She was born Lydia Abramovic on January 6th 1896 in Rostov, Russia.
As a child she studied with the Moscow ballet, but she abandoned classical dance in favour of more populist vaudeville ballet style.
At some point she met and married English dancer Albert Johnson, with whom she had a daughter, Elena, born in 1914 (who, under the name Lucy D'Albert, also appeared in a number of Italian films). She had a second daughter, the actress Gioia Collei.[1]
Following the October Revolution of 1917, Lydia moved with her family first to Kiev, then to Odessa, Baku, Istanbul, America, France and eventually settled in Naples, Italy.
In the twenties she helped popularise jazz in Italy, taking some of the biggest bands on tour around the country with her own dance troupe and she had some notable success as a singer.
Having appeared in 2 films in Odessa in 1916-17, the Italian phase of her film career began in 1938. She appeared in mostly small roles in around 20 films spread over the next 23 years. In films she was frequently credited as "Lidia", but all her publicity shots and, more importantly, her signature, use the "Y" spelling.
Lydia died on April 3rd 1969 in Naples, at the age of 73.
- Nonna Felicita .... Baroness Michette (poster credit as "Lidia Johnson" - role unconfirmed)
1941 - L'allegro fantasma …. Singing mother (credited)
1943 - Non mi muovo! …. Signora Strabotta (credited as "Lidia Johnson")
- T'amerò sempre …. Perfume customer (uncredited)
1955 - French Cancan …. Madame Guibole (uncredited)
1956 - Guardia, guardia scelta, brigadiere e maresciallo …. Madame Yolande (credited as "Lidia Johnson")
- Noi siamo le colonne …. Lidia (credited)
1960 - A qualcuna piace calvo …. Gertrude Robinson (credited as "Lidia Johnson")
1961 - Una spada nell'ombra …. Marta (credited as "Lidia Johnson")
- Doch Anny Kareninoy (1916) IMDb
- Litso sudby (1917) IMDb
- Le due madri (1939) ANICA, as the Other mother, ex-variety singer
- Cento lettere d'amore (1940) ANICA
- Il re del circo (1941) ANICA
- La principessa del sogno (1942) ANICA as Friend of the singer lirica
- La signorina (1942) ANICA
- Paura d'amare (1942) ANICA as Marchesa
- La danza del fuoco (1943) ANICA
- Senza una donna (1943) ANICA as Signora Tromba
- Il fiore sotto gli occhi (1944) ANICA as Maria Pia
- Teheran (1946) ANICA
- Addio Mimí! (1949) IMDb as Opera singer
1. Dante Lazzaro. Cineguida 1943. |