Moscow Nights (1934 film)

Moscow Nights is a 1934 British historical drama film directed by Anthony Asquith. It is based on the French play Taras Boulba by Prosper Mérimée, which itself is inspired by the novella Taras Bulba by Nikolai Gogol, though the film significantly alters the source material.

The film stars Laurence Olivier, Penelope Dudley-Ward, and Harry Baur. The plot revolves around a love triangle during the Crimean War. Olivier plays Andrei, a Russian officer who falls in love with Natasha, a beautiful woman played by Dudley-Ward. However, Natasha is also desired by Colonel Pirogoff, played by Baur, a powerful and ruthless officer.

Moscow Nights is notable for being one of Laurence Olivier's early film roles. Despite the historical setting, the film is considered more of a romantic melodrama than a true historical representation of the Crimean War. The film's production took place primarily in England. While it is named after Moscow, actual filming location in Moscow is unverifiable.