Actress. In a career stretching over 70 years she appeared in around 120 German movies but was for a time tainted by her association with the Nazi High Command. Born Edith Radschke, she was raised in Berlin and appears to have been drawn to the stage as a child. She studied acting at the Ilka-Gruning Schule and gained experience in numerous school productions; in 1933 Mady met future director Detlef Sierck and was to star in his debut film, the 1934 "Zwei Genies". Sierck introduced her to the bosses of Berlin-based UFA studios and a four year contract soon followed; thru the 1930s she had major roles in such fare as "Hallo Janine!" and "Fraulein" (both 1939). Mady fit perfectly the Nazi ideal of feminine beauty and was said to have been the favorite actress of propoganda minister Dr. Josef Goebbels who liked romantic comedies and was reported to be particularly enchanted by her in "Die lustigen Vagabunden (1941) leading to his using her in several films made especially for Hitler. Peace ended her career temporarily but she eventually made a comeback playing character parts in the 1950s and was to continue her silver screen appearances well into old age. In the 1960s she joined the Munich Comedy Theatre, launching herself into a number of television series, mostly crime dramas, over the years. Her final acting bows were not to occur until 2004; in later years she found a second calling as a watercolor painter and had successful exhibits in a number of galleries. Mady, who was married three times, lived her final years in a Munich nursing home. Some of her performances have been preserved on DVD.
Actress. In a career stretching over 70 years she appeared in around 120 German movies but was for a time tainted by her association with the Nazi High Command. Born Edith Radschke, she was raised in Berlin and appears to have been drawn to the stage as a child. She studied acting at the Ilka-Gruning Schule and gained experience in numerous school productions; in 1933 Mady met future director Detlef Sierck and was to star in his debut film, the 1934 "Zwei Genies". Sierck introduced her to the bosses of Berlin-based UFA studios and a four year contract soon followed; thru the 1930s she had major roles in such fare as "Hallo Janine!" and "Fraulein" (both 1939). Mady fit perfectly the Nazi ideal of feminine beauty and was said to have been the favorite actress of propoganda minister Dr. Josef Goebbels who liked romantic comedies and was reported to be particularly enchanted by her in "Die lustigen Vagabunden (1941) leading to his using her in several films made especially for Hitler. Peace ended her career temporarily but she eventually made a comeback playing character parts in the 1950s and was to continue her silver screen appearances well into old age. In the 1960s she joined the Munich Comedy Theatre, launching herself into a number of television series, mostly crime dramas, over the years. Her final acting bows were not to occur until 2004; in later years she found a second calling as a watercolor painter and had successful exhibits in a number of galleries. Mady, who was married three times, lived her final years in a Munich nursing home. Some of her performances have been preserved on DVD.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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