Since You Went Away
1944
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Alla Nazimova was a Russian-American actress, director, producer and screenwriter who starred in Broadway and film adaptations of Ibsen, Chekhov and Wilde. She was bisexual, a Hollywood pioneer and a cultural icon.
Alla Nazimova was a Russian-born actress, producer and writer who starred in silent films such as Salomé and Camille. She was known for her flamboyant lifestyle, her artistic experiments and her bisexual relationships.
- January 1, 1
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- January 1, 1
- 1.60 m
- She Endured Years of Torment
- She Re-Invented Herself
- She Had Star Power
- She Knew Exactly Who She Wanted to Be
- She Ventured Into The Unknown
- She Was More Than A Pretty Face
- She Was Fearless
- She Conquered A Herculean Task
- She Had An Amazing Teacher
- She Blew Them Away
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Born in Russia in 1879, Alla Nazimova witnessed her parents’ deeply unhappy marriage and suffered abuse at the hands of her father. According to one report, he cruelly twisted and broke her arm. But this was just the beginning of the nightmare. When she was eight, her parents separated and her childhood became a dark blur of foster homes, strange r...
Does taking a new name mean you’re starting a new life? In Nazimova’s case, her name change spurred the beginning of a new chapter. Born as Adelaide (Marem-Ides) Leventon, she combined Alla (short for her given name) with Nazimova—a fictional name borrowed from the heroine of the Russian novel Children of the Streets. This change marked a turning p...
Even before she found theater, Alla Nazimova captured her audiences with the violin. At the age of 11, she played in an orchestra occasionally conducted by the likes of Rimsky Korsakov and Tchaikovsky. Some even claimed she was a prodigy. As a girl destined to light up the silent screen, it’s interesting to note how soundimpacted her early self-exp...
As a teenager, Nazimova began pursuing her interest in theatre by taking acting classes—a choice that raged against her father’s wishes. After joining Constantin Stanislavski’s Moscow Art Theatre, her life changed forever. She studied his “method style” along with his company of actors, honing her craft and planning her future. Her time spent in th...
With her exceptional talent, Alla Nazimova skyrocketed into the spotlight. By 1903, she was already a massive star in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and only three years later she and her boyfriend Pavel Orlenev moved to New York City—a city that loomed over them with the promise of possibility or ruin. She had no idea how infectious her appeal would...
Due to her constant evolution, Nazimova’s mysterious character is hard to pin down. In the words of biographer Gavin Lambert, she was “not a great beauty, but a compelling actress with personality.” Stubborn, ambitious, and bold—with an acute attention to detail—she struck people with her ability to inhabit her characters so completely. This charis...
Her first venture in a new city was quite ambitious. She and her boyfriend Orlenev, himself an actor and producer, attempted to open a Russian-language theatre on the Lower East Side. When the project failed to gain traction, Orlenev returned to Russia while Nazimova persevered. Her ability to take failure in stride often led her to greater glory d...
When she arrived in America, Nazimova could only speak Russian. To break into English-speaking roles, conquering the English language was her next great challenge. The Schubert Brothers were so impressed with her that they decided to hire her under the condition that she learn English in only six months! It was to the credit of one woman, that Nazi...
Caroline Harris was the valuable tutor who gave Nazimova English lessons and prepared her for her debut in record time. This rigorous learning was the key to a performance that would change their lives forever. Getty Images
In 1906, Alla Nazimova made her Broadway debut with the title role in Hedda Gabler, attracting the attention of critics and fans alike. This was her very first English-language premier and despite being a newcomer on the scene, Dorothy Parker described her as the finest Hedda Gabler she had ever seen. Nazimova was an absolute sensation! Wikimedia C...
Learn about the life and career of Alla Nazimova, a Russian-born actress who became a star in America and a pioneer of queer representation. Discover how she overcame abuse, language barriers, and censorship to create her own legacy.
Learn about the life and career of Alla Nazimova, a Jewish theater star who became the highest-paid movie actress in the world and a leader of the LGBTQ community in Hollywood. Discover how she escaped pogroms, censorship, and scandal to achieve fame and influence in the early 20th century.
Learn about Alla Nazimova, a Russian-born and Russian-trained actress who won fame on the American stage and screen. She was acclaimed for her portrayals of Ibsen characters, directed and starred in Ibsen revivals, and appeared in silent films.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
In this video, we'll explore the fascinating life of Alla Nazimova, a theatre, silent film, and golden-age of Hollywood star.
- 29 min
- 10.7K
- Spilling History
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Jun 16, 2022 · Learn about the life and legacy of Alla Nazimova, a pioneering Jewish actress, producer and director who starred in silent films and hosted a famous salon in Hollywood. Romy Nordlinger, a Jewish actress of Crimean descent, channels Nazimova in a one-woman play, "The Garden of Alla," now playing in New York.
