Alla Nazimova
In 1896, at seventeen, Leventon went to Moscow auditioning for the Philharmonic School. Within three months Leventon had spent her six months allowance, and was in a desperate financial need. It is around this same time that Leventon abandoned training as a violinist, began to realize her passion for theater, and changed her name to Alla Nazimova.
The lack of funds forced Nazimova to move into a cheap rooming house, clean out chamber pots and unsanitary linens, steal scraps of food, and prostitute herself in order to purchase some winter clothes.
At the peak of her Hollywood acting career, Nazimova earned the title of the highest paid actress in silent films.
This is her story...