From Russia to Hollywood is a 2002 documentary about Michael Chekhov and George Shdanoff, two legendary acting teachers whose students were some of the top Hollywood stars in the years following World War II. Chekov was originally an actor who fled Russia during the Bolshevik revolution, and Shdanoff was a Russian emigre living in Germany. The two founded an acting school in Germany, quickly gaining a strong following. They both escaped to America before World War II and founded an acting school based on their reputation earned in Germany. Students of their acting school included James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Anthony Quinn, Jack Palance and Leslie Caron. Their acting "method" contrasted with the more famous teachers of the time, like Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler, and concentrated more on character development rather than utilizing personal traumas. Interview subjects include actors Lloyd Bridges, Patricia Neal, Robert Stack and Time film critic Richard Schickel. From Russia to Hollywood is narrated by Gregory Peck and directed by Frederick Keeve.moreless
