EUGENIE LEONTOVICH - AUTOGRAPH NOTE SIGNED - HFSID 83473

EUGENIE LEONTOVICH
The renowned Russian stage actress offers her best wishes to a fan, signs name in black ink
Autograph note signed: "To Kayo/ with best/ wishes -/ Eug. Leontovich" in black ink. 4½x3 card. Eugenie Leontovich (1900-1993) was a Russian-born American stage actress who also appeared on film and television, described as "one of the most colorful figures of the 20th-century theatre, a successful actress, producer, playwright and teacher". Born in Moscow, after studying at the city's Imperial School of Dramatic Art and the Moscow Art Theatre, Leontovich suffered tragedy when her father and brothers, officers in the Russian Imperial Army, were murdered by the Bolsheviks during the Revolution; she eventually found her way to New York and mastered English, leading her to Broadway stardom. She was first noticed as the dancer Grusinkaya in Grand Hotel (1930), and went on to appear as Lilly Garland in Twentieth Century (1932), and on the West End as Archduchess in Tovarich (1935). Leontovich originated the role of the Dowager Empress in the Broadway production of Anastasia (1954), the Queen in Cave Dwellers (1957) for which she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in 1958, and Mademoiselle Kuprin in A Call on Kuprin (1961), and in 1972 wrote her own adaptation of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, going on to star and direct the production. She often appeared on film in productions of The Rains of Ranchipur (1955) and The Rains Came (1939). She spent the rest of her life as a teacher, referred to as "Madame" at her schools in New York and Chicago. Toned. Toned stain in left margin. Corners rounded. Ink and pencil notes on verso in unknown hand. Otherwise, fine condition.