Feodor Chaliapin, Jr.

Feodor Chaliapin, Jr. (Russian: Фёдор Фёдорович Шаля́пин; October 6, 1905 - September 17, 1992), was the son of operatic bass Feodor Chaliapin and namesake of the world's greatest Operatic Bass of the twentieth century. Fedorovich(=Russian "-vich"= son of") was born in Moscow, Russia, and had a distinguished career in acting throughout Europe, mainly in Italy. His mother was Iola Tornagi, a noted ballerina, who quit Ballet and acting to take care of Feodor and his 5 other siblings. When the Russian Revolution came the Chaliapin's attempted to continue to live in Russia but things became impossible especially after the Bolsheviks reputedly confiscated his father's property. Along with many other Russian émigrés, part of the family immigrated to Paris in 1924 via Finland, which the Senior Chaliapin used as his world base and like other emigres and members of their families---often ended up living in the United States as Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Rachmaninoff did and for a while so did Prokofiev.

Chaliapin, Jr. spent his early life in the shadow of his famous father---the greatest Operatic Bass singer of the 19th and 20th century in Paris. He received an excellent education in Moscow and grew up in a family that spoke three languages. Chaliapin, Jr., lived in Moscow until 1924 immigrating to Paris to be with his father leaving behind his mother and the rest of the family. Chaliapin,jr knew some of the greatest composers and conductors of the 20th century and particularly Sergei Rachmaninoff--a personal family friend and teacher of his father. Tired of living in his father's shadow in Paris; Chaliapin, jr struck out on his own moving to Hollywood where he began his film career in Silent Movies, where his then heavy accent would not be heard in the small bit parts he played and later years ---talkies---achieving International stardom late in life in more major roles. He was born the twin of his sister, Tatiana Chaliapin Chernoff who outlived him along with nieces and other relatives.

Chaliapin, Jr. is probably most remembered by modern audiences in the classic The Name of the Rose where he played the venerable Jorge de Burgos. He had a major role in Inferno. He also played the grandfather in Moonstruck (1987) with Cher, Nicholas Cage, Olympia Dukakis and Danny Aiello--one of his most memorable roles. The producers in deciding to hire him for this role asked Sean Connery ("James Bond")and Mr. Connery is reputed to have said---"he's great but he will steal the show." He also played the role of Leonides Cox, Robert De Niro's father in Stanley & Iris (1990). His last notable film role was as Professor Bartnev in The Inner Circle (1991), a true story about Soviet Russia under the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin---however none of these films have achieved the glory for him that "Moonstruck" did.

In one of his briefest roles---he dies in the arms of Gary Cooper in the opening scenes of For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) based on Ernest Hemingway's novel of the same name. Regrettably, he was never called on to play the part of Piotr Tchaikovsky whom he resembled a great deal in his elder years.

Of his early film roles---one of the most memorable was in Viktor Tourjansky's The Prisoner of the Volga,(1959) which also has other titles. Most of his filmography lies in Italian Films most of which have never reached American Screens but among them are supposedly the films of Fellini.

Chaliapin, Jr was united with his mother then 87 years old in Rome in 1960. His mother's emigration which was helped by the reforms (the so-called "thaw" of then Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. The price of this was the leaving behind of a museum-quality home and a magnificent art collection in Moscow as collected by Feodor Chaliapin Sr. The only object of art permitted to leave Russia were photographic albums of Chaliapin, Jr's childhood and youth in Moscow.

Mikhail Gorbachev, last Premier of the Soviet and under whose rule the Soviet Union died, instituted reforms known as Perestroika. Under these reforms, Chaliapin was able to remove his father's remains from Paris to Moscow's Novodevichy Cemetery-- the grave of which is marked by a White Marble statue of Feodor Chaliapin, Sr.

In 1992, Chaliapin, Jr. died in Rome, Italy where he had lived since World War II, according to the New York Times, after an illness and of natural causes. He was survived by his siblings and their children.

External links

Obituary---New York Times, Arts section Sunday, September 14, 2008(sic)(originally published: October 1, 1992)by WOLFGANG SAXON.

"Moonstruck: DVD MGM; Special features section.

• Feodor Chaliapin, Jr. at the Internet Movie Database