Ivan Mozzhukhin

“This Russian-made picture (distributed in the U.S. by Pathe) is typically gloomy. Prima donna Mary Mar (N.A. Lesienko) is surrounded by admirers. But a poet, Sergius (Ivan Mozukin) wants to be more to her and he proposes. So they marry, and she becomes involved in charity activities. On one of her rounds, she contracts smallpox and is quarantined. Even Sergius cannot enter the house. During her illness another opera star becomes the favorite in her stead. Mary’s face becomes horribly disfigured as a result of the smallpox and she has to auction off her belongings to pay her creditors. Finally Sergius returns. Mary is wearing a veil, and when he lifts it, he is disgusted by the sight of her. So she leaves him and becomes a beggar in the streets, while he goes to his studio and kills himself by drug overdose”
by ~ Janiss Garza, RoviRead More »

In the kingdom of the Moguls, Prince Roudghito-Sing, a young officer of the palace, falls in love with Zemgali, a captive princess held prisoner and coveted by the Grand Khan. Fleeing the country, he takes refuge in Paris and his presentability allows him to be hired as an actor by a French film company. The trouble is that Anna, the star of the movie, is attracted to him. Which displeases banker Morel, the producer and Anna’s lover…Read More »

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Flicker Alley, in partnership with the Blackhawk Films® Collection, Lobster Films and Le Giornate del Cinema Muto (Pordenone, Italy) is honored to present this newly restored edition Casanova (1927), with a new orchestral score by Günter A. Buchwald, performed by the San Marco Orchestra.

The iconic French historical drama Casanova, directed by Alexandre Volkoff, and set in 1760s Venice, stars renowned silent film actor Ivan Mosjoukine as the famous philanderer Giacomo Casanova in a flamboyant spectacle of romance, comedy, and intrigue. Shot on location in the Austrian Alps and in Venice, Casanova portrays its dashing central player enjoying a sumptuous and flirtatious existence, until his precarious behavior alerts his rivals and forces him into a life-or-death scenario. Produced by Films Albatros, the film also features Diana Karenne, Suzanne Bianchetti and Rudolf Klein-Rogge.Read More »

Russian stage star Ivan Mosjoukine plays the title role in this far-from-accurate biopic of legendary Italian lover Casanova. The main plot concerns itself with political intrigue, as Casanova travels from Venice to Russia and back again on a variety of “secret missions.” This doesn’t prevent the amorous hero from enjoying the favors of several delectable females. Even Russia’s Catherine the Great (Suzanne Bianchetti) briefly falls under Casanova’s spell. But when all is said and done, it is the lovely Therese (Jenny Jugo) who captures the protagonist’s heart. Highlights include the spectacular Carnival of Venice sequence and the splendiferous scenes within the palace walls of Czarina Catherine. Casanova was truly an international production: It was filmed in France but financed and written by Germans, while its star and director were Russians. The film ran into some curious censorship troubles in the U.S., and as result it was retitled Prince of Adventurers, with the main character rechristened as “Roberto Ferrara”! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie GuideRead More »

The first film Epstein made for Albatros stars Ivan Mosjoukine as a Mogul prince in exile. After getting caught up in such vices of the Occident as drinking, movies and women, the prince eventually returns to his Khanate and to his waiting bride.Read More »

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This is a biopic of the 19th Century actor, Edmund Kean.

You may remember him for his famous last words: “Dying is easy, comedy is hard.”

Made some 90 years after his death, the film tells of the greatest actor of his time, a man toasted as the greatest actor of all time.

Great though he may have been on the stage, his personal life was a wreck.

He was hounded by creditors, had a problem with alcohol, and to make matters worse, had fallen in love with the wife of an ambassador.Read More »

One of the few pre-Revolution Russian feature films to survive, Father Sergius is an elaborate picturization of a Tolstoy novel. Ivan Mozzhukin plays a young, libertine officer who thinks nothing of committing casual sins while in the service of the Czar. He comes to regret his misdeeds as he grows older, his past debaucheries manifesting themselves in his wizened face and desiccated body. He wanders up and down the countryside, searching for redemption. Director Feodor Protazanov emphasized the high and low points of Mozhukin’s life by filming in the actual palaces and private clubs described by Tolstoy in his novel. The overall theme of corruption in high places automatically resulted in Father Sergius being banned by the Czarist censors, though the film found a more receptive audience once the government passed into the hands of the revolutionaries. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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Already in the early years of Russian cinema Protazanov’s name was a hallmark of artistic excellence. “The Queen of Spades” is a brilliant example of his extraordinary talent. The film has not only a first-rate story and ingenious Mozzhukhin’s performance, but also all the tricks that were available to filmmakers in 1916. The use of crosscutting in the film is quite sophisticated for the time; superimposition is yet another important device; and the use of flashbacks here is very effective. Unlike most pictures of that time “The Queen of Spades” made a genuine contribution to the evolution of Russian film art. I think it would be great if more people see one of the best pre-revolutionary Russian films.Read More »