Screenland (May-Oct 1930)

for June 19 30 121 of the crown prince. Conrad Nagel and Eleanor Boardman played the leads. He went abroad awhile ago and returned to find a new technique in vogue — the talking pictures. Fortunately, he is a singer. He speaks English beautifully and several other languages perfectly. He and his two friends, Serge Malavsky, a pianist, and Serge Temov, a dancer, form part of a program that is given every Saturday night at the Russian American Club on Harold Way. This charming place gives entertain' ments on Wednesday and Saturday evenings similar to the Chauve Souris introduced to America by Balieff. On the entertainment nights, one sees more Americans and motion picture folk than Russians. Michael Vavitch is its president. The Russians call him 'Little Uncle.' And when they are hard up he sees to it that they do not starve. "Has he money?" I asked. "Oh, no, very little. But he has a restaurant," smiled my informant. "And while the food lasts he is glad to give it." Luckily the food is so good that wealthier patrons are regular attendants. David Mir and his two friends started a movement to build the little Russian Church which is on Michael Torreno Street. They gave their earnings, and urged those who could, to do likewise. You see, they have their own church, their own club, their own paper, their own bookshop; but anyone is welcome and made to feel at home. They cling together, because many of them can't speak English, but they are learning. The waiters, musicians and managers of the Club were all soldiers during the revolution. They are all friends. Life placed some of them as actors and some as waiters but that doesn't matter. To return a moment to General Savitsky. When he was engaged to play a part in 'The Last Command" life looked rosy to him. For five weeks he was paid seventyfive dollars a week and he began to think his fortune was coming back to him. A strange twist of fate, this, that a Russian General should be playing at being one in a picture in which a seven thousand dollar a week star was playing the part he played in real life. Later, Von Sternberg, who seems to be a pretty fine guy, sold Savitsky the idea of playing the part of the charlatan in "The Case of Lena Smith." At first he wouldn't play it. "I am not an actor," he protested, "I am a soldier. I can play soldier parts because I won't be acting, but I can't play comedy." "Oh, yes, you can," said Von Sternberg. "I have been in this business a long time, and I know when people fit certain parts. You do as I say and you will be all right." "Well," said Savitsky. "I trusted Von Sternberg. He is a European. He has background and he has brains. I tried very hard to do what he told me to do and when I saw it on the screen I was surprised that I am pretty good!" But Von Sternberg went abroad and the talkies came to America. Lean days followed. Corinne Griffith did "Prisoners" and Savitsky was called to do an extra bit. Beulah Livingstone, who directed the publicity for Corinne Griffith productions, beard about the General and questioned him. "There is no reason why I should deny who I am," he said. "But I am not interesting. What I used to be is not interesting. I am now an extra." There are always the scoffers, and some of them did not believe the facts of his life that he had not wished or thought it unimportant to mention. The scoffing, however, hurt. It happened that he saw in the window of a Hollywood store a picture postcard of Czar Nicholas reviewing the Cossack troops in which Savitsky was standing by the Czar's side in full military uniform. There was only the one in the store but he bought it, and placing it in Miss Livingstone's hands said quietly and with a dignity that brought tears to her eyes: "You see, Madame, I do not •lie!" Corinne Griffith saw to it that he was given a part that ran through the picture. He would do anything and is capable of doing many things, but he doesn't know how to go about it. He has been in every famous restaurant in the world, is familiar with the sort of things they spend thousands of dollars in research to get, and would be tremendously valuable in any technical department. He has also a fund of stories that would make marvelous pictures. When General Lodijensky's authenticity was repudiated by a man in Ivan Lebedeff's hearing, Ivan said: "Do you \now that he is not a General or is it that youi just don't think that he is?" "Well," blustered the man, "So-and-so told me that a friend told him — " "Well," said Ivan evenly, "what would you say if I told you that on October 25, 1916, I had been given leave from duty on the Roumanian front and had stopped off at Reni to see my Uncle, General Maklakoff. The Emperor had come to review the troops and with him was General Lodijensky. My uncle entertained the Emperor at dinner. Lodijensky sat next the Emperor and I sat across the table from them." Well, there was no answer to that. "How can you dare," went on Ivan, "assail a man's reputation when you know nothing of the facts?" Ivan Lebedeff seems at last to have reached the glory of the heights. I have heard about him for years and of his popularity; and it does seem that when he goes anywhere in public the young girls have no eyes for anyone but Ivan, yet his rise has been slow. Knowing something of his history, his executive ability and coolness in time of danger, his courage and clearness of thought, I asked him why he chose pictures as a career. He laughed. "The life I led during the first years of the Revolution unfitted me for any normal work. The business of politics in time of war, escapes from prisons and severe government of people are things one cannot toss off like a cocktail. When I got to Constantinople I busied myself in the financial world. There was some of the excitement I needed to be had from the uncertainty of the stock market. I made and lost two fortunes and was making a third when I was offered a job in UFA productions. 'Why not,' I thought to myself. An actor's life is one of dreams. Success is always just around the corner. It interests me to try and get inside the mind of a man and act as he would act, not as I would act, in his place." Ivan is the son of Basil I. Lebedeff, Privy Councilor to the Russian Empire. Ivan himself was decorated for distinguished service with St. George Crosses, 4th, 3rd and 2nd class, and St. George Medals, 4th, 3rd and 1st class and promoted to the first officer's rank. There is the story of Alexander Ikonikof who thought his family were dead. He worked his way to Hollywood by cleaning cars, washing dishes and catching fish. Shortly after he came here he was given a part in a Bebe Daniels picture. 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