Remembering Ernst Legal

Ernst Otto Eduard Legal was boen in Schlieben, Germany on May 2, 1881. He became a stage actor and worked Darmstadt from1924-1927 and as theater director 1927-1928. He then worked the State Theatre in Berlin from 1931-1932. He was the director of Berlin’s Schiller Theater from 1938 until 1944. He was also a familiar character actor in films since 1919. He continued to act on stage and direct plays after the war and into the 1950s in East Germany. Under Stalin the working conditions became very taxing and difficult and by 1952 he was worn out. He appeared in only a few more films such as Wolfgang Staudte’s film "Straw" (1951) and his only Euro-western "Johnny Saves Nebrador" (1953). After his 100^th film appearance in 1955's "Der Himmel is nie ausverkauft" he retired. Ernst is the father of actress Margaret Legal [1908-2001]. Legal died on June 29, 1955 in East Berlin, East Gemany. Today we remember Ernst Legal on what would have been his 130^th birthday.