Foto: D'Ora Kallmus (1881-1963)
Mit freundlicher Genehmigung
Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Copyright

1912 - 1995

She soon found out her enthusiasm for the dance and she took lessons with Grete Wiesenthal. But a serious road accident destroyed her dreams of a dance career and she attended the Academy for Music and Performing Arts.
Already in 1929, even before the final examinaton of her study, she was engaged at the Stadttheater Aussig where she made her debut in the play "Vater sein dagegen sehr".

Finally the film became aware of her and Luis Trenker offered her a role in his movie "Der Rebell". But Maria Andergast had to call of because of date problems. Only when Luis Trenker offered her a role again she agreed and made her film debut with "Der verlorene Sohn" (34). She was convincing the audience and the critics at the first go and formed a new type of the German film. 
In the next years followed successful movies like "Endstation" (35), "Der Kurier des Zaren" (35) and "Manja Valewska" (36). 
She got married with director Heinz Helbig in 1936 and they moved to Berlin where she continued to act at theaters.

From 1939 she nearly worked exclusively in Vienna. She took part among others in "Unsterblicher Walzer" (39), "Ihr Privatsekretär" (40), "Der Herr im Haus" (40), "Ein Leben lang" (40) and "Das grosse Spiel" (42).

After the war she appeared in the first Austrian post-war movie "Der weite Weg" (46), it followed "Der Hofrat Geiger" (47) in which she sang the hit "Mariandl" which helped her to get a second career as a singer of popsongs and Viennese songs.

In the 50's she acted in typical Viennese movies, often at Paul Hörbiger's side, among others in "Hallo, Dienstmann" (51), "Der Verschwender" (53), "Kaiserball" (56) and "Verlobung am Wolfgangsee" (56).

After that followed an interruption of ten years which ended from 1962 with sporadic appearances in TV productions like "Ende schlecht - Alles gut" (62), "Die kleinen Verwandten" (67) and "Das bin ich" (71).

Maria Andergast was married in second marriage with the actor Siegfried Breuer, in third and fourth marriage with director Franz Antel and actor Richard Häussler.
 

Other movies with Maria Andergast:
Abenteuer eines jungen Herrn in Polen (34) Mein Leben für Maria Isabell (35) Der Vogelhändler (35) Donaumelodien (36) Die Drei um Christine (36) Drei Mäderl um Schubert (36) Seine Tochter ist der Peter (36) Skandal um die Fledermaus (36) Die glücklichste Ehe der Welt (37) Husaren, heraus! (37) Das grosse Abenteuer (37) Das Geheimnis um Betty Bonn (37) Monika (37) Schüsse in Kabine 7 (38) Die Pfingstorgel (38) Roman eines Arztes (39) Hochzeitsreise zu dritt (39) Das Glück wohnt nebenan (39) Polterabend (40) Der liebe Augustin (40) Der laufende Berg (41) Spähtrupp Hallgarten (41) Sechs Tage Heimaturlaub (41) So ein Früchtchen (42) ...und die Musik spielt dazu (43) Ein Mann gehört ins Haus (45) Zyankali (48) Kleine Melodie aus Wien (48) Auf der Alm; da gibt's ka Sünd (50) Die Mitternachtsvenus (51) Der alte Sünder (51) Eva erbt das Paradies (51) Der Mann in der Wanne/Verlobung in der Badewanne (52) Die Wirtin von Maria Wörth/Wirtin vom Wörthersee (52) Die Junggesellenfalle (53) Sanatorium total verrückt (54) Wenn die Alpenrosen blüh'n (55) Die fröhliche Wallfahrt (56) Das Schloss in Tirol (57) Almenrausch und Edelweiss (57) Der gestohlene Himmel (74) Mass für Mass (74) Besucherdienst (79)