Actor. Charismatic Soviet star of stage and screen. From 1916 he was a fixture of the Moscow Art Theatre troupe, making a name for himself in its Second Theatre under the direction of Mikhail Chekhov. His greatest triumphs were in the long-running production of Vsevolod Ivanov's "Armored Train 14-69" (1926) and in the title role of "The Marriage of Figaro" (1930), co-starring his wife Olga Androvskaya as Susanna. Batalov's film appearances were few but memorable. They include "Aelita" (1924), the first Soviet science-fiction epic; as the revolutionary son of the title character in Pudovkin's classic "Mother" (1926); the intimate tragicomedy "Bed and Sofa" (1927), in which he played the thoughtless husband; and the first Soviet talkie feature, "Road to Life" (1931). In 1933 he was named Honored Artist of the RSFSR. His later career was hampered by tuberculosis, for which he was denied permission to seek treatment abroad. He died at 37. Batalov is buried in a section of Novodevichy Cemetery reserved for distinguished members of the MAT. He was the uncle of actor and filmaker Alexei Batalov.
Actor. Charismatic Soviet star of stage and screen. From 1916 he was a fixture of the Moscow Art Theatre troupe, making a name for himself in its Second Theatre under the direction of Mikhail Chekhov. His greatest triumphs were in the long-running production of Vsevolod Ivanov's "Armored Train 14-69" (1926) and in the title role of "The Marriage of Figaro" (1930), co-starring his wife Olga Androvskaya as Susanna. Batalov's film appearances were few but memorable. They include "Aelita" (1924), the first Soviet science-fiction epic; as the revolutionary son of the title character in Pudovkin's classic "Mother" (1926); the intimate tragicomedy "Bed and Sofa" (1927), in which he played the thoughtless husband; and the first Soviet talkie feature, "Road to Life" (1931). In 1933 he was named Honored Artist of the RSFSR. His later career was hampered by tuberculosis, for which he was denied permission to seek treatment abroad. He died at 37. Batalov is buried in a section of Novodevichy Cemetery reserved for distinguished members of the MAT. He was the uncle of actor and filmaker Alexei Batalov.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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