C. Bakaleinikoff

Constantin Bakaleinikoff was born in Moscow in 1896 and studied music at the Moscow Conservatory. Trained as a violoncellist and conductor, he formed a trio with fellow young conservatory graduates and toured Russia, until enlistment in the infantry during World War I forced a temporary stop to his career. Along with his (also musical) brothers Mischa and Vladimir, Constantine fled from Russia during the October Revolution of 1917 and resettled in the United States, after travelling through Asia. Once established in Los Angeles, his talent was soon recognized. Within a year, he conducted the L.A. Philharmonic, and, subsequently, became musical director of several noted theatre orchestras in the area, including the Mayan, the Eqyptian and the Criterion. In 1923, he married the actress Fritzi Ridgeway. His major breakthrough came four years later, in the shape of an appointment to conduct the prestigious new million dollar Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. From 1929, Constantine w