Nina Kind Hakim Provatoroff, known by her stage name of Nina Vanna ( Yazykova; 27 September 1899 – 8 November 1953), was a Russian-born British film

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...

who appeared in a number of

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

s during the 1920s. She sometimes played in historical dramas, playing

Lady Jane Grey Lady Jane Grey ( 1537 – 12 February 1554), later known as Lady Jane Dudley (after her marriage) and as the "Nine Days' Queen", was an English noblewoman who claimed the throne of England and Ireland from 10 July until 19 July 1553. Jane was ...

in the first of three film versions of her life (''Lady Jane Grey; Or, the Court of Intrigue'') and

Lucrezia Borgia Lucrezia Borgia (; ca-valencia, Lucrècia Borja, links=no ; 18 April 1480 – 24 June 1519) was a Spanish-Italian noblewoman of the House of Borgia who was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza dei Cattanei. She reigned as the Govern ...

in what may be the first of several versions. Vanna was married three times, first to Robert Kind from whom she was later divorced, secondly to film director Eric Hakim (1900–1967), whom she also divorced, and finally to an importer/exporter and art collector Peter Provatoroff from 1946 until her death in

Banstead Banstead is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey, England. It is south of Sutton, south-west of Croydon, south-east of Kingston-upon-Thames, and south of Central London. On the North Downs, it is on three of the four main ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

, UK.Find-a-grave entry
/ref>

Career

Vanna began her film career in England where she made her debut in ''Scrooge'' (1923) as Alice. In the next years followed her leading roles in films, among them ''A Christmas Carol'' (1923), ''Lucrezia Borgia; Or, Plaything of Power'' (1923), Lady Jane Grey in ''Lady Jane Grey; Or, The Court of Intrigue'' (1923), '' The Man Without Desire'' (1923), ''

The Cost of Beauty ''The Cost of Beauty'' is a 1924 British silent romance film directed by Walter Summers and starring Betty Ross Clarke, Lewis Dayton and James Lindsay. It was made at Isleworth Studios.Harris p.67 Cast * Betty Ross Clarke Betty Ross Clark ...

'' (1924) and '' The Woman Tempted'' (1926). Just before beginning of filming of ''The Man Without Desire'', in which the actress played a young socialite, she was persuaded by Ivor Novello, appearing as a Venetian aristocrat, to change her name to "something that sounded less emetic". She extended her career to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

from 1924 with the new films ''La closerie des Genets'' (1924), ''Veille d'armes'' (1925), '' Männer vor der Ehe'' (1927), '' Café Elektric'' (1927), ''Die raffinierteste Frau Berlins'' (1927), '' A Murderous Girl'' (1927), ''Youth Astray'' (original title: ''Was die Kinder ihren Eltern verschweigen'', 1927), ''Was weisst Du von der Liebe/Gefährdete Mädchen'' (1927), ''La vie miraculeuse de Thérèse Martin'' (1930). After a longer pause followed her first and last

sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

at the same time with '' The Show Goes On'' (1937). Other movies included ''Love in an Attic'' (1923) ''

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling Sna ...

'' (1923), ''

Guy Fawkes Guy Fawkes (; 13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606), also known as Guido Fawkes while fighting for the Spanish, was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. He was born and educated ...

'' (1923), ''

The Money Habit ''The Money Habit'' is a 1924 British silent crime film directed by Walter Niebuhr and starring Clive Brook, Annette Benson and Nina Vanna.Low p.411 It was based on a novel by Paul M. Potter. The screenplay concerns a man whose mistress help ...

'' (1924), ''

We Women ''We Women'' is a 1925 British silent comedy film directed by W. P. Kellino and starring Beatrice Ford, Pauline Cartwright and John Stuart. It depicts the adventures of the flappers Billie and Dollie, who work as dance hostesses.Hunter & Port ...

'' (1925), ''Before the Battle'' (1925), ''

Graziella ''Graziella'' is an 1852 novel by the French author Alphonse de Lamartine. It tells of a young French man who falls for a fisherman's granddaughter – the eponymous Graziella – during a trip to Naples, Italy; they are separated when ...

'' (1926), ''

The Triumph of the Rat ''The Triumph of the Rat'' is a 1926 British silent film drama, directed by Graham Cutts for Gainsborough Pictures and starring Ivor Novello, Isabel Jeans and Nina Vanna. Background The film is the second in a trilogy featuring Novello as Pi ...

'' (1926), and ''Adventure Mad'' (1926).

Selected filmography

* '' The Man Without Desire'' (1923) * ''

'' (1923) * ''

'' (1924) * ''

'' (1925) * ''

'' (1926) * ''

Three Cuckoo Clocks ''Three Cuckoo Clocks'' (German: ''Die drei Kuckucksuhren'') is a 1926 German silent film, silent drama film directed by Lothar Mendes and starring Lillian Hall-Davis, Nina Vanna and Nils Asther. The film's sets were designed by the art director ...

'' (1926) * ''

'' (1926) * '' Men Before Marriage'' (1927) * '' A Murderous Girl'' (1927) * '' Café Elektric'' (1927) * '' Endangered Girls'' (1927) * '' The Show Goes On'' (1937)

References

External links

article on her
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vanna, Nina British film actresses British silent film actresses Russian film actresses Russian silent film actresses 20th-century Russian actresses 1899 births 1953 deaths 20th-century British actresses Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United Kingdom