OLGA BAKLANOVA ,
RUSSIAN -AMERICAN ACTRESS
BORN 1893 AUGUST 19 - 1974 SEPTEMBER 6
Olga Vladimirovna Baklanova (Russian: О́льга Влади́мировна Бакла́нова; 19 August 1893 – 6 September 1974), known professionally as Olga Baclanova, was a Russian actress, opera singer, and ballerina.[1] She achieved prominence during the silent film era, after taking several years off her age and changing the spelling of her Russian surname from Baklanova. She was often billed under her last name only, as Baclanova, similarly to the surname-only nomenclature of her fellow countrywoman Nazimova.[2][3][4]
An exotic blonde temptress, she was known as the "Russian Tigress". She emigrated to America in 1925, and started appearing in Hollywood films, which she remains most noted for portraying the fictional Duchess Josiana in the Universal Pictures silent The Man Who Laughs and evil circus trapeze artist Cleopatra in Tod Browning's cult horror movie Freaks (1932), which features a cast of actual carnival sideshow freaks.
Early life, Moscow Arts Theatre and Russian career (radio, stage and film)
Olga Vladimirovna Baklanova was born on 19 August 1893 (other sources state 1884, 1896 or even 1900, according to her obituary) in Moscow, Russia.[1][3] She was the daughter of Vladimir Baklanov and his wife Alexandra,[3] herself an actress in early Russian films. She had 6 siblings, including later Soviet general and WWII hero Gleb Baklanov. Baclanova studied drama at the Cherniavsky Institute[3] before being accepted into the prestigious Moscow Art Theatre with contemporaries such as Maria Ouspenskaya in 1912. Over the next decade she appeared in Russian films, and also performed extensively on stage, touring and performing in many countries of the world. In the 1930s, Baclanova had a program called Olga Baclanova's Continental Review, and she often appeared as a guest on radio programs singing songs in her native Russian, having trained in operatic voice at the Moscow Arts Theatre. In 1925 she was given the award "Merited Artist of the Republic", the highest Soviet artist honour. Baclanova appeared in around 17 films during her career in Russia.
American career
Baclanova first came to New York City with the 1925 touring production of the Moscow Art Theatre's Lysistrata. Though the rest of the company returned to Russia in 1926, she stayed in America.[3] She would appear in a West Coast production of The Miracle, before being cast in a bit part in her debut film, The Dove. A statuesque blonde, Baclanova quickly established herself as a popular actress in American silent movies and achieved a notable success with The Docks of New York (1928), directed by Josef von Sternberg. Later that year, she also appeared in The Man Who Laughs as Duchess Josiana, the femme fatale love interest to Conrad Veidt's disfigured hero.
The introduction of talking films proved difficult for Baclanova, as audiences did not respond to her heavy Russian accent. She no longer secured leading roles, and was relegated to supporting parts. Her career was in decline when she was offered the role of the cruel circus performer Cleopatra in Tod Browning's film Freaks[5] (1932). This horror movie, which featured actual carnival freaks, was highly controversial and screened only briefly before being withdrawn. It would be 30 years before Freaks gained a cult following. The movie did not revive Baclanova's film career, which ended in 1943.
Baclanova worked extensively on stage in London's West End and in New York, for about 10 years starting in the mid-1930s. In 1943 she appeared in Claudia at the Moore Theatre in Seattle, Washington.
Personal life
Baclanova's father died of natural causes in 1922. She was married three times. Her first husband was a lawyer named Vladimir Zoppi with whom she had her first son. Her second husband was actor Nicholas Soussanin with whom she had her second son. The birth of her second son was front page news and was covered quite extensively in the press in 1930. Her third marriage was to Russian-born David Judovitch, better known as Richard Davis (1900–1984), who owned the Fine Arts Theatre in New York. In 1931, Baclanova became a naturalized American citizen.
Legacy
Olga's likeness to the American pop singer Madonna in the 1980s has been frequently mentioned as particularly evident in The Man Who Laughs.[6]
In Russia, Baclanova's departure from the USSR is well remembered for its involuntary significant contribution to the unrivaled success of a Soviet movie star Lyubov Orlova, a struggling ex-pianist with a certain likeness to Olga. In 1926, Orlova was promoted from a choir, after two months in a theatre, by the heart-broken Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, a rumored lover and/or admirer of Baclanova, his favorite student.[7] Fashion historian Alexander Vasilyev remembered in 2018: "He [Vladimir] loved her [Olga] in letters, he was thinking deeply about her. The only time he cried [publicly], at the piano in the Art Theatre foyer, was when he had found out about Olga Vladimirovna Baclanova [emigration]... He really began to cry. I'm sure of this, not because I was there but because I was a friend of Sophia Pilyavskaya who was also closely connected to Nemirovich-Danchenko and could have known this from the wife of the famous director... Lyubov Orlova blossomed as Baclanova's substitute."[8]
Later years
After her retirement she migrated to Switzerland. She died at a rest home on 6 September 1974 in Vevey, Switzerland, aged 81, apparently suffering from Alzheimer's disease, although this is unconfirmed.[1] She was interred at Corsier cemetery, in Corsier-sur-Vevey.
Partial Hollywood filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | Simfoniya lyubvi i smerti |
| |
| 1914 | Kogda zvuchat struny serdtsa |
| |
| 1915 | Velikiy Magaraz |
| |
| 1915 | Zhenshchina vampir | Title role |
|
| 1915 | Po trupam k schastyu |
| |
| 1915 | Lyubov pod maskoy |
| |
| 1916 | Tot, kto poluchaet poshchechiny | L'écuyère Consuella, qu'il tue par amour |
|
| 1918 | Khleb |
| |
| 1927 | The Dove | Minor Role | Uncredited |
| 1928 | The Czarina's Secret | Catherine the Great - The Czarina | Short |
| 1928 | Three Sinners | Baroness Hilda Brings |
|
| 1928 | The Man Who Laughs | Duchess Josiana |
|
| 1928 | Street of Sin | Annie |
|
| 1928 | Forgotten Faces | Lilly Harlow |
|
| 1928 | The Docks of New York | Mrs. Lou Roberts | [5] |
| 1928 | The Woman Disputed | Countess | (scenes deleted) |
| 1928 | Avalanche | Grace Stillwell |
|
| 1929 | The Wolf of Wall Street | Olga |
|
| 1929 | A Dangerous Woman | Tania Gregory |
|
| 1929 | The Man I Love | Sonia Barondoff |
|
| 1930 | Cheer Up and Smile | Yvonne |
|
| 1931 | Are You There? | Countess Helenka |
|
| 1931 | The Great Lover | Mme. Savarova |
|
| 1932 | Freaks | Cleopatra |
|
| 1932 | Downstairs | Baroness Eloise von Burgen | [5] |
| 1933 | The Billion Dollar Scandal | Anna aka GoGo |
|
| 1943 | Claudia | Madame Daruschka | [5] |
Stage roles (US and UK)
- The Miracle (west coast production, 1926)
- The Farewell Supper (After on anatol), 1929
- Silent Witness (1931)
- Grand Hotel (1932)
- Twentieth Century (1932)
- The Cat and the Fiddle (west coast, 1932)
- $25 an Hour (Germaine Granville, 1933)
- Murder at the Vanities (Broadway Production, 1933)
- Mahogany Hill, Broadway, 1934)
- Going Place (London debut, 1936)
- Idiot's Delight (US tour), 1936
- Twentieth Century (US Tour revival, 1937)
- Claudia 1941–1943, US tour
- The Cat and the Fiddle (revival, New Jersey), 1945
- Louisiana Lady (summer stock, East Coast production, mid 1947)
- A Copy of Madame Aupic (East Coast, New Milford, summer stock, 1947)
Mini Bio (1)
Born Olga Vladimirovna Baklanova, one of six children of
Vladimir Baklanoff and his wife Alexandra, later billed as the Russian
Tigress in her early talking films, was born August 19, 1893. She
graduated from the Cherniavsky Institute in Moscow prior to her
selection in 1912 at age 19 to apprentice at the Moscow Art Theatre.
During her early years at M.A.T. (1914-1918) she appeared in perhaps 18
films bringing her into contact with Tourjansky, Boleslawski and M.
Chekov among others. Her last Russian film, Bread (1918) was the first
communist agitprop vehicle. From 1917 she appeared in the "classics" on
the parent stage and at the M.A.T. First Studio. Her mentor,
Nemirovich-Danchenko, showcased her in avant-garde productions of the
newly created M.A.T. Musical Studio from 1920-1925. She was honored with
the Worthy Artist Of The Republic by the Soviet regime.
Eight
months after her M.A.T. New York debut in December 1925, she declined to
return with the M.A.T. company to Russia and subsequently defected. She
was noticed by the Hollywood studios while performing on stage in Los
Angeles in The Miracle in the role of the nun. Her film debut was a bit
in The Dove (1927). Her dramatic Portrayals in The Man Who Laughs (1928), Street of Sin (1928), The Docks of New York (1928) and Forgotten Faces
(1928) brought her critical acclaim in 1928. Her subsequent vamp/tramp
roles in early Paramount and Fox talking films nearly destroyed her
promising start. Stagey mannerisms and a heavy accent relegated her to
supporting roles. She appeared to advantage in three films at MGM
including the infamous Freaks (1932) with an unrestrained and legendary performance.
After
appearing in west coast stage productions in 1931-32, she permanently
left for the Broadway stage in 1933 following one last film at
Paramount. From 1933 to 1943 she starred in various Broadway productions
and then toured in road companies of Cat And The Fiddle, Twentieth
Century, Grand Hotel and Idiot's Delight. She debuted on the London
stage in 1936 in Going Places. One last big role in Claudia
(1943) kept her busy for two years (1941-1943). She returned to
Hollywood in 1943 to recreate her stage role. Some summer stock and
occasional night club appearances followed as she moved into retirement.
During
the mid-1960s Olga was interviewed by Richard Lamparski, Kevin Brownlow
and John Kobal who all recognized her unique contributions in the
performing arts. Her death occurred at Vevey, Switzerland on September
6, 1974 after a period of declining health.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: L. Paul Meienberg aka 'Cinemantrap'
Family (1)
| Spouse |
Richard Davis
(1937 -
6 September 1974) (her death)
Nicholas Soussanin (5 March 1929 - 1935) (divorced) (1 child) Vlademar Zoppi (1922 - 23 February 1929) (divorced) (1 child) |
Trivia (1)
Salary (1)
$1,500 /week| The Docks of New York (1928) |
| Born | in Russia |
| Died | in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland (undisclosed) |
| Birth Name | Olga Vladimirovna Baklanova |
| Nickname | Baclanova |
| Height | 5' 4" (1.63 m) |
Read more at: https://www.mathrubhumi.com/movies-music/features/usharani-passed-away-her-yesteryear-actress-sadhana-death-malayalam-cinema-1.4848458
Read more at: https://www.mathrubhumi.com/movies-music/news/sadhana-old-malayalam-actress-died-or-live-mystery-continues-actress-usharani-express-1.2641775
Read more at: https://www.mathrubhumi.com/movies-music/features/usharani-passed-away-her-yesteryear-actress-sadhana-death-malayalam-cinema-1.4848458
