Mischa Auer

Actor

About

Also Known As

Mischa Ounskowski, Misha Auer

Birth Place

Russia

Born

November 17, 1905

Died

March 05, 1967

Cause of Death

Heart Attack

Biography

The tall Russian-born Mischa Auer is perhaps best remembered for his hilarious, scene-stealing performance as Alice Brady's gorilla-impersonating protege in the 1936 screwball classic "My Man Godfrey," which brought him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.Born and raised in St Petersburg, Russia, Auer moved to the USA after his parents' deaths. He began his career on the stage, work...

Filmography

Arrivederci, Baby! (1966)

Romeo

The Christmas That Almost Wasn't (1966)

Johnathan, the bookkeeper

We Joined the Navy (1962)

Nathalie Agent Secret (1960)

Cyril Boran

The Monte Carlo Story (1957)

Hector

Mr. Arkadin (1955)

The professor

Photos & Videos

View All

My Man Godfrey (1936) - (Re-issue Trailer)

Brewster's Millions (1945) -- (Movie Clip) On Our Way To The Poorhouse

Family & Companions

Norma Tillman

Wife

First wife; mother of Auer's two eldest children; married in 1931; divorced in 1940.

Joyce Hunter

Wife

Second wife; married from 1941 until 1950.

Susanne Kalisch

Wife

Third wife; mother of Auer's third child; divorced.

Elsie Souls Lee

Wife

Fourth wife; married in 1965 until his death.

Biography

Born and raised in St Petersburg, Russia, Auer moved to the USA after his parents' deaths. He began his career on the stage, working with Eva LeGallienne's acting troupe and later touring the USA with other theatrical groups. While performing on stage in "Magda," he was hired for his first screen role in "Something Always Happens" (1927) and spent the better part of the next decade relegated to playing "foreign" exotics in features like "The Unholy Garden" (1931) and "Sinister Hands" (1932) or playing small, inconsequential roles in support of some of the period's biggest stars like the Barrymore siblings in "Rasputin and the Empress" and Greta Garbo in "Mata Hari" (both 1932).

After his breakthrough turn in "My Man Godfrey," Auer continued to find plentiful work in Hollywood playing wildly humorous supporting roles, often as excitable middle-Europeans. He was genuinely funny in "You Can't Take It With You" (1938) and "Destry Rides Again" (1939) and enlivened "Hellzapoppin'" (1941) and the whodunit "And Then There Were None" (1945). By the late 1940s, however, Auer relocated to Europe where he continued to work until his 1967 fatal heart attack.

Filmography

Life Events

1920

Brought to the USA by his grandfather, violinist Leopold Auer after his parents' deaths

1927

Film acting debut, "Something Always Happens"

1932

Acted with the Barrymore siblings in "Rasputin and the Empress"

1932

Appeared with Greta Garbo in "Mata Hari"

1934

Co-starred in "Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back"

1935

Acted in "The Lives of a Bengal Lancer"

1936

Breakthrough screen role as Carlo, the "protege" of Mrs. Bullock (Alice Brady), "My Man Godfrey"; received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination

1937

Had leading role in "One Hundred Men and a Girl"

1938

Co-starred in "You Can't Take It With You"

1939

Featured in "Destry Rides Again"

1941

Starred in "Hellzapoppin'"

1945

Starred in "And Then There Were None"

1955

Co-starred in "Mister Arkadin", directed by Orson Wells

1966

Final film, "Drop Dead, Darling"

Photo Collections

You Can't Take It with You - Lobby Card Set

Here is a set of Lobby Cards from Frank Capra's You Can't Take It with You (1938). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.