Ivan Mosjoukine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ivan Mosjoukine
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| Born |
Ivan Ilyich Mozzhukhin
26 September 1889 Kondol, Saratov Governorate, Russian Empire
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| Died | 18 January 1939 (aged 49) |
| Other names | Jwan Mosjukin Ivan Mozzukhine Iwan Mosjoukine |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1911–1936 |
| Spouse(s) | Natalya Lisenko (divorced 1927) Agnes Petersen
(m. 1928, divorced)Tania Fédor (divorced) |
Ivan Mosjoukine (born Ivan Ilyich Mozzhukhin on 26 September 1889 – 18 January 1939) was a famous Russian silent film actor. He was known for his strong presence on screen and his unique acting style. He became a big star in both Russia and France during the early days of cinema.
Contents
Early Life and Career in Russia
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Ivan Mozzhukhin was born in Kondol, a small town in the Russian Empire. He was the youngest of four brothers. His father managed an estate, and his mother was the daughter of a Russian Orthodox priest.
Unlike his older brothers who went to religious schools, Ivan studied law at Moscow State University. But he soon left his studies in 1910 to become an actor. He joined a group of traveling actors and toured for a year. This helped him gain experience and a reputation for being a very energetic performer.
When he returned to Moscow, he started his film career in 1911. One of his first films was based on Leo Tolstoy's The Kreutzer Sonata. He also starred in other movies based on famous Russian books, like A House in Kolomna (1913) and The Queen of Spades (1916), both based on stories by Alexander Pushkin.
The Kuleshov Effect
Ivan Mosjoukine is also famous for his part in a film experiment called the Kuleshov Effect. This experiment was created by a Russian filmmaker named Lev Kuleshov in 1918.
Kuleshov used old film clips of Mosjoukine's face. He showed Mosjoukine's face with different images afterwards, like a bowl of soup, a dead woman, or a child playing. Even though Mosjoukine's expression was the same in all the clips, viewers thought his face showed different emotions. For example, they thought he looked hungry when shown with soup, sad with the dead woman, and happy with the child.
This experiment showed how important editing is in movies. It proved that the meaning of a shot can change depending on what shots come before or after it.
Career in France
At the end of 1919, Mosjoukine moved to Paris, France. He quickly became one of the biggest stars in French silent films. He was tall, handsome, and had a powerful presence on screen. People saw him as a mysterious and romantic figure.
His first film in France was also his last Russian film. It was called L'Angoissante Aventure (The Harrowing Adventure). This movie showed the difficult journey of Russian actors and filmmakers, including Mosjoukine, as they escaped from Russia to Paris. He was with his frequent co-star, Natalya Lisenko, whom he later married and then divorced.
During the 1920s, Mosjoukine's face was on the covers of film magazines all over Europe. He often wrote the scripts for his own movies. He even directed two films: L'Enfant du carnaval (Child of the Carnival) in 1921 and Le Brasier ardent (The Blazing Inferno) in 1923. His wife, Nathalie Lissenko, was the main actress in both. The Blazing Inferno was praised for its new ideas, but it was a bit too strange for audiences to be a big financial success.
Hollywood Experience
In 1927, Mosjoukine went to Hollywood, USA. The film studio Universal thought he could be as popular as the famous American actor Rudolph Valentino, who had recently passed away.
Mosjoukine starred in a film called Surrender. However, the movie did not fully trust him to be the main star. The top role went to Mary Philbin, a popular actress at the time. The story was set during the Russian Revolution, which was a popular topic in movies back then.
In Surrender, Mosjoukine played an aristocratic leader. The plot involved Mary Philbin's character making a difficult choice to save her village. This kind of strong, forceful character was similar to some of Valentino's roles. However, Mosjoukine's European image was more about women being drawn to him naturally, without any force.
This difference in their images, along with the direction and a lack of connection between Mosjoukine and Mary Philbin, meant the film was not a big hit. Critics had mixed feelings about Mosjoukine's suitability for American audiences.
A major change in movies happened around this time: The Jazz Singer, the first movie with spoken dialogue, was released. This new technology, called "talkies," meant that silent film stars like Mosjoukine faced a challenge. His strong Russian accent made it hard for him to continue his career in sound films.
Return to Europe and Later Life
After his attempt in Hollywood, Mosjoukine returned to Europe. He continued to appear in films every year until at least 1936. He mostly worked in German films during the last years of the Weimar Republic. After the Nazis came to power, he moved back to France. In both countries, he often played characters with Russian backgrounds. Many of his films were directed by other Russian filmmakers who had also moved to Europe.
Personal Life
Ivan Mosjoukine had three older brothers. His brother Alexander was a famous opera singer who also moved to Paris. Another brother, Aleksey, was arrested for political reasons in Russia. His brother Konstantin also faced difficulties with the government and was sent away.
Mosjoukine was officially married three times. His first wife was the Russian actress Natalya Lisenko. He later married a Dutch actress named Agnes Petersen, and then a French actress of Russian origin, Tania Fédor.
As a teenager, Mosjoukine had a relationship with an actress named Olga Bronitskaya. They had a son named Aleksandr in 1908. Aleksandr was raised by Olga's brother, but he knew who his real father was. Mosjoukine supported them by sending letters and money. Aleksandr is Mosjoukine's only confirmed child.
The French writer Romain Gary claimed that his birth was the result of a relationship between Mosjoukine and his mother, Nina Owczyńska. Gary wrote a book about his mother's life called La promesse de l'aube (Promise at Dawn). This book was later made into a play and a film.
Death
Ivan Mosjoukine passed away from tuberculosis in a clinic in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. He was 49 years old. He is buried in the Russian cemetery in Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois, near Paris.
Selected Filmography
- The Kreutzer Sonata (1911)
- Defence of Sevastopol (1911)
- The Night Before Christmas (1913)
- Domik v Kolomne (The Little House in Kolomna) (1913)
- The Queen of Spades (1916)
- Satan Triumphant (1917)
- Father Sergius (1917)
- L'Angoissante aventure (1920)
- L'Enfant du carnaval (1921)
- Justice d'abord (1921)
- Tempêtes (1922)
- The House of Mystery (1923)
- Le Brasier ardent (1923)
- Kean (1924)
- Les Ombres qui passent (1924)
- The Lion of the Moguls (1924)
- Feu Mathias Pascal (1925)
- Michel Strogoff (1926)
- The Loves of Casanova (1927)
- Surrender (1927)
- The President (1928)
- The Secret Courier (1928)
- The Adjutant of the Czar (1929)
- Manolescu (1929)
- The White Devil (1930)
- Sergeant X (1932)
- The 1002nd Night (1933)
- Casanova (1934)
- L'Enfant du carnaval (1934)
- Nitchevo (1936)
See also
In Spanish: Ivan Mosjoukine para niños
