Maria Litto
Maria Litto ( born September 10, 1919 in Ovenhausen, today Hoexter, † 25 October 1996 in Hamburg) was a German actress and dancer.
Life
The daughter of the waiter Ludwig Litto and his wife Wilhelmine, nee Walter, spent her childhood with her sister tilde in Essen since 1927 and again in Hoexter, where his father ran a restaurant. Maria attended the elementary school in Hoexter and then the girls high school in Minden wood.
Although already 16 years old, she learned at the dance school " Carus " in Wood Minden and from the age of 18 at the Folkwang School in Essen ballet dance. At the Stadttheater Wuppertal, she received her first engagement and belonged to the local ensemble two years. In 1941 she went to Berlin, became principal dancer and was from 1944 Prima Ballerina at the Opera House in Berlin.
In 1942, she made her film debut. For a long time she was very small roles, like that of a student in Feuerzangenbowle next to Heinz Riihmann. After the war, she first drew attention to himself in the film by dancing. In 1951 she sang the title role in the musical comedy The veiled Maja ( with Madelon Truss and others). Also Queen of the Arena (1952) and The Flower of Hawaii ( 1953) were all lined up on it.
On November 10, 1954 Maria Litto received a contract with the Hamburg State Opera. In 1955 she played the snake in the world premiere of Werner Egk Opera Irish legend and played in Richard Strauss' opera Salome in a guest performance at La Scala. Other stage performances she gave in the ballet The Miraculous Mandarin and in September 1956 in The Angel of Montparnasse in the little comedy in Hamburg. After the ballet form Ender Will the musical Fanny followed in the Thalia Theater in Hamburg. End of the 60s she also at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
In the sixties, Maria Litto took over more and more the role of a choreographer. Together with her partner and husband Heinz Schmiedel she studied a number of performances of the television ballet. In the film, she was seen in some supporting roles. In three of Edgar Wallace films, she played some disreputable demimonde ladies. In 1970, she played the lead role in the television series " tour - A ballet dances around the world " as a ballet mistress Maria. At her side were playing in other major roles Edith Schultze- Westrum, Gerhart Lippert, Albert and Harry Venohr Wüstenhagen.
Maria Litto was married from April 1945 to 1951 with the Swiss Heinz Erzinger. On June 30, 1958, she married her longtime dance partner Heinz Schmiedel. After his sudden death on 3 December 1978, she appeared only rarely in the public appearance.