Yevgeny Bauer(1865-1917)
- Director
- Writer
- Production Designer
Yevgeni Bauer was the most important filmmaker of the early Russian
cinema, who made about eighty silent films in 5 years before the
Russian Revolution of 1917.
He was born Yevgeni Frantsevich Bauer in 1865, in Moscow, Russia, into
an artistic family. His father, Franz Bauer, was a renown musician who
played zither, his mother was an opera singer, and his sisters
eventually became stage and cinema actresses. From 1882 - 1887 he
studied at Moscow School of Art, Sculpture and Architecture, graduating
in 1887, as an artist. At that time Bauer worked for Moscow theatres as
a stage artist as well as a set designer for popular musicals and
comedies. He was also known as a newspaper satirist, a caricaturist for
magazines, a journalist, and a theatrical impresario. During the 1900s
he became involved in still photography and worked as an artistic
photographer, having several of his pictures published in the Russian
media.
In 1912, Bauer was hired by A. Drankov and Taldykin as a production
designer for
Tryokhsotletie tsarstvovaniya doma Romanovykh (1913),
then he became a film director for their company. After making four
films as director for A. Drankov, he moved on to work for Pathe's Star
Film Factory in Moscow, and made another four films for them. In 1913,
Bauer was invited by the leading Russian producer
Aleksandr Khanzhonkov. Their
fruitful collaboration would last only four years, yielding about 70
films, of which less than a half survived. Among Bauer's best works
with Khanzhyonkov were such films as
After Death (1915),
Her Sister's Rival (1916), and
Revolyutsioner (1917), starring
Ivane Perestiani as an Old
revolutionary.
Bauer reached his peak in the genre of social drama, such as
Daydreams (1915) (aka.. Daydreams), starring
Alexander Wyrubow as Sergei, an
obsessed widower who falls for an actress because of her resemblance of
his late wife, but soon their characters clash, leading to a tragic
end. Soon Yevgeni Bauer established himself as the leading film
director in Russia. He achieved great financial success earning up to
40,000 rubles annually. In 1914, Bauer started using his wife's name,
Ancharov, as his artistic name, due to the political pressure from
rising Russian nationalism during the First World War, so he was
credited as Ancharov in some of his films. Bauer was the main force
behind successful careers of major Russian silent film stars of that
time, such as Ivan Mozzhukhin and
Vera Kholodnaya. With Vera Kholodnaya,
Bauer made thirteen films back-to-back in one year. In
After Death (1915) and
Umirayushchiy lebed (1917),
Bauer cast none other than Vera Karalli,
the legendary ballerina of the Boshoi Theatre and
Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes.
Bauer's style evolved from his experience as a theatre artist, actor
and photographer who incorporated theatrical techniques in his films in
a uniquely cinematic way. His mastery of lighting, his use of unusual
camera angles and huge close-ups, his inventive and thoughtful montage
and such theatrical effects as long shots through windows or his use of
gauzes and curtains to alter the screen image, all these innovations
were decades ahead of his time. Bauer was one of the first film
directors who used the split screen. He introduced a multi-layered
staging involving juxtaposed foreground and background with lush decor
and thoughtful compositions alluding to classical paintings of the old
masters. He developed ingenious camera movements, showing a remarkable
depth of field, and achieving powerful dramatic effects. Bauer's vision
and inventiveness, his integrated skills as artist, actor,
photographer, and director, made him the leading filmmaker of the early
Russian cinema.
Russia was a tough place for film and entertainment business, becoming
increasingly unstable during the turbulent years of the First World
War. Then Russian culture and film industry suffered from a cascade of
troubles and destructions caused by several Russian Revolutions.
However, by 1917 several major Russian film studios became established
in Yalta, Crimea, near the Tsar's palaces and lush villas of other
major patrons, where social environment of an upscale resort with a
Mediterranean climate provided special conditions conducive for filming
all year round. Bauer moved to Yalta and continued his work at the
newly established Khanzhyonkov film studio, becoming also its major
shareholder. There Bauer directed his last masterpiece,
Za schastem (1917) (aka.. For
happiness), passing the torch to his apprentice,
Lev Kuleshov, who replaced the ailing Bauer
in the role as painter Enrico, which Bauer wanted to play himself, but
unfortunately he fell and broke his leg.
In spite of his illness, Bauer used a wheelchair, and began directing
his last film,
Korol Parizha (1917), which was
initially designed as his largest project, but was ended as his last
song. His broken leg and unexpected complications interrupted his work
as he became bedridden in a Yalta hospital. The film was completed by
actress Olga Rakhmanova and his
colleagues at Khanzhyonkov studio. Yevgeni Bauer died of pneumonia on
22nd of July (9th of July, old style), 1917, in Yalta, Crimea, and was
laid to rest in Yalta cemetery, Yalta, Crimea, Russia (now Yalta,
Ukraine).
Bauer was married to actress and dancer
Emma Bauer (nee Ancharova), whom he met in
the 1890s during his stint as a theatre artist. In 1915 Lina Bauer
starred as a flirtatious wife who hides her lover in a closet and
successfully outwits her husband in Bauer's comedy
The 1002nd Ruse (1915)
(aka.. The 1002nd Ruse). Bauer's sister,
Emma Bauer also starred in several of his
films.
cinema, who made about eighty silent films in 5 years before the
Russian Revolution of 1917.
He was born Yevgeni Frantsevich Bauer in 1865, in Moscow, Russia, into
an artistic family. His father, Franz Bauer, was a renown musician who
played zither, his mother was an opera singer, and his sisters
eventually became stage and cinema actresses. From 1882 - 1887 he
studied at Moscow School of Art, Sculpture and Architecture, graduating
in 1887, as an artist. At that time Bauer worked for Moscow theatres as
a stage artist as well as a set designer for popular musicals and
comedies. He was also known as a newspaper satirist, a caricaturist for
magazines, a journalist, and a theatrical impresario. During the 1900s
he became involved in still photography and worked as an artistic
photographer, having several of his pictures published in the Russian
media.
In 1912, Bauer was hired by A. Drankov and Taldykin as a production
designer for
Tryokhsotletie tsarstvovaniya doma Romanovykh (1913),
then he became a film director for their company. After making four
films as director for A. Drankov, he moved on to work for Pathe's Star
Film Factory in Moscow, and made another four films for them. In 1913,
Bauer was invited by the leading Russian producer
Aleksandr Khanzhonkov. Their
fruitful collaboration would last only four years, yielding about 70
films, of which less than a half survived. Among Bauer's best works
with Khanzhyonkov were such films as
After Death (1915),
Her Sister's Rival (1916), and
Revolyutsioner (1917), starring
Ivane Perestiani as an Old
revolutionary.
Bauer reached his peak in the genre of social drama, such as
Daydreams (1915) (aka.. Daydreams), starring
Alexander Wyrubow as Sergei, an
obsessed widower who falls for an actress because of her resemblance of
his late wife, but soon their characters clash, leading to a tragic
end. Soon Yevgeni Bauer established himself as the leading film
director in Russia. He achieved great financial success earning up to
40,000 rubles annually. In 1914, Bauer started using his wife's name,
Ancharov, as his artistic name, due to the political pressure from
rising Russian nationalism during the First World War, so he was
credited as Ancharov in some of his films. Bauer was the main force
behind successful careers of major Russian silent film stars of that
time, such as Ivan Mozzhukhin and
Vera Kholodnaya. With Vera Kholodnaya,
Bauer made thirteen films back-to-back in one year. In
After Death (1915) and
Umirayushchiy lebed (1917),
Bauer cast none other than Vera Karalli,
the legendary ballerina of the Boshoi Theatre and
Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes.
Bauer's style evolved from his experience as a theatre artist, actor
and photographer who incorporated theatrical techniques in his films in
a uniquely cinematic way. His mastery of lighting, his use of unusual
camera angles and huge close-ups, his inventive and thoughtful montage
and such theatrical effects as long shots through windows or his use of
gauzes and curtains to alter the screen image, all these innovations
were decades ahead of his time. Bauer was one of the first film
directors who used the split screen. He introduced a multi-layered
staging involving juxtaposed foreground and background with lush decor
and thoughtful compositions alluding to classical paintings of the old
masters. He developed ingenious camera movements, showing a remarkable
depth of field, and achieving powerful dramatic effects. Bauer's vision
and inventiveness, his integrated skills as artist, actor,
photographer, and director, made him the leading filmmaker of the early
Russian cinema.
Russia was a tough place for film and entertainment business, becoming
increasingly unstable during the turbulent years of the First World
War. Then Russian culture and film industry suffered from a cascade of
troubles and destructions caused by several Russian Revolutions.
However, by 1917 several major Russian film studios became established
in Yalta, Crimea, near the Tsar's palaces and lush villas of other
major patrons, where social environment of an upscale resort with a
Mediterranean climate provided special conditions conducive for filming
all year round. Bauer moved to Yalta and continued his work at the
newly established Khanzhyonkov film studio, becoming also its major
shareholder. There Bauer directed his last masterpiece,
Za schastem (1917) (aka.. For
happiness), passing the torch to his apprentice,
Lev Kuleshov, who replaced the ailing Bauer
in the role as painter Enrico, which Bauer wanted to play himself, but
unfortunately he fell and broke his leg.
In spite of his illness, Bauer used a wheelchair, and began directing
his last film,
Korol Parizha (1917), which was
initially designed as his largest project, but was ended as his last
song. His broken leg and unexpected complications interrupted his work
as he became bedridden in a Yalta hospital. The film was completed by
actress Olga Rakhmanova and his
colleagues at Khanzhyonkov studio. Yevgeni Bauer died of pneumonia on
22nd of July (9th of July, old style), 1917, in Yalta, Crimea, and was
laid to rest in Yalta cemetery, Yalta, Crimea, Russia (now Yalta,
Ukraine).
Bauer was married to actress and dancer
Emma Bauer (nee Ancharova), whom he met in
the 1890s during his stint as a theatre artist. In 1915 Lina Bauer
starred as a flirtatious wife who hides her lover in a closet and
successfully outwits her husband in Bauer's comedy
The 1002nd Ruse (1915)
(aka.. The 1002nd Ruse). Bauer's sister,
Emma Bauer also starred in several of his
films.