Yeranuhi (Elizaveta) Adamyan, stage name: Adella
Yeranuhi Adamyan first stepped in front of the camera in 1925 for the production of “Namus” (“Honor”), the inaugural film of Armenian cinema. She was cast in a small role, portraying one of the three gossiping women. “The actress frequently appears in close-up: intense and lively movements, a sharp gaze that speaks volumes, lips perpetually in motion, endlessly weaving threads of words, and talkative, darting eyes. This is how the gossiping woman, caught in the act of wrongdoing, was brilliantly characterized” (“Screen”, 1986, No.10).
Yeranuhi Adamyan was born in 1886 in Yerevan. She was among the first to be invited to the Armenian State Theatre (later named after G. Sundukyan). She was known in the theatrical world by her stage name, Adella. The 1920s and 1930s marked the zenith of Adella’s acting career. During this period, her achievements in theater were unprecedented.
Adella came to cinema from the theater, but based on the vivid characters she had created on stage—such as Shushan (“Pepo”), Vostian (“Brave Nazar”), Ketevan (“Khatabala”), Marian (“Lyubov Yarovaya”), the Merchant’s Wife (“The Government Inspector”), the Innkeeper (“The Taming of the Shrew”), and especially Horom (“Judgment”)—Hamo Beknazaryan saw in her the potential for a promising film actress. The director was particularly captivated by Adella’s stage presence, her mastery in creating characters, and her passionate love for cinema.
All these factors contributed to Beknazaryan inviting her to participate in the production of “Zare” (1926). Adella’s role in the film was not going to be a major one. Under the orders of Temur Bek (M. Garagash), who was burning with love for Zare, she was to describe the beauty of the stunning Kurdish woman. “When the signal is given to begin filming, and the actress, dressed in Kurdish attire, makes an entrance with the coquettishness and sly smile typical of a matchmaker, for a moment, everyone is mesmerized by the illusion that the woman approaching the bek is truly a Kurdish woman who has lived all her life on the slopes of Aragats” (H. Beknazaryan, “Memoirs of an Actor and Film Director”, Yerevan, 1968, pp. 150-155).
Unfortunately, the small scale of her role didn’t provide the actress with the opportunity to shine as brightly as the central characters of the film. Nonetheless, even being remembered through brief scenes has been a great honor for her.
Adella especially stood out for her enviable talent of transformation, particularly in her third film role. In “Shor and Shorshor” (1926), she played the role of Shorshor’s wife, Heriknaz. This character was entirely different and bore no resemblance to her previous roles, even in appearance. In this performance, the actress aimed for a comedic approach: to capture the comic elements within the colorful characters of Armenian reality, to showcase a sense of national humor and to create an eccentric and grotesque persona.
In later years, Yeranuhi Adamyan starred in “Khaspush” (1927) and “Ghul” (Antharam, 1927).
Adella’s life was significantly impacted by her relationship with the renowned Armenian filmmaker H. Beknazaryan. Working with him proved to be both easy and educational. This success in the film industry caught the attention of other Armenian directors, who began offering the talented actress new roles. In H. Martirosyan’s “Mexican Diplomats” (1931), she starred as the minister’s wife, while Patvakan Barkhudaryan entrusted her with the role of the protagonist Benoyan’s mother in the film “Two Nights” (1932).
Alas, the untimely death (1931) left many of 44-year-old actress Yeranuhi Adamyan’s aspirations unfulfilled. She was endowed by nature with stage beauty, acting talent, and a remarkable personality. While she did not have the chance to fully showcase her acting talent, she was able to convey the essence of her characters through subtle expressions, demonstrating that even in minor roles, one can achieve the completeness of a character. In her tragically brief life, she appeared in seven silent films but did not live to receive the title of People’s Artist of the Armenian SSR, despite her nomination already being submitted.
By Ruzanna Bagratunyan