Foto: Albert Witzel (1879-1929)

1889 - 1939

At the beginnings he appeared in many comical roles but soon he became established as a serious charactor actor.

He made his film debut in 1911 where he appeared in the movie "Kreitzerova sonata - Die Kreuzersonate". It followed further successful parts in "Brat'ya - Die Brüder" (12) and "Domik v Kolomne - Das Haus in Kolomna" (14). 

Ivan Mosjoukin got a string of very interesting roles when he worked together with director Jevgenij, among others in "Zizn' v smerti - Das Leben im Tod" (14) where he used his lachrymal gland whicht later became famous as "Mosjoukin's lachrymal gland".

Ivan Mosjoukin rose to the greatest Russian silent movie star in the following years and he personified the man of countless female fan's dreams with tendency to the emotional side. 

With other Russian movies like "Potop" (15) "Nikolai Stavrogin" (15), "Natasha Rostova" (15), "Grekh" (16) and "Kulisy ekrana" (17) he mutated to a star, especially his teamwork with Yakov Protazanov was the most fruitful one. The duo shot among others "Ja i moja sovest - Ich und mein Gewissen" (16), "V bujnoj slepote strastej - Aus blinder Leidenschaft" (16) and "Satana likujushchji - Satans Triumph" (17). 
These roles established Mosjoukin's reputation as a romantic hero, seduced by the devil, which radiated a curious mysticism.

From 1920 he also began to shoot succuessful movies in France. There came cinematic highlights like "Les ombres qui passent - Schatten, die vorüberziehen" (23), "Le brasier ardent - Ehegeschichten" (23), "Kean" (24), "Michel Strogoff" (26) and finally "Casanova" (27) into being.

After a unsuccessful excursion to Hollywood where he shot the movie "Surrender" (27), he went to Germany where he also became a darling of the public in no time at all with movies like "Geheimnisse des Orients" (27), "Der geheime Kurier" (28) and "Manolescu - König der Hochstapler" (29), but he wasn't able to continue his earlier successes in Russia and France.

Ivan Mosjoukin's roles were strong restricted when the sound film arised, his accent was a handicap and his strongest point - the physical exrpessiveness - wasn't in demand longer. 
He appeared especially in remakes of his successful silent movies in France like "Les amours de Casanova" (33), but Ivan Mosjoukin disappeared soon nearly complete from the memory of the audience.

Ivan Mosjoukin, once one of the most prominent and nuanced silent movie stars of the European cinema died completely impoverished because of tuberculosis.
 

Other movies with Ivan Mosjoukin:
Oborona Sevastopolya (11) Rabochaya slobodka (12) Gore Sarri (13) Noch' pered Rozhdestvom/Christmas Eve (13) Strashnaya mest - Grausame Rache (13) Pyanstvo i yevo posledstviya (13) Zhenshchina zavtrashevo dnya (14) Chrizantemy - Chrysanthemen (14) Ruslan i Lyudmila (15) Pikovaya dama - Pik Dame (16) Zhenshchina s kinzhalom (16) Maljutka Elli - Kleine Elli (16) Sud bozhij - Gottes Gericht (16) Prokuror - Der Staatsanwalt (17) Otets Sergeij - Vater Sergius (17) Andrei Kozhuzkhov (17) Taina korolevy (19) L'angloissante aventure (20) L'enfant du Carnaval (21) La maison du mystère (23) Tempêtes (23) Le lion des Mogols (24) Mattia Pascal (25) Der Präsident (28) The Queen's Secret (29) Der Adjutant des Zaren (29) Der weisse Teufel (30) Sergeant X - Das Geheimnis des Fremdenlegionärs (31) La mille et deuxieme nuit (33) L'enfant du Carnaval (34) Nitchevo (36)