''In the Service of the Tsar'' (French: ''Au service du tsar'') is a 1936 French

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

drama film directed by Pierre Billon and starring

Pierre Richard-Willm Pierre Richard-Willm (3 November 1895 – 12 April 1983) was a French stage and film actor during the 1930s and 1940s."Pierre Richard-Willm" aCiné-Ressources Retrieved 1 November 2020. Biography Pierre Richard-Willm (originally Alexandre-P ...

, Véra Korène and

Suzy Prim Suzy Prim (11 October 1896 – 7 July 1991) was a French actress. She was born Suzanne Mariette Arduini in Paris and died in 1991 in Boulogne-Billancourt. She began her screen career as a child actress during the silent era. Selected filmo ...

.Bessy & Chirat p.172 It was shot at the

Joinville Studios The Joinville Studios were a film studio in Paris which operated between 1910 and 1987. They were one of the leading French studios, with major companies such as Pathé and Gaumont Film Company, Gaumont making films there. A second studio was a ...

Pathé Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...

in Paris. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Ludwig Kainer Ludwig Kainer (28 June 1885 – 25 April 1967) was a German graphic artist, draftsman, painter, illustrator, film architect and costume designer. Early life Kainer was born in Munich. He studied medicine before turning to art. During a sta ...

and

Aimé Bazin Aimé Bazin (1904-1984) was a French art director.Andrew p.162 He was educated at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts before entering the film industry. He worked on more than forty productions during his career. Selected filmography ...

Synopsis

In the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

at the turn of the 20th century, an attractive female revolutionary enlist the unwitting help of an army officer to cross the border. She plans to assassinate a

grand duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. The title is used in some current and former independent monarchies in Europe, particularly: * in ...

, but romantic complications fall in the way.

Cast

as Le comte Michel Androvitch Tomsky * Véra Korène as Anna Raditsch *

as La comtesse Olga Belsky *

Roger Karl Roger Karl (29 April 1882 – 4 May 1984) was a French actor. Karl was born Roger Trouvé in Bourges. Biography A friend of Paul Léautaud he long hesitated between literary career, painting and theater. He first published his Journal under th ...

as Le grand-duc Pierre *

Alfred Adam Alfred Roger Adam (4 April 1908 – 7 May 1982) was a French stage and film character actor, who usually played weak or villainous roles. Selected filmography *''Speedway'' (1929) - Doctor (uncredited) *'' La Kermesse Héroïque'' (1935) - Jos ...

as Ossip *

Pierre Alcover Pierre Alcover (14 March 1893 – 14 November 1957) was a French stage and film actor. He starred in 40 films between 1918 and 1943. In 1920 he starred in the film '' Champi-Tortu''. One of his most notable performances was in Marcel L'Herbier ...

as Le général Platoff *

Marcel André Marcel André (2 January 1885 – 13 October 1974) was a French film actor.Goble p.87 Selected filmography * ''Si l'empereur savait ça'' (1930) - Albert (Master of the Horse) * ''Soyons gais'' (1930) - Townley * ''Le père célibataire'' (1931) ...

as L'amiral *

Junie Astor Rolande Jeanne Risterucci (1911–1967), better known as Junie Astor, was a French actress. Selected filmography * ''Skylark'' (1934) * ''Stradivarius'' (1935) * ''The Lower Depths'' (1936) * ''Women's Club'' (1936) * ''In the Service of the Tsa ...

as Lucie Leroy *

Léon Bary Léon Bary (6 June 1880 – 7 January 1954) was a French actor. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1916 and 1955.

as L'ami de Tomsky *

Marcel Herrand Marcel Herrand (; 8 October 1897 – 11 June 1953) was a French stage and film actor best remembered for his roles in swashbuckling or historical films. He appeared in over 25 films between 1932 and 1952, but Herrand's best remembered role i ...

as Un officier russe au bal *

Sylvain Itkine Sylvain is the French form of Silvanus. It may refer to: People *Sylvain Lancelot (born 2005), Valorant professional *Sylvain Archambault (born 1963), Canadian director * Sylvain Bied (1965–2011), French footballer and manager *Sylvain Cappell ...

as Un révolutionnaire *

Odette Talazac Odette Pauline Talazac (; 6 May 1883 – 29 March 1948) was a French singer and stage and film actress.Capua p.129 Talazac was the daughter of tenor Jean-Alexandre Talazac and his wife, the soprano Hélène Fauvelle. She began her career singing ...

as La baronne

References

Bibliography

* Bessy, Maurice & Chirat, Raymond. ''Histoire du cinéma français: 1935–1939''. Pygmalion, 1986. * Crisp, Colin. ''Genre, Myth and Convention in the French Cinema, 1929–1939''. Indiana University Press, 2002. * Rège, Philippe. ''Encyclopedia of French Film Directors, Volume 1''. Scarecrow Press, 2009.

External links

* 1936 films French drama films 1936 drama films 1930s French-language films French black-and-white films 1930s French films Films directed by Pierre Billon Films set in the 1900s French historical films 1930s historical films Films set in Russia Films shot at Joinville Studios {{1930s-France-film-stub