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1-28 of 28
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
The grand, highly flamboyant Russian star Alla Nazimova of Hollywood silent films lived an equally grand, flamboyant life off-camera, though her legendary status has not held up as firmly as that of a Rudolph Valentino today.
Alla Nazimova was born Miriam Edez Adelaida Leventon in 1879, in Yalta, Crimea, in the Russian Empire, to Jewish parents, Sonya Horowitz and Yakov Leventon. She was the third child in an abusive, contentious household. Most of her sad childhood was spent in foster homes or in the care of other relatives and she showed a strong penchant for outrageous behavior to cope. Nazimova also showed a great aptitude for music at a young age and began violin lessons at age seven. She changed her name to Alla Nazimova when she began appearing on stage--her father insisted on it, as "performing" was not considered respectable at the time.
She began acting lessons at age 17 and joined Konstantin Stanislavski's company of actors as a pupil of his "method style" at the Moscow Art Theatre. During that time she supported herself by being kept by rich, older men. A failed love affair led to her only marriage, to an acting student named Sergei Golovin, but they separated quickly. She grew discontented with Stanislavsky and later performed in repertory. She met the legendary Pavel Orlenev, a close friend of Anton Chekhov and Maxim Gorky, and entered into both a personal and professional relationship with him. They toured internationally throughout Europe with great success and came to New York in 1905, where Nazimova was saluted on Broadway for her definitive interpretations of Henrik Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler" and "A Doll's House." Orlenev returned to Russia but Nazimova stayed.
She made her screen debut with War Brides (1916), which was initially a 35-minute play. By 1918 she was a box-office star for Metro Pictures and completed 11 films for the studio over a three-year period. A torrid, stylish and rather outré tragedienne who played exotic, liberal women confronted by great personal anguish, she earned personal successes as a reformed prostitute in Revelation (1918), a suicide in Toys of Fate (1918) and dual roles as half-sisters during the Boxer Rebellion in The Red Lantern (1919), not to mention the title role of Camille (1921) with Rudolph Valentino. At the same time she maintained a strong Broadway theatrical career.
In accordance with her rise in the film industry, she began producing her own efforts, which were bold and experimental--and monumental failures, although they are hailed as great artistic efforts today. Her Salomé (1922) was quite scandalous and deemed a failure at the time. The monetary losses she suffered as producer were astronomical. The Hays Code, which led to severe censorship in pictures, also led to her downfall, as did her outmoded acting style. She was forced to abandon films for the theater, scoring exceptionally well in Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard." She did return to films briefly in the 1940s in a variety of supporting roles, but she made these solely for the money.
Nazimova's private life has long been the subject of industry gossip. As a Hollywood cover to her well-known bisexual lifestyle, she coexisted in a "marriage" with gay actor Charles Bryant for well over a decade. Her "Garden of Allah" home was the centerpiece for many glamorous private parties. She died in 1945.- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Born in Russian Empire in 1904, Lewton moved with his mother and sister to Berlin in 1906, then to USA in 1909. He wrote for newspapers, magazines, novels, pornography, etc.- often using pseudonyms to disguise their origin (the name Val Lewton was one such pseudonym, used first for some novels in the 1930's, then revived later in his career to take writing credit for two movies). In 1933, he got a job with David O. Selznick where he spent many years as a story editor and jack-of-all-trades. Then in 1942, RKO hired him to head their new horror unit, where he made many famous and well-respected B-movies, for very low costs and high profits. In 1946, he "graduated" to A-movies, but increasing health problems, trouble working with big-money Hollywood, and other factors combined to force him to produce only three more movies before his death in 1951.- Evelina Blyodans was born on 5 April 1969 in Yalta, Ukrainian SSR, USSR. She is an actress, known for Gitler kaput! (2008), Vozdushnye piraty (1992) and Ch. P. rayonnogo masshtaba (1988). She was previously married to Aleksandr Semin, Dmitriy and Yuriy Stytskovskiy.
- Actress
- Writer
Miki Iveria was born on 14 June 1910 in Yalta, Republic of Crimea, Ukraine. She was an actress and writer, known for The Omen (1976), The Dark Crystal (1982) and QB VII (1974). She died on 29 March 1994 in London, England, UK.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Anthony Fedorov was born on 4 May 1985 in Yalta, Crimean Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, USSR [now Crimea, Ukraine]. He is an actor, known for American Idol (2002), Ben Elohim and Katya (2011). He has been married to Jennifer Paz since 25 December 2012. They have one child.- Nicholas Soussanin was born on 3 January 1889 in Yalta, Taurida Governorate, Russian Empire [now Crimea, Ukraine]. He was an actor and writer, known for Daughter of the Dragon (1931), Betrayal (1929) and The Last Command (1928). He was married to Olga Baclanova and Suzanna Stroemer (first). He died on 27 April 1975 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Liza Machulska was born in Yalta, USSR. She is known for King Size (1988), V.I.P. (1991) and Zabij mnie glino (1988).
- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Camera and Electrical Department
Anna Kuchma was born on 14 February 1981 in Yalta, Crimean Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, USSR [now Crimea, Ukraine]. She is an actress, known for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), Non-Stop (2014) and The Intern (2015).- Jerzy Pietraszkiewicz was born on 9 August 1917 in Yalta, Taurida Governorate, Russia [now Crimea, Ukraine]. He was an actor, known for Television Theater (1953), Uczta Baltazara (1954) and Kariera (1955). He died on 2 August 2005 in Skolimów, Konstancin-Jeziorna, Mazowieckie, Poland.
- Vadim Medvededv was born Vladimir Aleksandrovich Medvedev on April 28, 1929, in Yalta, Crimea province, Ukraine, USSR (now Ukraine). In 1949, he graduated from the Acting Studio of Moscow Chamber Theatre under directorship of Aleksandr Tairov.
From 1952-1966 he was a permanent member of the troupe of Pushkin Drama Theatre in St. Petersburg (Leningrad). There his stage partners were such remarkable actors as Nikolay Cherkasov, Nikolai Simonov, Vasiliy Merkurev, Konstantin Skorobogatov, Yuriy Tolubeev, Aleksandr Borisov, Bruno Frejndlikh, Vladimir Chestnokov, Vladimir Erenberg, Konstantin Adashevsky, Leonid Vivyen, Olga Lebzak, Nina Mamaeva, Lidiya Shtykan, Nina Urgant, Valentina Panina, and other notable Russian actors. In 1954, he made his film debut in A Big Family (1954) by director Iosif Kheifits.
From 1966-1988 Vadim Medvedev was a permanent member of the legendary troupe of Bolshoi Drama Theatre (BDT) in St. Petersburg (Leningrad) under directorship of Georgi Tovstonogov. Medvedev worked with Tovstonogov for 22 years. During that time Medvedev worked with an outstanding ensemble of actors at BDT. There his stage partners were such stars as Oleg Basilashvili, Tatyana Doronina, Alisa Freyndlikh, Lyudmila Makarova, Svetlana Kryuchkova, Zinaida Sharko, Valentina Kovel, Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy, Sergey Yurskiy, Kirill Lavrov, Oleg Borisov, Vladislav Strzhelchik, Yefim Kopelyan, Evgeniy Lebedev, Vsevolod Kuznetsov, Pavel Luspekayev, Nikolay Trofimov, Georgiy Shtil, Leonid Nevedomsky, Yuriy Demich, Roman Gromadskiy, Gennadiy Bogachyov, Andrey Tolubeev, and many other remarkable Russian actors.
Vadim Medvedev was honored with the title of People's Artist of the Russia. He received numerous awards and decorations for his works on stage and in film. His filmography includes over 30 roles, he also played over 80 roles on stage. Vadim Medvedev died on March 2, 1988, and was laid to rest in Bolsheokhtinskoe Cemetery in St. Petersburg (Leningrad), Russia. - Alexander Nicholayevitch Romanoff (Achmed Abdullah) was the author of numerous adventure and mystery stories, usually set in strange and exotic locations.
His father, Grand Duke Nicholas Romanoff, was a cousin of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his mother, Princess Nourmahal Durani, was the daughter of the Amir of Afghanistan. Alexander, along with his brother Yar and sister Gothia, were born at the Romanoff Palace in Yalta, the future site of the historic Second World War conference among Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin. After pressure from the Afghan and Russian royal houses forced their parents to divorce, Alexander--along with his sister--went to live with their uncle in Afghanistan; Yar, the oldest, stayed with his father in Russia. Alexander was adopted by his uncle, who changed his name to Achmed Abdullah Nadir Khan el-Durani el Iddrissyeh and raised him in the Muslim faith. Yar became an officer in the Russian army and was killed in 1914 at the Battle of Tannenberg. Gothia was said to have married an Indian rajah. In 1936, after years of being torn between the Russian Orthodox Church he was baptized in and the Muslim faith he was raised in, Abdullah became a Roman Catholic.
He went to schools in Afghanistan, India, France and finally England, where he attended Eton and Oxford. Upon graduation he became a British citizen and joined the British army, where he served with merit in China, Tibet, Russia, Eastern Europe, France, India and Africa. Because of his ability to blend in with different cultures, he was often called upon by British Intelligence to work as a spy. Not long after Abdullah retired from the British army with the rank of captain, he joined the Turkish army and fought with distinction in the First Balkan War (1912-1913). By the time Abdullah decided to pursue a writing career his life experiences had gained him a plethora of material to draw upon for decades to come.
Abdullah began writing in earnest after coming to the US sometime after 1914. Soon stories like "The Blue Eyed Manchu", "The Red Stain", "The Soul Catcher" and "Bucking the Tiger" were appearing in newspapers and magazines across the country. By the early 1920s he was writing for both the stage and the screen. In 1928 he published a collection of ballads and poems from Central Asia entitled "Lute and Scimitar". His autobiography, "The Cat Had Nine Lives" (1933), reads like one of his romantic adventure stories. In 1937 he wrote with John Kenney, a cookbook entitled, "For Men Only". Abdullah's first Broadway play, "The Honourable Mr. Wong" (1932), was adapted from his story "The Hatchetman" and was written with the help of David Belasco around the time he became a permanent resident of the US. Though many of his stories and plays were very popular with the public, he will probably always be best remembered for the classic films The Thief of Bagdad (1924) and The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935).
Abdullah must have cut quite an imposing figure when seen out in public, with his military posture, impeccable suit, hat tilted just so, gray spats and monocled eye. In 1945 he passed away on his birthday at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York after an illness of several months. He was survived by his third wife, Rosemary Dutton, whom he married in 1940, a year after his second wife of 20 years, literary agent Jean Wick, had passed away. His first wife, Irene Augusta Bainbridge, was still married to him when he filled out his Word War One draft registration card in 1918. - Nika Turbina was born on 12 December 1974 in Yalta, Ukrainian SSR, USSR. She was an actress, known for Eto bylo u morya ... (1989). She died on 11 May 2002 in Moscow, Russia.
- Elena Kolpachikova graduated from the Lee Strasberg institute and NYU film school, started her acting career and moved to Los Angeles.
Eastern European fashion model, talented up-and-coming film and television star, Elena Kolpachikova, completed her work in independent feature films.
Her charisma and popularity as a model of Ford Models agency led her to the cover and editorial of Vogue,Cosmopolitan, Photo, New York Bride, Modern Bride, Marie Claire, Stardust Visions and Playboy... With an athletic physique (5 feet 11 inches) and an alluring smile, brought her to pose for the likes of fashion and celebrity photographer Antoine Verglas. Elena has also been a guest model in NBC's Morning Star Fashion and the Viva Fashion Talk Show. CBS Fashion Show.
Her passion for theater led her to invest heavily in her entertainment career and to play leads in theater works such as: Miss Julie, The Seagull, The Bear, Echoes, Golden Boy, La Ronde, Absent Friends, Born Yesterday, The Good Doctor, Any Wednesday, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Days and Nights of Beebe Fenster, Bad Habits, I Am a Camera, A Fish called Wanda, Indecent Proposal, The Good Shepherd and G.I. Jane.
With an excellent training and great work ethic, it's no surprise that Kolpachikova is set to become a bright light in the entertainment world. - Director
- Writer
Yury Saakov was born on 25 February 1937 in Yalta, Crimean ASSR, RSFSR, USSR. Yury was a director and writer, known for Eti raznye, raznye litsa (1972), Eta vesyolaya planeta (1973) and Skazki russkogo lesa (1966). Yury died on 13 March 2004 in Moscow, Russia.- Sound Department
Vladimir Litrovnik was born on 24 April 1954 in Yalta, Crimean Oblast, RSFSR, USSR. He is known for The Island (2006), Viking (2016) and Admiral (2008).- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Sergey Machilskiy was born on 1 June 1961 in Yalta, Crimean Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, USSR. He is a cinematographer, known for Svoi (2004), V dvizhenii (2002) and Tot, kto gasit svet (2008).- Nathalie Kovanko was born on 13 September 1899 in Yalta, Taurida Governorate, Russian Empire [now Crimea, Ukraine]. She was an actress, known for Michel Strogoff (1926), Le chant de l'amour triomphant (1923) and L'ordonnance (1921). She was married to Viktor Tourjansky. She died on 23 May 1967 in Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, USSR [now Ukraine].
- Raisa Kirillova was born on 4 September 1940 in Yalta, Crimean Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, USSR. She was an actress, known for Polovodye (1963) and Russkiy les (1964). She died on 6 May 2021.
- Aleksandr Vyrubov was born on 21 July 1882 in Yalta, Crimea, Russian Empire. He was an actor, known for Zhenshchina vampir (1915), Deti veka (1915) and Potop (1915). He died on 2 June 1962 in Cormeilles-en-Parisis, Val-d'Oise department, Île-de-France, France.
- Composer
Ivan Karabits was born on 17 January 1945 in Yalta, Crimean ASSR, Russian SFSR, USSR [now Crimea, Ukraine]. He was a composer, known for Komisary (1971), Ulitsa trinadtsati topoley (1970) and Bez godu nedelya (1982). He died on 21 January 2002 in Kyiv, Ukraine.- Production Designer
- Art Director
- Set Decorator
Serge Piménoff was born on 5 October 1895 in Yalta, Taurida Governorate, Russian Empire [now Crimea, Ukraine]. He was a production designer and art director, known for Street of Shadows (1937), She Returned at Dawn (1938) and Nuits de princes (1929). He died in 1960 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France.- Esteban Volkov was born on 7 March 1926 in Yalta, USSR. He was an actor, known for El asesinato de Trotsky (2007), 60 Minutes (1968) and Trotsky: A Film (1987). He was married to Palmira Fernández. He died on 16 June 2023 in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico.
- Andrey Rabinovich was born on 8 December 1940 in Yalta, Crimean ASSR, Russian SFSR, USSR [now Crimea, Ukraine]. He is an actor, known for Dom, kotoryy postroil Svift (1982) and Dni Turbinykh (1976).
- Sergei Silkin was born on 17 November 1957 in Yalta, Crimean Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, USSR. He is an actor, known for The Plane Flies to Russia (1994), Imperiya piratov (1994) and Vlyublyonnyy maneken (1991).
- Actor
- Director
Vadim Gems was born on 3 November 1950 in Yalta, Crimean ASSR, Russian SFSR, USSR. He was an actor and director, known for Staru-kha-rmsa (1991), Strannik (1987) and Letniye vpechatleniya o planete Z (1987). He died on 2 April 2019.