Richard Marner
Great Britain- Richard Marner: A British Actor of Russian Descent
- Early Life and Emigration
- Educational Background and Early Career
- World War II and Acting Career
- Notable Works
- Later Years and Legacy
Richard Marner: A British Actor of Russian Descent
Richard Marner was a British actor of Russian descent who played numerous military roles in spy and war films and TV series. One of Marner's most famous roles was Colonel Kurt von Strohm in the British sitcom 'Allo 'Allo!'.
Early Life and Emigration
Marner, whose birth name was Alexander Molchanov, was born on March 27, 1921, in Petrograd, Soviet Union. His father served in the Semyonovsky Regiment, one of the two legendary military units initiated by Tsar Peter the Great (the other being the Preobrazhensky Regiment), at a time when he was still the crown prince. In 1924, the entire Molchanov family managed to emigrate from Russia. They first went to Finland, then Germany, and finally settled in the United Kingdom. In London, on Harley Street, a street known for its concentration of highly esteemed doctors, lived Alexander's maternal grandmother, Olga Novikova, who was nicknamed "Grandma London." His great-grandmother was called "Grandma Claridge," after a luxurious hotel in central London where she had the habit of staying when visiting the UK.
Educational Background and Early Career
Alexander Molchanov attended Monmouth School, a private boarding school for boys located in southeast Wales. Monmouth School, founded in 1614, is not only one of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom but also quite expensive, indicating that the family managed to preserve at least a portion of their wealth. Sasha, as he was known, was fluent in and spoke four languages - Russian, English, French, and German. After school, he worked as an assistant to the renowned opera tenor Vladimir Rosing, who was performing at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden at the time.
World War II and Acting Career
With the outbreak of World War II, Alexander Molchanov joined the Royal Air Force and, as part of the RAF Cadet Corps, was sent to South Africa. After being discharged from the service due to health reasons, Alexander changed his name to the more English-sounding "Richard Marner" and embarked on a long and successful career as a stage and screen actor. One of his earliest and most memorable theatrical roles was Count Dracula, which is still considered a highly successful interpretation of the Carpathian vampire.
Notable Works
In 1950, Marner made his big-screen debut as an SS Colonel in the drama film 'Lilli Marlene'. Among his works, which include approximately 80 films and TV series, are the fifth James Bond film 'You Only Live Twice', the thriller 'The Boys from Brazil' about a Nazi criminal, the Cold War detective film 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold', the classic drama 'The African Queen', and the Swiss film 'Four in a Jeep', in which Marner delivered all his lines in Russian. However, his most famous and beloved role remains that of a German Colonel in the popular sitcom 'Allo 'Allo!', which aired for 10 years from 1982 to 1992. Marner's final film was the 2002 detective film 'The Sum of All Fears', in which he portrayed the President of Russia.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1991, at the initiative of Boris Yeltsin, the first President of Russia, the First Congress of Compatriots took place in Moscow. This event was a symbolic gesture extended by the new Russian government to representatives of the Russian diaspora abroad, particularly to the descendants of the White Army. Richard Marner was one of the 600 people invited to visit the land of their ancestors. Despite the attempted coup d'état in August 1991, Marner stayed in Russia long enough to witness the tears of joy as the tricolor flag of the Russian Empire was raised over Moscow for the first time in over 70 years.
Richard Marner married actress Polina Farr in 1947, and they remained together for his entire life. Offstage, Polina used her husband's surname and introduced herself as Polina Molchanoff. They had a daughter named Helen, who blessed them with three grandchildren.
Richard Marner passed away on March 18, 2004, in Perth, Scotland, at the age of 82.
