Iván Petrovich ( sr, Иван Петровић, Ivan Petrović; 1 January 1894 – 18 October 1962) was a

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

n film actor and singer. He was the first actor from

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

to have a successful international movie career. Petrovich mainly worked in

German cinema The film industry in Germany can be traced back to the late 19th century. German cinema made major technical and artistic contributions to early film, broadcasting and television technology. Babelsberg became a household synonym for the early 20 ...

, but also collaborated with established directors in some 100 Hungarian, French,

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

n and

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

movies.

Early life

He was born Svetislav Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Светислав Петровић) on 1 January 1894 in Újvidék,

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

, today

Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pan ...

in the

n province of

Vojvodina Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...

. His father Mladen was a tailor who made uniforms for the

Serbian army The Serbian Army ( sr-cyr, Копнена војска Србије, Kopnena vojska Srbije, lit=Serbian Land Army) is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces. History Originally established in 1830 as the Army of Pr ...

. After finishing the primary education in his hometown, he moved to

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

, where he graduated from the Polytechnic academy. He was a talented singer and violinist and was an accomplished athlete, who participated as a swimmer at the

1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics ( sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1912), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad ( sv, Den V olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, be ...

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

. During the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he was drafted into the Austro-Hungarian army and after the war ended, he moved to

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

to pursue a film career.

Career

Early career

In Vienna he met a film director Mihály Kertész, who fled Hungary after the war, and who will later make a major Hollywood career as

Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz ( ; born Manó Kaminer; since 1905 Mihály Kertész; hu, Kertész Mihály; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed cla ...

. Kertész directed Petrovich in three movies: ''

The Sunflower Woman ''The Sunflower Woman'' ( hu, A Napraforgós hölgy) is a 1918 Hungarian film directed by Michael Curtiz. Based on the play by Yugoslav and Croatian playwright from Dubrovnik, Ivo Vojnović, the film was shot on location in Dubrovnik. Cast * Iv ...

'' in 1918 on the play by

Ivo Vojnović Ivo Vojnović (9 October 1857 – 30 August 1929) was a writer from Dubrovnik. Biography Vojnović was born in Dubrovnik as the first son of Count Konstantin Vojnović (1832–1903) and Maria de Serragli (1836–1922) on 9 October 1857 in Du ...

, ''

The Lady with the Black Gloves ''The Lady with the Black Gloves'' (german: Die Dame mit dem schwarzen Handschuh) is a 1919 Austrian film directed by Michael Curtiz. Plot The beautiful Helene, who hides a branding scar on her hand beneath a black glove she constantly wears, ...

'' in 1919 and, the most successful, ''

The Star of Damascus ''The Star of Damascus'' (german: Der Stern von Damaskus) is a 1920 Austrian film directed by Michael Curtiz. It was followed by '' The Scourge of God''. Cast * Lucy Doraine * Iván Petrovich Iván Petrovich ( sr, Иван Петровић ...

'' in 1920. Kertész thought that Petrovich's name Svetislav is too hard to remember, so he chose Iván for him. He later worked with a prominent Hungarian directors

Paul Czinner Paul Czinner (30 May 1890 – 22 June 1972) was a Hungarian-born British writer, film director, and producer. Biography Czinner was born to a Jewish family in Budapest, Austria-Hungary. After studying literature and philosophy at the Universi ...

(''Homo immanis'', 1918) and

Béla Balogh Béla Balogh (1 January 1885 in Székesfehérvár – 30 March 1945 in Budapest) was a Hungarian film director, one of the most prominent of the early 20th century. He was prominent in both silent and voiced productions, and is most known ...

(''

Under the Mountains ''Under the Mountains'' (Hungarian: ''Hegyek alján'') is a 1920 Hungarian silent drama film directed by Béla Balogh and starring Oszkár Dénes, Ila Lóth and László Mihó. Cast * Oszkár Dénes - Sebastiano, földbirtokos * Ila Lót ...

'', 1920), before moving to France.

France

In the mid 1920s he became an international star with a string of French movies, styled "the most cherished lover of the French cinema". He marked the period, mostly being typecast as a

latin lover Latin lover is a stereotypical stock character, part of the Hollywood star system. It appeared for the first time in Hollywood in the 1920s and, for the most part, lost popularity during World War II. In time, the type evolved, developing var ...

, in the movies of

Léonce Perret Léonce Joseph Perret (14 March 1880 – 12 August 1935) was a prolific and innovative French film actor, director and producer.The Museum of Modern Art(retrieved 7 June 2007) He also worked as a stage actor and director. Often described as avant ...

('' Koenigsmark'', 1923; ''

The Nude Woman The Nude Woman may refer to: * The Nude Woman (1922 film), an Italian silent drama film * The Nude Woman (1926 film), a French silent drama film * The Nude Woman (1932 film) ''The Nude Woman'' (French: ''La femme nue'') is a 1932 French drama f ...

'', 1926; ''Morgane, the Enchantress'', 1928),

Germaine Dulac Germaine Dulac (; born Charlotte Elisabeth Germaine Saisset-Schneider; 17 November 1882 – 20 July 1942)Flitterman-Lewis 1996 was a French filmmaker, film theorist, journalist and critic. She was born in Amiens and moved to Paris in early child ...

(''

Heart of an Actress ''Heart of an Actress'' (French: ''Âme d'artiste'') is a 1924 French silent drama film directed by Germaine Dulac and starring Iván Petrovich, Nicolas Koline and Mabel Poulton. Poulton had almost been cast in Abel Gance's ''Napoleon'', but a ...

'', 1924) or

Marco de Gastyne Marc Henri Benoist better known as Marco de Gastyne (born in Paris, France, on 15 July 1889; died in Paris on 8 November 1982) was a French painter, illustrator and later film director of more than fifteen films. After studying painting, he wor ...

('' The Lady of Lebanon'', 1926). He was partnered on screen with the most popular French actresses of the day like

Louise Lagrange Louise Lagrange (19 August 1898 – 28 February 1979) was a French film actress. Lagrange was born in Oran, French Algeria, and had a film career spanning from 1907 through 1951. Beginning her career as a child actor before the First World War, ...

Nita Naldi Nita Naldi (born Mary Nonna Dooley; In this reference Naldi's birth name Nonna is mistakenly cited “Donna”. Naldi's birthname in this reference is also incorrectly cited as “Donna”. November 13, 1894 – February 17, 1961) was an Ameri ...

and

Arlette Marchal Arlette Marchal (29 January 1902 – 11 February 1984) was a French film actress. She appeared in more than 40 films between 1922 and 1951. She was born and died in Paris. Partial filmography * ''Mon p'tit'' (1922) * '' The Gardens of Murc ...

Hollywood

Petrovich was noticed by Hollywood director Rex Ingram who at the time lived and worked in

Southern France Southern France, also known as the South of France or colloquially in French language, French as , is a defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi ...

, where he established a studio in

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...

. Ingram directed Petrovich in three films, all co-starring Ingram's wife,

Alice Terry Alice Frances Taaffe (July 24, 1899 – December 22, 1987), known professionally as Alice Terry, was an American film actress and director. She began her career during the silent film era, appearing in thirty-nine films between 1916 and 1 ...

: '' The Magician'' in 1926, and '' The Garden of Allah'' and ''

The Three Passions ''The Three Passions'' is a 1928 British silent drama film directed by Rex Ingram and starring Alice Terry, Iván Petrovich and Shayle Gardner. It was made as a quota film for Allied ArtistsLow p.160 and was based on a novel by Cosmo Hamil ...

'', both in 1927. At one point, Petrovich was considered as one of the potential successors of

Rudolf Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor based in the United States who starred ...

, who died prematurely in 1926.

Transition to sound

With the advent of sound, Petrovich's career did not seem to be hampered. Tall, handsome and good looking, with a sonorous voice, he even prospered, expanding his acting range to the more character roles, like the aristocrats, noblemen, officers and priests, in the "Slavic charm" manner. However, even though multilingual, his bad English accent turned out to be an insurmountable obstacle, so he had to scrap his Hollywood plans.

Germany

He made some 40 films in Germany before the outbreak of the war, under the direction of the best German directors and co-starring with the most popular actors of the period. As a good singer, he was frequently cast in filmed

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

s. He worked often with directorial couple

Jacob Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. J ...

and

Luise Fleck Luise Fleck, also known as Luise Kolm or Luise Kolm-Fleck, née Louise or Luise Veltée (1 August 1873–15 March 1950), was an Austrian film director, and has been considered the second ever female feature film director in the world, after A ...

''(

The Orlov The Orlov (German: ''Der Orlow'') is a 1927 German silent film directed by Jacob Fleck and Luise Fleck and starring Vivian Gibson, Hans Junkermann and Georg Alexander. It was shot at the Babelsberg and Staaken Studios in Berlin. The film's sets ...

'' in 1927, '' Doctor Schäfer'' in 1928, '' The Tsarevich'' in 1929) and

Richard Oswald Richard Oswald (5 November 1880 – 11 September 1963) was an Austrian film director, producer, screenwriter, and father of German-American film director Gerd Oswald. Early career Richard Oswald, born in Vienna as Richard W. Ornstein, began h ...

('' Victoria and Her Hussar'' in 1931, '' The Flower of Hawaii'' in 1933, co-starring

Marta Eggerth Marta Eggerth (17 April 1912 – 26 December 2013) was a Hungarian actress and singer from "The Silver Age of Operetta". Many of the 20th century's most famous operetta composers, including Franz Lehár, Fritz Kreisler, Robert Stolz, Oscar Str ...

). Other movies from this period include 1928 ''

Alraune ''Alraune'' (German for ) is a novel by German novelist Hanns Heinz Ewers published in 1911. It is also the name of the female lead character. The book originally featured illustrations by Ilna Ewers-Wunderwald. Legend The basis of the story o ...

'' by

Henrik Galeen Henrik Galeen (7 January 1881 – 30 July 1949) was an Austrian-born actor, screenwriter and film director considered an influential figure in the development of German Expressionist cinema during the silent era. Early years Considerable mystery ...

, co-starring

Brigitte Helm Brigitte Helm (born Brigitte Gisela Eva Schittenhelm, 17 March 1906 – 11 June 1996) was a German actress, best remembered for her dual role as Maria and her double named Futura, in Fritz Lang's 1927 silent film, '' Metropolis''. Early life ...

and

Paul Wegener Paul Wegener (11 December 1874 – 13 September 1948) was a German actor, writer, and film director known for his pioneering role in German expressionist cinema. Acting career At the age of 20, Wegener decided to end his law studies and conce ...

, 1929 ''

Latin Quarter The Latin Quarter of Paris (french: Quartier latin, ) is an area in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements of Paris. It is situated on the left bank of the Seine, around the Sorbonne. Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and bistros ...

'' by Augusto Genina, 1931 ''

The Opera Ball ''The Opera Ball'' (german: Opernredoute) is a 1931 German musical comedy film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the pl ...

'' by

Max Neufeld Max Neufeld (13 February 1887 – 2 December 1967) was an Austrian film director, actor and screenwriter. He directed 70 films between 1919 and 1957. He directed the 1934 film '' The Song of the Sun'', which starred Vittorio De Sica. Select ...

, co-starring

Liane Haid Juliane "Liane" Haid (16 August 1895 – 28 November 2000) was an Austrian actress and singer. She has often been referred to as Austria's first movie star. Biography Juliane Haid was born in Vienna on 16 August 1895, the first child to Georg ...

and ''

Die Fledermaus ' (, ''The Flittermouse'' or ''The Bat'', sometimes called ''The Revenge of the Bat'') is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, which premiered in 1874. Background The original ...

'' by

Karel Lamač Karel Lamač (27 January 1897 – 2 August 1952) was a Czech film director, actor, screenwriter, producer and singer. He directed more than 100 films in Czechoslovakia, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Life Lam ...

, 1932 ''Grandstand for General Staff'' by

Eugen Thiele Eugen Thiele (1897–1938) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. Of Jewish backgroundPrawer p.213 he was the younger brother of Wilhelm Thiele. After a spell as an actor he established himself as a director in the Cinema of Germany, Germ ...

, 1934 '' Paganini'', in title role, by

E. W. Emo E. W. Emo (Emerich Walter Emo, born Emerich Josef Wojtek, 11 July 1898; died 2 December 1975) was an Austrian film director. Emo specialized in comedies, 21 of them with the actor Hans Moser. He also worked outside Austria and wrote screenpla ...

, co-starring

Theo Lingen Theo Lingen (; 10 June 1903 – 10 November 1978), born Franz Theodor Schmitz, was a German actor, film director and screenwriter. He appeared in more than 230 films between 1929 and 1978, and directed 21 films between 1936 and 1960. Life and c ...

, and ''

The Last Waltz ''The Last Waltz'' was a concert by the Canadian-American rock group The Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. ''The Last Waltz'' was advertised as The Band's "farewell concert a ...

'' by

Georg Jacoby Georg Jacoby (23 July 1882 – 21 February 1964) was a German film director and screenwriter.Profile
, bfi.org.uk; accessed ...

, 1935 ''The Cossack and the Nightingale'' by

Phil Jutzi Phil Jutzi (sometimes known as Piel Jutzi) (22 July 1896 – 1 May 1946) was a German cinematographer and film director. Born Philipp Jutzi in Altleiningen as the son of a tailor, Jutzi was self-educated. (He seems to have been generally known by ...

, 1937 ''Unter Ausschluß der Öffentlichkeit'' by Paul Wegener and 1939 ''Zentrale Rio'' by

Erich Engels Erich Engels (23 May 1889 – 25 April 1971) was a German screenwriter, film producer, producer and film director. He should not be confused with another contemporary German director Erich Engel.Bock & Bergfelder p.112 Selected filmography * ''De ...

, co-starring Ita Rina.

World War II

After the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

began, Petrovich continued to act in mostly lightweight, fun movies. He stayed in touch with Serbian issues by visiting his friends, captured Serbian officers, in Nazi camps, which caused him problems with the Nazi Security Service. After being pressured to participate in propaganda flick ''

Enemies Enemies or foes are a group that is seen as forcefully adverse or threatening. Enemies may also refer to: Literature * ''Enemies'' (play), a 1906 play by Maxim Gorky * '' Enemies, A Love Story'', a 1966 novel by Isaac Bashevis Singer * '' Enem ...

'', directed by

Viktor Tourjansky The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * Victor (1951 film), ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * Victor (1993 film), ...

, which tried to justify

German occupation of Poland German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, Petrovich migrated to Hungary. He spent there the remainder of the war, acting in several movies along popular stars like Pál Jávor and

Katalin Karády Katalin Karády (8 December 1910 – 8 February 1990) was a Hungarian actress and singer. A leading actress in Hungarian movies made between 1939–1945, she is best known outside Hungary as an awardee of the Righteous among the Nations hono ...

. Most notable was 1941

Géza von Radványi Géza von Radványi (born Géza Grosschmid; 26 September 1907 – 27 November 1986) was a Hungarian film director, cinematographer, producer and writer. Biography Born Géza Grosschmid, he took the name Radványi from his paternal grandmother. ...

's antimilitary ''Europe does not respond''.

Later career

After the war ended and

Communist government A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...

was set in Hungary, Petrovich moved back to Germany. In the next 15 years he continued mostly in the supporting roles, but was still sought actor in the German-speaking countries. His notable roles from this period include films ''

The Trial ''The Trial'' (german: Der Process, link=no, previously , and ) is a novel written by Franz Kafka in 1914 and 1915 and published posthumously on 26 April 1925. One of his best known works, it tells the story of Josef K., a man arrested and pr ...

'' by

G.W. Pabst Georg Wilhelm Pabst (25 August 1885 – 29 May 1967) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He started as an actor and theater director, before becoming one of the most influential German-language filmmakers during the Weimar Republic. ...

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...

's biopic '' Eroica'' by Walter Kolm-Veltée and ''

Sissi – The Young Empress ''Sissi – The Young Empress'' (german: Sissi – Die junge Kaiserin) is a 1956 Austrian film directed by Ernst Marischka and starring Romy Schneider, Karlheinz Böhm, Magda Schneider, Uta Franz, Gustav Knuth, Vilma Degischer and Josef Meinrad ...

'' by

Ernst Marischka Ernst Marischka (2 January 1893 – 12 May 1963) was an Austrian screenwriter and film director. He wrote for more than 90 films between 1913 and 1962. He also directed 29 films between 1915 and 1962. He wrote and directed the Sissi trilogy ...

. Among Petrovich's last movies were

Louis Malle Louis Marie Malle (; 30 October 1932 – 23 November 1995) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in both Cinema of France, French cinema and Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. Described as "eclectic" and "a fi ...

's first

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

Elevator to the Gallows ''Elevator to the Gallows'' (french: Ascenseur pour l'échafaud), also known as ''Frantic'' in the U.S. and ''Lift to the Scaffold'' in the U.K., is a 1958 French crime thriller film directed by Louis Malle, starring Jeanne Moreau and Maurice R ...

'' in 1958 and

Anatole Litvak Anatoly Mikhailovich Litvak (russian: Анатолий Михайлович Литвак; 21 May 1902 – 15 December 1974), better known as Anatole Litvak, was a Ukrainian-born American filmmaker who wrote, directed, and produced films in vari ...

's ''

The Journey The Journey may refer to: Film and television * ''The Journey'' (1942 film), or ''El viaje'', an Argentine film * ''The Journey'' (1959 film), an American drama starring Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner, and Jason Robards about the Hungarian Revoluti ...

'' in 1959. Apart from acting, in this period he also worked as a radio announcer on

Radio Free Europe Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a United States government funded organization that broadcasts and reports news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East where it says tha ...

, which was headquartered in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

at the time.

Serbia

Petrovich made no Yugoslav movies, but did act in German-Yugoslav coproductions, ''The Coral Princess'' in 1937 directed by

Victor Janson Victor Arthur Eduard Janson ( lv, Viktors Artūrs Eduards Jansons; 25 September 1884 – 29 June 1960) was a German stage and film actor and film director of Latvians, Latvian ethnicity. Selected filmography Actor * ''Your Dearest Enemy'' (1916) ...

, co-starring Ita Rina, and '' Dalmatian Wedding'' in 1953, directed by

Géza von Bolváry Géza von Bolváry (born Géza Gyula Mária Bolváry Zahn, german: Géza Maria von Bolváry-Zahn; 26 December 1897 – 10 August 1961) was a Hungarians, Hungarian actor, screenwriter, and film director, who worked principally in Germany and Aust ...

. That was not an obstacle for the exceptional popularity in his homeland and legions of fans, though. In 1928 he visited

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

, causing unprecedented hysteria. Filmmaker Marko Babac in his 2009 book ''Boško Tokin – novinar i pisac, prvi srpski estetičar, publicista i kritičar filma'' published an excerpt from the ''Novosti'' newspapers' account on Petrovich's visit: "From all corners of Belgrade, like torrents, girls of Belgrade rushed to see Svetislav Petrović with a secret hope in their souls that at least one of his fiery glances will fall on them, their lipsticked lips and loving eyes. Journalists, waiting in a lounge, waited for Svetislav Petrović to step out of his quarters, where he spent time in the bathroom doing swimming, massaging and gymnastics. Upon seeing him, the crowd swung and stirred, the girls' hearts stroke hard and throaths turned dry because of the souls' sensations. They all commented how gorgeous and perfect he is. Delighted mass almost smothered him as they advanced towards him. It seemed as if, in an effort to show him love, they wanted to lynch him.“ In contrast to that period, Petrovich is largely forgotten in Serbia today. One of the reasons is thought to be his work in Radio Free Europe, which was strongly disliked by the post-war Communist authorities of Yugoslavia. In an effort to change that, Serbian national film library, Jugoslovenska kinoteka, dedicated year 2017 to him, with prepared programs for showing his movies throughout the whole year. Even though he spoke fluent Hungarian, German, French and English language, he signed autographs only in

Serbian Cyrillic alphabet The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet ( sr, / , ) is a variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language, updated in 1818 by Serbian linguist Vuk Stefanović Karadžić, Vuk Karadžić. It is one of the two alphabets used to write ...

Personal life

Petrovich married German singer and actress Friedel Schuster. He died of stomach cancer on 18 October 1962 in Munich,

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

and was interred in city's Nordfriedhof cemetery.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1918) * ''

'' (1919) * ''Homo immanis'' (1919) * ''A tizennegyedik'' (1920) - Jim Jeffries / Riche Richson * ''

'' (1920) * ''

'' (1920) * ''Die Gottesgeisel'' (1920) * ''A Szentmihály'' (1920) * ''Lengyelvér'' (1921) - Janek bujdosó * ''Farsangi mámor'' (1921) - Sir Richard Dennis ifjú arisztokrata * ''Veszélyben a pokol'' (1921) - Harry * ''Galathea'' (1921) * '' Navarro the Dancer'' (1922) - Mortensen * '' Certificates of Death'' (1923) * '' Koenigsmark'' (1923) - Lieutenant de Hagen * '' Un coquin'' (1923) - Callas / Quermec * ''

'' (1924) - Herbert Campbell, le poète * ''Az örszem'' (1924) * ''

Joyless Street ''Joyless Street'' (german: Die freudlose Gasse), also titled ''The Street of Sorrow'' or ''The Joyless Street'', is a 1925 German silent film directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst starring Greta Garbo and Asta Nielsen. It is based on a novel by Hugo ...

'' (1925) - Herr (unconfirmed, uncredited) * '' The Lady of Lebanon'' (1926) - Cpt. Lucien Domèvre * '' Grandstand for General Staff'' (1926) - Colonel Esterhazy * '' The Magician'' (1926) - Dr. Arthur Burdon * ''

'' (1926) - Pierre Bernier * '' The Garden of Allah'' (1927) - Father Adrien * ''

'' (1927) - Alexander - Russian Exile * ''

Prince or Clown ''Prince or Clown'' (German: ''Fürst oder Clown'') is a 1928 German silent film directed by Aleksandr Razumny and starring Marcella Albani, Barbara von Annenkoff and Iván Petrovich.Bock & Bergfelder p.398 Cast * Marcella Albani as Lydia *Bar ...

'' (1928) - Lucien Tréma * ''

'' (1928) - Franz Braun * ''

Morgane, the Enchantress ''Morgane, the Enchantress'' (French: ''Morgane la sirène'') is a 1928 French silent drama film directed by Léonce Perret and starring Claire de Lorez, Iván Petrovich and Pierre Renoir.Rège p.640 It was shot at the Victorine Studios in Nice ...

'' (1928) - Georges de Kerduel * '' Doctor Schäfer'' (1928) - Dr. Schäfer, Frauenarzt * ''

Secrets of the Orient ''Secrets of the Orient'' (german: Geheimnisse des Orients) is a 1928 German- French silent drama film directed by Alexandre Volkoff and starring Nikolas Kolin, Iván Petrovich and Dimitri Dimitriev.Bock p. 237 It was made at the Babelsberg S ...

'' (1928) - Prince Achmed * ''Corazones sin rumbo'' (1928) * '' The Tsarevich'' (1928) - Czarewitch * ''

'' (1928) - Philip Burlington * ''

'' (1929) - Ralph O'Connor Rodolpho * ''

His Majesty's Lieutenant ''His Majesty's Lieutenant'' (German: ''Der Leutnant Ihrer Majestät'') is a 1929 German silent romance film directed by Jacob Fleck and Luise FleckPrawer p.85 and starring Iván Petrovich, Agnes Esterhazy and Georg Alexander. It was shot at the ...

'' (1929) - Graf Georg Michailowitsch * '' The Favourite of Schonbrunn'' (1929) - Oberst Trenck * ''

There Is a Woman Who Never Forgets You ''There Is a Woman Who Never Forgets You'' (German: ''Es gibt eine Frau, die dich niemals vergißt'') is a 1930 German drama film directed by Leo Mittler and starring Iván Petrovich, Lil Dagover and Helene Fehdmer.Canziani p.306 It was origina ...

'' (1930) - Georg Moeller - der Sohn * ''Love and Champagne'' (1930) - Fritz von Hornthal * ''The King of Paris (1930 German film), The King of Paris'' (1930, German) - Don Pedro d'Alvarez * ''The King of Paris (1930 French-language film), The King of Paris'' (1930, French) - Pedro Gil * ''Boudoir diplomatique'' (1931) * ''

'' (1931) - Dr. Peter v. Bodo * '' Victoria and Her Hussar'' (1931) - Stefan Koltay, Husaren-Rittmeister * ''

'' (1931) - Prinz Orlofsky * ''Holzapfel Knows Everything'' (1932) - Stephan Berregi * ' (1931) - Le prince Orlofsky * ''Grandstand for General Staff (1932 film), Grandstand for General Staff'' (1932) - Rittmeister von Jennewein * ' (1932) - Doroschinsky * ''Manolescu, Prince of Thieves'' (1933) - George Manolescu * '' The Flower of Hawaii'' (1933) - Kapitän Harald Stone * ''Must We Get Divorced? (1933 film), Must We Get Divorced?'' (1933) - Edgar Radek * ''The Happiness of Grinzing'' (1933) - Hans Martin, der Postillon * '' Paganini'' (1934) - Paganini * ''Polish Blood'' (1934) - Graf Bolko Baransky * ''

'' (1934) - Oberleutnant Graf Dimitrij Sarrasow * ''The Red Rider (1935 film), The Red Rider'' (1935) - Rittmeister Otto von Wellisch * ''The Cossack and the Nightingale'' (1935) - Gregor Ogolenski * ''Königstiger'' (1935) - van Houten * ''Ungeküsst soll man nicht schlafen gehn'' (1936) - Prinz Carlo Alba * ''Three Girls Around Schubert'' (1936) - Furlani * ''Girls in White'' (1936) - Count Feodor Ivanowitsch Schuwalow * ''Women's Paradise'' (1936) - Gary Field, Flugzeugkonstrukteur * ''Woman's Love—Woman's Suffering'' (1937) - Hans Martenrood *''The Chief Witness (film), The Chief Witness'' (1937) - Stefan Laurin * ''Unter Ausschluß der Öffentlichkeit'' (1937) - Baron Gaffris * ''The Coral Princess'' (1937) - Marko Vukowitsch, Fliegeroffizier * ''Monika (1938 film), Monika'' (1938) - Dr. Michael Holt * ''Stronger Than Love'' (1938) * ''The Night of Decision (1938 film), The Night of Decision'' (1938) - Fernando Alvarez * ''Parkstrasse 13'' (1939) - Arno Molander * ''Central Rio'' (1939) - Ricardo Perez * ''Dein Leben gehört mir'' (1939) * ''

'' (1940) - Jan * ''Európa nem válaszol'' (1940) - Vincent Gordon * ''Életre ítéltek!'' (1941) - Csaba, ügyvéd * ''Magdolna'' (1942) - Detky, Pál * ''Einmal der liebe Herrgott sein'' (1942) - Professor Freiburg * ''Ópiumkeringö'' (1943) - Zongoramûvész,házigazda * ''Kalotaszegi Madonna'' (1943) - Karsady Géza * ''Magyar kívánsághangverseny'' (1944) - Szávody György, gyárigazgató * ''II. magyar kívánsághangverseny'' (1944) * ''

'' (1948) - Egressy, Staatsanwalt * ''Arlberg Express'' (1948) - Barna * ''Verlorenes Rennen'' (1948) * '' Eroica'' (1949) - Fürst Lichnovsky * ''Bonus on Death'' (1950) * ''Who Is This That I Love?'' (1950) - Andreas Ostenhof * ' (1950) - Der Maharadscha von Hatschipur * ''Czardas der Herzen'' (1951) - Tornay senior * ''Vienna as It Was'' (1951) * ''Desires (film), Desires'' (1952) - Direktor Wallberg * ''The Forester's Daughter (1952 film), The Forester's Daughter'' (1952) - Graf Paalen * ''The Devil Makes Three (film), The Devil Makes Three'' (1952) - Sigmund Neffs * ''Fritz and Friederike'' (1952) - Baumann, Offizier * ''They Call It Love'' (1953) - Gregory * ''Once I Will Return'' (1953) - Ruge * ''The Little Czar'' (1954) - Großherzog Feodor * ''

'' (1956) - Dr. Max Falk * ''Widower with Five Daughters'' (1957) - Mr. Pfefferkorn * ''Spring in Berlin'' (1957) - Michael Markoff * ''

'' (''Ascenseur pour l'échafaud'') (1958) - Horst Bencker * ''

'' (1959) - Szabó Bácsi * ''Forever my love'' (1962) - (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

*
Photographs of Iván Petrovich

{{DEFAULTSORT:Petrovich, Ivan 1894 births 1962 deaths 20th-century German male actors German male film actors German male silent film actors Serbian emigrants to Germany Serbian male film actors Serbian male silent film actors Actors from Novi Sad 20th-century German male singers 20th-century Serbian male singers