Maria Perschy

Maria Perschy
Maria Perschy
Born	Herat-Maria Perschy; 23 September 1938; Eisenstadt, Reichsgau Niederdonau, Nazi Germany (now Burgenland, Austria)
Died	3 December 2004 (aged 66); Vienna, Austria
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1956–2000

Herta-Maria Perschy (23 September 1938 – 3 December 2004) was an Austrian actress whose career included performances on screen with actor Rock Hudson and on American television in both daytime and prime time.^[1]

Early life

Perschy was born in Eisenstadt, then part of Nazi Germany, now in Burgenland, Austria and moved to Vienna at the age of 17 to study acting.

Career

After completing her education, she moved to West Germany for more training, leading to a film career. Her first major success came with Nasser Asphalt where she played together with Horst Buchholz. Her acting career would eventually take her — by way of France, Italy and the United Kingdom — to Hollywood. Perschy played in a number of American films, her most notable roles being in the 1962 biopic Freud, the 1964 Rock Hudson comedy, Man's Favorite Sport?, and the 1964 hit war movie 633 Squadron. Perschy's career in America eventually declined and by the late 1970s her only US appearances were brief roles in TV shows such as Hawaii Five-O and General Hospital.

While shooting in Spain in 1971, Perschy suffered a burn injury from an accident that required several operations before she could resume her career. Perschy returned to her native Austria in 1985 and continued to perform in a series of plays and TV series.

In 1969, she filmed Castle of Fu Manchu with Christopher Lee and Richard Greene. When it aired on television in New York City four years later, The New York Times noted that the film would be "[w]ell worth viewing, if it's as sharp and fast as others in this new series".^[2]

Death

On 3 December 2004, Perschy died of cancer in Vienna.

Selected filmography

Nichts als Ärger mit der Liebe (1956)
Roter Mohn (1956) - Extra (uncredited)
Nasser Asphalt (1958) - Bettina
Der schwarze Blitz (1958) - Gretl Mittermayr
Die Landärztin (1958) - Afra
Il moralista (1959) - Monique
Of Course, the Motorists (1959) - Karin Dobermann
Call Girls of Rome (1960) - Claudia
The Hero of My Dreams (1960) - Franziska Kleinschmidt
Love in Rome (1960) - Eleonora Curtatoni
Ordered to Love (1961) - Doris Korff
Wenn beide schuldig werden (1962) - Josi
Melody of Hate (1962) - Claudia / Martina
The Password Is Courage (1962) - Irena
Freud (1962) - Magda (uncredited)
The Mad Executioners (1963) - Ann Barry
633 Squadron (1964) - Hilde Bergman
Man's Favorite Sport? (1964) - Isolde 'Easy' Mueller
Mystery of the Red Jungle (1964) - Claudia Laudon
No Survivors, Please [de] (1964) - Ginny Desmond
Secret of the Sphinx (1964) - Hélène Blomberg
Extraconiugale (1964) - Eva (segment "La moglie svedese")
The Bandits of the Rio Grande (1965) - Helen
African Gold (1965) - Helena Hanson
Kiss Kiss, Kill Kill (1966) - Joan Smith
Seven Vengeful Women (1966) - Ursula
The Desperate Ones (1967) - Marusia
Five Golden Dragons (1967) - Margret
A Witch Without a Broom (1967) - Mariana
Spy Today, Die Tomorrow (1967) - Lu Forrester
The Castle of Fu Manchu (1969) - Marie / Ingrid
Dr. Fabian: Laughing Is the Best Medicine (1969) - Dr. Inge Vollmer
El último día de la guerra (1970) - Elena Truppe
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971) - Genevre
The Leo Chronicles (1972)
Hunchback of the Morgue (1973) - Frieda
El espectro del terror (1973) - María
The Ghost Galleon (1974) - Lillian
Los fríos senderos del crimen (1974) - Jane
Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll (1974) - Ivette
Dites-le avec des fleurs (1974) - La femme de Klaus
La noche de la furia (1974) - Jill
Exorcismo (1975) - Patricia
La Diosa salvaje (1975) - Isabel von Marnix
The Adolescents (1975) - Miss Stella Larsen
My Husband Prefers Virgins (1975) - Luisa
Las protegidas (1975) - Sra. de Aguirre
El límite del amor (1976) - Madre Superiora
The People Who Own the Dark (1976) - Lily
Batida de raposas (1976) - Mercedes
The Standard (1977) - Mordax
Hawaii Five-O (1978, Episode: "Sleeper") - Sonya
Les Morfalous (1984) - Pamela Windsor
Harry and Harriet (1990) - Ruth Olsen

References

^ Johnson, Sabrina. "An afternoon of cinema commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force". Diss, England. Wymondham and Attleborough Mercury, March 23, 2018.
^ "Television This Week" (Channel 5, November 14, 3:00 p.m.). New York, New York: The New York Times, November 14, 1976.