Tamara Shayne (25 November 1902 – 23 October 1983), also known as Tamara Nikoulina, was a Russian-born actress and long-time resident in the United States.

Early life

Tamara Shayne was born Tamara Veniaminovna Olkenitskaya on 25 November 1902 in

Perm Perm or PERM may refer to: Places *Perm, Russia, a city in Russia ** Permsky District, the district **Perm Krai, a federal subject of Russia since 2005 **Perm Oblast, a former federal subject of Russia 1938–2005 **Perm Governorate, an administra ...

, Russia, to the family of a Jewish actor Veniamin Olkenitsky-Nikulin (aka Benjamin Nikulin). Her older brother

Konstantin The first name Konstantin () is a derivation from the Latin name ''Constantinus'' ( Constantine) in some European languages, such as Russian and German. As a Christian given name, it refers to the memory of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great ...

was also an actor.Doug McClelland ''Blackface to blacklist: Al Jolson, Larry Parks, and The Jolson story'', Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1998, pg. 154

Career

Shayne appeared in European films before migrating to the United States in 1927 with her future husband, the actor

Akim Tamiroff Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff, russian: Аким Михайлович Тамиров (born Hovakim Tamiryants; October 29, 1899 – September 17, 1972) was an Armenian-American actor of film, stage, and television. One of the premier character act ...

;"Tamara Shayne, 80, Actress; Was Jolson's Mother in Films"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', 27 October 1983. the couple married in February 1933. Her first role (uncredited) in an American film was in ''

The Captain Hates the Sea ''The Captain Hates the Sea'' is a 1934 comedy film directed by Lewis Milestone and released by Columbia Pictures. The film, which involves a ''Grand Hotel''-style series of intertwining stories involving the passengers on a cruise ship, is notab ...

'' (1934). She also appeared uncredited in ''

Ninotchka ''Ninotchka'' is a 1939 American romantic comedy film made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by producer and director Ernst Lubitsch and starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas. It was written by Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Walter Reisch, based o ...

'' (1939) as Anna, the cellist roommate of the titular character portrayed by

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragedy, ...

. Shayne appeared in nearly two dozen films from 1934-61, and is possibly best remembered as Moma Yoelson in ''

The Jolson Story ''The Jolson Story'' is a 1946 American musical biography film which purports to tell the life story of singer Al Jolson. It stars Larry Parks as Jolson, Evelyn Keyes as Julie Benson (approximating Jolson's wife, Ruby Keeler), William Demares ...

'' (1946) and ''

Jolson Sings Again ''Jolson Sings Again'' is a 1949 American musical biographical film directed by Henry Levin, and the sequel to ''The Jolson Story'' (1946), both of which cover the life of singer Al Jolson. It was the highest-grossing film of 1949 and received ...

'' (1949).

Personal life

Shayne remained married to

until his death in 1972, and she retired at that time. She died from complications following a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

on 23 October 1983."Biography for Tamara Shayne"
TCM.com; accessed 20 June 2017.

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shayne, Tamara 1902 births 1983 deaths Actors from Perm, Russia 20th-century American actresses American people of Russian-Jewish descent Soviet emigrants to the United States Russian Jews