Mischa Auer (born Mikhail Semyonovich Unkovsky (Михаил Семёнович Унковский; 17 November 1905 – 5 March 1967) was a Russian -born American actor who moved to Hollywood in the late 1920s. He first appeared in film in 1928. Auer had a long career playing in many of the era's best known films. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1936 for his performance in the screwball comedy My Man Godfrey , which led to further zany comedy roles. He later moved into television and acted in films again in France and Italy well into the 1960s.
Mischa Auer
Auer in the 1940s
Born Mikhail Semyonovich Unkovsky
(1905-11-17 ) 17 November 1905Died 5 March 1967(1967-03-05) (aged 61) Resting place Prospect Hill Cemetery (Gloversville, New York), U.S. Other names Mischa Ounskowsky Occupation Actor Years active 1925–1967 Spouses
Norma Tillman
(
m. 1931;
div. 1941)
Joyce Hunter
(
m. 1941;
div. 1950)
Susanne Kalish
(
m. 1950;
div. 1957)
Elsie Souls Lee
(
m. 1965)
Children 3
Auer was born in St. Petersburg , Russia to a Jewish family. 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 father was an Imperial Russian Navy officer Semyon Ivanovich Unkovsky (1871-1921)[ 1] and his mother was Zoya Lvovna Unkovskaya (nee Auer), the eldest daughter of the Hungarian-born violinist Leopold Auer .[ 2] Contrary to the popular opinion, his father didn't die when Mischa was three years old. Semyon Unkovsky left Zoya Auer and married her sister, Maria Lvovna Auer (they had a son, also named Mischa (Mikhail Unkovsky ) (1904-1940), Russian actor, arrested in 1938 on counter-revolutionary charges and died in forced labour camp in Kolyma [ 3] ). Semyon Unkovsky retired from the Navy in 1906 and settled in Kaluga , Russia, where he died in 1921.[ 4] [ 5] Leopold Auer emigrated to the United States after the Russian Revolution . Mischa Auer and his mother became separated, but were reunited during the Russian Civil War .[ 2] She, however, died of typhus .[ 2] Auer was able to contact his grandfather, who brought the teenager to the United States in August 1920.[ 2]
Auer began performing on the stage in the 1920s[ 2] in Bertha Kalich 's Thalia Yiddish Theater , then moved to Hollywood , where he first appeared in 1928 in Something Always Happens .[ 6] He appeared in several small, 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 .[ 7]
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 .[ 8] Prior to that, he had been mostly playing villains.[ 2] He stated, "That one role made a comic out of me."[ 2] From then on, he was regularly cast in zany comedy roles.[ 6] Auer played the ballet instructor Kolenkov in the Best Picture -winning You Can't Take It with You and the prince-turned-fashion designer in Walter Wanger 's Vogues of 1938 .[ 7] 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).[ 9] He was also one of the large cast of And Then There Were None , and appeared in a pair of vehicles for opera singer Lily Pons .[ 10] [ 11] [ 12]
In the 1950s, Auer appeared on several episodic television series , such as Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse , Studio One , Broadway Television Theatre and The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre . He appeared in Orson Welles' Mr. Arkadin (1955), and in the 1960s, he made several films in France and Italy, including The Christmas That Almost Wasn't .[ 10]
Auer married four times and had three children. His first wife was Norma Tillman (1931–1941), whom he married in 1931. They had a son Anthony and a daughter Zoia. They divorced in 1941. In the same year, he married Joyce Hunter (4 December 1941 – 1950), his second wife, whom he lived with for 9 years. His third wife was Susanne Kalish (5 May 1950 – 1957), and they had one daughter. His fourth wife was Elise Souls Lee (1965–5 March 1967) who died in 1976.
Year
Title
Role
Director
Notes
1928
Something Always Happens
Clark
Frank Tuttle
1929
Marquis Preferred
Albert
Frank Tuttle
1929
Why Be Good?
Man Dancing at The Boiler
William A. Seiter
Uncredited
1929
The Studio Murder Mystery
Grant's Secretary
Frank Tuttle
Uncredited
1929
The Mighty
Hood
John Cromwell
Uncredited
1930
Guilty?
Minor Role
Uncredited
1930
The Benson Murder Case
Albert Brecker
Frank Tuttle
Uncredited
1930
Paramount on Parade
Thug (Murder Will Out)
Edmund Goulding and 10 other directors
Uncredited
1930
Inside the Lines
Amahdi
Roy Pomeroy [ 14]
1930
Shooting Straight
Frenchie
George Archainbaud
Uncredited
1930
Just Imagine
B-36
David Butler
1931
The Royal Bed
Grecian Ambassador
Lowell Sherman
Uncredited
1931
No Limit
Romeo
Frank Tuttle
1931
Command Performance
Duke Charles
Walter Lang
1931
It Pays to Advertise
Man Putting Sign on Car
Frank Tuttle
Uncredited
1931
King of the Wild
Prince Dakka, escaped lunatic
Theodore Joos
1931
The Drums of Jeopardy
Peter
George B. Seitz
1931
The Spy
Man in Cafe
Berthold Viertel
1931
Always Goodbye
Mechanic
William Cameron Menzies
Uncredited
1931
Women of All Nations
Hassan's Aide
Raoul Walsh
Uncredited
1931
Women Love Once
Oscar
Edward Goodman
1931
The Lady from Nowhere
Rigo
Richard Thorpe
1931
The Unholy Garden
Prince Nicolai Poliakoff
George Fitzmaurice
1931
The Yellow Ticket
Melchior
Raoul Walsh
1931
Working Girls
Elsie's Boyfriend
Dorothy Arzner
Uncredited
1931
Mata Hari
Firing Squad Victim
George Fitzmaurice
Uncredited
1931
Delicious
Mischa
David Butler
1932
The Monster Walks
Hanns Krug
Frank R. Strayer
1932
Murder at Dawn
Henry
Richard Thorpe
1932
Sinister Hands
Swami Yomurda
Armand Schaefer
1932
Arsène Lupin
Louvre Tour Guide
Jack Conway
Uncredited
1932
Midnight Patrol
Dummy Black
Christy Cabanne
1932
The Last of the Mohicans
General Montcalm
B. Reeves Eason
1932
No Greater Love
Rabbi
1932
Beauty Parlor
Herman Bauer
Richard Thorpe
1932
Almost Married
Russian Policeman
William Cameron Menzies
Uncredited
1932
Drifting Souls
Skeets
Louis King
1932
The Western Code
Chapman
John P. McCarthy
1932
Scarlet Dawn
Sergei
William Dieterle
Uncredited
1932
Call Her Savage
Agitator in Restaurant
John Francis Dillon
Uncredited
1932
The Unwritten Law
Abu Zeyd
Christy Cabanne
1932
The Sign of the Cross
Christian in Dungeon
Cecil B. DeMille
Uncredited
1932
Rasputin and the Empress
Butler Pouring Drinks at Party
Richard Boleslawski
Uncredited
1933
Dangerously Yours
Kassim
Frank Tuttle
1933
Clear All Wires!
Arab Leader
George Hill
Uncredited
1933
Sucker Money
Swami Yomurda
Melville Shyer
1933
The Intruder
Wild Man
Albert Ray
1933
Gabriel Over the White House
Mr. Thieson
Gregory La Cava
Uncredited
1933
Infernal Machine
Klein
Marcel Varnel Martin Santell
Uncredited
1933
The Flaming Signal
Manu—High Priest
Charles E. Roberts
1933
I Loved You Wednesday
Piano Accompanist
William Cameron Menzies
Uncredited
1933
Corruption
Volkov
Charles E. Roberts
1933
Storm at Daybreak
Assassin
Richard Boleslawski
Uncredited
1933
Tarzan the Fearless
Eltar, High Priest of Zar
Robert F. Hill
1933
The Way to Love
Songwriter at Piano
Norman Taurog
Uncredited
1933
After Tonight
Adjutant Lehan
George Archainbaud
1933
Cradle Song
Village Priest
Mitchell Leisen
1933
Girl Without a Room
Walksky
Ralph Murphy
1934
Moulin Rouge
Sculptor
Sidney Lanfield
scenes deleted
1934
The Crosby Case
DeCobra
Edwin L. Marin
Uncredited
1934
Wharf Angel
Sadik
George Somnes
1934
The Woman Condemned
Dr. Wagner
Dorothy Davenport
1934
Viva Villa!
Military Attaché
William Wellman
Uncredited
1934
The Trumpet Blows
Stephen Roberts
1934
Change of Heart
Smith
John G. Blystone
Uncredited
1934
Stamboul Quest
Sam Wood Jack Conway (uncredited)[ 15]
1934
Beyond the Law
Tully
D. Ross Lederman
1934
Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back
Hassan
Roy Del Ruth
1934
Student Tour
Sikh Cop
Charles Reisner
Uncredited
1935
Biography of a Bachelor Girl
Mr. Rabinowitz
Edward H. Griffith
Uncredited
1935
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
Captured Afridi
Henry Hathaway
Uncredited
1935
Mystery Woman
Dmitri
Eugene Forde
1935
Clive of India
King Suraj Ud Dowlah
Richard Boleslawski
1935
Murder in the Fleet
Kamchukan consul
Edward Sedgwick
1935
The Adventures of Rex and Rinty
Tanaga [Chs. 1, 4, 8, 10-12]
B. Reeves Eason
Serial
1935
The Crusades
Monk
Cecil B. DeMille
1935
Anna Karenina
Mahotin
Clarence Brown
Uncredited
1935
Condemned to Live
Zan
Frank R. Strayer
1935
I Dream Too Much
Darcy's Pianist
John Cromwell
1935
We're Only Human
William 'Lefty' Berger
James Flood Clem Beauchamp (assistant)
Uncredited
1936
Tough Guy
Chi
Chester Franklin
1936
Here Comes Trouble
Lewis Seiler
1936
The House of a Thousand Candles
Victor Demetrius
Arthur Lubin
1936
Sons o' Guns
German Spy
Lloyd Bacon
1936
One Rainy Afternoon
Leading man
Rowland V. Lee
1936
The Princess Comes Across
Inspector Morevitch
William K. Howard
1936
My Man Godfrey
Carlo
Gregory La Cava
1936
The Gay Desperado
Diego
Rouben Mamoulian
1936
Winterset
A radical
Alfred Santell
1936
College Holiday
Ticket Taker at Door
Frank Tuttle
Uncredited
1936
Three Smart Girls
Count Arisztid
Henry Koster
1936
That Girl from Paris
Butch
Leigh Jason
1937
Top of the Town
Hamlet
Walter Lang
1937
We Have Our Moments
Capt. Enrico Mussetti
Alfred L. Werker
1937
Pick a Star
Rinaldo Lopez
Edward Sedgwick
1937
Marry the Girl
Dimitri Kyeff
William C. McGann
1937
It's All Yours
Baron Rene de Montigny
Elliott Nugent
1937
Walter Wanger's Vogues of 1938
Prince Muratov
Irving Cummings Charles Kerr (assistant)
1937
One Hundred Men and a Girl
Michael Borodoff
Henry Koster
1937
Merry-Go-Round of 1938
Mischa
1937
Prescription for Romance
Count Sandor
S. Sylvan Simon
1938
The Rage of Paris
Mike Lebedovich
Henry Koster
1938
You Can't Take It with You
Potap Kolenkhov
Frank Capra
1938
Service de Luxe
Serge Bebenko
Rowland V. Lee
1938
Little Tough Guys in Society
Dr. Trenkle
Erle C. Kenton
1938
Sweethearts
Leo Kronk
W.S. Van Dyke
1939
East Side of Heaven
Nicky
David Butler
1939
Unexpected Father
Boris Bebenko
Charles Lamont
1939
Destry Rides Again
Boris Callahan
George Marshall
1940
Alias the Deacon
Andre
Christy Cabanne
1940
Sandy Is a Lady
Felix Lobo Smith
Charles Lamont
1940
Public Deb No. 1
Grisha
Gregory Ratoff
1940
Spring Parade
Gustav
Henry Koster
1940
Margie
Gomez
Paul Gerard Smith
1940
Seven Sinners
Sasha Mencken
Tay Garnett
1940
Trail of the Vigilantes
Bolo
1941
The Flame of New Orleans
Zolotov
René Clair
1941
Cracked Nuts
Boris Kabikoff
Edward F. Cline
1941
Hold That Ghost
Gregory
Arthur Lubin
1941
Sing Another Chorus
Stanislaus
Charles Lamont
1941
Moonlight in Hawaii
'Clipper' Canovan
Charles Lamont
1941
Hellzapoppin'
Pepi
H. C. Potter Joseph A. McDonough (assistant)Edward F. Cline (additional comedy scenes)
1942
Don't Get Personal
Stainslaus Noodnick a.k.a. Charlie
Charles Lamont
1942
Twin Beds
Nicolai Cherupin
Tim Whelan
1943
Around The World
Himself
Allan Dwan Harry Scott (assistant)
1944
Lady in the Dark
Russell Paxton
Mitchell Leisen
1944
Up in Mabel's Room
Boris
Allan Dwan
1945
A Royal Scandal
Captain Sukov
Ernst Lubitsch
1945
Brewster's Millions
Michael Michaelovich
Allan Dwan
1945
And Then There Were None
Prince Nikita Starloff
René Clair
1946
Sentimental Journey
Gregory Petrovich Rogozhin
Walter Lang
1946
She Wrote the Book
Joe
Charles Lamont
1947
For You I Die
Alec Shaw
John Reinhardt
1948
Sofia
Ali Imagu
John Reinhardt
1949
A Night of Fame
Bernard Stork
Steno
1949
Snow White and the Seven Thieves
Mirko
Giacomo Gentilomo
1950
Vivere a sbafo
Il Cavalier Pippo Berlocco
1952
Song of Paris
Comte Marcel de Sarliac
John Guillermin
1954
Service Entrance
Nicolas Pouchkoff
Carlo Rim
1955
School for Love
Berger
Marc Allégret
1955
Frou-Frou
Grand Duke Alexis
Augusto Genina
1955
L'impossible Monsieur Pipelet
The unsuccessful writer, a lodger
André Hunebelle
1955
Mr. Arkadin
the Professor
Orson Welles
1955
La pícara molinera
el corregidor
1955
Thirteen at the Table
Badabof
André Hunebelle
1956
Naughty Girl
Igor the ballet master
Michel Boisrond
1956
Trois de la Canebière
Garopoulos
1956
Mannequins of Paris
Yaschlik
1956
Plucking the Daisy
Alexis the taxi driver
Marc Allégret
Uncredited
1956
The Monte Carlo Story
Hector, the Maitre D'
Samuel A. Taylor
1957
La polka des menottes
Charles Magne
1957
Nathalie
Cyril Boran
1958
Tabarin
Boris
Richard Pottier
1958
Le tombeur
M. Pedro Olivaro
1958
Sacrée Jeunesse
Prof. Koranoff
1958
A Dog, a Mouse, and a Sputnik
Professor Papov
Jean Dréville
1962
We Joined the Navy
Colonel & President
Wendy Toye
1963
The King's Breakfast
Master of the king's music
Short
1963
Les femmes d'abord
Le baron Lionel de Balconi
1964
Cleopazza
Produttore Strombic
1964
Queste pazze pazze donne
The Psychiatrist
1964
Clémentine chérie
Le décorateur
1964
I due mafiosi
Mischa
Giorgio Simonelli
1964
What Ever Happened to Baby Toto?
Count Mischa
Ottavio Alessi
1966
The Christmas That Almost Wasn't
Jonathan, the elf foreman
Rossano Brazzi
1966
Drop Dead Darling
Romeo
Ken Hughes
1967
Per amore... per magia...
Magrebì, Grand Duke of Forilarì
Duccio Tessari
(final film role)
^ "Государственный архив Ярославской области. Имена и даты. Из истории семьи Унковских (The State Archives of Yaroslavl Oblast. Excerpts on the history of Unkovsky family)" . Retrieved December 14, 2023 .
^ a b c d e f g Robinson, Harlow (2007). Russians in Hollywood, Hollywood's Russians: Biography of an Image . UPNE. pp. 78–81. ISBN 9781555536862 . Retrieved January 9, 2017 .
^ "Российский Родословный Фонд: Михаил Семенович Унковский (Russian genealogical foundation: Mikhail Semyonovich Unkovsky)" . Retrieved December 14, 2023 .
^ "Российский Родословный Фонд: Семен Иванович Унковский (Russian genealogical foundation: Semyon Ivanovich Unkovsky)" . Retrieved December 14, 2023 .
^ "Семен Иванович Унковский (Semyon Ivanovich Unkovsky)" . Retrieved December 14, 2023 .
^ a b "Mischa Auer - Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos" . AllMovie .
^ a b "Mischa Auer" . BFI . Archived from the original on June 21, 2017.
^ "My Man Godfrey (1936) - Gregory La Cava - Awards" . AllMovie .
^ Higham, Charles ; Greenberg, Joel (1968). Hollywood in the Forties . London: A. Zwemmer Limited. p. 161. ISBN 9780302004777 .
^ a b "Mischa Auer - Movies and Filmography" . AllMovie .
^ "I Dream Too Much (1935) - John Cromwell - Cast and Crew" . AllMovie .
^ "That Girl from Paris (1937) - Leigh Jason - Cast and Crew" . AllMovie .
^ Willis, John (June 1, 1983). Screen World 1968 . Biblo & Tannen Publishers. ISBN 9780819603098 – via Google Books.
^ "Inside the Lines: Technical Details" . theiapolis.com. Retrieved July 3, 2014 .
^ "Notes" on TCM.com