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Olga Vladimirovna Baklanova (August 19, 1896
– September 6, 1974) was a Russia|Russian
actor|actress.

Born in Moscow, Russia, Baclanova was the daughter
of Vladimir Baklonoff and his wife Alexandra,
herself an actress in early Russian films. 
Baclonova studied drama at the Cherniavsky
Institute in Russia before being accepted into the
prestigious Moscow Art Theatre in 1912.   Over the
next decade she appeared in Russian films, and
also performed extensively on stage, touring and
performing in many countries of the world.

During a 1925 performance in New York, New
York|New York she defected and decided to follow a
life and career in the USA.  A statuesque blonde,
Baclanova quickly established herself as a popular
actress in American silent movies and achieved a
notable success with The Docks of New York (1928).
 The introduction of sound film|talking films
proved difficult for her, as audiences did not
respond to her heavy Russian accent.  She no
longer secured leading roles, and was relegated to
supporting roles.  Her career was in decline when
she was offered the role of the cruel circus
performer Cleopatra in the 1932 film Freaks.   The
film was highly controversial and only screened
briefly, and it would be thirty years before it
achieved a following as a cult film. It did not
revive her film career which ended in 1943.

Baclanova worked extensively on stage in West End
of London|London's West End and in New York, for
about ten years from the mid 1930s.

After her retirement she settled in Vevey,
Switzerland where she died after several years of
poor health.
gl:Olga Baclanova