''Moscow Nights'' (French: ''Les nuits moscovites'') is a 1934 French

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Alexis Granowsky Alexis Granowsky (russian: Алексе́й Миха́йлович Грано́вский; 1890–1937) was a Russian theatre director who later became a film director. Granowsky was born as Abraham Azarkh to a Jewish family in Moscow. After stud ...

and starring Annabella,

Harry Baur Harry Baur (12 April 1880 – 8 April 1943) was a French actor. Initially a stage actor, Baur appeared in about 80 films between 1909 and 1942. He gave an acclaimed performance as the composer Ludwig van Beethoven in the biopic ''Beethoven's Gr ...

and

Pierre Richard-Willm Pierre Richard-Willm (3 November 1895 – 12 April 1983) was a French stage and film actor during the 1930s and 1940s."Pierre Richard-Willm" aCiné-Ressources Retrieved 1 November 2020. Biography Pierre Richard-Willm (originally Alexandre-Pi ...

.Oscherwitz & Higgins p.41 It is based on a story by Pierre Benoît. The film's sets were designed by the art director Andrej Andrejew. It marked the screen debut of the Corsican singer

Tino Rossi Constantin "Tino" Rossi (29 April 1907 – 26 September 1983) was a French singer and film actor of Corsican origin. Born in Ajaccio, Corsica, Rossi was gifted with a voice well suited for opera. He became a tenor in the French cabaret style. ...

who went on to star in a number of films. The following year a separate British version ''

Moscow Nights __NOTOC__ "Moscow Nights" ( rus, Подмосковные вечера, r=Podmoskovnyje večera, ), later covered as "Midnight in Moscow", is a Soviet Russian song. Composition and initial success Composer Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi and poet Mikhai ...

'' was produced by

London Films London Films Productions is a British film and television production company founded in 1932 by Alexander Korda and from 1936 based at Denham Film Studios in Buckinghamshire, near London. The company's productions included ''The Private Life o ...

. Directed by

Anthony Asquith Anthony William Landon Asquith (; 9 November 1902 – 20 February 1968) was an English film director. He collaborated successfully with playwright Terence Rattigan on ''The Winslow Boy'' (1948) and '' The Browning Version'' (1951), among oth ...

the only actor to appear in both films was Harry Baur.

Synopsis

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

the attractive Natacha Kovrine agrees to marry a wealthy

grain merchant The grain trade refers to the local and international trade in cereals and other food grains such as wheat, barley, maize, and rice. Grain is an important trade item because it is easily stored and transported with limited spoilage, unlike other ...

under pressure from her mother. However, while working as a nurse in a hospital she meets the wounded Captain Ignatoff and falls in love with him. When he is arrested and false accused of treason, it appears that the only man who might be able to save him is her fiancée.

Cast

* Annabella as Natacha Kovrine *

as Piotr Brioukow *

as Le capitaine Ignatoff *

Germaine Dermoz Germaine Dermoz (born Germaine Deluermoz, 30 July 1888 – 6 November 1966) was a French film and theatre actress of the early-to-mid twentieth century. She performed in over twenty theatre productions, frequently in the Théâtre Réjane. H ...

as Madame Kovrine *

Roger Karl Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ( ...

as Le colonel Kovrine *

Spinelly Spinelly is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Andrée Spinelly (1877–1966), French actress * Thomas Spinelly, English diplomat See also * Spinelli, Italian surname {{Short pages monitor