Alla Nazimova (Marem-Ides/Adelaida Yakovlevna Leventon, 1879?-1945) by Melbourne Spurr (1888-1964)
The Bryant/Nazimova ménage was more complicated than it appears. According to her Russian divorce decree from 1923, Nazimova was married to fellow-actor Sergei Golovin from 1899, so for almost the entire period she lived with Charles Bryant. Her interests lay predominantly with women, in any case: her most important relationship appears to have been with [Catherine] Glesca Marshall (1906-1987).
Charles Bryant (1879-1948) in BELLA DONNA (1912-13). Photo by Moffett Studio [George Moffett and Evan Albert Evans, from 1905]
There is nothing new under the sun. For instance, Charles Bryant and Alla Nazimova starred together in Charles Frohman’s production of BELLA DONNA, based on the 1909 novel by Robert Hichens. For reasons having to do with their respective careers, Bryant and Nazimova (as she was more generally known, and billed) married in 1912 and divorced in 1925.
When Bryant married (again) in 1925, he appeared on the marriage register as “single.” There was a double standard here, since the revelation that Nazimova and Bryant had only lived together (the marriage was evidently unconsummated) damaged the career of Nazimova, the more famous of the pair in 1925, rather than Bryant.
Just as I have collected photos of many of the performers in Florenz Ziegfeld’s FOLLIES, I have put together a group of images of the founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The numbers follow The Internet Movie Database's list order announcing the Academy in January 1927.
1. Richard Barthelmess (1895-1963) of the Actors Branch.
Barthelmess made his debut in Alla Nazimova's WAR BRIDES (1916) and played opposite Lillian Gish in BROKEN BLOSSOMS (1919) and WAY DOWN EAST (1920). He was nominated for Academy Awards for both THE PATENT LEATHER KID (1927) and THE NOOSE (1928). His career waned in the early sound era, although he made a comeback with ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS (1939).
