Attractive German-Russian actress Marina Ried (1921–1989) started her film career during the war years. She became a busy supporting player in German comedies and musicals of the post-war period.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. 3772/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Quick / Terra.
Marina Ried was born as Marina Rschewskaja in Moscow, Soviet Union (now Russia), in 1921. Her mother was the actress and translator Ada Knipper and her aunt the actress Olga Tschechova. As a child, she came to Germany.
There, Lucie Höflich gave her later acting lessons, and she also had ballet training at the school of Viktor Gsovsky. She appeared in stage comedies, operettas and cabarets in Berlin.
In 1939, she made her film debut with a bit role in the comedy Die rote Mühle / The Red Mill (Jürgen von Alten, 1940). During the war years, she played supporting parts in light entertainment like the circus adventure film Die große Nummer / The Big Number (Karl Anton, 1943) starring Leny Marenbach, and Das Konzert / The Concert (Paul Verhoeven, 1944) with Harry Liedtke.
After the war, she returned to the screen in comedies like Der Posaunist / The Trombonist (Carl Boese, 1949) featuring Paul Dahlke, and Absender unbekannt / Sender unknown (Ákos Ráthonyi, 1950) starring the legendary Henny Porten.
The drama Gabriela (Géza von Cziffra, 1950) was a comeback vehicle for Zarah Leander. It was the 3rd biggest box office hit of 1950 in Germany. However, the next two films of the Swedish UFA diva flopped and her attempt at a comeback failed.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. 3654/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Star-Foto-Atelier / Tobis.
Marina Ried appeared in several mediocre comedies, melodramas and musicals of the 1950s, although merely in supporting parts.
Among her films are Meine Frau macht Dummheiten / My Wife Does Stupid Things (Géza von Bolváry, 1952) with Inge Egger and Hans Holt, Alle kann ich nicht heiraten / I Can't Marry Them All (Hans Wolff, 1952) starring Sonja Ziemann, and Die Blume von Hawaii / Flower of Hawaii (Géza von Cziffra, 1953).
Only once, she played the leading lady, in Man lebt nur einmal / You Only Live Once (Ernst Neubach, 1952) opposite Theo Lingen. During the second part of the 1950s, her film roles got smaller and smaller.
Ried mainly played on stage. She also worked for the radio, did synchronisation, and appeared incidentally on TV. She had small roles in series like Hafenpolizei / Harbour Police (1963–1964) and Ein Fall für TKKG / A Case for TKKG (1985). Her last feature film was the comedy ...aber Jonny! / ...But Johnny (Alfred Weidenmann, 1973) with Horst Buchholz
From 1943 to 1953, she was married to film actor Rudolf Platte and from 1953 until her death to television director Udo Langhoff. Marina Ried died in 1989 in Jesteburg, Lower Saxony. She was interred in a family grave in the Gemeindefriedhof 'Am Allerbeek' in Jesteburg.
German postcard by Kunst und Bild, Berlin, no. A 1191. Photo: Grimm / Apollo (AFP) / Deutsche London (DL). Publicity still for Rittmeister Wronski / Cavalry Captain Wronski (Ulrich Erfurth, 1955).
Source: Stephanie D’heil (Steffi-line - German), Wikipedia (German), and IMDb.
This post was last updated on 23 July 2026.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. 3772/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Quick / Terra.
Light entertainment
Marina Ried was born as Marina Rschewskaja in Moscow, Soviet Union (now Russia), in 1921. Her mother was the actress and translator Ada Knipper and her aunt the actress Olga Tschechova. As a child, she came to Germany.
There, Lucie Höflich gave her later acting lessons, and she also had ballet training at the school of Viktor Gsovsky. She appeared in stage comedies, operettas and cabarets in Berlin.
In 1939, she made her film debut with a bit role in the comedy Die rote Mühle / The Red Mill (Jürgen von Alten, 1940). During the war years, she played supporting parts in light entertainment like the circus adventure film Die große Nummer / The Big Number (Karl Anton, 1943) starring Leny Marenbach, and Das Konzert / The Concert (Paul Verhoeven, 1944) with Harry Liedtke.
After the war, she returned to the screen in comedies like Der Posaunist / The Trombonist (Carl Boese, 1949) featuring Paul Dahlke, and Absender unbekannt / Sender unknown (Ákos Ráthonyi, 1950) starring the legendary Henny Porten.
The drama Gabriela (Géza von Cziffra, 1950) was a comeback vehicle for Zarah Leander. It was the 3rd biggest box office hit of 1950 in Germany. However, the next two films of the Swedish UFA diva flopped and her attempt at a comeback failed.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. 3654/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Star-Foto-Atelier / Tobis.
Mediocre comedies, melodramas and musicals
Marina Ried appeared in several mediocre comedies, melodramas and musicals of the 1950s, although merely in supporting parts.
Among her films are Meine Frau macht Dummheiten / My Wife Does Stupid Things (Géza von Bolváry, 1952) with Inge Egger and Hans Holt, Alle kann ich nicht heiraten / I Can't Marry Them All (Hans Wolff, 1952) starring Sonja Ziemann, and Die Blume von Hawaii / Flower of Hawaii (Géza von Cziffra, 1953).
Only once, she played the leading lady, in Man lebt nur einmal / You Only Live Once (Ernst Neubach, 1952) opposite Theo Lingen. During the second part of the 1950s, her film roles got smaller and smaller.
Ried mainly played on stage. She also worked for the radio, did synchronisation, and appeared incidentally on TV. She had small roles in series like Hafenpolizei / Harbour Police (1963–1964) and Ein Fall für TKKG / A Case for TKKG (1985). Her last feature film was the comedy ...aber Jonny! / ...But Johnny (Alfred Weidenmann, 1973) with Horst Buchholz
From 1943 to 1953, she was married to film actor Rudolf Platte and from 1953 until her death to television director Udo Langhoff. Marina Ried died in 1989 in Jesteburg, Lower Saxony. She was interred in a family grave in the Gemeindefriedhof 'Am Allerbeek' in Jesteburg.
German postcard by Kunst und Bild, Berlin, no. A 1191. Photo: Grimm / Apollo (AFP) / Deutsche London (DL). Publicity still for Rittmeister Wronski / Cavalry Captain Wronski (Ulrich Erfurth, 1955).
Source: Stephanie D’heil (Steffi-line - German), Wikipedia (German), and IMDb.
This post was last updated on 23 July 2026.
