Secrets of Soviet cinema: intrigues unknown to the viewer, scandals and novels on the set
'08.11.2020'
Source: Culturology
Despite the fact that Soviet films are deservedly considered the most sincere and warm, not only pleasant things happened on the set. Starting from quarrels and ending with accidents and divorces. Given the creative nature of the actors, their impulsiveness and emotionality, this was not uncommon. Despite the disagreements and misunderstandings, the viewer, thanks to the talented play of the actors, did not even know what was really going on between them, writes "Culturology".
"Caucasian captive"
It would seem that the favorite comedy, which the audience of several generations liked, was certainly filmed in an atmosphere of friendliness and mutual assistance. No matter how it is. After this film, Leonid Gaidai and Yevgeny Morgunov, who played Experienced, no longer worked together. Many colleagues were aware of the conflict between them, after Morgunov came to the technical viewing of the picture drunk, in the company of girls, and from the last row he dropped jokes about the director. The actor was taken out of the audience, and the offended director did not find anything better than to cut out all the scenes with Experienced, which could be removed without damaging the film.
However, this was the last straw in a long-running conflict. At first, Yuri Nikulin refused to shoot, he did not want to play Dunce again and called this film speculation on their trio. But Gaidai, with whom they were on friendly terms, managed to persuade him, promising that he would make changes to the script and diversify the images.
The relationship between the trinity was also tense, Morgunov and here managed to spoil relations with colleagues, refused to act. It was rumored that the cause of the endless series of conflicts, the source of which was Morgunov, was not only his complex nature, but also different payments to the actors for the roles of the same plan. The experienced one received almost half the number of colleagues.
After Morgunov was removed from the technical inspection, he no longer starred in the film. In scenes that have not yet been filmed, he is played by an understudy. For example, another person brings the refrigerator in.
"The Diamond Arm"
The gibberish language spoken by the smugglers was not spelled out in the script, the actors invented it on the go. Considering that Gaidai loved references and did nothing just like that, even in this seemingly meaningless set of words, you can find a logical chain.
So, Gaidai offered a curse word "Mordyuk". When Nikulin asked where the word came from, the director laughed it off, allegedly having had a fight with Mordyukova the day before and thus decided to make her "pleasant". A kind of immortalized joke. Considering that Nonna Mordyukova's character was not sugar, it is likely that this was so, but neither the director nor the actress decided not to dwell on the conflict and its reasons, and it was clearly not so serious.
Mironov, who brilliantly and directly played Kozodoev in this film, never played for Gaidai anymore, although the director often shot talented, but the same actors from film to film. Another contender for this role was Georgy Vitsin. By the way, Gaidai planned to shoot Mironov in another project: in the role of Miloslavsky in the film "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession", but only if Nikulin plays Ivan the Terrible. But with Yakovlev, their tandem in the eyes of Gaidai did not work out.
On the subject: Beautiful but unhappy: why the 3 brightest couples of Soviet cinema broke up
"Love and pigeons"
For the entire cast, the film became a star, but for Alexander Mikhailov, who played Vasya, he almost became the last and not at all because he was going to leave the cinema. Soviet know-how, a special effect during which Vasily, dressed in a suit, shirt and tie, falls into the sea, and then emerges already undressed next to Raisa Zakharovna, was rather difficult to remove. Especially from the technical side. Even divers were involved in the filming.
It was not possible to shoot a rather complicated scene from the first take, the divers had to undress Mikhailov under water in 30 seconds and release him, happy, to the floating Raisa Zakharovna. And during the next take, very hard-working divers pulled the tie without undoing it, and almost strangled the actor.
However, the actors themselves assure that the story is embellished and nothing terrible happened, just everyone was in a bit of a hurry. And, they say, it was much worse that the shooting took place in November and it was already cool in autumn, even in Batumi, and the water was no warmer than 14 degrees.
By the way, few people know that between the actresses who played Nadezhda and Baba Shura, there is only 10 years difference. And Nadezhda is older. That's what make-up and talented acting do. Baba Shura and Uncle Mitya, their spouses in real life, Natalya Tenyakova and Sergei Yursky, are an intelligent couple from St. Petersburg, which, however, did not prevent them from playing a colorful village couple.
"Magicians"
The role of Alena, an employee of the institute, who is bewitched into a witch, was one of the key ones, it was necessary to choose not just a damn beautiful actress for her - there were no problems with that. The director wanted to see a demonic beginning in her, a character that would make everyone around her languish. Which is exactly what happened. Tsyplakov, Proklova, Alferov auditioned for the role - the director saw beauty in all of them, but the witch's beginning was not enough. In addition, Alferova and Abdulov were married at that time, and this would remove the sharpness in their relationship on the screen.
Alexandra Yakovleva took matters into her own hands right away from the trial, showing, if not a witch's character, so devilishness for sure. Her charisma, energy and beauty did not leave the director indifferent and she was approved for the role. Who knew that the demonic beginning of the girl would not give rest to the entire film crew. They played with Abdulov, but they disliked each other with Valentin Gaft from the very beginning.
Yakovleva brought the entire film crew with her nit-picking. I carefully examined the costumes and forced them to redo them, it got to the illuminators if they were "wrong" to expose the light and the actress was not good enough on the screen. For the same reason, the make-up artist got it. Yakovleva's make-up was applied for three hours, so the employees simply sobbed from the demands to paint over each eyelash separately. It got to the point that the entire film crew boycotted her. And they did it when the actress finally appeared in the frame, putting on makeup and dressing and devoting the entire first half of the day to this.
Yakovleva had the wisdom not to spoil relations with the director and cameramen - after all, it depended on them how good she would be in the frame. But with Gaft, they did not hide their hostility, he could not stand it when his partner did not know the text by heart. Once, when she once again mixed up the text, they say, the artist lost his temper and began to “strangle” her. However, it organically fell into the take, so that even the director suggested using this moment in the film. But Gaft did not agree and they went to meet him.
From that moment on, the actors began filming separately, and their common scenes were edited. Yes, it was problematic and long, but easier if you consider that any meeting between them ended in a squabble. Such a decision raised questions, but all doubts disappeared when Gaft brilliantly confessed his love for the chair Alena was supposed to sit on, but she was filmed later!
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"White Sun of the Desert"
The Red Army soldier Sukhov was supposed to be played by Georgy Yumatov in the film, moreover, the role was written for him, therefore there were not even samples. Yes, his problems with alcohol were already known then. There was an agreement that if he breaks down and starts drinking, he will be removed from the shooting. Less than a week later, Yumatov, after a hard day of shooting, drank and got into a fight. More precisely, he was beaten, and so badly that there could be no question of further work in the coming weeks. Even under makeup.
The director, remembering the initial agreement, removed the actor from the role, they urgently began to look for a replacement for him and found him. It was this role that made Anatoly Kuznetsov famous, although he got it, by and large, by accident.
This incident served as a lesson for Yumatov, after which it took a whole year for him to come to his senses. Later, he played brilliantly in the film "Officers" and regained his reputation, although his overly close relationship with alcohol has not gone anywhere. In 1994, he shot a janitor with a gun for a stupid anecdote that questioned the results of World War II. Yumatov, who went through the war, was wounded, shell-shocked, could not endure this and took up his gun. And yes, he was drunk.
And yet, despite all the quarrels and misunderstandings on the screen, the actors, the director and the entire creative and technical staff managed to make a truly kind and touching movie.
