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.
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 violinistLeopold 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 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.
^"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.
^ abcdefgRobinson, Harlow (2007). Russians in Hollywood, Hollywood's Russians: Biography of an Image. UPNE. pp. 78–81. ISBN9781555536862. 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.
^ ab"Mischa Auer - Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos". AllMovie.
^ ab. BFI. Archived from the original on June 21, 2017.
^"My Man Godfrey (1936) - Gregory La Cava - Awards". AllMovie.
mischa, auer, born, mikhail, semyonovich, unkovsky, Михаил, Семёнович, Унковский, november, 1905, march, 1967, russian, born, american, actor, moved, hollywood, late, 1920s, first, appeared, film, 1928, auer, long, career, playing, many, best, known, films, no. Mischa Auer born Mikhail Semyonovich Unkovsky Mihail Semyonovich Unkovskij 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 AuerAuer in the 1940sBornMikhail Semyonovich Unkovsky 1905 11 17 17 November 1905St Petersburg Russian EmpireDied5 March 1967 1967 03 05 aged 61 Rome ItalyResting placeProspect Hill Cemetery Gloversville New York U S Other namesMischa OunskowskyOccupationActorYears active1925 1967SpousesNorma Tillman m 1931 div 1941 wbr Joyce Hunter m 1941 div 1950 wbr Susanne Kalish m 1950 div 1957 wbr Elsie Souls Lee m 1965 wbr Children3 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Death 5 Filmography 6 References 7 External linksEarly life editAuer 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 Career editAuer 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 protege 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 Arsene 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 Personal life editThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed January 2024 Learn how and when to remove this template message 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 Death editAuer died of cardiovascular disease in Rome in 1967 and was interred at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Gloversville New York 13 Filmography editYear Title Role Director Notes1928 Something Always Happens Clark Frank Tuttle1929 Marquis Preferred Albert Frank Tuttle1929 Why Be Good Man Dancing at The Boiler William A Seiter Uncredited1929 The Studio Murder Mystery Grant s Secretary Frank Tuttle Uncredited1929 The Mighty Hood John Cromwell Uncredited1930 Guilty Minor Role Uncredited1930 The Benson Murder Case Albert Brecker Frank Tuttle Uncredited1930 Paramount on Parade Thug Murder Will Out Edmund Goulding and 10 other directors Uncredited1930 Inside the Lines Amahdi Roy Pomeroy 14 1930 Shooting Straight Frenchie George Archainbaud Uncredited1930 Just Imagine B 36 David Butler1931 The Royal Bed Grecian Ambassador Lowell Sherman Uncredited1931 No Limit Romeo Frank Tuttle1931 Command Performance Duke Charles Walter Lang1931 It Pays to Advertise Man Putting Sign on Car Frank Tuttle Uncredited1931 King of the Wild Prince Dakka escaped lunatic Theodore Joos1931 The Drums of Jeopardy Peter George B Seitz1931 The Spy Man in Cafe Berthold Viertel1931 Always Goodbye Mechanic William Cameron Menzies Uncredited1931 Women of All Nations Hassan s Aide Raoul Walsh Uncredited1931 Women Love Once Oscar Edward Goodman1931 The Lady from Nowhere Rigo Richard Thorpe1931 The Unholy Garden Prince Nicolai Poliakoff George Fitzmaurice1931 The Yellow Ticket Melchior Raoul Walsh1931 Working Girls Elsie s Boyfriend Dorothy Arzner Uncredited1931 Mata Hari Firing Squad Victim George Fitzmaurice Uncredited1931 Delicious Mischa David Butler1932 The Monster Walks Hanns Krug Frank R Strayer1932 Murder at Dawn Henry Richard Thorpe1932 Sinister Hands Swami Yomurda Armand Schaefer1932 Arsene Lupin Louvre Tour Guide Jack Conway Uncredited1932 Midnight Patrol Dummy Black Christy Cabanne1932 The Last of the Mohicans General Montcalm B Reeves Eason1932 No Greater Love Rabbi1932 Beauty Parlor Herman Bauer Richard Thorpe1932 Almost Married Russian Policeman William Cameron Menzies Uncredited1932 Drifting Souls Skeets Louis King1932 The Western Code Chapman John P McCarthy1932 Scarlet Dawn Sergei William Dieterle Uncredited1932 Call Her Savage Agitator in Restaurant John Francis Dillon Uncredited1932 The Unwritten Law Abu Zeyd Christy Cabanne1932 The Sign of the Cross Christian in Dungeon Cecil B DeMille Uncredited1932 Rasputin and the Empress Butler Pouring Drinks at Party Richard Boleslawski Uncredited1933 Dangerously Yours Kassim Frank Tuttle1933 Clear All Wires Arab Leader George Hill Uncredited1933 Sucker Money Swami Yomurda Melville Shyer1933 The Intruder Wild Man Albert Ray1933 Gabriel Over the White House Mr Thieson Gregory La Cava Uncredited1933 Infernal Machine Klein Marcel VarnelMartin Santell Uncredited1933 The Flaming Signal Manu High Priest Charles E Roberts1933 I Loved You Wednesday Piano Accompanist William Cameron Menzies Uncredited1933 Corruption Volkov Charles E Roberts1933 Storm at Daybreak Assassin Richard Boleslawski Uncredited1933 Tarzan the Fearless Eltar High Priest of Zar Robert F Hill1933 The Way to Love Songwriter at Piano Norman Taurog Uncredited1933 After Tonight Adjutant Lehan George Archainbaud1933 Cradle Song Village Priest Mitchell Leisen1933 Girl Without a Room Walksky Ralph Murphy1934 Moulin Rouge Sculptor Sidney Lanfield scenes deleted1934 The Crosby Case DeCobra Edwin L Marin Uncredited1934 Wharf Angel Sadik George Somnes1934 The Woman Condemned Dr Wagner Dorothy Davenport1934 Viva Villa Military Attache William Wellman Uncredited1934 The Trumpet Blows Stephen Roberts1934 Change of Heart Smith John G Blystone Uncredited1934 Stamboul Quest Sam WoodJack Conway uncredited 15 1934 Beyond the Law Tully D Ross Lederman1934 Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back Hassan Roy Del Ruth1934 Student Tour Sikh Cop Charles Reisner Uncredited1935 Biography of a Bachelor Girl Mr Rabinowitz Edward H Griffith Uncredited1935 The Lives of a Bengal Lancer Captured Afridi Henry Hathaway Uncredited1935 Mystery Woman Dmitri Eugene Forde1935 Clive of India King Suraj Ud Dowlah Richard Boleslawski1935 Murder in the Fleet Kamchukan consul Edward Sedgwick1935 The Adventures of Rex and Rinty Tanaga Chs 1 4 8 10 12 B Reeves Eason Serial1935 The Crusades Monk Cecil B DeMille1935 Anna Karenina Mahotin Clarence Brown Uncredited1935 Condemned to Live Zan Frank R Strayer1935 I Dream Too Much Darcy s Pianist John Cromwell1935 We re Only Human William Lefty Berger James FloodClem Beauchamp assistant Uncredited1936 Tough Guy Chi Chester Franklin1936 Here Comes Trouble Lewis Seiler1936 The House of a Thousand Candles Victor Demetrius Arthur Lubin1936 Sons o Guns German Spy Lloyd Bacon1936 One Rainy Afternoon Leading man Rowland V Lee1936 The Princess Comes Across Inspector Morevitch William K Howard1936 My Man Godfrey Carlo Gregory La Cava1936 The Gay Desperado Diego Rouben Mamoulian1936 Winterset A radical Alfred Santell1936 College Holiday Ticket Taker at Door Frank Tuttle Uncredited1936 Three Smart Girls Count Arisztid Henry Koster1936 That Girl from Paris Butch Leigh Jason1937 Top of the Town Hamlet Walter Lang1937 We Have Our Moments Capt Enrico Mussetti Alfred L Werker1937 Pick a Star Rinaldo Lopez Edward Sedgwick1937 Marry the Girl Dimitri Kyeff William C McGann1937 It s All Yours Baron Rene de Montigny Elliott Nugent1937 Walter Wanger s Vogues of 1938 Prince Muratov Irving CummingsCharles Kerr assistant 1937 One Hundred Men and a Girl Michael Borodoff Henry Koster1937 Merry Go Round of 1938 Mischa1937 Prescription for Romance Count Sandor S Sylvan Simon1938 The Rage of Paris Mike Lebedovich Henry Koster1938 You Can t Take It with You Potap Kolenkhov Frank Capra1938 Service de Luxe Serge Bebenko Rowland V Lee1938 Little Tough Guys in Society Dr Trenkle Erle C Kenton1938 Sweethearts Leo Kronk W S Van Dyke1939 East Side of Heaven Nicky David Butler1939 Unexpected Father Boris Bebenko Charles Lamont1939 Destry Rides Again Boris Callahan George Marshall1940 Alias the Deacon Andre Christy Cabanne1940 Sandy Is a Lady Felix Lobo Smith Charles Lamont1940 Public Deb No 1 Grisha Gregory Ratoff1940 Spring Parade Gustav Henry Koster1940 Margie Gomez Paul Gerard Smith1940 Seven Sinners Sasha Mencken Tay Garnett1940 Trail of the Vigilantes Bolo1941 The Flame of New Orleans Zolotov Rene Clair1941 Cracked Nuts Boris Kabikoff Edward F Cline1941 Hold That Ghost Gregory Arthur Lubin1941 Sing Another Chorus Stanislaus Charles Lamont1941 Moonlight in Hawaii Clipper Canovan Charles Lamont1941 Hellzapoppin Pepi H C PotterJoseph A McDonough assistant Edward F Cline additional comedy scenes 1942 Don t Get Personal Stainslaus Noodnick a k a Charlie Charles Lamont1942 Twin Beds Nicolai Cherupin Tim Whelan1943 Around The World Himself Allan DwanHarry Scott assistant 1944 Lady in the Dark Russell Paxton Mitchell Leisen1944 Up in Mabel s Room Boris Allan Dwan1945 A Royal Scandal Captain Sukov Ernst Lubitsch1945 Brewster s Millions Michael Michaelovich Allan Dwan1945 And Then There Were None Prince Nikita Starloff Rene Clair1946 Sentimental Journey Gregory Petrovich Rogozhin Walter Lang1946 She Wrote the Book Joe Charles Lamont1947 For You I Die Alec Shaw John Reinhardt1948 Sofia Ali Imagu John Reinhardt1949 A Night of Fame Bernard Stork Steno1949 Snow White and the Seven Thieves Mirko Giacomo Gentilomo1950 Vivere a sbafo Il Cavalier Pippo Berlocco1952 Song of Paris Comte Marcel de Sarliac John Guillermin1954 Service Entrance Nicolas Pouchkoff Carlo Rim1955 School for Love Berger Marc Allegret1955 Frou Frou Grand Duke Alexis Augusto Genina1955 L impossible Monsieur Pipelet The unsuccessful writer a lodger Andre Hunebelle1955 Mr Arkadin the Professor Orson Welles1955 La picara molinera el corregidor1955 Thirteen at the Table Badabof Andre Hunebelle1956 Naughty Girl Igor the ballet master Michel Boisrond1956 Trois de la Canebiere Garopoulos1956 Mannequins of Paris Yaschlik1956 Plucking the Daisy Alexis the taxi driver Marc Allegret Uncredited1956 The Monte Carlo Story Hector the Maitre D Samuel A Taylor1957 La polka des menottes Charles Magne1957 Nathalie Cyril Boran1958 Tabarin Boris Richard Pottier1958 Le tombeur M Pedro Olivaro1958 Sacree Jeunesse Prof Koranoff1958 A Dog a Mouse and a Sputnik Professor Papov Jean Dreville1962 We Joined the Navy Colonel amp President Wendy Toye1963 The King s Breakfast Master of the king s music Short1963 Les femmes d abord Le baron Lionel de Balconi1964 Cleopazza Produttore Strombic1964 Queste pazze pazze donne The Psychiatrist1964 Clementine cherie Le decorateur1964 I due mafiosi Mischa Giorgio Simonelli1964 What Ever Happened to Baby Toto Count Mischa Ottavio Alessi1966 The Christmas That Almost Wasn t Jonathan the elf foreman Rossano Brazzi1966 Drop Dead Darling Romeo Ken Hughes1967 Per amore per magia Magrebi Grand Duke of Forilari Duccio Tessari final film role References edit Gosudarstvennyj arhiv Yaroslavskoj oblasti Imena i daty Iz istorii semi Unkovskih 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 Rossijskij Rodoslovnyj Fond Mihail Semenovich Unkovskij Russian genealogical foundation Mikhail Semyonovich Unkovsky Retrieved December 14 2023 Rossijskij Rodoslovnyj Fond Semen Ivanovich Unkovskij Russian genealogical foundation Semyon Ivanovich Unkovsky Retrieved December 14 2023 Semen Ivanovich Unkovskij 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 amp Tannen Publishers ISBN 9780819603098 via Google Books Inside the Lines Technical Details theiapolis com Retrieved July 3 2014 Notes on TCM comExternal links edit nbsp Biography portal nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mischa Auer Mischa Auer at IMDb Mischa Auer at the Internet Broadway Database nbsp Mischa Auer at Find a Grave Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mischa Auer amp oldid 1197724172, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
