Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff[a] (born Hovakim Tamiryants;[b][1] October 29, 1899 – September 17, 1972) was an Armenian-American actor of film, stage, and television. One of the premier character actorsofHollywood's Golden Age,[2] Tamiroff developed a prolific career despite his thick accent, appearing in at least 80 motion pictures over a span of 37 years.[3]
Ակիմ Թամիրով
Born
Hovakim Tamiryants
Died
Alma mater
Occupation
Actor
Years active
1919–1972
Spouse
He was nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in The General Died at Dawn (1936) and For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), winning the first ever Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for the latter. Orson Welles, a friend and oft-collaborator, praised him as "the greatest of all screen actors."[4]
Tamiroff was born Hovakim Tamiryants (Armenian: Հովակիմ Թամիրյանց) to Armenian parents[5] living in the Russian Empire. Different sources cite either Tiflis[6] (in modern-day Georgia) or Baku[3] (in modern-day Azerbaijan) as his places of birth. His father was an oil worker, and his mother a seamstress. He trained at the Moscow Art Theatre drama school for nine years from the age of 19,[7] where he was a pupil of Konstantin Stanislavski. During that time, he changed his name to the russified moniker Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff (Russian: Аким Михайлович Тамиров).
During his time at the Moscow Art Theatre, he became acquainted with fellow Armenian Nikita Balieff. Following the Russian Revolution, Tamiroff and several other émigrés joined Balieff in Paris to form the La Chauve-Souris touring revue.[2]
He arrived in the U.S. for the first time in January 1923 on a three-month tour with the revue and starred in a repertory of Russian plays directed by Stanislavski. He returned in November and stayed until 1924. His final trip with them was in October 1927 when he decided to stay permanently.[3][8][9] He joined the Theatre GuildinNew York City, where he met his wife Tamara Shayne. Both were later naturalized as United States citizens.
Tamiroff's film debut came in 1932 in an uncredited role in Okay, America!. He performed in several more uncredited roles until 1935, when he appeared in The Lives of a Bengal Lancer. He also appeared in the lavish epic China Seas in 1935 with Clark Gable, Wallace Beery, Jean Harlow, Rosalind Russell and Robert Benchley. The following year, he was cast in the titular role in The General Died at Dawn. He appeared in the 1937 musical High, Wide, and Handsome with Irene Dunne and Randolph Scott, and the 1938 proto-noir Dangerous to Know opposite Anna May Wong, frequently singled out as his best role.[10]
In the following decade, he appeared in such films as The Buccaneer (1938) with Fredric March, The Great McGinty (1940), The Corsican Brothers (1941), Tortilla Flat (1942) with Spencer Tracy, Hedy Lamarr and John Garfield, Five Graves to Cairo (1943) with Erich von StroheimasField Marshal Erwin Rommel, Frank Borzage's His Butler's Sister (1943), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) with Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman,[11] for which he received another Oscar nomination,[3] and Preston Sturges' The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944). Though ethnically Armenian, his many character roles included such ethnicities as Russian, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, French, German, Greek, Egyptian, Polish, Turkish, Malayan, Tartar, Gypsy, and Jew
In later years, Tamiroff appeared in Ocean's 11 (1960) with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin's Rat Pack, Topkapi (1964) with Peter Ustinov and Melina Mercouri, Lord Jim with Peter O’Toole and Alphaville (1965), Marquis de Sade: Justine (1969) by Jesús Franco. He also had a long collaboration with Orson Welles including Mr Arkadin (1955), Touch of Evil (1958) with Charlton Heston, The Trial (1962), and as Sancho Panza in Welles's unfinished version of Don Quixote.[12][13]
In 1944, Tamiroff was the first Golden Globe Award winner for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his work in For Whom the Bell Tolls.[14]
He was twice nominated for Academy Awards, both times for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. The first was for his work in The General Died at Dawn, and the second was for his work in For Whom the Bell Tolls.[3] Both these films starred Gary Cooper.
For his contributions to the American film industry, Tamiroff received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for motion pictures at 1634 Vine Street.[15][16]
Tamiroff's accepted birth year was 1899, although in at least two instances this appeared to be different. In his second trip to America in November 1923[17] his age is given as 27 and in the 1930 census as 32.[18] He married fellow actress Tamara Shayne, with whom he performed nightclub acts,[3] in February 1933[19]inLos Angeles. Yet, according to the above-mentioned 1930 census, the couple was living in Chicago, Illinois, as married under the (misspelled) name Tameriroff.[18] It appears also that this was his second marriage.
Tamiroff was fluent in five languages – Armenian, Russian, English, French, and Italian.
While Tamiroff may not be a household name now, his malapropistic performance as the boss in The Great McGinty is thought to have been the inspiration for the cartoon character Boris Badenov,[20] the male half of the villainous husband-and-wife team Boris and Natasha on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.[21] He was also spoofed in a 1969 episode of the TV show H.R. Pufnstuf entitled "The Stand-in" in which a frog named "Akim Toadanoff" directs a movie on Living Island. He is mentioned in J.D. Salinger's "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut" (New Yorker, 1942), and Walker Percy's 1961 novel The Moviegoer.[22]
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1932
Bit Role
Uncredited
1933
Moscow Hotel Clerk
Delegate to The Debt Conference
Colonel
The Hotel Waiter
Gypsy Fiddler
Adjutant
Pedro
1934
Deaf-Mute Bus Passenger
Riccori
Paul Wengler
Peter Korotoff
Mr. Slavko
Uncredited
French Jeweller
Pablo
Granin
Uncredited
Maxim's Manager
Poupolis
General Salazaro
Manager of Hotel
1935
Emir
Le Turc
Giuseppe
Tony
Uncredited
Rudolpho
Sokolsky
Chef At Wedding
Uncredited
Mexican In La Cucaracha Cantina
Cafe Manager
Paul Romanoff
Spellek
Boris
Taxi Driver
Mirov
Uncredited
1936
Dr. Zaranoff
Major Avilia
Joe Ramirez De La Valle
Carlo Cibo
General Yang
Nominated- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Karen Neg
Unknown
Unfinished
1937
Ed "Big Ed" Bullock
Ogareff
Steve Kalkas
The Great Gambini
Joe Varese
Tartar Chieftain
Uncredited
1938
Dominique You
Stephan Recka
"Red" Skain
Mike Balan
1939
Mayor Peter Karloca
Frank Baturin
Fiesta
Jules LaCroix / President Alvarado
Tony, The Window Washer
Dr. "Tubby" Forster
1940
Paul Kriza
Joe Easter
The Boss
Dan Duroc
Mio Pio
1941
Stefan Janowski
Baron Colonna
1942
The Lamb (voice)
Uncredited
Pablo
1943
Farid
Pablo
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Nominated- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Popoff
1944
The Boss
Uncle Pio
Wu Lien
Prince Gregory Stroganovsky
1945
Jim Arnold
1946
Emile Vernet
1947
Chato Vasquez
Nick Jammey
1948
Mr. Grumbach
Joe Faringo
1949
Lieutenant Glysko
Gitano
1953
Private Plevko
1954
Captain George One
The President of Agraria
1955
Cartouche
Il Marchese Di Salpiere
Carlo Serra
Jakob Zouk
1956
Odo
Boris Andreevich Chernov
1957
Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst
Colonel Peng
1958
Joe "Uncle Joe" Grandi
Szabuniewicz
1959
The Merchant
1960
Spyros Acebos
1961
La moglie di mio marito
Presidente Agenzia Pubblicitaria
Teiresias
Vadim Romanoff
The Director
'O Zingaro
Khan of the Tartars
1962
Bishop Durso
Bloch
1964
Marquis de Vigogne
Pandowski
Gerven, The Cook
Spuit Elf
Bakker / Brandmeester
1965
Monsignor Arcudi
Segment: "Monsignor Cupido"
Schomberg
Frank Kramer
Henri Dickson
Professor Lambaré / Dr. Kha
Sheriek
1966
Max Portesi
Tanamashu
Cesare
Segment: "Il marito di Olga"
Okra
Un gangster venuto da Brooklyn
Joe Montano
Anniello
1967
Professor Hans Koniglich
Basilio
Monsieur Lecoq
Unknown
Unfinished
1968
O tutto o niente
Pigsty / Dean Light
Uncle Egidio
Sergeant
1969
General Romero
Deleted role
Du Harpin
Papa
Death of a Jew
Inspector Mehdaloun
1972
Unfinished, filmed between 1955 and 1969
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1952
Unknown
Episode: "Trouble in Pier Twelve"
1954
The Black Forest
Baron Von Moribund
Television film
1955
The Chocolate Soldier
Major Ludek
Television film
Nick Verdis
Episode: "Broadway"
Albert Ganz
Episode: "To Wake at Midnight"
1956
Mendoza
Episode: "One Forty Two"
Episode: "This Is Villa"
1957
Mr. Anagnos
Episode: "The Miracle Worker"
General Otakar Zandek
Episode: "The Great Sebastians"
1958
The Governor
Episode: "Cole Porter's 'Aladdin'"
Unknown
Episode: "The Inspector General"
Cesar Tiffauges
Episode: "New Orleans Menace"
1959
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Tony
Episode: "Love Is a Headache"
1960
Eyulf
2 episodes
Andy Baranov
Episode: "The Assassins"
Captain Farago
Episode: "Thunder in the Night"
1961
Joe Muharich
Episode: "The Joe Muharich Story"
1962
Sam Benjamin
Episode: "Blues for the Left Foot"
Inspector Boulanger
Episode: "View from the Eiffel Tower"
Captain Farago
Episode: "Thunder in the Night"
1962–1963
Emil Pappas / Demetru Lapesku
2 episodes
1963
John Solasky
Episode: "The Trial of Twenty-Two"
Goldstein
Episode: "A Pelican in the Wilderness"
1966
Chairman Georgi Koz
Episode: "The Jingle Bells Affair"
1969
"Papa Bear"
Episode: "Pilot"
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