Porfiry Podobed

Porfiri Artemyevich Podobed (; — 9 November 1965) was a Soviet film director, actor and manager at the Moscow Art Theatre.

Early life Porfiri Podobed came from a Russian Orthodox family of Artemy Podobed and Elena Fyodorovna Karry (1868–1932), a well-known opera singer at the Bolshoi Theatre and a stepsister of Vasily and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. In 1910 Porfiri finished the Sea Cadet Corps in Saint Petersburg in the rank of michman. As a Gardes-Marine he took part in the 1908 Messina earthquake rescue and was awarded for it. In 1909, he was promoted to midshipman, and on December 6, 1912, to lieutenant.

Career In 1918 Podobed took a managing position at the Moscow Art Theatre headed by his relative Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. He left it in 1919, but regained in 1921 following the demobilization and worked there up until 1926. He was one of the founders of the MKhAT Museum. His correspondence with Nemirovich-Danchenko contains many important facts about the theatre life during the New Economic Policy. Also in 1918 Podobed performed his first role in the Swamp Mirages drama movie directed by Victor Tourjansky and based on the Swamp Lights novel by Vasily Nemirovich-Danchenko. The film was released only in 1923 and is considered lost today.

In 1919 Podobed joined the Moscow Film School and then — the famous Kuleshov's Collective headed by Lev Kuleshov where he studied cinematography along with Vsevolod Pudovkin, Boris Barnet, Vladimir Fogel and other acclaimed actors/directors. Kuleshov highly regarded his discipline and commitment, and in 1924 he gave Podobed the leading role of a goofy American John West in one of the first Soviet comedies The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks. He later performed in several other movies by Kuleshov.

In 1929 Vsevolod Meyerhold decided to make his directorial debut with Eugeny Bazarov, a film adaptation of the Fathers and Sons novel by Ivan Turgenev. He invited Podobed to be his assistant. The troubled pre-production lasted for three years, and the movie was finally abandoned.

From 1930 to 1943 Podobed worked predominately with Yakov Protazanov, first as a camera assistant and then — as an assistant director and a co-director. From 1942 on he worked at Mosnauchfilm (known as Voentechfilm during the World War II) dedicated to popular science and educational films. He also taught filmmaking from 1920 to 1939.

Filmography Year Title Original title Function Role 1918/1923 Swamp Mirages (lost film) Болотные миражи 1924 The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks Необычайные приключения мистера Веста в стране большевиков Mr. John West 1925 The Death Ray Луч смерти engineer Podobed 1926 By the Law По закону Dutchy 1927 The Yellow Ticket Земля в плену 1929 Eugeny Bazarov (unfinished film) Евгений Базаров The Living Corpse Живой труп Adventures of Munchausen (animation) Похождения Мюнхгаузена cameo 1930/1935 St. Jorgen's Day Праздник святого Йоргена 1931 The Thaw Ледолом 1932 The House of the Dead Мёртвый дом Horizon Горизонт Dan 1934 Marionettes Марионетки 1936 About Oddities of Love О странностях любви 1937 Youth Юность 1940 Salavat Yulayev Салават Юлаев 1956 Automatic Workshop (documentary) Цех-автомат 19?? Toys Игрушки