Ludmilla Pitoëff

Ludmilla Pitoëff was a Russian-born French stage actress whose career was mainly in the theatres of Paris. She also appeared in London and New York, as well as in some films.

Life and career

Born in Tiflis in the Russian Empire on 25 December 1896 as Ludmila Iakovlevna Smanova, Pitoëff made her stage debut in Geneva, after marrying the actor Georges Pitoëff in 1915. The Pitoëffs arrived in Paris in 1919. She appeared at venues in Paris including the Théâtre des Arts, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier, and the Théâtre des Mathurins. Among her stage appearances were Au Seuil du royaume, La Puissance des tenebres, Saint Jeanne, Comme çi ou comme ça, Sardanapale, Mdlle. Bourat, Jean le Maufranc and Hamlet,.
She made her London stage debut in 1930 playing Jeanne in Saint Jeanne – to the displeasure of the author who complained that she did nothing but snivel and cry, leaving out all the strong lines, and then as Marguerite Gautier in La Dame aux camélias. Returning to London in 1933 she played the title role in Strindberg's Miss Julie, given in French as Mademoiselle Julie. Back in Paris she played five parts in La Ronde, Nora Helmer in Une Maison de poupée, Mary Meng in Joe et cie and appeared in Gants blancs, and revivals of Hamlet and Saint Jeanne.
In 1935 she played Mimi in Çe soir on improvise and Nadine in Le Chocolat soldat, and appeared in Merveilleux alliage. In 1936 she appeared in La Folle du ciel, Poncette and as Gemma in Tu ne m'echapperas jamais. During 1937 she played in Aural et la lettre du roi and Le Voyageur sans bagage. Her obituary in Le Figaro mentions other plays in which she appeared with distinction, including The Wild Duck, Six Characters in Search of an Author, The Seagull and Uncle Vanya.
After her husband's death in 1939 Pitoëff went to the United States and in 1944 made her Broadway debut as Madame Fisher in The House in Paris. She also appeared in films including La Danseuse rouge, Mollenard and Les Eaux troubles.
The Pitoëffs had seven children, two of whom, Svetlana and Sacha, continued the family's theatrical tradition. Having been in poor health for some time, but continuing to work, Pitoëff died in Paris on 15 September 1951, aged 54. She was buried alongside her husband in the cemetery at Genthod, Geneva.