On 14 October 2021, former Austrian child actress Traudl Stark (1930) has passed away. Between 1935 and 1940, the 'Shirley Temple of the German-language cinema' starred in a dozen popular films in Austria. After the war, she married, left the film industry, and moved to the USA. Gertraud 'Trudy' South passed away in Tampa, Florida, where she resided since 1973.
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German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 9891/1, 1935-1936. Photo: Mondial-Film.
![Traudl Stark]()
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 1113/2, 1937-1938. Photo: Mondial-Film.
![Traudl Stark]()
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 1177/3, 1937-1938. Photo: Manassé-Ricoll / Mondial-Film.
![Traudl Stark]()
German Postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 1276/1, 1937-1938. Photo: Manassée-Ricoll, Wien / Mondial.
![Traudl Stark]()
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 1704/2, 1937-1938. Photo: Manassé-Ricoll.
Traudl Stark was born Gertraude Marianne Münzel to the secretary Siegfried Stark and Margarete Münzel in 1930. Her parents married after her birth.
In 1934 little Traudl was discovered by Austrian filmmaker Robert Reich on the Wiener Messe (the fair trade of Vienna) during a film exhibition and he asked her for commercials.
She played her first film parts at the age of five in Die Fahrt in die Jugend/The Journey into Childhood (Carl Boese, 1935), the film operetta Im weißen Rößl/The White Horse Inn (Carl Lamac, 1935), and as the daughter of Fritz Rasp and Olga Tschechowa in the spy drama Lockspitzel Asew/Agent Provocateur Asew (Phil Jutzi, 1935).
The public liked the cheerful-looking girl with the brown mop of curls and the mischievous smile. One year later followed Manja Valewska (Josef Rovenský, 1936) featuring Maria Andergast for Mondial- Film in Vienna. Then she played the title role in Seine Tochter ist der Peter/His Daughter Is Peter (Heinz Helbig, Willy Schmidt-Gentner, 1936) as the lively, loud tomboy Elisabeth, called 'Peter', who, much to the chagrin of her father (Karl Ludwig Diehl), thinks little of dolls and beautiful dresses. She prefers the more comfortable Tyrolean leather trousers, climbs trees, and hunts frogs.
The Berlin film company Siegel-Monopol tried to lure Traudl Stark away from the Mondial studio and there was even a court case. The next years Traudl was seen for Mondial in Liebling der Matrosen/The Darling of The Sailors (Hans Hinrig, 1937) with Wolf Albach-Retty, and again as Peter in Peter im Schnee/Peter in the Snow (Carl Lamac, 1937).
![Traudl Stark]()
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 1008/1, 1937-1938. Photo: Manassé-Ricoll.
![Traudl Stark]()
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 1177/2, 1937-1938. Photo: Manassé-Ricoll, Vienna / Mondial-Film.
![Traudl Stark]()
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 1670/1, 1937-1938. Photo: Mondial-Film / Ufa.
![Traudl Stark]()
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 1787/1, 1937-1938. Photo: Manassé - Ricoll.
![Traudl Stark]()
Dutch postcard by Ross Verlag. Photo: Manassé-Ricoll.
Traudl Stark was Sissy in Prinzessin Sissy/Princess Sissy (Fritz Thiery, 1938) co-starring Paul Hörbiger. Stephanie D'heil (translated): "Traudl Stark reached the peak of her brief career with the title role of Sissy (later Elisabeth of Austria) in Fritz Thiery's historical film Princess Sissy (1939), one of the very early 'Sissi' film adaptations. Filmed in April 1938 at Schönbrunn Palace and Laxenburg Palace with Paul Hörbiger (father Duke Max in Bavaria) and Otto Tressler (King Ludwig I. of Bavaria)."
In the drama Mutterliebe/Mother Love (Gustav Ucicky, 1939), she was Käthe Dorsch's daughter. The film glorified the "Great German mother". Because of the start of World War II, Traudl Stark never made an international career.
Her last part was in Der Fuchs von Glenarvon/The Fox of Glenarvon (Max W. Kimmich, 1940) starring Olga Tschechova. This film represents the sad destiny of many German artists who didn't survive the war. Six of the actors were afflicted: Karl Dannemann (suicide in 1945), Friedrich Kayssler (homicide in 1945), Aribert Mog (killed in action in 1941), Horst Birr (executed in 1944 by the National Socialists), Paul Otto (suicide in 1943), and Hermann Braun (killed in action in 1945).
After the war, Traudl had become a teenager, who wasn’t interested in film any longer. Between 1945 and 1947 she acted on stage in Vienna. In 1948 she married the American GI Jack Elliot, who was four years older, and went with him to his hometown in Alabama, USA. At 18, Traudl Stark retired. For a long time, little was known about her later years.
According to an obituary of Gertraud, published by the Tampa Bay Times on 19 October 2021, Trudy later remarried Thomas South: "Trudy was a member and supporter of the Military Officers Wives' Club and Operation Helping Hand. She is survived by her husband, Thomas South; and daughters, Linda (South) Wells and husband Dr. Larry Wells; Teresa South; Jo Ann (South) Hayes and Kimberly (South) Olive and her husband Mark Olive. A son, Robert South, proceeded her in death in 2001." She was 91 and is buried in the Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, FL.
![Traudl Stark]()
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 2513/1, 1939-1940. Photo: Tita Binz, Berlin.
![Traudl Stark]()
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 2513/2, 1939-1940. Photo: Tita Binz, Berlin / Tobis.
![Traudl Stark]()
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 2837/1, 1939-1940. Photo: Tita Binz / Tobis.
![Traudl Stark]()
German Postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. A 2669/1, 1939-1940. Photo: Tita Binz / Tobis.
![Traudl Stark]()
Big German postcard by Ross Verlag. Photo: Wog.
![Traudl Stark]()
German cigarette card by Ross Verlag in the 'Künstler im Film' series for Zigarettenfabrik Monopol, Dresden, Serie 1, image 172 (of 200). Photo: Mondial-Film.
Sources: Stephanie D'heil (Steffi-Line - German), Tampa Bay Times (through Legacy.com), Thomas Staedeli (Cyranos), Filmportal.de, Wikipedia (German and English), and IMDb.
Our special thanks to Helmer who drew our attention to the article in the Tampa Bay Times.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 9891/1, 1935-1936. Photo: Mondial-Film.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 1113/2, 1937-1938. Photo: Mondial-Film.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 1177/3, 1937-1938. Photo: Manassé-Ricoll / Mondial-Film.
German Postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 1276/1, 1937-1938. Photo: Manassée-Ricoll, Wien / Mondial.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 1704/2, 1937-1938. Photo: Manassé-Ricoll.
A girl called Peter
Traudl Stark was born Gertraude Marianne Münzel to the secretary Siegfried Stark and Margarete Münzel in 1930. Her parents married after her birth.
In 1934 little Traudl was discovered by Austrian filmmaker Robert Reich on the Wiener Messe (the fair trade of Vienna) during a film exhibition and he asked her for commercials.
She played her first film parts at the age of five in Die Fahrt in die Jugend/The Journey into Childhood (Carl Boese, 1935), the film operetta Im weißen Rößl/The White Horse Inn (Carl Lamac, 1935), and as the daughter of Fritz Rasp and Olga Tschechowa in the spy drama Lockspitzel Asew/Agent Provocateur Asew (Phil Jutzi, 1935).
The public liked the cheerful-looking girl with the brown mop of curls and the mischievous smile. One year later followed Manja Valewska (Josef Rovenský, 1936) featuring Maria Andergast for Mondial- Film in Vienna. Then she played the title role in Seine Tochter ist der Peter/His Daughter Is Peter (Heinz Helbig, Willy Schmidt-Gentner, 1936) as the lively, loud tomboy Elisabeth, called 'Peter', who, much to the chagrin of her father (Karl Ludwig Diehl), thinks little of dolls and beautiful dresses. She prefers the more comfortable Tyrolean leather trousers, climbs trees, and hunts frogs.
The Berlin film company Siegel-Monopol tried to lure Traudl Stark away from the Mondial studio and there was even a court case. The next years Traudl was seen for Mondial in Liebling der Matrosen/The Darling of The Sailors (Hans Hinrig, 1937) with Wolf Albach-Retty, and again as Peter in Peter im Schnee/Peter in the Snow (Carl Lamac, 1937).
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 1008/1, 1937-1938. Photo: Manassé-Ricoll.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 1177/2, 1937-1938. Photo: Manassé-Ricoll, Vienna / Mondial-Film.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 1670/1, 1937-1938. Photo: Mondial-Film / Ufa.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 1787/1, 1937-1938. Photo: Manassé - Ricoll.
Dutch postcard by Ross Verlag. Photo: Manassé-Ricoll.
Sad Destiny
Traudl Stark was Sissy in Prinzessin Sissy/Princess Sissy (Fritz Thiery, 1938) co-starring Paul Hörbiger. Stephanie D'heil (translated): "Traudl Stark reached the peak of her brief career with the title role of Sissy (later Elisabeth of Austria) in Fritz Thiery's historical film Princess Sissy (1939), one of the very early 'Sissi' film adaptations. Filmed in April 1938 at Schönbrunn Palace and Laxenburg Palace with Paul Hörbiger (father Duke Max in Bavaria) and Otto Tressler (King Ludwig I. of Bavaria)."
In the drama Mutterliebe/Mother Love (Gustav Ucicky, 1939), she was Käthe Dorsch's daughter. The film glorified the "Great German mother". Because of the start of World War II, Traudl Stark never made an international career.
Her last part was in Der Fuchs von Glenarvon/The Fox of Glenarvon (Max W. Kimmich, 1940) starring Olga Tschechova. This film represents the sad destiny of many German artists who didn't survive the war. Six of the actors were afflicted: Karl Dannemann (suicide in 1945), Friedrich Kayssler (homicide in 1945), Aribert Mog (killed in action in 1941), Horst Birr (executed in 1944 by the National Socialists), Paul Otto (suicide in 1943), and Hermann Braun (killed in action in 1945).
After the war, Traudl had become a teenager, who wasn’t interested in film any longer. Between 1945 and 1947 she acted on stage in Vienna. In 1948 she married the American GI Jack Elliot, who was four years older, and went with him to his hometown in Alabama, USA. At 18, Traudl Stark retired. For a long time, little was known about her later years.
According to an obituary of Gertraud, published by the Tampa Bay Times on 19 October 2021, Trudy later remarried Thomas South: "Trudy was a member and supporter of the Military Officers Wives' Club and Operation Helping Hand. She is survived by her husband, Thomas South; and daughters, Linda (South) Wells and husband Dr. Larry Wells; Teresa South; Jo Ann (South) Hayes and Kimberly (South) Olive and her husband Mark Olive. A son, Robert South, proceeded her in death in 2001." She was 91 and is buried in the Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, FL.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 2513/1, 1939-1940. Photo: Tita Binz, Berlin.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 2513/2, 1939-1940. Photo: Tita Binz, Berlin / Tobis.
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. A 2837/1, 1939-1940. Photo: Tita Binz / Tobis.
German Postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. A 2669/1, 1939-1940. Photo: Tita Binz / Tobis.
Big German postcard by Ross Verlag. Photo: Wog.
German cigarette card by Ross Verlag in the 'Künstler im Film' series for Zigarettenfabrik Monopol, Dresden, Serie 1, image 172 (of 200). Photo: Mondial-Film.
Sources: Stephanie D'heil (Steffi-Line - German), Tampa Bay Times (through Legacy.com), Thomas Staedeli (Cyranos), Filmportal.de, Wikipedia (German and English), and IMDb.
Our special thanks to Helmer who drew our attention to the article in the Tampa Bay Times.