Alla Nazimova

Though she entered motion pictures later in her career than the average actress, Alla Nazimova had already become a star, thanks to a number of acclaimed performances on stage both overseas and on Broadway. Nazimova originally made a name for herself in her native Russia before achieving international stardom in Europe, notably with performances both in Berlin and London in plays by Henrik Ibsen and Anton Chekhov. She came to the United States in 1905 and quickly established herself as a Broadway star, before making her film debut at age 37 in "War Brides" (1916). In films, Nazimova rose rapidly to stardom as well, using her newly acquired Hollywood power to assist the careers of many young up-and-coming actresses, some of whom she had romantic affairs with, much to the dismay of the tight-knit town's power brokers. Nazimova also began producing many of her films like "Eye for Eye" (1918), "The Heart of a Child" (1920) and "Madame Peacock" (1920). After starring opposite Rudolph Valentino in "Camille" (1921), Nazimova's film career came to a crashing end thanks to the financial failure of her pet project, "Salome" (1922). She went back to Broadway for over a decade before returning to pictures with supporting roles in "Escape" (1940), "Blood and Sand" (1941), and "Since You Went Away" (1944), her final film. Nazimova remained a notable performer whose wild personal life often overshadowed her exemplary talents on stage and screen.