Mikhail Rasumny

Biography

Mikhail Rasumny, born on May 13, around 1884 in Odessa, Russian Empire, and passing away on February 17, 1956, in the United States, was a prominent film actor whose career spanned both the Soviet Union and America. His birth year is often debated, as a passenger list from February 1935 indicated he was 51 at the time, suggesting he was born in either 1883 or 1884 instead of the 1890 date cited in various sources.

Rasumny hailed from a musical family, being the son of the esteemed cantor Solomon (Ephroim Zalmen) Razumny, who held the position of chief cantor in several choral synagogues across Kishinev, Nikolayev, and Odessa. After his father's death in 1905, he relocated to Saint Petersburg, where he embarked on his theatrical journey. His artistic pursuits later took him to Moscow and then, in 1927, to Berlin.

In 1933, Rasumny established the Yiddish revue theater "Der Kundes" in Paris, followed by the formation of another Yiddish company, "Parizer Azazel," in 1934. His ventures culminated in 1938 when he founded the Yiddish Dramatic Studio in New York, which contributed significantly to the cultural landscape of Yiddish theater in America. He was interred at Beth Olam Cemetery in Los Angeles, leaving behind a rich legacy in the performing arts.