Frank, Ellen (1904-1999)

Frank, Ellen

ACTOR, DANCER (GERMANY)

BORN 9 Mar 1904, Aurich, Niedersachsen - DIED 17 Sep 1999, Klagenfurt, Kärnten
GRAVE LOCATION Klagenfurt, Kärnten: Friedhof St. Martin, Luegerstrasse (II, Feld 02, Reihe 03, Nummer 130)

Ellen Frank was the daughter of the Prussian government councilor Georg Frank (1864-1921) and his wife Paula (d.1922). She was the younger sister of Ilse Frank (1897-1983), who married the architect Walter Gropius (1883-1969) in 1923. Ellen worked as a secretary for a concert agency before she was orphaned when she was seventeen years old. Her guardian supported her in taking dancing lessons with Mary Wigman. The ballet master Max Terpis engaged her as a dance student at the Stadttheater in Hannover.

In 1924 she travelled with a modern dancing group through Germany. Around 1926 she exchanged dancing for acting. In Berlin she debuted under Erwin Piscator at the Volksbühne as Amalia in Schiller's "Die Räuber". After several further theatre engagements she appeared in her first movie "Es gibt eine Frau, die dich niemals vergisst" in 1930. She also appeared in cabaret. From 1929 to 1931 she was in a relationship with László Moholy-Nagy.

In 1934 she became well known after her roles in "Heinz im Mond" and "Peer Gynt". She appeared in movies with Heinz Rühmann several times. Her last movie before the Second World War was "Gold in New Frisco" in 1939. She married the building contractor George Arm in the same year. They settled in Munich and they had a daughter, Evelyn. The marriage lasted until 1953. Evelyn became a costume designer and she married the Austrian set and costume designer Matthias Kralj (b.1933) in 1966.

It was not until 1953 before Ellen Frank appeared in a movie again. In 1954 she played in "Ludwig II". From the 1960s she appeared at theatres in Munich and other cities. She also had roles in television productions like "Tatort" and "Derrick". She continued her career until 1995. She died after a long illness in Klagenfurt in 1999 and she was buried in that city.

Related persons
• was a friend of Kästner, Erich

Images
The grave of Ellen Frank at the St. Martin cemetery in Klagenfurt, Kärnten. Picture by Androom (24 Aug 2023)	The grave of Ellen Frank at the St. Martin cemetery in Klagenfurt, Kärnten. Picture by Androom (24 Aug 2023)