Mischa Auer
Encyclopedia
Mischa Auer was a Russian
-born American actor.
, Russia
. His name is usually seen as Mischa Ounskowsky, Mischa being the German
transliteration of Misha (the diminutive form of Mikhail), and Ounskowsky being the French
transliteration of his surname. Auer's maternal grandparents were Hungarian-born violin
ist Leopold Auer
, and his Russian wife, Nadine Pelikan. Mischa renamed himself after his grandfather.
, where he first appeared in 1928 in Something Always Happens. He appeared in several small and mostly uncredited roles into the 1930s, appearing in such films as Rasputin and the Empress
, Viva Villa!
, The Yellow Ticket
, the George Gershwin
musical Delicious
, the Paramount Pictures
all-star revue Paramount on Parade
and The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
.
In 1936, Auer was cast as Alice Brady
's protégé in the comedy My Man Godfrey
, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
. From then on, he was regularly cast in zany comedy roles. Auer is at his zenith in such roles as the ballet instructor, Kolenkov, in the Best Picture
-winning You Can't Take It with You
(wherein he instructs Ann Miller with the line, "Ah, my little Pavlowa!") and the prince-turned-fashion designer in Walter Wanger
's Vogues of 1938
.
Auer can also be seen cavorting in such films as: Arsène Lupin
(1932), One Hundred Men and a Girl
, Hold That Ghost
, Destry Rides Again
, Spring Parade
, Hellzapoppin'
, Cracked Nuts
, Lady in the Dark
, and Up in Mabel's Room (1944). He was also one of the large cast of And Then There Were None
, as well as the vehicles for Lily Pons
.
In the 1950s, Auer appeared on several episodic television series
, like Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
, Studio One, Broadway Television Theatre and The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre
as well as in Orson Welles' Mr. Arkadin
. In the 1960s, he made several films in France
and Italy
, including The Christmas That Almost Wasn't
.
in Rome
in 1967 and was interred at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Gloversville, New York
.
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
-born American actor.
Early life
Auer was born Mikhail Semyonovich Unskovsky (Михаил Семёнович Унсковский) in St. PetersburgSaint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. His name is usually seen as Mischa Ounskowsky, Mischa being the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
transliteration of Misha (the diminutive form of Mikhail), and Ounskowsky being the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
transliteration of his surname. Auer's maternal grandparents were Hungarian-born violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist Leopold Auer
Leopold Auer
Leopold Auer was a Hungarian violinist, teacher, conductor and composer.-Early life and career:...
, and his Russian wife, Nadine Pelikan. Mischa renamed himself after his grandfather.
Career
He began stage work in the 1920s, then moved to HollywoodHollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, where he first appeared in 1928 in Something Always Happens. He appeared in several small and mostly uncredited roles into the 1930s, appearing in such films as Rasputin and the Empress
Rasputin and the Empress
Rasputin and the Empress is a 1932 film about Imperial Russia starring the Barrymore siblings—John , Ethel , and Lionel Barrymore . It is the only film in which all three appeared together...
, Viva Villa!
Viva Villa!
Viva Villa! is a 1934 American film starring Wallace Beery as Pancho Villa and was written by Ben Hecht, adapted from a biography by Edgecumb Pinchon and Odo B. Stade. The picture was directed by Jack Conway. There was special, uncredited help with the script by Howard Hawks, James Kevin...
, The Yellow Ticket
The Yellow Ticket
The Yellow Ticket is a 1931 drama film based on a play by Michael Morton, produced by the Fox Film Corporation and directed by Raoul Walsh. The film starred Elissa Landi, Lionel Barrymore and featured Boris Karloff...
, the George Gershwin
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
musical Delicious
Delicious (1931 film)
Delicious is a Gershwin musical romantic comedy film starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, directed by David Butler, with color sequences in Multicolor . The film featured music by George and Ira Gershwin, including the introduction of "New York Rhapsody" ; an imaginative and elaborate set...
, the Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
all-star revue Paramount on Parade
Paramount on Parade
Paramount on Parade is a all-star revue released by Paramount Pictures, directed by several directors including Edmund Goulding, Dorothy Arzner, Ernst Lubitsch, Rowland V. Lee, A. Edward Sutherland, Victor Heerman, Lothar Mendes, Otto Brower, Edwin H...
and The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer is a 1935 American adventure film loosely adapted from the 1930 book of the same name by Francis Yeats-Brown. The plot of the movie, which bears little resemblance to Yeats-Brown's memoir, concerns British soldiers defending the borders of India against rebellious...
.
In 1936, Auer was cast as Alice Brady
Alice Brady
Alice Brady was an American actress who began her career in the silent film era and survived the transition into talkies. She worked up until six months before her death from cancer in 1939...
's protégé in the comedy My Man Godfrey
My Man Godfrey
My Man Godfrey is a 1936 American screwball comedy film directed by Gregory La Cava. The screenplay was written by Morrie Ryskind, with uncredited contributions by La Cava, based on "1101 Park Avenue", a short story by Eric Hatch. The story concerns a socialite who hires a derelict to be her...
, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
. From then on, he was regularly cast in zany comedy roles. Auer is at his zenith in such roles as the ballet instructor, Kolenkov, in the Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
-winning You Can't Take It with You
You Can't Take It with You (film)
You Can't Take It With You Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The cast includes James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore and Edward Arnold....
(wherein he instructs Ann Miller with the line, "Ah, my little Pavlowa!") and the prince-turned-fashion designer in Walter Wanger
Walter Wanger
Walter Wanger was an American film producer. An intellectual and a socially conscious movie executive who produced provocative message movies and glittering romantic melodramas, Wanger's career began at Paramount Pictures in the 1920s and led him to work at virtually every major studio as either a...
's Vogues of 1938
Vogues of 1938
Vogues of 1938 is a 1937 musical film distributed by United Artists, directed by Irving Cummings, written by Bella Spewack and Sam Spewack, and starring by Warner Baxter and Joan Bennett...
.
Auer can also be seen cavorting in such films as: Arsène Lupin
Arsène Lupin
Arsène Lupin is a fictional character who appears in a book series of detective fiction / crime fiction novels written by French writer Maurice Leblanc, as well as a number of non-canonical sequels and numerous film, television such as Night Hood, stage play and comic book adaptations.- Overview :A...
(1932), One Hundred Men and a Girl
One Hundred Men and a Girl
One Hundred Men and a Girl is a 1937 musical comedy film, written by Charles Kenyon, Bruce Manning and James Mulhauser from a story by Hanns Kräly and directed by Henry Koster...
, Hold That Ghost
Hold That Ghost
Hold That Ghost is a 1941 comedy horror film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello and featuring Joan Davis, Evelyn Ankers, and Shemp Howard....
, Destry Rides Again
Destry Rides Again
Destry Rides Again is a western starring Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart. The supporting cast includes Mischa Auer, Charles Winninger, Brian Donlevy, Allen Jenkins, Irene Hervey, Billy Gilbert, Bill Cody, Jr., and Una Merkel. The original Max Brand novel was translated into an "oater" with the...
, Spring Parade
Spring Parade
Spring Parade is a 1940 musical comedy film directed by Henry Koster. It was nominated for four Academy Awards in 1941.-Cast:* Deanna Durbin as Ilonka Tolnay* Robert Cummings as Corporal Harry Marten* Mischa Auer as Gustav...
, Hellzapoppin'
Hellzapoppin' (film)
Hellzapoppin' is a 1941 Universal Pictures adaptation of the musical of the same name directed by H.C. Potter. The cast includes Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson , Martha Raye, Mischa Auer, Shemp Howard, and The Six Hits.The credits for the movie assert that "any resemblance between Hellzapoppin and a...
, Cracked Nuts
Cracked Nuts
Cracked Nuts is a 1931 comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline, starring Wheeler & Woolsey and featuring Boris Karloff.-Cast:* Bert Wheeler - Wendell Graham* Robert Woolsey - Zander Ulysses Parkhurst* Dorothy Lee - Betty Harrington...
, Lady in the Dark
Lady in the Dark (film)
Lady in the Dark is a 1944 Technicolor musical film directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring Ginger Rogers. It was nominated for three Academy Awards; for Best Cinematography, Best Music and Best Art Direction ....
, and Up in Mabel's Room (1944). He was also one of the large cast of And Then There Were None
And Then There Were None
And Then There Were None is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie, first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 6 November 1939 under the title Ten Little Niggers which was changed by Dodd, Mead and Company in January 1940 because of the presence of a racial...
, as well as the vehicles for Lily Pons
Lily Pons
Lily Pons was a French-American operatic soprano and actress who had an active career from the late 1920s through the early 1970s. As an opera singer she specialized in the coloratura soprano repertoire and was particularly associated with the title roles in Léo Delibes' Lakmé and Gaetano...
.
In the 1950s, Auer appeared on several episodic television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
, like Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran on CBS television between 1958 and 1960...
, Studio One, Broadway Television Theatre and The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre
The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre
The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre is an American anthology series that aired on NBC Mondays at 8 pm EST from September 27, 1948 to June 26, 1950. Guests who appeared on the series included Faye Emerson, Edward Everett Horton, Basil Rathbone, Nina Foch, and Boris Karloff.-Episode status:One episode from...
as well as in Orson Welles' Mr. Arkadin
Mr. Arkadin
Mr. Arkadin is a French-Spanish-Swiss coproduction film, written and directed by Orson Welles and shot in several Spanish locations, including Segovia, Valladolid and Madrid.Its history is convoluted...
. In the 1960s, he made several films in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, including The Christmas That Almost Wasn't
The Christmas That Almost Wasn't
The Christmas That Almost Wasn't is a 1966 film that stars Rossano Brazzi and Paul Tripp. The movie had traditional December airings on Home Box Office during the 1970s and early 1980s. The title in Italian is known as 'Natale che quasi non fu'....
.
Death
Auer married four times, and had three children. He died of cardiovascular diseaseCardiovascular disease
Heart disease or cardiovascular disease are the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1967 and was interred at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Gloversville, New York
Gloversville, New York
Gloversville is a city in Fulton County, New York, that was once the hub of America's glovemaking industry with over two hundred manufacturers in Gloversville and Johnstown. In 2000, Gloversville had a population of 15,413. Ten years later, the population had increased to 15,665- History :The...
.
Filmography
- That Girl from ParisThat Girl from ParisThat Girl from Paris is a 1936 musical comedy film directed by Leigh Jason. The film was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Sound Recording .-Cast:* Lily Pons as Nicole 'Nikki' Martin* Jack Oakie as Whammo Lonsdale...
(1936) - Hellzapoppin'Hellzapoppin'Hellzapoppin is a musical revue written by the comedy team of Olsen and Johnson, consisting of John "Ole" Olsen and Harold "Chic" Johnson, with music and lyrics by Sammy Fain and Charles Tobias...
(1941) - A Night of FameA Night of FameA Night of Fame is a 1949 Italian comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli and Steno.-Cast:* Marcel Cerdan as Maurice Cardan* Ferruccio Tagliavini as Gino Marini* Mischa Auer as Bernard Stork* Marilyn Buferd as Ellen Rawlins...
(1949) - Song of ParisSong of ParisSong of Paris is a 1952 British comedy film directed by John Guillermin and starring Dennis Price, Anne Vernon and Hermione Baddeley. It is also known as Bachelor in Paris.-Cast:* Dennis Price as Matthew Ibbetson* Anne Vernon as Clementine...
(1952) - L'impossible Monsieur PipeletL'impossible Monsieur PipeletL'impossible Monsieur Pipelet , is a French comedy drama film from 1955, directed by André Hunebelle, written by Jacques Gut, starring Michel Simon and Louis de Funès. The film is known under the titles "The Impossible Mr...
(1955) - Frou-FrouFrou-FrouFrou-Frou, is a French comedy film from 1955, directed by Augusto Genina, written by A.E. Carr, starring Dany Robin and Louis de Funès. The film is known under the titles: "The Toy Wife", "Frou-Frou, die Pariserin" .- Cast :...
(1955) - Futures vedettesFutures vedettesFutures vedettes is a French drama film from 1955, directed by Marc Allégret, written by Marc Allégret, starring Brigitte Bardot and Jean Marais. The scenario was based on a novel of Vicki Baum. The film was known under the title "Joy of Living" or "School for Love" , "Sweet Sixteen" , "Reif auf...
(1955) - Broadway Television Theatre