Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna - Amy Irving

[Michelle]

Oh! How I wish that the director/producer of The Mystery of Anna would've elaborated more on the parts of the Grand Duchesses in the beginning (i.e. Olga, Tatiana, and Maria), at least having them talk!  I am also absolutely DYING to know who the actresses were who played them--especially the one who played Olga!  Wow!  She was gorgeous!!  She does kind of remind me a lot of Olga, like in the pictures from 1914 (I think ) where Olga's leaning on a table with her elbow. . . It's absolutely charming, and I always think of that actress from The Mystery of Anna who played her.  Again, anyone know who she and the rest of the duchesses were??

[LisaDavidson]

The IMDB does not name any of the actresses who played the Grand Duchesses, apart from Anastasia, of course.

[Michelle]

Bummer  

[Janet_W.]

Just received an e-mail from a lady in Canada asking how she might order Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna.

She is especially eager to obtain a copy since her mother would like to see it.

Anyone have suggestions? I purchased my copy ages ago, so I'm shorting out on this one.

Many thanks in advance!

[Rhon]

Quite a few sellers on Amazon are offering it both used and new. Search for it under the title and the page will come up where you can see all the sellers listings.

[Angie_H]

Question: how did AA feel about the movies that were made on her claims?

[Evanescence]

AA wasn't alive at the time Anastasia: The mystery of Anna was filmed. But a even more popular movie based on her was made in the 50's (when she was alive) what did she think of that one? Did she even watch it?

[RealAnastasia]

Hi:

     I read somewhere here that some of you saw this awful movie named "Anastasia...Ana's story" starring Amy Irving. I liked it...until I read the REAL Anna Anderson's story. I'm not against fantasy in historical movies, but you must be very careful in them if you wanted not to change the whole story. You may believe Ana Anderson or not...but this movie WASN'T her biography at all.

     She NEVER meet her family and friends in a train; she NEVER had a sweet, handsome and absolutely great lover as Prince Erich...For there NEVER was such a Prince. He was an entirely made up character.  Gleb's last name was not Markov, and her sister wasn't named Irina. Gilliard was nothing as he was in real life and "Sasha" (Shura) Tegleva, was not an old woman married to a man 20 years younger than her (at least!  ) . When she was in New York, Gleb NEVER left her friend alone, shouting to her face that he didn't know who in h... she was. And of course, Ana NEVER meet Cyrill. NEVER.   She never become happy (even if she wasn't GD Anastasia I think her life was very sad and she never could reach happyness for a reason or another) and he didn't have the luck to know a wonderful guy as Erik was.

                 As for the first part of the movie, I can't said I like it neither...Gilliard teaching the Tsar's children how to speak GERMAN!!!??? HUGH! Family and friends calling young Anastasia "Ana"? HUGH! OTM depicted as all alike girls, more than stupid , without personnality? HUGH! Anastasia being a girl about 11 or 12 years old, when she was 16-17? HUGH! Gleb in Ekaterinburg seeming to have exactly the same age that when she meet Ana in the 1920's? HUGH and more hugh!  

                   Well...What may I said? Bad stuff! Avoid it if you may!

                     RealAnastasia.

P.S: Just a little thing more...Why we can't see Ana Virubova in almost none ot NAOTMAA films?

[Janet_W.]

To respond to your comments, RealAnastasia . . .

I agree with just about everything you say, and could cite other aspects of this movie as well. (Such as a short Alexandra!) But, I will say this in the movie's favor . . . I liked Amy Irving's performance very much, as well as all the other primary actors, and if anyone was ever born to play a wily old Russian Grand Duke, it was Rex Harrison!

In short, the movie works as a fantasy . . . a retelling of legend . . . a representation of popular folklore.

Now, as to why Anna Vyrubova isn't portrayed . . . well, I did see a Russian language film in which she was portrayed. But there was the inference that she was sexually licentious, or at least depraved. And, when you introduce Anna, some people are going to work the lesbian angle. A film from Anna's point of view would probably be best . . . showing her for what many of us have deduced her to be: a bit silly, prone to having the vapors, attached with doglike affection to Alexandra, but also something of a troublemaker at times . . . yet ultimately brave, and a very important "keeper of the flame."

Actually, telling the story from Anna's POV isn't a bad idea . . . See you at the publishers!  

[RealAnastasia]

Hi, Janet_W:

                         Well, I must agree with you. A good movie portraying Ana, view through Ana's own eyes, would be just perfect! But perfect historical movies will never exist!   I'm not very optimist in this. I must said that I never like a single historical movie completely. " Nicholas and Alexandra" is good, but have too many mistakes to said I like it.

                            Amy Irving performance is great. I think I said it somewhere. A wonderful actress, and a convincing Ana Anderson. Rex Harrison was excellent too...Olivia de Havilland is a fine Empress Marie in this movie. But the rest...Hmmm. I repeat it. Bad stuff.  

RealAnastasia.

[gorgeousbutterfly]

When i was around 6-7 i saw this film with  my parents about the romanovs. it was mostly about Anastasia. in fact i'm pretty sure the title was Anastasia , it came in a two series video tape, so it was two tapes.I don't remember that much but i will tell you all that i can remember .it showed the OTMA (don't remember seeing alexi in it, although i'm sure i forgot) getting ready for the ball. it was beautifully directed.  i remember them going to the ball but the scenery was depicted with humility. I remember another scene with Anastasia going on a train, and the mood was very depressing. she was laying in bed and the condition was very poor. here i was able to empathize with her very  much, and at that age i was very sad and i remember being very teary eyed. anyway, then i remmeber Anasatasia trying to make everybody believe in her, and she was about to meet with her  aunt and they didnt' believe her. 

thats all i remember. i'm pretty sure with certainty the movie was called Anastasia, i remember seeing the box  and it had that name so it couldn't of been called Anne Anderson or had some long name to it..  i also know this movie was made before 1990 or around this time and not after because that is when i saw it. but it might be an old film i don't remember

I have been doing a search, on amazon and everywhere and cannot find this movie... i've done a google search and i can't find it .

i'd GREATLY appreciate it if somoene can give me ideas?

THANXS

I have been fasinated by the Romanov family all my life and a huge part of it was this movie, so it would mean ALOT to me if i find this movie.

[scarlett_riviera]

Maybe it's the series based on Peter Kurth's book? I know it was a two-part series... the name is quite long though, as I recall... Anna Anderson something (I'm not sure!).. so it may not be it.

[Vecchiolarry]

Hello Gorgeousbutterfly,

This could be the TV movie based on Peter Kurth's book that Scarlett mentioned.
It was called "The Mystery of Anastasia" and made in the mid 80's.
It starred Amy Irving as Anna Anderson and Rex Harrison as Grand Duke Cyril and Olivia De Havilland as the Dowager Empress.

Larry

[Laura Mabee]

It sounds like the movie you are thinking of is Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna.
I haven't found a thread on it in here, but you can access more information about it on the IMDB page above.
Here is a picture of the film cover:

[Bob_the_builder]

The movie you are referring to is "Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna" and is very loosely based on Peter Kurth's book "Anastasia: The Riddle of Anna Anderson".

It's been recently released on DVD.



http://www.amazon.com/Anastasia-Mystery-Anna-Amy-Irving/dp/B000I5X7WK/ref=sr_1_4/102-9456554-3108930?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1179782013&sr=1-4

The story of the woman who insisted she was Anastasia, the youngest daughter of the last czar of Russia, is complicated. This 1986 telefilm makes it even more so because it's one of those "fact-based" dramas. Its most annoying invention is Anastasia's romance with a prince who never actually existed. Fiction aside, the first two-thirds of the 210-minute movie are dramatic and captivating. The Romanov family is imprisoned and executed, yet Anastasia reappears years later in Berlin in 1923; Amy Irving becomes the iron-willed yet fragile Anna who battles to be recognized by the remaining Romanovs. Gently paced and beautifully shot and staged, the film only starts to lose steam when Anna comes to New York to make her case in the American press. It takes a bunch of Americans, including Susan Lucci as a stateside Romanov relative, to make the tale seem common. Back in London, Olivia de Havilland is a treasure as the dowager empress who won't recognize Anastasia, although there is much evidence in her favor. The film is a great introduction to the mystery, despite its fiction-augmented recounting of history. After watching the movie, get the book it was largely based on, Anastasia: The Riddle of Anna Anderson by Peter Kurth, for a gripping read that just might make you believe in this princess. --Valerie J. Nelson