Ivan Mosjoukine
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Ivan Mosjoukine | |
---|---|
Born | Ivan Ilyich Mozzhukhin 26 September 1889 |
Died | 18 January 1939 | (aged 49)
Other names | Jwan Mosjukin Ivan Mozzukhine Iwan Mosjoukine |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1911–1936 |
Spouses |
Ivan Ilyich Mozzhukhin (Russian: Иван Ильич Мозжухин, IPA: [ɪˈvan ɨˈlʲjitɕ mɐˈʑːʉxʲɪn]; 26 September [O.S. 8 October] 1889 – 18 January 1939), usually billed using the French transliteration Ivan Mosjoukine, was a Russian silent film actor.[1]
Career in Russia
Ivan Mozzhukhin was born in Kondol, in the Saratov Governorate of the Russian Empire (present-day Penza Oblast in Russia), the youngest of four brothers. His mother Rachel Ivanovna Mozzhukhina (née Lastochkina) was the daughter of a Russian Orthodox priest, while his father Ilya Ivanovich Mozzhukhin came from peasants and served as an estate manager for the noble Obolensky family. He inherited this position from his own father — a serf whose children were granted freedom as a gratitude for his service.[2][3]
While all three elder brothers finished
The Kuleshov Effect
Mosjoukine's most lasting contribution to the theoretical concept of film as image is the legacy of his own face in recurring representation of illusory reactions seen in
Career in France
At the end of 1919, Mosjoukine arrived in Paris and quickly established himself as one of the top stars of the French silent cinema, starring in one successful film after another. Handsome, tall, and possessing a powerful screen presence, he won a considerable following as a mysterious and exotic romantic figure.
The first film of his French career was also his final Russian film. L'Angoissante Aventure (The Harrowing Adventure) was a dramatized record of the difficult and dangerous journey of Russian actors, directors and other film artists as they made their way from
Mosjoukine's film stardom was assured and during the 1920s, his face with the trademark hypnotic stare appeared on covers of film magazines all over Europe. He wrote the screenplays for most of his starring vehicles and directed two of them, L'Enfant du carnaval (Child of the Carnival), released on 29 August 1921 and
Surrender in Hollywood
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According to popular myth, when
However, as it turned out, Surrender, filmed in the summer of 1927, did not trust Mosjukine to carry the storyline. He was only the film's co-star, with the top billing and the central role going to
Symptomatic of Mosjoukine's co-star status, he does not even appear in the first fifteen minutes of the film, which are occupied with the depiction of life in an
This basic misunderstanding of the dissimilarity between Valentino and Mosjoukine combined with journeyman direction by Edward Sloman and Mary Philbin's unresponsiveness and lack of chemistry with her leading man, consigned the film to a tepid reception by the critics and the public. Although moderately profitable, it was not the money-making hit that Laemmle expected. Mosjoukine received some good notices, but a number of critics doubted his suitability for American audiences. An even more ominous note, however, was sounded at the film's Broadway premiere on 10 October 1927. Another film, playing across the street, had its premiere four days earlier, on 6 October. The Jazz Singer was attracting much bigger audiences than Surrender and, as it was ushering in voice-on-film, would soon sound the death knell for Mosjoukine's career as a silent film star, as his heavy Russian accent eventually dealt a crippling blow to his hopes of continuing in talkies.
Return to Europe
After the unsuccessful attempt at a Hollywood career, Mosjoukine returned to Europe. The remainder of his film career, appearing in a new film every year until at least 1936, was spent in Europe. He appeared mainly in German films in the last years of the Weimar Republic, moving to France after the rise of the Nazis to power. In both countries he was often given roles in films with a Russian background. Many of his films were directed by fellow Russian emigres Vladimir Strizhevsky, Victor Tourjansky, and Alexandre Volkoff.
Personal life
Mosjoukine had three elder brothers. Alexander Mozzhukhin (1878—1972) was a famous opera singer who also left Russia for Paris in 1926. After his death his wife Cleo Carini returned to the Soviet Union, bringing her husband's archives along with her which included many documents. Among them was an autobiography and many letters from his family members, including Ivan. They are currently stored in the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art and in several museums.[2][5]
Mosjoukine's second brother Aleksey (born 1880) served as an officer in the
Mosjoukine was officially married three times. His first wife was the Russian actress Natalya Lisenko (1884–1960). They married in 1912 and divorced in 1927. In 1928 Mosjoukine married a Danish actress Agnes Petersen (1906—1973). His third wife was a French actress of Russian origin Tania Fédor (1905–1985), although they were married only for a brief period of time.[2][7]
As a teenager Mosjoukine became romantically involved with Olga Bronitskaya (born Telegina) — an actress from the popular traveling troupe led by her brother Petr Zarechny. In 1908 she gave birth to their
French novelist
Death
Ivan Mosjoukine died of
Selected filmography
- The Kreutzer Sonata (1911, dir. Pyotr Chardynin), as Troukhatchevsky
- Defence of Sevastopol (1911, dir. Vasily Goncharov and Aleksandr Khanzhonkov), as Admiral Vladimir Kornilov
- The Night Before Christmas (1913, dir. Ladislas Starevich), as The demon
- Domik v Kolomne (The Little House in Kolomna) (1913)
- The Queen of Spades (1916, dir. Yakov Protazanov), as Hermann
- Satan Triumphant (1917, dir. Yakov Protazanov)
- Father Sergius (1917, dir. Yakov Protazanov and Alexandre Volkoff), as Prince Kasatsky / Father Sergius
- L'Angoissante aventure (1920, dir. Yakov Protazanov), as Henri de Granier
- L'Enfant du carnaval (1921, dir. Ivan Mosjoukine), as Marquis Serge de Granier
- Justice d'abord (1921, dir. Yakov Protazanov)
- Tempêtes (1922, dir. Robert Boudrioz), as Henri
- The House of Mystery (1923, dir. Alexandre Volkoff), as Julien Villandrit
- Le Brasier ardent (1923, dir. Ivan Mosjoukine), as Z
- Kean (1924, dir. Alexandre Volkoff), as Edmund Kean
- Les Ombres qui passent (1924, dir. Alexandre Volkoff), as Louis Barclay
- The Lion of the Moguls (1924, dir. Jean Epstein), as Prince Roundghito-Sing
- Feu Mathias Pascal (1925, dir. Marcel L'Herbier), as Mathias Pascal
- Michel Strogoff (1926, dir. Victor Tourjansky), as Michael Strogoff
- The Loves of Casanova (1927, dir. Alexandre Volkoff), as Giacomo Casanova
- Surrender (1927, dir. Edward Sloman), as Constantine
- The President (1928, dir. Gennaro Righelli), as Pepe Torre
- The Secret Courier (1928, dir. Gennaro Righelli), as Julien Sorel
- The Adjutant of the Czar (1929, dir. Vladimir Strizhevsky), as Prince Boris Kurbski
- Manolescu (1929, dir. Victor Tourjansky), as Georges Manolescu
- The White Devil (1930, dir. Alexandre Volkoff), as Hadji Murat
- Sergeant X (1932, dir. Vladimir Strizhevsky), as Jean Renaud
- The 1002nd Night (1933, dir. Alexandre Volkoff), as Prince Tahar
- Casanova (1934, dir. René Barberis), as Giacomo Casanova
- L'Enfant du carnaval (1934, dir. Alexandre Volkoff), as Henri Strogonoff
- Nitchevo (1936, dir. Jacques de Baroncelli), as Meuter
See also
References
- ISBN 978-0-8108-6072-8.
- ^ a b c d Oleg Sirotin (2014). Double Star: Aleksandr and Ivan Mozzhukhin double biography in the Penza Regional Library, electronic version (in Russian)
- ^ a b Oleg Sirotin. Family and fatherland of Ivan Mozzhukhin article from the Notes on Film Studies magazine, main editor Naum Kleiman (2006, in Russian)
- ^ "Michael Strogoff to Be Offered Next Month". Motion Picture News. August 14, 1926.
- ^ Alexander Mosjoukine at Pinterest
- ^ The restored names. Russian book of memory project by the National Library of Russia (2003—2017, in Russian)
- ^ a b Antonina Variyash. Ivan Mozzhukhin. Unfamiliar sons biographical article in the Caravan of Stories monthly magazine, December 28, 2015 (in Russian)