Olga Vladimirovna Baklanova (Russian: ÐžÌ Ð»ÑŒÐ³Ð°
Ð'Ð»Ð°Ð´Ð¸Ì Ð¼Ð¸Ñ€Ð¾Ð²Ð½Ð° Ð'Ð°ÐºÐ»Ð°Ì Ð½Ð¾Ð²Ð°; 19 August 1893 â€" 6
September 1974), known professionally as Olga Baclanova, was a
Russian-American actress of stage and screen, radio host and
performer, operatic singer, and ballerina. She achieved prominence
during the silent film era, after taking several years off her age and
changing the spelling of her Russian surname from Baklanova. She was
often billed under her last name only, as Baclanova, similarly to the
surname-only nomenclature of her fellow countrywoman Nazimova.An
exotic blonde temptress, she was known as the "Russian Tigress". She
emigrated to America in 1925, and started appearing in Hollywood
films, which she remains most noted for portraying the fictional
Duchess Josiana in the Universal Pictures silent The Man Who Laughs
and slimy circus trapeze artist Cleopatra in Tod Browning's cult
horror movie Freaks (1932), which features a cast of actual carnival
sideshow freaks.Olga Vladimirovna Baklanova was born on 19 August 1893
(other sources state 1884, 1896 or even 1900, according to her
obituary) in Moscow, Russia. She was the daughter of Vladimir Baklanov
and his wife Alexandra, herself an actress in early Russian films.
Baclanova studied drama at the Cherniavsky Institute before being
accepted into the prestigious Moscow Art Theatre with contemporaries
such as Maria Ouspenskaya in 1912. Over the next decade she appeared
in Russian films, and also performed extensively on stage, touring and
performing in many countries of the world. In the 1930s, Baclanova had
a program called Olga Baclanova's Continental Review, and she often
appeared as a guest on radio programs singing songs in her native
Russian, having trained in operatic voice at the Moscow Arts Theatre.
In 1925 she was given the award "Merited Artist of the Republic", the
highest Soviet artist honour. Baclanova appeared in around 17 films
during her career in Russia.Baclanova first came to New York City with
the 1925 touring production of the Moscow Art Theatre's Lysistrata.
Though the rest of the company returned to Russia in 1926, she stayed
in America. She would appear in a West Coast production of The
Miracle, before being cast in a bit part in her debut film, The Dove.
A statuesque blonde, Baclanova quickly established herself as a
popular actress in American silent movies and achieved a notable
success with The Docks of New York (1928), directed by Josef von
Sternberg. Later that year, she also appeared in The Man Who Laughs as
Duchess Josiana, the femme fatale love interest to Conrad Veidt's
disfigured hero.
Ð'Ð»Ð°Ð´Ð¸Ì Ð¼Ð¸Ñ€Ð¾Ð²Ð½Ð° Ð'Ð°ÐºÐ»Ð°Ì Ð½Ð¾Ð²Ð°; 19 August 1893 â€" 6
September 1974), known professionally as Olga Baclanova, was a
Russian-American actress of stage and screen, radio host and
performer, operatic singer, and ballerina. She achieved prominence
during the silent film era, after taking several years off her age and
changing the spelling of her Russian surname from Baklanova. She was
often billed under her last name only, as Baclanova, similarly to the
surname-only nomenclature of her fellow countrywoman Nazimova.An
exotic blonde temptress, she was known as the "Russian Tigress". She
emigrated to America in 1925, and started appearing in Hollywood
films, which she remains most noted for portraying the fictional
Duchess Josiana in the Universal Pictures silent The Man Who Laughs
and slimy circus trapeze artist Cleopatra in Tod Browning's cult
horror movie Freaks (1932), which features a cast of actual carnival
sideshow freaks.Olga Vladimirovna Baklanova was born on 19 August 1893
(other sources state 1884, 1896 or even 1900, according to her
obituary) in Moscow, Russia. She was the daughter of Vladimir Baklanov
and his wife Alexandra, herself an actress in early Russian films.
Baclanova studied drama at the Cherniavsky Institute before being
accepted into the prestigious Moscow Art Theatre with contemporaries
such as Maria Ouspenskaya in 1912. Over the next decade she appeared
in Russian films, and also performed extensively on stage, touring and
performing in many countries of the world. In the 1930s, Baclanova had
a program called Olga Baclanova's Continental Review, and she often
appeared as a guest on radio programs singing songs in her native
Russian, having trained in operatic voice at the Moscow Arts Theatre.
In 1925 she was given the award "Merited Artist of the Republic", the
highest Soviet artist honour. Baclanova appeared in around 17 films
during her career in Russia.Baclanova first came to New York City with
the 1925 touring production of the Moscow Art Theatre's Lysistrata.
Though the rest of the company returned to Russia in 1926, she stayed
in America. She would appear in a West Coast production of The
Miracle, before being cast in a bit part in her debut film, The Dove.
A statuesque blonde, Baclanova quickly established herself as a
popular actress in American silent movies and achieved a notable
success with The Docks of New York (1928), directed by Josef von
Sternberg. Later that year, she also appeared in The Man Who Laughs as
Duchess Josiana, the femme fatale love interest to Conrad Veidt's
disfigured hero.
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