Gregory Ratoff
Encyclopedia
Gregory Ratoff was a Russia
n-born American
film director, actor and producer. His most famous role as an actor
was as producer Max Fabian who feuds with star Margo Channing (Bette Davis
) in All About Eve
(1950).
to a Jewish family. The actor first came to the United States in 1922. He married the Russian actress Eugenie Leontovich
in 1923 (they divorced in 1949). He returned to the United States, passing through Ellis Island
in July 1925. On the steerage passenger list of the SS Mauretania he was listed as Gregoire Ratoff; for next of kin he listed his mother, Mme. Sophie Ratner of Paris.
Ratoff is most noted for having directed the pro-Soviet propaganda film Song of Russia
(1944) and for being one of the two producers to have purchased and developed the original rights to the James Bond
franchise from Ian Fleming
in 1955.
in Solothurn
, Switzerland
, aged 63. His body was returned to the United States for burial at Mount Hebron Cemetery
in Flushing, New York. Although divorced from Leontovich, Ratoff was buried under a gravestone marked Beloved Husband.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film director, actor and producer. His most famous role as an actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
was as producer Max Fabian who feuds with star Margo Channing (Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
) in All About Eve
All About Eve
All About Eve is a 1950 American drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve", by Mary Orr.The film stars Bette Davis as Margo Channing, a highly regarded but aging Broadway star...
(1950).
Biography
Ratoff was born in Samara, RussiaSamara, Russia
Samara , is the sixth largest city in Russia. It is situated in the southeastern part of European Russia at the confluence of the Volga and Samara Rivers. Samara is the administrative center of Samara Oblast. Population: . The metropolitan area of Samara-Tolyatti-Syzran within Samara Oblast...
to a Jewish family. The actor first came to the United States in 1922. He married the Russian actress Eugenie Leontovich
Eugenie Leontovich
Eugenie Leontovich was a Russian-born stage actress with a distinguished career in theatre, film and television. She was described as "[o]ne of the most colourful figures of the 20th-century theatre, a successful actress, producer, playwright and teacher."...
in 1923 (they divorced in 1949). He returned to the United States, passing through Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
in July 1925. On the steerage passenger list of the SS Mauretania he was listed as Gregoire Ratoff; for next of kin he listed his mother, Mme. Sophie Ratner of Paris.
Ratoff is most noted for having directed the pro-Soviet propaganda film Song of Russia
Song of Russia
Song of Russia is a 1944 American war film made and distributed by MGM Studios. The picture was credited as being directed by Gregory Ratoff, though Ratoff collapsed near the end of the five-month production, and was replaced by László Benedek, who completed principal photography; the credited...
(1944) and for being one of the two producers to have purchased and developed the original rights to the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
franchise from Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
in 1955.
Death
Ratoff died on 14 December 1960 from leukemiaLeukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
in Solothurn
Solothurn
The city of Solothurn is the capital of the Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. The city also comprises the only municipality of the district of the same name.-Pre-roman settlement:...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, aged 63. His body was returned to the United States for burial at Mount Hebron Cemetery
Mount Hebron Cemetery
Mount Hebron is a Jewish cemetery located in the Flushing neighborhood of New York City. It was founded in 1903 as the Jewish section of Cedar Grove Cemetery. It is noted for its Yiddish theater section....
in Flushing, New York. Although divorced from Leontovich, Ratoff was buried under a gravestone marked Beloved Husband.
Director
- Oscar WildeOscar Wilde (film)Oscar Wilde is a 1960 biographical film about Oscar Wilde, made by Vantage Films and released by 20th Century Fox.-Production:The film was directed by Gregory Ratoff and produced by William Kirby, from a screenplay by Jo Eisinger, based on the play Oscar Wilde by Leslie Stokes and Sewell Stokes...
(1960) - Abdulla the GreatAbdulla the GreatAbdulla the Great, also known as Abdullah's Harem is a 1955 comedy film made by Misr Universal Cairo and Sphinx Films and distributed by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. It was directed and produced by Gregory Ratoff, from a screenplay by Boris Ingster and George St. George, based on the...
(1955) - Taxi (1953)
- My Daughter JoyMy Daughter JoyMy Daughter Joy is a 1950 British drama film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Edward G. Robinson, Peggy Cummins and Richard Greene. A millionaire spoils his only daughter, but has a strained relationship with his wife.-Cast:...
(1950) - Black MagicBlack Magic (1949 film)Black Magic is a 1949 film adaptation of Alexandre Dumas, père's novel. It was directed by the Russian-born Gregory Ratoff and stars Orson Welles in the lead role as Joseph Balsamo and Nancy Guild as Lorenza/Marie Antoinette...
(aka Cagliostro) (1949) - That Dangerous AgeThat Dangerous AgeThat Dangerous Age is a 1949 British romance film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Myrna Loy, Roger Livesey and Peggy Cummins. It is an adaptation of the play Autumn by Ilya Surguchev.-Partial cast:* Myrna Loy - Lady Cathy Brooke...
(1949) - Moss RoseMoss RoseMoss Rose is a multi-purpose stadium in Macclesfield, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Macclesfield Town F.C....
(1947) - Carnival in Costa RicaCarnival in Costa RicaCarnival in Costa Rica is an American musical film directed by Gregory Ratoff and written by Samuel Hoffenstein, John Larkin, and Elizabeth Reinhardt. It was released in Technicolor by Twentieth Century Fox...
(1947) - Do You Love MeDo You Love Me"Do You Love Me" is a 1962 hit single recorded by The Contours for Motown's Gordy Records label. Written and produced by Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr., "Do You Love Me?" was the Contours' only Top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. Notably, the record achieved this feat...
(1946) - Paris UndergroundParis Underground (film)Paris Underground is a 1945 film directed by Gregory Ratoff and based on the book by Etta Shiber.It starred Constance Bennett and Gracie Fields as an American and an Englishwoman trapped in Paris when Nazi Germany invades in 1940, who rescue British airmen shot down in France and help them escape...
(1945) - Where Do We Go From Here?Where Do We Go From Here? (movie)Where Do We Go from Here is an original movie musical produced by Twentieth Century-Fox, and starring Fred MacMurray, June Haver, Joan Leslie, Gene Sheldon, Anthony Quinn and Fortunio Bonanova. The score was composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Ira Gershwin...
(1945) - Irish Eyes Are SmilingIrish Eyes Are SmilingIrish Eyes Are Smiling is a 1944 musical film which chronicles the life of popular Irish song composer Ernest R. Ball. The screenplay by Earl Baldwin and John Tucker Battle is based on a story by E. A. Ellington. The film was directed by Gregory Ratoff and produced by Damon Runyon for 20th Century...
(1944) - Song of RussiaSong of RussiaSong of Russia is a 1944 American war film made and distributed by MGM Studios. The picture was credited as being directed by Gregory Ratoff, though Ratoff collapsed near the end of the five-month production, and was replaced by László Benedek, who completed principal photography; the credited...
(1944) - The Heat's OnThe Heat's OnThe Heat's On is a movie musical starring Mae West, William Gaxton, and Victor Moore, and released by Columbia Pictures.-Plot:Broadway star Fay Lawrence is a temperamental diva who is reluctantly persuaded by a Broadway producer to star in his latest production.-Production background:Mae West...
(1943) - Something to Shout AboutSomething to Shout About (film)Something to Shout About is a 1943 Columbia musical film directed by Gregory Ratoff. The movie stars Don Ameche and Janet Blair and was nominated for two Oscars.-Plot:...
(1943)
- Footlight SerenadeFootlight SerenadeFootlight Serenade is a 1942 musical comedy film directed by Gregory Ratoff, starring Betty Grable, John Payne and Victor Mature-Plot:Tommy Lundy is an arrogant ex-champion boxer who tries for an acting career on Broadway. He falls in love with his costar , who's secretly married to actor John...
(1942) - Two Yanks in Trinidad (1942)
- The Men in Her LifeThe Men in Her LifeThe Men in Her Life was a 1941 film adaptation of the novel Ballerina by Eleanor Smith. It was nominated for the 1941 Academy Award for Sound , but lost to That Hamilton Woman.-Cast:* Loretta Young as Lina Varsavina...
(1941) - The Corsican BrothersThe Corsican Brothers (1941 film)The Corsican Brothers is a 1941 swashbuckler film starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. in a dual role as the title Siamese twins, separated at birth and raised in completely different circumstances. Both thirst for revenge against the man who killed their parents, both fall in love with the same woman,...
(1941) - Adam Had Four SonsAdam Had Four SonsAdam Had Four Sons is a 1941 drama and romance film, starring Ingrid Bergman, Warner Baxter, and Susan Hayward.-Plot:Warner Baxter portrays the wealthy, easy-going patriarch of a family that falls on hard times after the death of his wife and a stock market crash that wipes out his wealth. Recently...
(1941) - Public Deb No. 1 (1940)
- I Was an AdventuressI Was an AdventuressI Was an Adventuress is a 1940 Drama directed by Gregory Ratoff, starring Vera Zorina, Richard Greene, Erich von Stroheim and Peter Lorre. Actress/ballerina Countess Tanya Vronsky is a phony countess, working in concert with two international con artists Andre Desormeaux and Polo .-Cast:* Vera...
(1940) - BarricadeBarricade (1939 film)Barricade is a 1939 adventure film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Alice Faye, Warner Baxter, Charles Winninger, Arthur Treacher, and Keye Luke.-Plot:...
(1939) - Day-Time Wife (1939)
- Intermezzo: A Love Story (1939)
- Hotel for Women (1939)
- Rose of Washington SquareRose of Washington SquareRose of Washington Square is a 1939 American musical drama film. Set in 1920s New York City, it focuses on singer Rose Sargent and her turbulent relationship with con artist Barton DeWitt Clinton, whose criminal activities threaten her professional success in the Ziegfeld Follies.Although the names...
(1939) - Wife, Husband and FriendWife, Husband and FriendWife, Husband and Friend is a 1939 comedy film starring Loretta Young, Warner Baxter and Binnie Barnes in the three title roles.The film, directed by Gregory Ratoff from a script by Nunnally Johnson, tells the story of a contractor and his wife, and how their musical ambitions result in marital...
(1939) - Lancer SpyLancer SpyLancer Spy is a 1937 film about an Englishman who impersonates a German officer, receiving fame upon arriving in Germany. A female German spy is instructed to check on him but falls in love with him instead.-Cast:...
(1937) - Sins of Man (1936)
Actor
- The Big Gamble (1961)
- ExodusExodus (film)Exodus is a 1960 epic war film made by Alpha and Carlyle Productions and distributed by United Artists. Produced and directed by Otto Preminger, the film was based on the 1958 novel Exodus, by Leon Uris. The screenplay was written by Dalton Trumbo, which represented the breaking of the Hollywood...
(1960) - Once More, with Feeling!Once More, with Feeling!Once More, with Feeling! is a British comedy film directed and produced by Stanley Donen from a screenplay by Harry Kurnitz, based on his play. The film was released by Columbia Pictures and has music by Franz Liszt, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Richard Wagner, arranged by Muir Mathieson...
(1960) - The Sun Also RisesThe Sun Also Rises (1957 film)The Sun Also Rises is a 1957 film adaptation of the Ernest Hemingway novel of the same name, with the screenplay written by Peter Viertel. It starred Tyrone Power, Ava Gardner, Mel Ferrer and Errol Flynn. Much of it was filmed on location in France and Spain in Cinemascope and color by Deluxe...
(1957) - Abdulla the GreatAbdulla the GreatAbdulla the Great, also known as Abdullah's Harem is a 1955 comedy film made by Misr Universal Cairo and Sphinx Films and distributed by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. It was directed and produced by Gregory Ratoff, from a screenplay by Boris Ingster and George St. George, based on the...
(1955) - SabrinaSabrina (1954 film)Sabrina is a 1954 comedy-romance film directed by Billy Wilder, adapted for the screen by Wilder, Samuel A. Taylor, and Ernest Lehman from Taylor's play Sabrina Fair...
(1954) - Die Jungfrau auf dem DachDie Jungfrau auf dem DachDie Jungfrau auf dem Dach is a 1954 American comedy film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by Carl Zuckmayer is a German language translation of the script for The Moon is Blue by F...
(1953) - The Moon Is BlueThe Moon Is BlueThe Moon Is Blue is a 1953 American comedy film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by F. Hugh Herbert, based on his 1951 play of the same title, focuses on a young woman who meets an architect on the observation deck of the Empire State Building and quickly turns his life...
(1953) - O. Henry's Full HouseO. Henry's Full HouseO. Henry's Full House is an anthology film made by 20th Century Fox, consisting of five separate stories by O. Henry. The film was produced by André Hakim and directed by five separate directors from five separate screenplays. The music score was composed by Alfred Newman...
(1952) - All About EveAll About EveAll About Eve is a 1950 American drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve", by Mary Orr.The film stars Bette Davis as Margo Channing, a highly regarded but aging Broadway star...
(1950) - My Daughter JoyMy Daughter JoyMy Daughter Joy is a 1950 British drama film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Edward G. Robinson, Peggy Cummins and Richard Greene. A millionaire spoils his only daughter, but has a strained relationship with his wife.-Cast:...
(1950) - Something to Shout AboutSomething to Shout About (film)Something to Shout About is a 1943 Columbia musical film directed by Gregory Ratoff. The movie stars Don Ameche and Janet Blair and was nominated for two Oscars.-Plot:...
(1943) - The Great ProfileThe Great ProfileThe Great Profile is a 1940 film directed by Walter Lang. It stars John Barrymore and John Payne.-Cast:*John Barrymore as Evans Garrick*Mary Beth Hughes as Sylvia Manners*Gregory Ratoff as Boris Mefoosky*John Payne as Richard Lansing...
(1940) - Gateway (1938)
- Sally, Irene and MarySally, Irene and MarySally, Irene, and Mary is a 1925 film starring Constance Bennett, Sally O'Neil, and Joan Crawford. The film takes a behind-the-scenes look at the romantic lives of three chorus girls and the way their preferences in men affect their lives....
(1938) - Café Metropole (1937)
- Top of the Town (1937)
- Seventh HeavenSeventh Heaven (1937 film)Seventh Heaven is an American romantic drama film released in 1937 by 20th Century Fox and directed by Henry King. The movie stars Simone Simon and James Stewart....
(1937) - Under Your SpellUnder Your Spell (film)Under Your Spell is a 1936 American romantic comedy film with music directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by Frances Hyland and Saul Elkins is based on a story by Sy Bartlett and Bernice Mason.-Plot:...
(1936) - Sing, Baby, Sing (1936)
- The Road to Glory (1936)
- Under Two Flags (1936)
- Here Comes Trouble (1936)
- Under Your SpellUnder Your Spell (film)Under Your Spell is a 1936 American romantic comedy film with music directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by Frances Hyland and Saul Elkins is based on a story by Sy Bartlett and Bernice Mason.-Plot:...
(1936) - King of BurlesqueKing of BurlesqueKing of Burlesque is a 1936 musical film about a former burlesque producer played by Warner Baxter who moves into a legitimate theatre does very well, until he marries a socialite...
(1936) - Remember Last Night?Remember Last Night?Remember Last Night? is a 1935 American mystery comedy film directed by James Whale. The film, based on the novel The Hangover Murders, is about the investigation of the murder of one of a group of friends. The survivors are unable to recall the events of the night of the murder because they were...
(1935) - 18 Minutes18 Minutes18 Minutes is a 1935 British drama film directed by Monty Banks and starring Gregory Ratoff, John Loder and Benita Hume. Its plot concerns a lion tamer who adopts an orphaned girl.-Cast:* Gregory Ratoff - Nikita* John Loder - Trelawney...
(1935) - Falling in LoveFalling in Love (1935 film)Falling in Love is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Charles Farrell, Mary Lawson, Diana Napier and Gregory Ratoff. The manager of an American film star struggles to cope with her behaviour.-Cast:...
(1935) - Hello, SweetheartHello, SweetheartHello, Sweetheart is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Claude Hulbert, Gregory Ratoff and Jane Carr. It is based on the play The Butter and Egg Man by George S. Kaufman...
(1935) - George White's ScandalsGeorge White's ScandalsGeorge White's Scandals were a long-running string of Broadway revues produced by George White that ran from 1919–1939, modelled after the Ziegfeld Follies. The "Scandals" launched the careers of many entertainers, including W.C. Fields, the Three Stooges, Ray Bolger, Helen Morgan, Ethel Merman, ...
(1934) - Forbidden Territory (1934)
- Let's Fall in LoveLet's Fall in Love (film)Let's Fall in Love is a 1933 romantic musical film starring Edmund Lowe and Ann Sothern. Released by Columbia Pictures, the film was directed by David Burton and written by Herbert Fields....
(1933) - Girl Without a RoomGirl Without a RoomGirl Without a Room is a 1933 musical comedy film starring Charles Farrell, Charles Ruggles, and Marguerite Churchill. This early light comedy farce set in Paris was written by Claude Binyon, Frank Butler, and Jack Lait, and directed by Ralph Murphy....
(1933) - Sitting PrettySitting Pretty (1933 film)This article is about the 1933 motion picture. For other articles about other uses of the phrase "Sitty Pretty", see the disambiguation page Sitting Pretty ....
(1933) - Broadway Through a Keyhole (1933)
- Headline Shooter (1933)
- I'm No AngelI'm No AngelI'm No Angel is Mae West's third motion picture. West received sole story and screenplay credit. A young Cary Grant plays her leading man for the second time. Being Pre-Code, this was one of the few Mae West movies that was not subjected to heavy censorship...
(1933) - Professional Sweetheart (1933)
- Sweepings (1933)
- Secrets of the French Police (1932)
- Under-Cover Man (1932)
- Once in a Lifetime (1932)
- Skyscraper SoulsSkyscraper SoulsSkyscraper Souls is a Pre-Code 1932 drama film starring Warren William and Maureen O'Sullivan. The film was directed by Edgar Selwyn and is based upon the novel Skyscraper by Faith Baldwin.-Plot:...
(1932) - What Price Hollywood?What Price Hollywood?What Price Hollywood? is a 1932 American drama film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay by Gene Fowler, Rowland Brown, Ben Markson, and Jane Murfin is based on a story by Adela Rogers St. Johns.-Plot:...
(1932) - Symphony of Six Million (1932)
- Dubrowsky, der Räuber Ataman (1921)