Remembering Viktoria von Ballasko

Viktoria Maria Franziska Ballasko was born on January 24, 1909 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary. The daughter of a government official she attended the Academy of Performing Arts in Vienna. Starting in 1929 she had stage engagements in Bern, Chemnitz and Breslau, and in 1935 she appeared in the Berlin theater on Schiffbauerdamm. Her first experience as a voice actress came in 1935/36 on a Luis Trenker the film. Her first starring role was in the 1936 film “Kinderarzt Dr. Engel” with Paul Hörbiger. She then appeared in her only Euro-western “The Emperor of California” (1936) as Anna Sutter, directed by Luis Trenker. More starring roles followed with such films as “Kennwort Machin” (1939), with Albert Hehn, “Die Geliebte” (1939), with Willy Fritsch, “Im Schatten des Berges” (1940), with Attila Hörbiger and “Der Majoratsherr” (1943/44), with Willy Birgel. The blonde, girlish and fragile-looking actress was type set to that of a low-key, self-sacrificing understanding woman.

 
After the end of World War II Viktoria for a time worked as a radio and voice actress. Then she co-wrote with Udo Vietz the screenplay for the short documentary “Anmut und Kraft”, before she received more offers for roles as an actress. In addition to two DEFA productions “Und wieder 48” (1948), by Gustav von Wangenheim and “Unser täglich Brot” (1949), by Slatan Dudow ). She still appeared in some West German films before she ended her career in the late 1950s.
 
As a voice actress she lent her voice to among others Annabella “Das Mädchen mit der Maske” and Joan Fontaine in “Oh, Susanne!”.
 
von Ballasko died on May 10, 1976 in West Berlin, Germany.
 
Today we remember Viktoria von Ballasko on what would have been her 105^th birthday.