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Alla Nazimova

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
27

Gender
Female

Birthday
June 3, 1879 (147 years old)

Place of Birth
Yalta, Taurida Governorate, Russian Empire [now Crimea, Ukraine]

Alla Nazimova

Biography

Alla Nazimova (Russian and Ukrainian: Алла Назимова; 3 June [O.S. 22 May] 1879 – 13 July 1945) was an American film and theatre actress, a screenwriter, and film producer. She is perhaps best known as simply Nazimova, but also went under the name Alia Nasimoff. She emigrated to the United States from the Russian Empire. In 1927, Nazimova became a naturalized citizen of the United States.

She was signed up by the American producer Henry Miller and made her Broadway debut in New York City, in 1906 to critical and popular success. She quickly became extremely popular (a theatre was named after her) and remained a major Broadway star for years, often acting in the plays of Henrik Ibsen and Anton Chekhov. Dorothy Parker described her as the finest Hedda Gabler she had ever seen.

Due to her notoriety in a 35-minute 1915 play entitled War Brides, Nazimova made her silent film debut in 1916 in the filmed version of the play, which was produced by Lewis J. Selznick. A young actor with a bit part in the movie was Richard Barthelmess whose mother taught Nazimova English. In 1917, she negotiated a contract with Metro Pictures, a precursor to MGM, that included a weekly salary of $13,000. She moved from New York to Hollywood, where she made a number of highly successful films for Metro that earned her considerable money. She was influential in the film industry in the silent era and continued to play character roles until the end of her life.

Between the years of 1917 and 1922 Nazimova wielded considerable influence and power in Hollywood. By all accounts she was extremely generous to young actresses in whom she saw talent and became involved with at least some of them romantically.

By 1925 Nazimova could no longer afford to invest in more films; and financial backers withdrew their support. Left with few options, she gave up on the film industry, returning to perform on Broadway, notably starring as Natalya Petrovna in Rouben Mamoulian's 1930 New York production of Turgenev's A Month in the Country and an acclaimed performance as Mrs. Alving in Ibsen's Ghosts. In the early 1940s, she appeared in a few more films, playing Robert Taylor's mother in Escape (1940) and Tyrone Power's mother in Blood and Sand (1941). This late return to motion pictures fortunately preserves Nazimova and her art on sound film.

She died of a coronary thrombosis, age 66, in the Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles. Her ashes were interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. Her contributions to the film industry have been recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Known For

Acting

2019Behind Natacha Rambova's Shadowas Various Roles (archive footage)
1961The Legend of Rudolph Valentinoas Self (archive footage)
1944Since You Went Awayas Zofia Koslowska
1944In Our Timeas Zofia Orwid (as Nazimova)
1944The Bridge of San Luis Reyas Doña Maria - The Marquesa
1942Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)as Self (archive footage)
1941Blood and Sandas Senora Augustias
1940Escapeas Emmy Ritter
1940A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Soundas Self
1925My Sonas Ana Silva
1925The Redeeming Sinas Joan
1924Madonna of the Streetsas Mary Carlson / Mary Ainsleigh
1923Saloméas Salomé
1922A Doll's Houseas Nora Helmer
1921Camilleas Marguerite Gautier
1920Billionsas Princess Triloff
1920Madame Peacockas Jane Goring / Gloria Cromwell
1920The Heart of a Childas Sally Snape (as Nazimova)
1920Stronger Than Deathas Sigrid Fersen
1919The Bratas The Brat
1919The Red Lanternas Mahlee & Blanche Sackville
1919Out of the Fogas Faith / Eve
1918Eye for Eyeas Hassouna
1918A Woman of Franceas Louise
1918Toys of Fateas Zorah / Hagah
1918Revelationas Joline
1916War Bridesas Joan

Production

1923Salomé...Producer
1923Salomé...Director
1922A Doll's House...Writer
1922A Doll's House...Producer
1920Billions...Editor
1920Madame Peacock...Adaptation
1920Madame Peacock...Producer
1920Madame Peacock...Writer
1919The Brat...Writer
1918Eye for Eye...Director