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- François Rabelais was a French Renaissance writer, physician, Renaissance humanist, monk and Greek scholar. He is primarily known as a writer of satire, of the grotesque, and of bawdy jokes and songs.
Ecclesiastical and anticlerical, Christian and considered by some as a free thinker, a doctor and having the image of a "Bon Vivant", the multiple facets of his personality sometimes seem contradictory. Caught up in the religious and political turmoil of the Reformation, Rabelais showed himself to be both sensitive and critical towards the great questions of his time. Subsequently, the views of his life and work have evolved according to the times and currents of thought. - George Lillo was born on 4 February 1693 in London, England, UK. George was a writer, known for In the Toils of the Temptress (1913). George died on 4 September 1739 in London, England, UK.
- Pierre de Marivaux was born in Paris, the son of a royal mint military official. He spent his childhood in the provinces and returned to the capital at 22. He studied law, but he spent his time writing. He became the most important French playwright of the 18th Century, writing numerous comedies. He wrote these plays for two groups called "La Comédie Française" and "La Comédie Italienne de Paris." His most famous plays include "The Games of Love and Chance" and "Les Fausses Confidences." He also published a number of essays. He was critised in his time for his style of writing. He married in 1717, and had a daughter in 1719. His wife died soon afterwards in 1723. He died in 1763 leaving two unfinished novels. He was so important, he even has a word named after him, marivaudage, which describes a characteristic flitatious tone which Marivaux likes to use.
- Music Department
- Composer
- Writer
Carl Michael Bellman was born on 4 February 1740 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden. He was a composer and writer, known for Another Round (2020), I den grønne skov (1968) and Säg det i toner (1929). He died on 11 February 1795 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden.- Almeida Garrett was born on 4 February 1799 in Porto, Portugal. He was a writer, known for Frei Luís de Sousa (2014), Der Mönch von Santarem (1924) and Frei Luís de Sousa (1950). He died on 9 December 1854 in Lisbon, Portugal.
- Bozena Nemcová was a Czech writer of the final phase of the Czech National Revival movement. Her image is featured on the 500 CZK denomination of the Ceská koruna. According to the dating up to now accepted by the majority of Czech authors, Bozena Nemcová was born in 1820 as Barbara Pankel (or Barbora Panklová according to the usual Czech name-giving for women) in Vienna as a daughter of Johann Pankel from Lower Austria and Teresie Novotná, a maid of Bohemian origin. In her childhood she lived near the small town of Ratiborice, where her grandmother Magdalena Novotná played an important part in her life. Nemcová would later write her most famous novel with the main character inspired by her grandmother.
- British novelist William Harrison Ainsworth's career lasted so long (60 years) and his output was so prolific that some critics have termed him "the king of historical potboilers". His most lasting of the many books he wrote is probably the series about the infamous highwayman Dick Turpin, which was so popular that there was a successful series of films featuring him in the 1920s.
Harrison was born in Manchester, England, in 1805. He picked up his taste for history and writing as a youngster. His father was a criminal-defense attorney, and as a child William would sit fascinated as his father told tales of the daring highwaymen and bandits he defended. His father also moved in Manchester's social circles, and young William met such literary figures as Charles Dickens and Edward George Bulwer-Lytton at the family estate. The youngster began writing melodramas and plays while still in grammar school, and even set up his own theater in the basement of his parents' home where he would stage these productions, making all the costumes, props and scenery himself. He also began submitting poems and short stories to local literary magazines, and began getting published in such publications as "The New Monthly Magazine", "London Magazine" and "Edinburgh Magazine".
In the early 1820s he struck up a friendship with noted historian Charles Lamb. In 1824 his father died and Ainsworth, now an attorney, took over his father's law firm in London, and stayed there for two years. He and a friend, John Partington, co-wrote a romance novel, "Sir John Chiverton", which became quite popular and attracted the attention of writer Sir Walter Scott, who wrote Ainsworth to request a meeting. Ainsworth married Fanny Ebers, the daughter of a prominent book publisher, in 1826. He began helping his father-in-law to run his business, but soon tired of that life and set up his own law practice. However, he still kept his hand in the writing game, and in 1834 his novel "Rookwood" became a national best-seller. cementing his reputation as an author and giving him the financial security to devote himself full-time to writing.
His novel "Jack Sheppard" (1839) was also a success, both critically and financially. In addition to writing, Ainsworth was also editor of "Bentley's Miscellany" magazine from 1840-41. In 1846 he attended a dinner given at the home of Charles Dickens--with whom he had now become close friends--and Dickens gave him a personally signed copy of his new novel, "The Haunted Man". In 1842 Ainsworth began his own literary magazine, "Ainsworth's Magazine", while still working as editor of both "Bentley's Magazine" and "The New Monthly Magazine". Unfortunately, he was forced to terminate his own magazine in 1854 for financial reasons but bought "Bentley's Mischellany" (and was forced to sell that in 1868). He was still writing novels and they were selling, but not in the numbers that his earlier ones had, and he soon moved from the glitz and glamour of London to the more staid (and less expensive) seaside community of Brighton. His financial situation didn't improve much, though, and he eventually moved from Brighton to lower-rent Tunbridge Wells in 1867. He soon had to sell his magazines, and even some of his family property, to stave off financial ruin. He was eventually forced to work for what was called a "penny dreadful" magazine, "Bow Bells" (penny-dreadfuls were adaptations and severely edited versions of major British works, which were then sold--without even covers--for a penny apiece), to make a living.
He died at Reigate, Surrey, England, on Jan. 3, 1882. - Nikolai Leskov was born in 1831, in Gorokhovo, Orel province, Russia. His parents belonged to Russian gentry and owned an estate with serfs. He was a Gymnasium student until the age of 15. In 1846 his father died and a disastrous fire destroyed the family estate and ruined him financially. Leskov served as a court clerk in Orel and in Kiev. In 1853 he married Olga Smirnova; they had two children and separated in 1860. His job at an English firm made him travel to remote regions of Russia, where he also collected the material for his writings.
Leskov absorbed the knowledge of the folk traditions and legends from his childhood. His exposure to vernacular speech of peasants has marked his highly original literary style. His writing career began in St. Petersburg, where he settled in 1861. Leskov published short stories with moderate liberal messages. His travels in Europe strengthened his opposition to the conservatives in Russia. His first novel "Nowhere" (Nekuda, 1864) was written in Prague. Leskov was critical of the Russian Orthodox Church for its rigid conservatism and it's corrupt clerics. His views caused him a loss of many publishing contracts, but Leskov was consistent in his independent position. He joined Lev Tolstoy in a call for separation of Church and State. That caused his dismissal after 10 years of exemplary work for the Imperial Department of Education. At that time he lived in a civil union with Katherina Bubnova. They had a son, Andrei Leskov, who became his biographer, and the keeper of the writer's archive.
Leskov was a master of colloquial Russian. He investigated the dark and mysterious sides of passion in "Lady Makbeth of Mtsensk" (1865). He explored religious piety of an Orthodox monk in "Enchanted Wanderer" (Zacharovanny Strannik, 1873). Leskov made literary portraits of the corrupt and drunk clerics of the Orthodox Church, weird revolutionaries, and terrible social conditions in Russia. His truthfulness triggered attacks on the writer from all parties, and he almost became a literary outcast. His masterpiece "Lefty" (The Tale of Cross-eyed Lefty from Tula and the Steel Flea, 1881) was highly regarded by Maxim Gorky and Anton Chekhov, who considered Leskov his teacher. Conservative Russian press labeled Leskov a heretic for his vegetarianism, "organic life philosophy" and "love of the world". He was the disciple of Lev Tolstoy. Leskov died of a rare form of breast cancer that affects men. He was buried at the Volkovo Cemetery in St. Petersburg, Russia. - Famous Serbian satirist Radoje Domanovic was born in the village of Ovsiste on 16 February 1873. He attended a gymnasium in Kragujevac and Grande École (university) in Belgrade, where he studied history and philology. He started his writing career with realist prose, which idealised the Serbian countryside. In 1895, he got his first tenure as teacher in a gymnasium in Pirot. This period coincided with the decline of the Obrenovic dynasty, and the bourgeois tyranny of bureaucracy and police. At this time, Domanovic, himself a supporter and member of an opposition party, started writing satirical stories, critical of the current state of the society. Some of his most famous works were created during this period of struggle: "Stradija", "Leader", "Branding iron", "Reasoning of an ordinary Serbian ox" etc. After the coup d'état in 1903, Domanovic was greatly disappointed with the fact that nothing has actually changed in the society, and he became more and more disillusioned and isolated, and his creativity also waned. He died of tuberculosis, aged 35 in Belgrade, on 17 August 1908.
During the second half of the XX century, some of his works have been adapted to movies or TV shows. - Jean Aicard was born on 4 February 1848 in Toulon, Var, France. Jean was a writer, known for Notre Dame d'amour (1923), Notre-Dame d'amour (1936) and Le diamant noir (1922). Jean died on 13 May 1921 in Paris, France.
- Julien Berr de Turique was born on 4 February 1863 in Paris, France. Julien was a writer, known for Le double piège (1923), Château historique (1923) and Rigadin pris à son piège (1913). Julien died on 5 July 1923 in Paris, France.
- Actor
Leo Booth was born on 4 February 1882 in Texas, USA. He was an actor. He died on 2 January 1924 in San Diego, California, USA.- Friedrich Ebert Sr. was born on 4 February 1871 in Heidelberg, Germany. He was married to Louise Rump. He died on 28 February 1925 in Berlin, Germany.
- Writer
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Jean Richepin was born on 4 February 1849 in Médéa, Algeria. He was a writer and actor, known for Le chemineau (1917), The Siren (1913) and Le chemineau (1935). He was married to Marie Emmanuele de Stempowska and Eugénie Constant. He died on 12 December 1926 in Paris, France.- Georg Brandes was born on 4 February 1842 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was married to Johanne Louise Henriette Strodtmann. He died on 19 February 1927 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Constance Markievicz was born on 4 February 1868 in 7 Buckingham Gate, Pimlico, London, England, UK. She was married to Casimir Dunin Markievicz. She died on 15 July 1927 in Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
- Hamilton Mannon was born on 4 February 1902 in Maryland, USA. He was a writer, known for The Adventurous Sex (1925). He died on 4 August 1927 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Paul H. Cromelin was born on 4 February 1870 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. Paul H. was a producer, known for Beauty and the Barge (1914) and The Ghost of Slumber Mountain (1918). Paul H. died on 23 February 1929.- Flóra Fáy was born on 4 February 1884 in Kecskemét, Hungary. She was an actress, known for Sergius Panin (1918), Liliomfi (1915) and Bernáték színházba mennek (1913). She was married to Lajos Ujváry. She died on 2 December 1929 in Budapest, Hungary.
- Actor
Drew Clifton was born on 4 February 1870 in Littlehampton, West Sussex, England, UK. He was an actor. He died on 26 October 1932 in Brussels, Belgium.- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Carl Schönfeld was born on 4 February 1854 in Pest, Hungary. He was a writer and director, known for ... welche sterben, wenn sie lieben (1913), Leidvolle Liebe (1917) and Um ein Weib (1915). He died on 17 April 1934 in Hübingen, Germany.- Employed as a warder in the Los Angeles County jail for almost four years and then as a laborer on the municipal docks; rose to the position of waterfront guard and then, ultimately, wharf clerk. World War I veteran, served as First Lieutenant, Company A, 368th U.S. Infantry, 92nd Division, 1917-19.
- Milla Davenport was born on 4 February 1871 in Zurich, Switzerland. She was an actress, known for Daddy-Long-Legs (1919), The Red Lily (1924) and The Brat (1919). She was married to Harry J. Davenport. She died on 17 May 1936 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Director
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Inventing a stage name "Boleslawski" (later spelled also "Boleslavsky"), young Pole Boleslaw Ryszard Srzednicki left his second home (Odessa, Russian Empire) to study theatre and train as an actor at the world-famous Moscow Art Theatre before and during WW I. He also acted in a few early Russian films. In the chaotic wake of the Russian Revolution, Civil War and then Soviet Russia's war with Poland (1918-21)--in which Boleslawski fought as a Polish soldier--he left Russia forever, traveling through Poland and Germany, and wound up in the US. In the 1920s he became, along with Maria Ouspenskaya, one of the first teachers in the US of the serious, emotionally grounded, ensemble style of the Moscow Art Theatre (later known as "The Method"). To put his thespian theories into action, Boleslawski created the American Laboratory [Stage] Theatre in New York in 1923 (the forerunner of the Group Theatre of the 1930s and the Actors Studio" after WW II).
Boleslawski also wrote serious theoretical articles about acting for "Theatre Arts Magazine", and in 1933 collected them in a book, "Acting--The First Six Lessons". The coming of sound to motion pictures, and the financial collapse of the American Laboratory Theatre, forced Boleslawski to abandon the New York stage and accept an offer to direct films in Hollywood, beginning in 1929. He made several important films at major studios like MGM and Fox before his premature death in January 1937. Among his most important directing assignments were Rasputin and the Empress (1932) (the only film in which John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore and Ethel Barrymore appeared together), Men in White (1934) (Clark Gable and Myrna Loy), The Painted Veil (1934) (Greta Garbo), Les Misérables (1935) (Fredric March and Charles Laughton) and Theodora Goes Wild (1936) (Irene Dunne)--a wide range of genres. He even directed a musical, Metropolitan (1935) (Lawrence Tibbett) and a western, Three Godfathers (1936) (Chester Morris).
Boleslawski was married at least three times. From his last marriage--to pianist-actress Norma Drury--he had one child, a son named Jan (1935-1962) who tragically was to lose his father before he was two years old, and later to lose his own life at the tender age of 27. Boleslawski's death of cardiac arrest, at age 47--before he had completed his final film (The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937) with Joan Crawford)--was shockingly sudden and from unclear causes. One explanation, probably incorrect, traces his illness to his penultimate film, The Garden of Allah (1936) (with Marlene Dietrich), the exteriors of which were shot in the burning heat of the southwestern American desert. At some point, it is claimed, he unwisely "drank [unboiled] water" rather than soft drinks and bottled water (as the company had been advised to do).- Mikhail Tukhachevsky, one of the top generals in the Soviet army, was actually born into a family of the Russian nobility. He graduated from the Russian Military Academy shortly before World War I and fought during the war as a Second Lieutenant. Captured by German forces, he escaped from captivity on several occasions, only to be recaptured and imprisoned each time. The Germans finally threw him into Ingolstadt Fortress, which was used to house their most incorrigible prisoners and was considered escape-proof. Tukachevsky promptly escaped from it, eventually making his way back to the Russian lines, where he was decorated for bravery.
After the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 he joined the Red Army, and was made an officer. His military abilities enabled him to rise rapidly through the ranks, and during the Russian Civil War that followed the Revolution, he was made commander of the Red forces defending Moscow. His successful defense of the city caught the eye of Communist commissar Lev Trotskiy, who placed him in command of the elite 5th Army with orders to capture Siberia from the White Russian forces of Gen. Aleksandr Kolchak. Tukhachevsky's innovative tactics hammered the White Russian army, and he not only recaptured Siberia but also defeated White Russian forces in the Crimea and carried his offensive into the Kuban area, where he used his cavalry to great effect and inflicted a crushing defeat on the White army. He mopped up the remaining White forces and over the next few years successfully put down several military revolts and peasant uprisings, in the process gaining a reputation as an effective but ruthless commander who used whatever tools and tactics were necessary to achieve his goals, including mass executions and chemical warfare.
His string of successes was broken during the Soviet-Polish War of 1920 when his armies were defeated in their attack on Warsaw by Polish forces led by Marshal Józef Pilsudski. Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin attributed the defeat to what he considered Tukhachevsky's reckless tactics (at one point he disobeyed Stalin's orders for a direct attack on Warsaw, which he believed would fail, and attacked Lvov instead) and Tukhachevsky, for his part, blamed the defeat on what he believed was Stalin's constant interference with military operations for political reasons, and made no secret of his resentment. Stalin, never one to forgive real or imagined slights, didn't forget what he felt to be Tukhachevsky's insubordination. He also saw Tukhachevsky as a potential rival and set about to eliminate that possibility. When Stalin assumed the leadership of the Communist Party in 1929 he used the pretext of complaints from several of Tukhachevsky's subordinate officers to try to implicate him in alleged coup attempt, and his secret police "persuaded" several army officers to accuse Tukhachevsky of doing just that. The tactic didn't work, however, as Stalin couldn't muster enough support among the Politburo and the party hierarchy to eliminate Tukhachevsky, who still enjoyed considerable support because of his war record. Biding his time, Stalin put Tukhachevsky in charge of modernizing the Russian military. One of his more innovative ideas was to place an emphasis on the coordination of air and armored forces in an attack, a tactic that was put to good use in the later Soviet war with Germany.
Tukhachevsky's interests weren't solely confined to military matters, though. A violinist, he became great friends with famed Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich and the two often played together. The friendship no doubt saved Shostakovich's life when he and his music were denounced in the mid-1930s during the period known as "the great purges" and Shostakovich found himself in danger of arrest and possible execution. However, his friend Tukhachevsky intervened on his behalf with Stalin.
Tukhachevsky was promoted to the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union in 1935, and in that capacity visited Europe the next year, paying particular attention to France, Germany and Great Britain. Stalin began to grow suspicious of Tukhachevsky's popularity among his officers and men and also among the general public and, still having not forgotten his problems with the general during the Polish war of the 1920s, set out to eliminate him once and for all. He transferred his rival to the Volga Military District, away from his base of support, and finally in 1937 ordered the arrest and trial of Tukhachevky and seven other generals on charges of plotting with "foreign" elements during his European visit to overthrow the Communist government. At the secret court-martial signed confessions by Tukhachevsky's alleged "co-conspirators" were introduced that "proved" he had plotted with Nazi army officers and anti-Communist Russian exiles to overthrow and assassinate Stalin. On June 12, 1937, Tukhachevsky and the seven other generals were convicted, sentenced to death and executed. - Actress
- Director
Laura Bayley was born on 4 February 1862 in Ramsgate, Kent, England, UK. She was an actress and director, known for Mary Jane's Mishap (1903), Let Me Dream Again (1900) and Cinderella (1898). She was married to George Albert Smith. She died on 25 October 1938 in Hove, East Sussex, England, UK.- Friedrich Glauser was born on 4 February 1896 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]. He was a writer, known for Matto regiert (1947), Constable Studer (1939) and Kriminalassistent Bloch (1943). He died on 8 December 1938 in Nervi, Genua, Italy.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Gus Leonard was born on 4 February 1859 in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. He was an actor, known for Wurra-Wurra (1916), Her Reputation (1923) and The Girl I Loved (1923). He died on 27 March 1939 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Richard Seaman was born on 4 February 1913 in Aldingbourne, West Sussex, England, UK. He was married to Erica Popp. He died on 25 June 1939 in Stavelot, Belgium.
- Aggie Herring was born on 4 February 1876 in San Francisco, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Oliver Twist (1922), A Blind Bargain (1922) and Pampered Youth (1925). She was married to Jess Herring. She died on 28 October 1939 in Santa Monica, California, USA.
- Wilson Coleman was born on 4 February 1873 in Newick, East Sussex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Black Tulip (1937), Blind Man's Bluff (1936) and A Girl Must Live (1939). He died on 24 March 1940 in Brixton, London, England, UK.
- Georg Blickingberg was born on 4 February 1878 in Kristianstad, Skåne län, Sweden. He was an actor, known for Unga hjärtan (1934), Hans nåds testamente (1919) and Brottmålsdomaren (1917). He died on 8 November 1940.
- Václav Cech-Strán was born on 4 February 1857 in Stetí, Bohemia, Austria [now Czech Republic]. Václav was a writer, known for Chudá holka (1930). Václav died on 3 May 1941 in Prague, Protectorate Bohemia and Moravia [now Czech Republic].
- Fred V. Blair was born on 4 February 1887 in Georgetown, Ohio, USA. Fred V. was a writer, known for Playthings of Desire (1933). Fred V. died on 6 January 1942 in Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA.
- Christel Broehl-Delhaes was born on 4 February 1904 in Eschweiler, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. She was a writer, known for Aus erster Ehe (1940). She died on 22 April 1943 in Düren, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
- Clemente Giglio was born on 4 February 1886 in Italy. Clemente was a producer, known for O Festino o la legge (1932). Clemente died on 14 July 1943 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA.
- One of the best character actors of the nineteen thirties and early forties, Raymond Aimos (most often simply credited as Aimos) was the quintessential 'titi parisien' (Parisian kid). The numerous characters Aimos embodied (he appeared in at least 105 films) generally corresponded with the person he was in real life: of proletarian origin, lanky, cheeky but with a heart of gold. Born in 1891 in the North of France, he was the son of a clockmaker-jeweler and was expected to follow in his father's footsteps but young Raymond was uncontrollably attracted to show business. He managed to become an operatic singer under the pseudonym of Aimos. He also appeared in a few silent films as of 1912 but his lucky strike was the coming of sound. His physical appearance, his popular roots and mostly his gift of gab were in perfect harmony with the cinema of that time. Aimos was wonderful in masterpieces by René Clair ('Sous les toits de Paris', '14 juillet' Raymond Bernard)' ('Les croix de bois', 'Amants et voleurs'), Julien Duvivier ('Le Paquebot Tenacity', 'La bandera', 'La belle équipe', 'L'homme du jour'), Sacha Guitry ('Ils étaient neuf célibataires'), Marcel Carné ('Quai des brumes') and Jean Grémillon (Lumière d'été). But even when he worked for less distinctive directors his presence was an asset for the film. His most memorable roles are Mulot, the legionary friend of Jean Gabin in 'La Bandera', 'Tintin', one of the five friends who build a riverside café and 'Quart-Vittel', the wreck of 'Quai des brumes'. As courageous in life as he had been in 'La Bandera', Aimos decided to take part in the uprising against the Nazis (which would lead to the Liberation of Paris). He was unfortunately hit by a stray bullet and died a few hours later at the premature age of 55.
- Writer
- Music Department
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born on 4 February 1906 in Breslau, Silesia, Germany. He was a writer, known for Herzlichst, Heinz Rühmann (1990) and Von Guten Mächten Wunderbar Geborgen (2020). He died on 8 April 1945 in Flossenbürg concentration camp, Bavaria, Germany.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Yakov Protazanov was born on 4 February 1881 in Moscow, Russian Empire [now Russia]. He was a director and writer, known for A Narrow Escape (1920), Without Dowry (1937) and Kak khoroshi, kak svezhi byli rozy (1913). He died on 9 August 1945 in Moscow, Russian SFSR, USSR [now Russia].- Edward Sheldon was born on 4 February 1886 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a writer, known for On the High Seas (1922), Romance (1930) and A Coney Island Princess (1916). He died on 1 April 1946 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Hans A. Rauter was born on 4 February 1895 in Klagenfurt, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]. He died on 24 March 1949 in The Hague, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.
- Actor
- Writer
Jacques Copeau was born on February 4, 1879, in Paris, France. He started as an art dealer in Paris during the 1890's. From 1904-1906 he was a drama critic for the 'L'Ermitage', and , from 1907-1910, for the 'La Grand Revue'. He earned a reputation as a well known literary critic. In 1909 he became co-founder with André Gide, Jean Schlumberger, and Paul Claudel of journal La Nouvelle Revue Francaise. Copeau also edited his new journal from 1909-1911.
Copeau opened his own theatre on Rue du Vieux Colombier, near the Place Saint Sulpice on the Left Bank, and named it after its location. The Theatre du Vieux-Colombrier was described by Copeau in his publication as "the brain-child of the group of artists whose ideological understanding and collective practical inclination brought them together under the same banner." Copeau was the actor, director, playwright and translator for his theatre. His most important productions were plays by Moliere and translations from William Shakespeare. His version of the 'Twelvth Night' (La Nuit des Rois) was premiered in 1914, starring Louis Jouvet. Copeau also produced plays by Henri Ghéon. He trained actors for his theatre and preferred staging with simplistic plain sets or the movable stage.
The beginning of the First World War forced Copeau and his actors to move from Paris to New York. From 1914-1919, Jacques Copeau worked with his company in the New York's Garrik Theatre on west 35th Street. There he produced and directed more than forty plays. In 1920 he was back in Paris and resumed seasons at the Theatre Vieux-Colombier. At that time he collaborated with poet Jules Romains. In 1924 Copeau retired from acting and moved to Burgundy. There he took a company of 30 young actors and founded a theatre school in Pernand-Verglasses. He developed a training program with the emphasis on movement, gesture, dance, and music. Copeau trained such distinguished French actors as Jean Dasté, Aman Maistre Julien, and Etienne Decroux at his school. His student Juozas Miltinis was the founder of Panevezys Drama Theatre, one of the most interesting experimental centers of culture in Lithuania.
In 1936 Copeau was appointed one of the staff producers at the Theatre Comedie Francaise. He worked their until his retirement in 1941. Jacques Copeau died from cancer on October 20, 1949, in Beaune, France. Copeau's daughter Marie-Hélène Dasté married Jean Dasté, and founded the Association des Amis de Jacques Copeau.- Else Heller was born on 4 February 1884 in Vienna, Austria. She was an actress, known for Westfront 1918 (1930), Asphalt (1929) and Tropennächte (1931). She died on 12 February 1951 in Munich, Germany.
- Zoltán Nagyiványi was born on 4 February 1879 in Aranyosmarót (Zlaté Moravce) Slovakia. He was a writer, known for Sárga kaszinó (1944), I sette peccati (1942) and Una piccola moglie (1943). He died on 10 April 1951 in Budapest, Hungary.
- Dorothy Orth was born on 4 February 1901 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Checkers (1919), Chicken Hearted (1921) and Queens Are Trumps (1920). She died on 10 April 1951 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Paul L. Stein was born on 4 February 1892 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]. He was a director and writer, known for April Blossoms (1934), Das Martyrium (1920) and Tagebuch meiner Frau (1920). He was married to Olga Schroeder Devrient. He died on 2 May 1951 in London, England, UK.- Otto Ohlendorf was born on 4 February 1907 in Hoheneggelsen, Hildesheim, Germany. He died on 7 June 1951 in Landsberg am Lech, Bavaria, Germany.
- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Werner Funck was born on 4 February 1881 in Germany. He was an actor and director, known for Der Mann mit der Puppe (1920), Thüringen. Land und Leute und ihre Arbeit (1935) and Das Mädchen aus der Ackerstraße - 2. Teil (1920). He died on 6 October 1951 in Potsdam, Germany.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Ivan F. Simpson was born on 4 February 1875 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Captain Blood (1935) and Maid of Salem (1937). He died on 12 October 1951 in New York City, New York, USA.- Herrick made a living as a light and welterweight boxer from 1909-20, prior to his career in movies. A portion of his boxing career took place in Mexico and Panama City, Panama. In Panama City, he once met Kid Norfolk, a Hall of Fame boxer, who later took the Colored World Light Heavyweight Championship. He fought "Steamboat" Bill Scott four times, both in Panama City, and in New Orleans, Louisiana. Herrick acted in several boxing themed movies during his career, as he had plenty of real life experience as a boxer. A number of ex-boxers who worked in movies went uncredited, but Herrick was credited in several movies in which he appeared, though he had small parts.