German actress Maria Landrock (1923-1992) was a successful Ufa star during the Third Reich. After the war, her film career was over and she became a voice actress, who dubbed films with Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida.
![Maria Landrock]()
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 2756/1, 1939-1940. Photo: Tobis.
![Maria Landrock]()
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 2991/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Tobis / Haenchen.
![Maria Landrock]()
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 3309/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Tobis / Binz.
Maria Johanna Elisabeth Landrock was born in Berlin-Köpenick in 1923. She studied at the Staatlichen Schauspielschule (State Drama School) in Berlin and in the following period she received several engagements at local theatres.
In 1939 she made her film debut as a replacement for the ill Kristina Söderbaum in the adventure comedy Pedro soll hängen/Pedro should hang (Veit Harlan, 1939) starring Gustav Knuth and Heinrich George.
When the lengthy production finally reached the cinema in 1941, Maria Landrock had already played another leading role in Aus erster Ehe/From the first marriage (Paul Verhoeven, 1940) with Franziska Kinz and Ferdinand Marian.
She also had starred with Willy Fritsch in Die keusche Geliebte/The chaste lover (Viktor Tourjansky, 1940).
She became a successful film actress and appeared opposite Emil Jannings in the comedy Altes Herz wird wieder jung/Old heart becomes young again (Erich Engel, 1943), and with Viktor de Kowa in Ein glücklicher Mensch/A Happy Man (Paul Verhoeven, 1943).
On 18 July 1944, she performed at a SS troop support in the Auschwitz concentration camp.
![Maria Landrock]()
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. A 3696/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Binz, Berlin.
![Maria Landrock]()
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. A 3652/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Binz, Berlin.
After 1945, Maria Landrock’s film roles were rare and small such as an uncredited bit role in the international production Decision Before Dawn (Anatole Litvak, 1951) starring Richard Basehart.
She was also rarely seen on television. Among her few appearances were supporting roles in an episode of Die fünfte Kolonne/The fifth column (1967) and in two episodes of the popular Krimi series Der Kommissar/The Commissioner (1970-1972). Her last TV series was in an episode of another Krimi series, Derrick (1982).
From 1949 till her death, Landrock mainly worked as a voice actor involved in the synchronisation of foreign films. She was the German voice of such international colleagues as Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren, Jeanne Moreau and Viveca Lindfors.
Maria Landrock died in 1992 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. She was 68.
![Maria Landrock]()
German postcard by Das Programm von Heute. Photo: Ufa / Baumann.
![Maria Landrock]()
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. A 3461/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Ufa / Baumann.
![Maria Landrock]()
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 3309/2, 1941-1944. Photo: Tobis / Binz.
Sources: Thomas Staedeli (Cyranos), IMDb and Wikipedia (German).
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 2756/1, 1939-1940. Photo: Tobis.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 2991/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Tobis / Haenchen.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 3309/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Tobis / Binz.
SS Troop Support Performer
Maria Johanna Elisabeth Landrock was born in Berlin-Köpenick in 1923. She studied at the Staatlichen Schauspielschule (State Drama School) in Berlin and in the following period she received several engagements at local theatres.
In 1939 she made her film debut as a replacement for the ill Kristina Söderbaum in the adventure comedy Pedro soll hängen/Pedro should hang (Veit Harlan, 1939) starring Gustav Knuth and Heinrich George.
When the lengthy production finally reached the cinema in 1941, Maria Landrock had already played another leading role in Aus erster Ehe/From the first marriage (Paul Verhoeven, 1940) with Franziska Kinz and Ferdinand Marian.
She also had starred with Willy Fritsch in Die keusche Geliebte/The chaste lover (Viktor Tourjansky, 1940).
She became a successful film actress and appeared opposite Emil Jannings in the comedy Altes Herz wird wieder jung/Old heart becomes young again (Erich Engel, 1943), and with Viktor de Kowa in Ein glücklicher Mensch/A Happy Man (Paul Verhoeven, 1943).
On 18 July 1944, she performed at a SS troop support in the Auschwitz concentration camp.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. A 3696/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Binz, Berlin.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. A 3652/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Binz, Berlin.
Voice Actor
After 1945, Maria Landrock’s film roles were rare and small such as an uncredited bit role in the international production Decision Before Dawn (Anatole Litvak, 1951) starring Richard Basehart.
She was also rarely seen on television. Among her few appearances were supporting roles in an episode of Die fünfte Kolonne/The fifth column (1967) and in two episodes of the popular Krimi series Der Kommissar/The Commissioner (1970-1972). Her last TV series was in an episode of another Krimi series, Derrick (1982).
From 1949 till her death, Landrock mainly worked as a voice actor involved in the synchronisation of foreign films. She was the German voice of such international colleagues as Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren, Jeanne Moreau and Viveca Lindfors.
Maria Landrock died in 1992 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. She was 68.
German postcard by Das Programm von Heute. Photo: Ufa / Baumann.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. A 3461/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Ufa / Baumann.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 3309/2, 1941-1944. Photo: Tobis / Binz.
Sources: Thomas Staedeli (Cyranos), IMDb and Wikipedia (German).