★ Beautiful actress Vivien Leigh and co-star Mary Kerridge in a publicity still from the 1948 adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s novel, ‘Anna Karenina’. I finally found the time to sit down and actually watch this film (it has long been on my ‘must see’ list), and I have to say, it was every… Continue reading
Tag Archives: Russian
★ Alla Nazimova in ‘Salome’ (1923)
★ Sensational publicity shot of Russian actress, Alla Nazimova, as the title character in silent film ‘Salome’ (1923). Based upon Oscar Wilde’s play of the same name, and intended to mimic the visual style of Aubrey Beardsley’s accompanying illustrations, the film featured highly stylized… Continue reading
★ The World’s Most Beautiful Eggs: The Genius of Faberge
★ Not a new documentary, but an absolutely wonderful one – the BBC’s fascinating 2013 account of the life and work of Russian jeweller, Carl Faberge, is currently available to watch on iPlayer. Called ‘The World’s Most Beautiful… Continue reading
★ Olga Spessiva in Swan Lake, 1934
★ On this day in 1877, Tchaikovsky’s ballet ‘Swan Lake’ received its première performance at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. This gorgeous photo is from a 1934 Australian production of the ballet, and features the lovely Russian ballerina Olga Spessiva (originally Spessivtzeva, but it was… Continue reading