German: ''Himmel, Amor und Zwirn'') is a 1960 West German comedy film directed by Ulrich Erfurth and starring Hartmut Reck, Ann Smyrner and Hannelore Schroth. It is based on the 1952 novel of the same title by Thomas ...

'' (1960) * ''

Zur Hölle mit den Paukern ''Zur Hölle mit den Paukern'' is a 1968 West German comedy film directed by Werner Jacobs and starring Hans Kraus, Theo Lingen and Günther Schramm. It was the first entry into the seven part ''Die Lümmel von der ersten Bank'' series of comed ...

'' (1968)

References

External links

* * 1908 births 1977 deaths People from Oder-Spree Actors from the Province of Brandenburg German film actresses 20th-century German actresses Actresses from Brandenburg {{Germany-film-actor-1900s-stub