Michael Romanoff
Encyclopedia
Michael Romanoff, born Hershel Geguzin, (February 20, 1890 – September 1, 1971) was a Hollywood restaurateur
and actor
born in Lithuania
. He died of a heart attack in Los Angeles
, California
, in 1971. He is perhaps best known as the owner of Romanoff's, a Beverly Hills restaurant popular with Hollywood stars in the 1940s and 1950s. The restaurant closed on New Year's Eve in 1962.
According to U.S.A Confidential (Mortimer and Lait, 1952), while Romanoff pretended to be Russian royalty, he was actually a former Brooklyn
pants presser once named Harry Gerguson.
His Internet Movie Database
(IMDb.com) biography states:
He can be heard as a contestant on the 28th November 1951 radio edition of the Groucho Marx
quiz, You Bet Your Life
. The television broadcast took place the next day. In April 1957, he was a mystery guest on the TV panel show What's My Line?
.
IMDb.com notes that Geguzin immigrated to New York City
at age ten, changed his name to Harry F. Gerguson some time after 1900 and married Gloria Lister in 1948.
IMDb.com further explains that Romanoff "claimed to have been born Prince Michael Dimitri Alexandrovich Obolensky-Romanoff, nephew of Tsar Nicholas II
. Everyone in Hollywood knew he wasn't, but in a town full of pretenders, it hardly mattered, and "Prince Michael" enjoyed great success as a restaurateur."
The New Yorker
ran a series of five profiles, starting October 29, 1932, that traced his history from birth until date of publication. He had been deported to France in May of that year to serve time for fraud.
At an early point in the original (1947) version of Miracle on 34th Street
, a doctor expresses the opinion that Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) is of no harm to anyone despite his insistence that he is Santa Claus. He compares him to a well-known restaurant owner, whose name escapes him at the moment, who insists that he is a member of the Russian royal family, but is otherwise quite normal.
Michael Romanoff is also referenced in the film
version of the Broadway musical revue, Hellzapoppin'. Mischa Auer
plays a "real Russian prince who is pretending to be a fake Russian prince." Although he is penniless, his deception gets him invited to high-society parties, where he can sponge off the guests and gorge himself on the food. He tells a fellow Russian expatriate, "Better that everyone should think I am a fake Russian prince. If they knew I was a real Russian prince, the novelty would wear off, and nobody would want me!"
Romanoff's became known for their chocolate soufflés, which were served to each guest in an individual portion. Although Romanoff's restaurant is also known for popularizing the "American version" of the famous dessert, Strawberries Romanoff, it was originally created by Escoffier when he was the chef at the Carlton Hotel in London - where he called it "Strawberries Americaine Style" by adding ice cream and Grand Marnier
to the traditional recipe.
The restaurant closed its doors for good on New Year's Eve in 1962, however, the exterior of Romanoff's can be seen in the 1967 Fox film, A Guide for the Married Man
. Michael Romanoff himself also plays the maitre'd in a sequence in the film in a studio recreation of the restaurant's interior.
Restaurateur
A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.-Etymology:The word...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
born in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. He died of a heart attack in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in 1971. He is perhaps best known as the owner of Romanoff's, a Beverly Hills restaurant popular with Hollywood stars in the 1940s and 1950s. The restaurant closed on New Year's Eve in 1962.
According to U.S.A Confidential (Mortimer and Lait, 1952), while Romanoff pretended to be Russian royalty, he was actually a former Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
pants presser once named Harry Gerguson.
His Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
(IMDb.com) biography states:
Mike Romanoff, the former Harry F. Gerguson, was a successful "professional impostor". He accumulated an enormous fount of knowledge in his numerous travels and occupations around the world (and he attended, however briefly, several leading universities). When Hollywood filmmakers needed a technical adviser for a movie set in Europe, Romanoff claimed to be an expert and drew a comfortable salary. The genial Romanoff was a popular figure among the movie colony, and he opened a restaurant that was frequented by many film stars. Romanoff made few screen appearances, but he can be seen in all his fraudulent glory in Sing While You're Able (1937). David NivenDavid NivenJames David Graham Niven , known as David Niven, was a British actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Lytton, a.k.a. "the Phantom", in The Pink Panther...
was a close friend, and in his book Bring on the Empty Horses he devotes a chapter to the colorful Romanoff.
He can be heard as a contestant on the 28th November 1951 radio edition of the Groucho Marx
Groucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. His rapid-fire delivery of innuendo-laden patter earned him many admirers. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born...
quiz, You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life is an American quiz show that aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show debuted on ABC Radio in October 1947, then moved to CBS Radio in September...
. The television broadcast took place the next day. In April 1957, he was a mystery guest on the TV panel show What's My Line?
What's My Line?
What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
.
IMDb.com notes that Geguzin immigrated to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at age ten, changed his name to Harry F. Gerguson some time after 1900 and married Gloria Lister in 1948.
IMDb.com further explains that Romanoff "claimed to have been born Prince Michael Dimitri Alexandrovich Obolensky-Romanoff, nephew of Tsar Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
. Everyone in Hollywood knew he wasn't, but in a town full of pretenders, it hardly mattered, and "Prince Michael" enjoyed great success as a restaurateur."
The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
ran a series of five profiles, starting October 29, 1932, that traced his history from birth until date of publication. He had been deported to France in May of that year to serve time for fraud.
At an early point in the original (1947) version of Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street is a 1947 Christmas film written by George Seaton from a story by Valentine Davies, directed by George Seaton and starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn...
, a doctor expresses the opinion that Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) is of no harm to anyone despite his insistence that he is Santa Claus. He compares him to a well-known restaurant owner, whose name escapes him at the moment, who insists that he is a member of the Russian royal family, but is otherwise quite normal.
Michael Romanoff is also referenced in the film
Hellzapoppin' (film)
Hellzapoppin' is a 1941 Universal Pictures adaptation of the musical of the same name directed by H.C. Potter. The cast includes Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson , Martha Raye, Mischa Auer, Shemp Howard, and The Six Hits.The credits for the movie assert that "any resemblance between Hellzapoppin and a...
version of the Broadway musical revue, Hellzapoppin'. Mischa Auer
Mischa Auer
Mischa Auer was a Russian-born American actor.-Early life:Auer was born Mikhail Semyonovich Unskovsky in St. Petersburg, Russia...
plays a "real Russian prince who is pretending to be a fake Russian prince." Although he is penniless, his deception gets him invited to high-society parties, where he can sponge off the guests and gorge himself on the food. He tells a fellow Russian expatriate, "Better that everyone should think I am a fake Russian prince. If they knew I was a real Russian prince, the novelty would wear off, and nobody would want me!"
Restaurant
From 1941 to 1962, Romanoff's was located at 326 North Rodeo Drive, and had another location at 140 South Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. In 1951, it moved to a new location at 240 South Rodeo Drive.Romanoff's became known for their chocolate soufflés, which were served to each guest in an individual portion. Although Romanoff's restaurant is also known for popularizing the "American version" of the famous dessert, Strawberries Romanoff, it was originally created by Escoffier when he was the chef at the Carlton Hotel in London - where he called it "Strawberries Americaine Style" by adding ice cream and Grand Marnier
Grand Marnier
Grand Marnier is a liqueur created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. It is made from a blend of true cognacs and distilled essence of bitter orange. Grand Marnier is 40% alcohol . It is produced in several varieties, most of which can be consumed "neat" as a digestif and can be used in...
to the traditional recipe.
The restaurant closed its doors for good on New Year's Eve in 1962, however, the exterior of Romanoff's can be seen in the 1967 Fox film, A Guide for the Married Man
A Guide for the Married Man
A Guide for the Married Man is a 1967 American bedroom farce comedy film starring Walter Matthau, Robert Morse, and Inger Stevens. It was directed by Gene Kelly. It features a large number of cameos, including Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Terry-Thomas, Jayne Mansfield, Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, Joey...
. Michael Romanoff himself also plays the maitre'd in a sequence in the film in a studio recreation of the restaurant's interior.
Further reading
- Pejsa, Jane. Romanoff, Prince of Rogues Kenwood Publishing
- The New Yorker, October 29, 1932