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Olga Baclanova‌

Gender

Female

Birthday

calendar1893-08-16

Popularity

star7.1

Olga Baclanova

Moscow, Russian Empire [now Russia]

Olga Baclanova

Moscow, Russian Empire [now Russia]

Gender

Female

Birthday

calendar1893-08-16

Popularity

star7.1

Biography

From Wikipedia Ólga Vladímirovna Baclanova (19 August 1893 – 6 September 1974) was a Russian-born actress and operatic singer, who achieved prominence during the silent film era and was often billed under her last name only, as Baclanova, similarly to the surname-only nomenclature assigned to fellow countryman Nazimova. She was billed as the "Russian Tigress" and remains most noted by modern audiences for portraying Cleopatra in Tod Browning's horror movie Freaks (1932), which features a cast of actual carnival sideshow freaks. 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 to pursue a career in the United States. 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. The introduction of talking films proved difficult for Baclanova, as audiences did not respond to her heavy Russian accent. She no longer secured leading roles, and was relegated to supporting parts. Her career was in decline when she was offered the role of the cruel circus performer Cleopatra in Tod Browning's film Freaks (1932). This horror movie, which featured actual carnival freaks, was highly controversial and screened only briefly before being withdrawn. It would be 30 years before Freaks gained a cult following. The movie did not revive Baclanova's film career, which ended in 1943. Baclanova worked extensively on stage in London's West End and in New York, for about 10 years starting in the mid-1930s. In 1943 she appeared in "Claudia" at the Moore Theatre in Seattle, Washington. Baclanova was married three times and bore two sons with her first and second husbands. The birth of her second son with actor Nicholas Soussanin was front page news and covered quite extensively in the press in 1930. After her retirement she settled in Vevey, Switzerland, where she died in 1974.

Movie Credits

The Docks of New York

The Docks of New York‌
star7.0
calendar 1928

The Man Who Laughs

The Man Who Laughs‌
star7.3
calendar 1928

The Man I Love

The Man I Love‌
star4.5
calendar 1929

A Dangerous Woman

A Dangerous Woman‌
star3.0
calendar 1929

Downstairs

Downstairs‌
star6.9
calendar 1932

The Great Lover

The Great Lover‌
star5.3
calendar 1931

Claudia

Claudia‌
star6.5
calendar 1943

Cheer Up and Smile

Cheer Up and Smile‌
star0.0
calendar 1930

Forgotten Faces

Forgotten Faces‌
star0.0
calendar 1928

The Woman Disputed

The Woman Disputed‌
star6.2
calendar 1928

Kogda zvuchat struny serdtsa

Kogda zvuchat struny serdtsa‌
star0.0
calendar 1914

Avalanche

Avalanche‌
star0.0
calendar 1928

Three Sinners

Three Sinners‌
star0.0
calendar 1928

Bread

Bread‌
star0.0
calendar 1918

The Street of Sin

The Street of Sin‌
star0.0
calendar 1928

Are You There?

Are You There?‌
star0.0
calendar 1930

The Wolf of Wall Street

The Wolf of Wall Street‌
star8.5
calendar 1929

Tsvety zapozdalye

Tsvety zapozdalye‌
star0.0
calendar 1917

The Billion Dollar Scandal

The Billion Dollar Scandal‌
star0.0
calendar 1933

Tot, kto poluchaet poshchechiny

Tot, kto poluchaet poshchechiny‌
star0.0
calendar 1916

Freaks

Freaks‌
star7.8
calendar 1932

Zhenshchina vampir

Zhenshchina vampir‌
star0.0
calendar 1915

Tv Credits