Ursula Pearson
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| Ursula Pearson | |
 Ursula Pearson gets a scare as Hilda in Teenagers from Outer Space. |
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| Birth name | Ursula Gadischke |
| Born | 1929 Berlin, Germany |
| Died | 2006 Oxnard, California |
| Other name(s) | Ursula Hansen, Ursula Bellah |
| Years active | 1956 |
| Spouse(s) | Bryan Grant (divorced) |
| Notable roles | Hilda in Teenagers from Outer Space |
Ursula Pearson Bellah (1929-2006) was a German-born, American actress, author, and businesswoman, most famous for her role of Hilda in Teenagers From Outer Space and her autobiographical perspective on Nazi Germany Surviving the Judas Factor: A Childhood Entombed in Nazi Germany.
[edit] Life
Born Ursula Gadischke in 1929 in Berlin, Germany, the girl who went by "Ulli" had a tough time growing up. Brainwashed by the propaganda of Adolf Hitler at a very young age, Ulli allowed herself to be subjugated by the Nazis' totalitarian regime until personal tragedy and wisdom of age forced her to realize the atrocities they had committed. Her father, Hermann, was a captain in the 8th SS Cavalry Division, also known as the Florian Geyer. Both he and her much-loved older brother were killed in combat, forced to continue fighting even after their superiors had fled.
[edit] Film
After the liberation of Germany by American troops, Ursula left Germany and in the early fifties wed upcoming BBC actor Bryan Pearson. Attempting to further his career, the couple moved to Los Angeles where their first investment was the funding of Tom Graeff's ill-fated flop Teenagers From Outer Space, in which Bryan starred as the villain Thor, and Ursula, changing her last name to the more pronounceable "Hansen" was featured as a secretary named Hilda.
The film failed at the box office and after a drawn out legal dispute the couple decided to leave the entertainment industry. A few years later the Pearsons divorced, and Bryan Pearson moved to Hawaii.
[edit] Writing
Towards the end of her life, Ursula was inspired to write an autobiography of her life growing up in Nazi Germany. The book served as a warning to all about the dangers of blindly following a leader; a pied piper leading a nation into the darkness.
While not a professionally-written book by any means, the honest and deeply personal account is incredibly moving and Ursula confronts her past with both anger and regret.
She planned to write a sequel to her novel, which would have detailed the resurrection of Germany after the war, but she passed away before it was finished.
