Viktor Tourjansky(1891-1976)
- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Viktor Tourjansky was a Russian film director who emigrated after the
communist revolution of 1917, and worked in France, Germany, USA, UK,
and Italy.
He was born Viacheslav Konstantinovich Turzhanski on March 4, 1891, in
Kiev, Ukraine, Russian Empire (now Kiyiv, Ukraine). Studied painting
and art history. In 1911 he moved to Moscow and studied acting under
Konstantin Stanislavski and
Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko.
In 1912-1914, Tourjansky worked for
Aleksandr Khanzhonkov. He made his
film debut as an actor in
'Tragedia pereproizvodstva' (1912), and co-starred in 'Brothers' (1913)
by director Pyotr Chardynin,
and in several other silent films. From 1914-1919 he worked in Yalta
for Joseph N. Ermolieff, owner of
one of the most successful Russian silent-film companies. At that time
Tourjansky directed over twenty silent films in Russia.
Tourjansky suffered terribly from the loss of his property after the
Communist Revolution of 1917. However, he continued working in Yalta
with Ermolieff until the end of 1919. But when the Red Army advanced in
Crimea and reached Yalta, he joined the White Russians and fled the
communist Russia at the end of the Civil War. Tourjansky managed to
save a few rolls of his silent films, which he took aboard the Greek
steamer "Pantera" in February of 1920. He left Russia together with his
film partners from the Ermolieff film company, actors
Ivan Mozzhukhin,
Nicolas Koline and
Nicolas Rimsky, actress
Nathalie Lissenko, his wife
Nathalie Kovanko, cinematographer
Nikolai Toporkoff and producer
Joseph N. Ermolieff. They emigrated
together to Paris, France, and started a Russian-French film company.
In Paris, Tourjansky changed his first name to Viktor (Victor) and
continued his collaboration with Russian producers
Alexandre Kamenka and
Joseph N. Ermolieff. During 1920s
and 1930s he also collaborated with producer
Gregor Rabinovitch and directed films
for various French, British, and German studios. Tourjansky often
filmed his wife, Russian actress
Nathalie Kovanko. She starred in
fourteen of his films made in Russia and Europe. Eventually Tourjansky
separated from Nathalie Kovanko, and later she returned to the Soviet
Union.
Bethween WWI and WWII, Tourjansky directed over thirty French, British,
American, and Franco-German films. He collaborated with director
Abel Gance on the innovative film
Napoleon (1927). In 1927 Tourjansky came
to Hollywood. There, from 1927 - 1930, he worked at the
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios where he re-united with his former teacher,
Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko,
who visited from Russia. Tourjansky was co-director of the Academy
Award-winning film Tempest (1928), albeit
he was uncredited. In Hollywood Tourjansky was hired to direct
After Midnight (1927), but he
questioned the talent of Norma Shearer,
mentioning that the "Queen of MGM" had a cross-eyed stare, without
knowing that she was about to marry
Irving Thalberg, the powerful MGM
producer. Tourjansky was fired from the project, and was sent to
co-direct a western,
The Adventurer (1927), on location
in the inhospitable Mohave Desert. After he suffered for several weeks
working in the sandy, windy, and hot desert, and dealing with
nerve-wrecking logistical problems, Tourjansky did not achieve the
result he wanted for the film. He became disillusioned and
dissatisfied, and never wanted to direct another Hollywood film.
Back in Paris, Tourjansky opened his own office and re-established
himself among the French-Russian film community. He was tirelessly
wooing investors for his new projects, networking among intellectuals
and businessmen of all backgrounds, including famous Russian émigrés in
Paris, such as Aleksandr Kuprin and
Yevgeni Zamyatin, as well as French,
German, and British producers. Eventually his persistence and
determination produced successful results. In 1931, Tourjansky spotted
then unknown 21-year-old
Simone Simon on the terrace of the
Café de la Paix. He made her a famous actress after their first film
together,
The Unknown Singer (1931)
(The Unknown Singer 1931). Tourjansky and Simon worked together again
in Les yeux noirs (1935).
In 1936 he was hired by UFA-Film and moved to Potsdam-Babelsberg, then
to Munich, Bavaria. There he worked for the rest of his life as film
director and producer. Tourjansky made success with
The Blue Fox (1938) (The Blue Fox
1938), a comedy starring Swedish actress
Zarah Leander, who was rumoured to be a
Soviet-controlled agent and a mistress of
Adolf Hitler. Tourjansky himself had
several personal meetings with the Reichskanzler during the late 1930s,
and was summoned to make several propaganda films, such as
Enemies (1940). As a consequence his
reputation among the cosmopolitan film community had suffered.
After the Second World War, he lived in Munich, and worked for various
film studios with various results. His last film made in the Nazi
Germany, a criminal drama
Orient-Express (1944), was
released after the war. In 1950, he directed
Der Mann, der zweimal leben wollte (1950)
(The Man Who Wanted to Live Twice 1950), a film starring the famous
Russian émigré actress Olga Tschechowa.
Later Tourjansky directed period epic films, such as
Herod the Great (1959),
Prisoner of the Volga (1959),
The Cossacks (1960), and
The Pharaohs' Woman (1960),
some of which were considered among his better works. During the 1950s
and 1960s he was wintering in Italy and worked there as producer and
writer under the artistic name Arnaldo Genoino. Viktor Tourjansky died
on August 13, 1976, in Munich, Germany.
communist revolution of 1917, and worked in France, Germany, USA, UK,
and Italy.
He was born Viacheslav Konstantinovich Turzhanski on March 4, 1891, in
Kiev, Ukraine, Russian Empire (now Kiyiv, Ukraine). Studied painting
and art history. In 1911 he moved to Moscow and studied acting under
Konstantin Stanislavski and
Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko.
In 1912-1914, Tourjansky worked for
Aleksandr Khanzhonkov. He made his
film debut as an actor in
'Tragedia pereproizvodstva' (1912), and co-starred in 'Brothers' (1913)
by director Pyotr Chardynin,
and in several other silent films. From 1914-1919 he worked in Yalta
for Joseph N. Ermolieff, owner of
one of the most successful Russian silent-film companies. At that time
Tourjansky directed over twenty silent films in Russia.
Tourjansky suffered terribly from the loss of his property after the
Communist Revolution of 1917. However, he continued working in Yalta
with Ermolieff until the end of 1919. But when the Red Army advanced in
Crimea and reached Yalta, he joined the White Russians and fled the
communist Russia at the end of the Civil War. Tourjansky managed to
save a few rolls of his silent films, which he took aboard the Greek
steamer "Pantera" in February of 1920. He left Russia together with his
film partners from the Ermolieff film company, actors
Ivan Mozzhukhin,
Nicolas Koline and
Nicolas Rimsky, actress
Nathalie Lissenko, his wife
Nathalie Kovanko, cinematographer
Nikolai Toporkoff and producer
Joseph N. Ermolieff. They emigrated
together to Paris, France, and started a Russian-French film company.
In Paris, Tourjansky changed his first name to Viktor (Victor) and
continued his collaboration with Russian producers
Alexandre Kamenka and
Joseph N. Ermolieff. During 1920s
and 1930s he also collaborated with producer
Gregor Rabinovitch and directed films
for various French, British, and German studios. Tourjansky often
filmed his wife, Russian actress
Nathalie Kovanko. She starred in
fourteen of his films made in Russia and Europe. Eventually Tourjansky
separated from Nathalie Kovanko, and later she returned to the Soviet
Union.
Bethween WWI and WWII, Tourjansky directed over thirty French, British,
American, and Franco-German films. He collaborated with director
Abel Gance on the innovative film
Napoleon (1927). In 1927 Tourjansky came
to Hollywood. There, from 1927 - 1930, he worked at the
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios where he re-united with his former teacher,
Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko,
who visited from Russia. Tourjansky was co-director of the Academy
Award-winning film Tempest (1928), albeit
he was uncredited. In Hollywood Tourjansky was hired to direct
After Midnight (1927), but he
questioned the talent of Norma Shearer,
mentioning that the "Queen of MGM" had a cross-eyed stare, without
knowing that she was about to marry
Irving Thalberg, the powerful MGM
producer. Tourjansky was fired from the project, and was sent to
co-direct a western,
The Adventurer (1927), on location
in the inhospitable Mohave Desert. After he suffered for several weeks
working in the sandy, windy, and hot desert, and dealing with
nerve-wrecking logistical problems, Tourjansky did not achieve the
result he wanted for the film. He became disillusioned and
dissatisfied, and never wanted to direct another Hollywood film.
Back in Paris, Tourjansky opened his own office and re-established
himself among the French-Russian film community. He was tirelessly
wooing investors for his new projects, networking among intellectuals
and businessmen of all backgrounds, including famous Russian émigrés in
Paris, such as Aleksandr Kuprin and
Yevgeni Zamyatin, as well as French,
German, and British producers. Eventually his persistence and
determination produced successful results. In 1931, Tourjansky spotted
then unknown 21-year-old
Simone Simon on the terrace of the
Café de la Paix. He made her a famous actress after their first film
together,
The Unknown Singer (1931)
(The Unknown Singer 1931). Tourjansky and Simon worked together again
in Les yeux noirs (1935).
In 1936 he was hired by UFA-Film and moved to Potsdam-Babelsberg, then
to Munich, Bavaria. There he worked for the rest of his life as film
director and producer. Tourjansky made success with
The Blue Fox (1938) (The Blue Fox
1938), a comedy starring Swedish actress
Zarah Leander, who was rumoured to be a
Soviet-controlled agent and a mistress of
Adolf Hitler. Tourjansky himself had
several personal meetings with the Reichskanzler during the late 1930s,
and was summoned to make several propaganda films, such as
Enemies (1940). As a consequence his
reputation among the cosmopolitan film community had suffered.
After the Second World War, he lived in Munich, and worked for various
film studios with various results. His last film made in the Nazi
Germany, a criminal drama
Orient-Express (1944), was
released after the war. In 1950, he directed
Der Mann, der zweimal leben wollte (1950)
(The Man Who Wanted to Live Twice 1950), a film starring the famous
Russian émigré actress Olga Tschechowa.
Later Tourjansky directed period epic films, such as
Herod the Great (1959),
Prisoner of the Volga (1959),
The Cossacks (1960), and
The Pharaohs' Woman (1960),
some of which were considered among his better works. During the 1950s
and 1960s he was wintering in Italy and worked there as producer and
writer under the artistic name Arnaldo Genoino. Viktor Tourjansky died
on August 13, 1976, in Munich, Germany.