Victor Tourjansky ( 4 March 1891 – 13 August 1976), born Vyacheslav Konstantinovich Turzhansky (), was a Russian actor, screenwriter and film director who emigrated after the

Russian Revolution of 1917 The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

. He worked in France, Germany, Italy, and the United States.

Biography

Born into a family of artists in

Kiev Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

, Tourjansky moved to Moscow in 1911, where he spent a year studying under

Konstantin Stanislavski Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavski ( rus, Константин Сергеевич Станиславский, p=kənstɐnʲˈtʲin sʲɪrˈɡʲejɪvʲɪtɕ stənʲɪˈslafskʲɪj, links=yes; ; 7 August 1938) was a seminal Russian and Sovie ...

. He became involved with silent film and, two years later, made his first productions as a screenwriter and director on the eve of

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 ...

. When the

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

broke out, he left and stayed in

Yalta Yalta (: ) is a resort town, resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crime ...

, which had not yet been taken by the

Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

. When the laws for the nationalisation of the cinema industry were applied to Crimea, he left with the Ermoliev film company and its actors for France, via Constantinople, in February 1920. He was accompanied by his wife, the actress Nathalie Kovanko. On arriving in Paris, he changed his birth name Viatcheslav, to Victor, which was more easily pronounceable for the French. He was the assistant to

Abel Gance Abel Gance (; born Abel Eugène Alexandre Péréthon; 25 October 188910 November 1981) was a French film director, producer, writer and actor. A pioneer in the theory and practice of montage, he is best known for three major silent films: ''J'ac ...

for the filming of his ''Napoléon'' (1927). He later worked for Universum Film AG in Germany, where he arrived during the 1930s and directed twelve films, of which several were officially honored by the Nazis ('' City of Anatol'', '' Secret Code LB 17'', '' Faded Melody'', '' Enemies '', and ''

Orient Express The ''Orient Express'' was a long-distance passenger luxury train service created in 1883 by the Belgian company ''Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits'' (CIWL) that operated until 2009. The train traveled the length of continental Europe, w ...

'').

Selected filmography

* ' (Russia, 1915) * ' (Russia, 1915) * ' (Russia, 1918) * ' (France, 1921) * ''Les Contes des mille et une nuits'' (France, 1921) * ''Le Quinzième prélude de Chopin'' (France, 1922) * ''Nuit de carnaval'' (France, 1922) * '' La Riposte'' (France, 1922) * ''Calvaire d'amour'' (France, 1923) * ' (France, 1923) * ''

That Scoundrel Morin ''That Scoundrel Morin'' (French: ''Ce cochon de Morin'') is a 1932 French comedy film directed by Jacques Baumer, Rosine Deréan and José Noguéro. It is based on the 1882 short story of the same title by Guy de Maupassant. Goble p.116 The ...

'' (France, 1924) * '' The Masked Woman'' (France, 1924) * ''

Prince Charming Prince Charming is a fairy tale stock character archetype who comes to the rescue of a damsel in distress and must engage in a quest to liberate her from an evil spell. This classification suits most heroes of a number of traditional folk tales ...

'' (France, 1925) * '' Michel Strogoff'' (France, 1926) * '' Tempest'' (director: Sam Taylor, USA, 1928), uncredited * '' The Adventurer'' (USA, 1928) * '' Volga Volga'' (Germany, 1928) * '' Manolescu'' (Germany, 1929) * '' The Eaglet'' (French-language film version, 1931) ** '' The Duke of Reichstadt'' (German-language film version, 1931) * '' The Unknown Singer'' (France, 1931) * '' Student's Hotel'' (France, 1932) * '' The Orderly'' (France, 1933) * '' Volga in Flames'' (France, 1934) * '' Dark Eyes'' (France, 1935) * '' The World's in Love'' (Austria, 1935) * '' La Peur'' (France, 1936) * '' City of Anatol'' (German-language film version, 1936) ** '' Wells in Flames'' (French-language film version, 1937) * '' The Lie of Nina Petrovna'' (France, 1937) * '' The Postmaster's Daughter'' (France, 1938) * '' Faded Melody'' (Germany, 1938) * '' Secret Code LB 17'' (Germany, 1938) * '' The Blue Fox'' (Germany, 1938) * '' The Governor'' (Germany, 1939) * '' A Woman Like You'' (Germany, 1939) * '' Enemies'' (Germany, 1940, also screenplay) * ' (Germany, 1940) * ' (Germany, 1941, also screenplay) * ''Liebesgeschichten'' (Germany, 1943) * '' Tonelli'' (Germany, 1943, also screenplay) * ''

'' (Germany, 1944) * ' (Germany, 1945–1949) * '' The Blue Straw Hat'' (West Germany, 1949) * ' (Spain, 1950) * '' The Man Who Wanted to Live Twice'' (West Germany, 1950) * '' Chased by the Devil'' (West Germany, 1950) * ' (West Germany, 1951) * '' Marriage for One Night'' (West Germany, 1953) * '' Salto Mortale'' (West Germany, 1953) * '' Arlette Conquers Paris'' (West Germany, 1953) * '' Daybreak'' (West Germany, 1954) * '' Island of the Dead'' (West Germany, 1955) * '' The Royal Waltz'' (West Germany, 1955) * ' (West Germany, 1956) * '' The Goddess of Love'' (co-director:

Fernando Cerchio Fernando Cerchio (7 August 1914 – 19 August 1974) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 30 films between 1940 and 1972. Selected filmography * ''Men of the Mountain'' (1943) * ''Mistress of the Mountains'' ...

, Italy, 1957) * '' Heart Without Mercy'' (West Germany, 1958) * ''

Herod the Great Herod I or Herod the Great () was a History of the Jews in the Roman Empire, Roman Jewish client king of the Herodian kingdom of Judea. He is known for his colossal building projects throughout Judea. Among these works are the rebuilding of the ...

'' (co-director: , Italy, 1959) * '' Prisoner of the Volga'' (co-director: , Italy, 1959) * '' The Cossacks'' (co-director: Giorgio Rivalta, Italy, 1960) * ''

The Pharaohs' Woman ''The Pharaohs' Woman'' () is a 1960 Italian historical drama film directed by Victor Tourjansky and starring John Drew Barrymore. The film is set in Ancient Egypt during the 31st century BCE (shortly after the unification of Upper and Lowe ...

'' (co-director: Giorgio Rivalta, Italy, 1960) * '' The Triumph of Michael Strogoff'' (France, 1961) * '' A Queen for Caesar'' (co-director:

Piero Pierotti Piero Pierotti (1 January 1912 – 4 May 1970) was an Italian director and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Pisa, Pierotti started his career as a journalist, working for '' La Nazione'' and ''Il Nuovo Corriere'', and later founding the n ...

, Italy, 1962)

External links

* *Christian Gilles, ''Le cinéma des années rente, quarante, cinquantepar ceux qui l'ont fait'', Paris : L'Harmattan, 2000. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tourjansky, Victor Film directors from the Russian Empire Male actors from the Russian Empire People who emigrated to escape Bolshevism 1891 births 1976 deaths Male actors from Kyiv Emigrants from the Russian Empire to Germany Emigrants from the Russian Empire to France White Russian emigrants to Germany White Russian emigrants to France Russian male film actors Russian film directors Russian male silent film actors Film people from Kyiv