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 鲁道夫·瓦伦蒂诺 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 康斯坦丁·斯坦尼斯拉夫斯基'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 契诃夫 and 玛克西姆·高尔基, 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 易卜生's "Hedda Gabler" and "A Doll's House." Orlenev returned to Russia but Nazimova stayed.
She made her screen debut with 战争新娘 (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 命运的玩具 (1918) and dual roles as half-sisters during the Boxer Rebellion in 红灯笼 (1919), not to mention the title role of 茶花女 (1921) with 鲁道夫·瓦伦蒂诺. 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 萨乐美 (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 契诃夫'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.
Known during her heyday simply as "Nazimova".
Stage actress and screenwriter.
Born to a Jewish family in Yalta, Ukraine.
Breast-cancer survivor.
Considered the supreme interpreter of 易卜生 of her day.
Resided on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and North Crescent Heights Boulevard in what is now West Hollywood.
Following her death, she was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, in the Whispering Pines section.
With her film career flourishing, she bought an imposing California Spanish home at 8080 Sunset Boulevard, building a pool and landscaping the property's 3-1/2 acres. Named The Garden of Allah, the place became a popular place for the Hollywood elite. Eventually she lost the property, and when it became a residential hotel, she took a small room in the house that had once been her home.
She was posthumously awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6933 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.
She was godmother to First Lady 南茜·戴维斯 (aka Nancy Davis) and aunt to producer 瓦尔·鲁东.
She was taught English in six months by actress Caroline Harris, mother of silent screen star 理查德·巴塞尔梅斯.
First student of 康斯坦丁·斯坦尼斯拉夫斯基 to star on the American stage and screen.
Broadway's 39th Street Playhouse was originally known as The Nazimova Theater.
Liked to play dual-roles such as in 红灯笼 (1919).
The Brat (1919) was the first time Nazimova played an American character either on stage or screen.
She made $100,000 touring in "War Brides" and an additional $60,000 for the film version.
In 1892, she studied dramatics at the Conservatory at Odessa.
In 1927, she became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
Her partner was Charles Bryant (1912-1925).