#HOLLYWOODISOUR!

The American moviemaking industry is the most leading and front-rank in the world. Actually, HOLLYWOOD is the successful and well-known trademark, which also spreads supremacy of American culture. Few are aware that this “supremacy tongue” had been created by natives of Russia. Almost all of the famous and biggest film companies had been founded by Russians immigrants. For instance, The Warner Brothers Company was founded by four brothers Warner (their real surname is Vonskolasser). Their parents moved to the States from Russian Empire. Now-days Belorussia born David Sarnov and Louis Mayer (Lazar Meyer) were founders of RKO and MGM companies agreeably. Even Hollywood’s “holy of the Holies” – the American Academy of motion picture arts and sciences was founded by Shenker brothers Nikolay and Yosef which spent their childhood time in Rybinsk on the Volga -river coast in Central Russia.

Because of numerous Russian speaking producers, script-writers, actors, companies’ owners, in the beginning of XX century, Russian trend has been very popular in Hollywood. As a result, Mr. William Genry Prett, being pure-blood Englishman, was starring in horrors movies as Boris Karloff, Norwegian born actress – Eva Hartwig became famous as Vera Zorina. Russian-born talents have been on topside. “The Jazz Singer” (1927) is the first sounded movie in Hollywood where El Johnson (Asa Yoelson) became a star. The first woman head of the movie company is Don Still - granddaughter of immigrants from Russia with famous on now-days surname – Spielberg. Irving Berlin became the first author of movie smash-hits. Originally, he was from Mogilev, had real name as Israel Beilin, lived till 100 years old, created original music for the hundred films and known as author of non-official USA anthem – “God, Bless the America”

The graduate of Petrograd’s academy of music, Dmitriy Temkin, was less famous but same talented as Irving and gave the “sound life” to such well-known movies like “Men of the West”, “Rio-Bravo”, “Mackenna’s Gold”. The son of the Russian famous writer Aleksandr Amphitheatrov - Daniil, emigrated out of Russia because of Bolsheviks, he also was writing the music to the Hollywood films. Such as: “Lassie Come Home”, “Days of Glory” about Soviet guerrillas and others. By the way, in the last one mentioned movie we can see another son of Russian immigrant – Gregory Peck. First “sex symbol” of silent movies becomes Alla Nazimova from Yalta, which moved to States in 1905. Soviet actress Anna Sten (Stenskaya) which acted a part in Russian films “Lady with box” and “Chingiskhan’s root” also moved to the USA and played the role in “Soldier of Fortune”. Director of this film is also with Russian roots – Edward Dmitrick (Oles Dmitryk). Stellar director – Mikhail Chekhov and actress Maria Uspenskaya were born in Tula and they were first who used Stanislavsky method in States that became a revelation for the whole Hollywood. The best cameramen in 1930 were born in St.Petersburg – Josef Ruttenberg and Boris Kaufman – Dzigi Vertov’s brother which was high-demanded Soviet director of the films. Aleksandr Galitsin – art director from Moscow, has been Oscar awarded three times for “The Phantom of the Opera”, “Spartak”, “To Kill a Mockingbird” films, and 13 times had been nominated for the Oscar award. Moreover, Oscar award itself came up into the world because of Lewis Meyer’s effort, and one of the first of Oscar’s awardee became Lewis Milestone – son of the craftsman from Chisinau. It is quite complicated to list of all the Russians which made a contribution to American movie industry of the "age of Titans"

After the World War II, United States began a nuclear confrontation with USSR. All who had been linked to the Russia or the Soviet Union were suspicious and commission on headed of senator McCarty has begun decommunization of the Hollywood. First “victim” of this procedure was script writer – Carl Forman, son of immigrants from Odessa, and author of the scripts to “The Bridge on the River Kwai”, “Born Free”, “Mackenna’s Gold” movies. As result, Forman temporary moved from the States to the UK. At the same time many Russian- born professionals become unemployed, through of them Robert Rossen - director of the “All the President’s Men”, scriptwriter Albert Malts with his colleague Lilian Hellmann. All people who got to the “blacklist” haven’t been taken by no one Hollywood’s company for projects, movies or any jobs. Some of them even have been stripped of the awards, for instance, Carl Forman got his Oscar award only in 70-s which he won 20 years before.

Despite the persecution period, “Russians roots” haven’t been fully uprooted out of Hollywood. Nowadays, Hollywood still has talented and famous actors and actresses with the family trees with Russian roots

Helen Mirren – Oscar’s prize winner, Golden Globe awardee, and other prestigious awards holder, an intellectual sex symbol of 70-s. Her grandfather – Petr Mironov is Russian aristocrat and colonel of imperator’s army. He ran from revolution to England together with all of his family. In England, he has changed the name to Bazel Mirren and his granddaughter – Elena Mironova became Helen Mirren. She very proud of her aristocratic roots but at the same time, she speaks Russian very bad.

Sounds incredible, but a dark-skinned actress, Oscar award holder for the role of Oda May Brown in “Ghost” movie - Whoopi Goldberg because of her great-grandma (mother line) has roots from Odessa, where her great-grandma lived in the times of Tsarist Russia. Whoopi was born in New York. She decided to leave mother’s surname – Goldberg.

Parents of future Hollywood star – Harrison Ford were born and lived in the US, but his grandmother – Anna Lifshuts and his grandfather Garry Needleman are from Minsk (part of the Russian Empire in those times). In 1907 they immigrated to New York where they met each other.

Name of Leonardo’s DiCaprio grandmother is Elizoveta Smirnova. After the revolution in 1917, she moved with her parents to Germany from USSR, where she grew up and met her husband. She had a daughter (future mother of Leonardo) which moved to the USA and continued her life there. Once Leonardo became famous and rich, he was trying to persuade his grandmother to move to the United States, but every time she declined.

Parents of Natalie Portman are native of Chisinau but before of such blessed event as Natalie’s birth, they moved to Jerusalem where Natali was born. Once she got 3 years old, parents decided to move to America, in a search of better life. In States, Natalie finished the school with honors, entered the Harvard University and became a famous actress, played role in Oscar-winning film of Darren Aronofsky – “Black Swan”. Also, she acted in such films as “Leon”, “V for Vendetta”, “Star Wars” and others.

Steven Seagal was born in an ordinary American family, but if we have a look at his father's roots, we could see that his grandfather family has emigrated from St. Petersburg to the US when Steven was a child. Steven Seagal very proud of his Russian roots and always mentions that he feels Russian spirit inside, moreover Steven’s wife speaks Russian fluently and they have many Russian friends in the USA.

The surname of ancestries of Winona Ryder is Tomchina. When her grandfather emigrated from Russia to States, a border officer mixed up with the papers and wrote her grandfather's surname as Khorovitsev. If it was no such mistake we could know today Winona as Winona Tomchina.

Sylvester Stallone – living legend of Hollywood. In his hundreds of movies he usually kills “bad Russian guys” but at the same time he is being half Sicilian and half Jewish with Russian roots. His great-grandma (on mother line) Rosa Leybovich is the heiress of reach Jewish family, which been living in Odessa before the Russian revolution. Sylvester proud as well of his family roots and usually says with pleasure about his great-grandma, about her richness, her treasures. She never spoke English and never worked as well, just grow her sons.

Famous actress Gwyneth Paltrow also can be considered as Russian compatriot. Her father from the well-known family of rabbis – Paltrowich, which have been living in Russia before the revolution. Moved to the USA they made a small change with their surname to sound “more American”. As result of this change – they become Paltrow. Gwyneth never forgets her roots and thinks that Russians are magnificent nation. "I proud to be a small part of such great nation" – says Gwyneth.

Two times Oscar award winner for “Rain Man” and “Kramer vs. Kramer” films and famous Hollywood actor - Dustin Hoffman, known for roles in movies “Tootsie”, “The Graduate”, “Runaway Jury” was born in the USA, but never hides his Ukrainian roots, because his parents are from Kiev. They immigrated from USSR in 1920-s once Bolsheviks fusilladed Dustin’s grandmother and grandfather.

The real name of Natalie Wood – Natalia Zakharchenko, and her parents are immigrants from Russia. She was perfectly speaking both English and Russian and was counting herself “very Russian”

Both grandfathers of Steven Spielberg were born in Russia, and husband of his sister Susan is a distant relative of Boris Pasternak.

Supermodel and famous actress - Milla Jovovich was born in Kiev. Her mother Galina Loginova was a famous actress as well, and her father is a doctor from Yugoslavia. Till 5 years old Milla was living in USSR and until now she perfectly speaks Russian.

David Duchovny’s father – Russian Jewish. His name is Amram Duchovny. When he moved to the USA he changed his surname to Dukovny for easy use, but his son David returned “ch” letter into the surname again.

Hollywood actors Michael Douglas and his father Kirk Douglas have Russians roots also. The real name of Kirk is Issur Danielovich-Demsky. Whereas his father (Michael’s grandfather) – Herchel Danielovich left Russia to avoid military service and participation in the Russo-Japanese war.

Of course, this list is not complete. Once “Iron Curtain” fallen, new representatives of Russian culture have raised up in Hollywood. Among them film director Rodion Nakhapetov, actresses Elena Solovey, Natalia Negoda, actors Valery Nikolaev, Vladimir Mashkov, Igor Zhizhikin and others, but unfortunately, they didn't reach the top. At the same time, Hollywood shows Russia as a wild country full of mafia and KGB agents with poker faces. They quickly forgot that Hollywood industry with its own specific traditions was grown up on Russian basis and has Russian roots. Maybe is time to remind it?