Léonide Moguy
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Léonide Moguy (14 July 1899 – 21 April 1976) was a Ukrainian, French and Italian
film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...
,
screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...
and
film editor Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. The term is derived from the traditional process of working with film stock, film which increasingly involves the use Digital cinema, of digital ...
. Moguy was born Leonid Mohylevskyi () in
Odesa Odesa, also spelled Odessa, is the third most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern ...
,
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
in 1899 in a
Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...
ish family. He lived in Soviet Ukraine until 1929, in the United States in the 1940s, and in Italy from 1949 until his death. He was active in film between 1927 and 1961. His work has influenced American director
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...
, who discovered him while writing the script for ''
Inglourious Basterds ''Inglourious Basterds'' is a 2009 epic film, epic war film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars an ensemble cast including Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger ...
'', and named a character after him in ''
Django Unchained ''Django Unchained'' ( ) is a 2012 American revisionist Western film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Tarantino's A Band Apart and Columbia Pictures, it stars Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry W ...
''.


Career

Mohylevskyi was born in
Odesa Odesa, also spelled Odessa, is the third most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern ...
in a family of a merchandise worker. During
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, he was a soldier of the 51st Lithuanian infantry regiment of the
Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...
in
Simferopol Simferopol ( ), also known as Aqmescit, is the second-largest city on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula. The city, along with the rest of Crimea, is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, but controlled by Russia. It is considered the cap ...
. After the war, he was a medical student and worked part-time at the film studio of Dmytro Kharytonov who came from
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
to Odesa. Mohylevskyi did not become a doctor, however, graduating from Odesa Institute of National Economy in 1924, he became a lawyer. Soon, he was invited to work as a VUFKU legal advisor at Odesa Film Studio. Mohylevskyi showed interest not only in the letter of the law, but also in laws and principles of film editing as he assisted the director Mykola Saltykov. In
1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the BBC, British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith becomes the first ...
, Mohylevskyi was the head of the Newsreel Department VUFKU, was a colleague of Dziga Vertov and
Mikhail Kaufman Mikhail Abelevich Kaufman (; 1897 – March 11, 1980) was a Soviet and Russian cinematographer and photographer. He was the younger brother of filmmaker Dziga Vertov (Denis Kaufman) and the older brother of cinematographer Boris Kaufman.Petric, ...
. Together with Oleksandr Dovzhenko he initiated the creation of the first library of Ukrainian films. The department headed by Mohylevskyi began to issue Kinotyzhden, and later, Kinozhurnal VUFKU, a collection of fresh newsreels, “timely and urgent,” that became nearly the only source of news at that time. Then, Mohylevskyi made two mashup films, How It Was (1927) and Documents of the Era (1928), in collaboration with the director Ya. Habovych. The latter was the most popular VUFKU mashup film based on 150,000 meters of newsreels dating back to 1917-1922. Leonid Mohylevskyi used archive materials (“some positive fragments” and pre-revolutionary “rubbish”) stored in VUFKU archives or bought from other film studios or private persons as the basis for his film. An active member of the society Friends of Soviet Cinema, Mohylevskyi edited 16 short films for them, such as Now! and Peak ticket (Піковий квиток) filmed by amateur Experimental Film Studio headed by Hlib Zatvornytskyi.


France

He moved to France and developed a reputation as a "play doctor" of films. He started directing and had a hit with ''40 Little Mothers''.


Hollywood

Moguy moved to
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
in 1940. He made the film '' The Night is Ending'' (1943) at
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
. He stayed at Fox to make '' Paris After Dark'' then went to RKO to make '' Action in Arabia''. He was meant to follow ''Action in Arabia'' with ''Experiment Perilous'' with Paul Henreid at RKO but the film was not made. Instead he made '' Whistle Stop'' for United Artists. "I didn't do the pictures I wanted to", he later said of this time.


Europe

Moguy returned to France where he made '' Bethsabee'' (1947). In 1947 he announced he would direct the first Belgian-Hollywood co production, ''New York's Origin'', a story of the Belgian refugees who established New York. The film was not made. Instead he made '' Tomorrow Is Too Late'' (1950) which introduced Pier Angeli. They were reunited in '' Tomorrow Is Another Day'' (1951). He went on to make '' 100 Little Mothers'' (1952), '' Children of Love'' (1953), ''
The Width of the Pavement ''The Width of the Pavement'' is a 1956 French film directed by Léonide Moguy. It was known as Le long des trottoirs and Diary of a Bad Girl. Cast *Anne Vernon *Danik Patisson *François Guérin References External links *Film page
at BFI ...
'' (1956), '' Give Me My Chance'' (1957) and '' Man Wants To Live'' (1961).


Personal life

One of Moguy's early companions was the fashion designer Jacques Fath, a sometime actor who appeared in an early Moguy film. Later in life, Moguy befriended German actress Ellen Farner; in her brief contribution to his biography's preface, Farner describes Moguy as "l'ami sublime," citing his humanity, charisma and intelligence, as well as his benevolent gaze.


Selected filmography

* '' Documents of the Era'' (1928) – director, editor * '' The Wonderful Day'' (1932) – editor * '' Theodore and Company'' (1933) – editor *''
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...
'' (1933) – editor * '' The Scandal'' (1934) – film * '' Skylark'' (1934) – editor * '' Count Obligado'' (1935) – editor *''
Divine Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a singl ...
'' (1935) – editor * '' The Squadron's Baby'' (1935) – editor *'' Baccara'' (1935) – editor, uncredited director, first assistant director * '' Forty Little Mothers'' (1936) – director, writer *'' Prison sans barreaux'' (1938) – director, writer * '' Conflict'' (1938) – director, writer *'' Je t'attendrai'' (1939) – director * '' Two Women'' (1940) – director * '' Paris After Dark'' (1943) – director * '' Action in Arabia'' (1944) – director * '' Whistle Stop'' (1946) with
George Raft George Raft (né Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is remembe ...
and
Ava Gardner Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' att ...
– director * '' Bethsabee'' (1947) – director * '' Tomorrow Is Too Late'' (1950) – director, writer, producer * '' Tomorrow Is Another Day'' (1951) – director, writer * '' One Hundred Little Mothers'' (1952) – writer, producer * '' Children of Love'' (1953) – director, writer *''
The Width of the Pavement ''The Width of the Pavement'' is a 1956 French film directed by Léonide Moguy. It was known as Le long des trottoirs and Diary of a Bad Girl. Cast *Anne Vernon *Danik Patisson *François Guérin References External links *Film page
at BFI ...
'' (1956) – director, writer * '' Give Me My Chance'' (1957) – director, writer * '' Man Wants To Live'' (1961) – director, writer


References


Further reading

* * * * * * *


External links

*
Essay on Moguy
at Film Comment {{DEFAULTSORT:Moguy, Leonide 1899 births 1976 deaths French film directors French film editors French male screenwriters 20th-century French screenwriters Ukrainian film directors Ukrainian screenwriters Odesa Jews French people of Russian descent French male non-fiction writers 20th-century French male writers