Nathalie Bucknall

Nathalie Maria Bucknall (1895 – 1959), OBE, was a Russia-born screenwriter and MGM film researcher dubbed "The Woman Who Knows It All" during her time in Hollywood.

Biography

Origins Nathalie was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 1895 to wealthy, powerful parents: Her father, Ivan de Fedenko, was counselor of state. She attended the Civil Engineering College for Women and the College of St. Anne.

World War I Nathalie became a nurse in the Kauffman Sisterhood when World War I broke out, and was heavily decorated by the czar for her wartime contributions. In 1917, she joined the Battalion of Death, one of the only groups of women on the front lines of the war.

Arrival in the U.S. In 1918, they left Russia, and Nathalie was awarded with the Order of the British Empire. Nathalie had always wanted to come to America, and in 1922, she and her husband arrived in the United States. After traveling the country, they settled down in Los Angeles, and in 1927, Nathalie joined MGM's script department.

Her knowledge of Russia came in handy for a number of MGM productions filmed in the 1930s, including Rasputin and Anna Karenina. She also happened to speak Russian, German, French, and English fluently, and was proficient in Swedish, Italian, Spanish, and Norwegian, a major asset in her role at the studio. She died in Los Angeles in 1959.

Selected filmography

Five Little Peppers and How They Grow (1939) Four Girls in White (1939)