1926 Not long before his emigration to Hollywood, director Victor Tourjansky polished off this French filmization of Jules Verne's Michael Strogoff. The screenplay follows the Verne original to the letter, with diplomatic courier Strogoff (Ivan Mosjoukine) going through hell and back to deliver a vital document to the Czar. Betrayed by the duplicitous Ogareff (Acho Chakatouny), Strogoff is captured by The Grand Khan (Defae), who prepares to shove hot pokers in the hero's eyes while Strogoff's mother looks on helplessly. Despite these and other perils, Strogoff completes his mission and wins the hand of the beautiful Nadia (Nathalie Kovanko). Released in the U.S. by Universal,Michael Strogoff was memorably remade as a multi-lingual production in 1935, with Anton Walbrook in the leading role.