Fifteen years ago the pale Little Father of All the Russias stood with his family in a cellar at Ekaterinburg while Lettish soldiers shot him down. Those of his followers and courtiers who could, fled the country, moving in two general directions, one through Constantinople toward Paris and the U. S., the other all the way across Siberia to Harbin and Shanghai. By education and temperament no emigr#233;s in history were worse equipped for facing life than the White Russians. In the East, Russian girls became dancing partners and gentlemen's companions. In the West, Russian men became taxi drivers, engineers, bankers. They also became gigolos and husbands.
For 15 years the world has sympathized with the struggles of the White Russians. In Shanghai last month hundreds of them were out on the street corners, selling little white flowers "for charity." The sight caused an outburst from the China Digest. Excerpts :
"Very few other nationalities ask for alms (outside of the Chinese, and the Russians resent being classed with the Chinese). . . . They contribute to no other charities. Other people should not be asked to contribute to theirs. . . . The Russian community has done nothing except to sit back and let others support it."
One White Russian family which never sat back in its efforts to get others to support it was much in the news last week: the "Marrying Mdivanis" of Georgia. In 1923 a General Zakhari Mdivani appeared in Paris. As a Mohammedan chieftain of the Caucasus, he was recognized as a Bey or Prince by the Russian Imperial Court. which acknowledged all Georgian "Princes" possessed of a pair of shoes, a stone house, a flock of sheep and a rifle. Prince Mdivani (pronounced Mmmdivani) had little money, but. as a Circassian Cornelia, he had his jewels; five children, all very good looking.
First to go to work was the Princess Roussadana who had a small talent in sculpture. She went to Hollywood to make busts of cinemactors, quickly discovered that titles were more salable than statuary. With her first commissions she began importing her brothers.
First to arrive was Brother David, the oldest and shaggiest. At that time Gloria Swanson had just married a French Marquis. Pouting blonde Mae Murray, then at the height of her career, decided that she too could afford a title. She took as her fourth husband Prince David Mdivani. With David married. Brother Serge, the handsomest, promptly arrived, to be snapped up by Pola Negri.
As husbands, the two Hollywood Mdivanis proved an expensive luxury. With the first pinch of Depression, Pola Negri decided to get rid of her handsome Prince Serge. While Mae Murray was pondering whether to divorce her David, he and Brother Serge struck oil back of her bath house at Venice, Calif. They organized the Pacific Shore Oil Co. with Actress Murray putting up most of the cash. Stock was sold to every available member of the cinema colony. Divorced by Pola Negri, Serge's second venture was to marry Chicago Opera Singer Mary McCormic.