Why Gaidai deprived Vysotsky as Ostap Bender and some entry was excised from the "Caucasian captive"

• Why Gaidai deprived Vysotsky as Ostap Bender and some entry was excised from the "Caucasian captive"

Yesterday marked the 94th birthday of the brilliant director Leonid Gaidai, who entered the history of national cinema as the founder of the genre of folk comedy. Before him, the studio produced only ideologically adjusted, for the most part melancholy films on Party meetings and the development of virgin lands. But Gaidai, childhood adored Charlie Chaplin, he has always sought not to lecture the audience and entertain. His paintings are the same, what was he - lively, cheerful, courageous.

As with many outstanding creators Gaidai took a lot of lives. Newspapers and magazines he read in large quantities. Sometimes vacation spent hours in the attic, digging in old periodicals in search of original ideas. The plot for "Caucasian captive" was born out of the stolen notes in Transcaucasia bride, and the comedy "The Diamond Arm" Gaidai conceived when I read in "Pravda" an article on the smugglers, who cast exported abroad valuables.

Some of the episodes occurred in the past with the very Gaidai. For example, the distribution stage alcoholics, idlers, bullies at work in a row in "Operation Y ..." is based on real events. In 1942, the future director served in Mongolia, in the part where the horses went round to the front. Once the officer came to recruit volunteers for the army - the soldiers lined up on the parade ground:

- Who's the artillery?

- I AM! - blurted Gaidai.

- Who's the cavalry?

- I AM! - again Gaidai. - Yes, you wait, let announce the entire list! - angry commissar.

It is believed that Gaidai in his own image and likeness created Shurika. Clumsy bespectacled man, naive and very decent. As a young man, watching the girl to the house, Gaidai loved to play all sorts of comedy routines, and when did the Film Institute, read a poem about a girl Lida.

When choosing an actor for the lead role in the "Operation Y ..." director has rejected dozens of candidates (including Yevgeny Petrosyan). Then someone from the crew offered an unknown at the time of Alexander Demyanenko. Gaidai looked at the pictures, found similar in appearance and personally flew to Leningrad to negotiate with the actor.

Leonid Gaidai and Alexander Demyanenko.

By the way, was originally scripted Shurik Shurik was not, and Vlad. But the censors did not approve of the name: Vlad - Vladlen it and Vladlen - is Vladimir Lenin. It is impossible, they say, the comic hero called the name of Lenin. For nothing Gaidai did not argue, though usually he was adamant in an unequal struggle with the censors.

Perhaps the most striking story about how the director defended the bold plot turns, linked to the "Diamond Hand" film. State cinema did not like the scene with prostitutes, drunkenness Gorbunkova, carelessness customs and so much more. Gaidai invented trick: Add to the end frames of a nuclear explosion and told the commission that he agreed to remove any scene than this.

- Why do you need an explosion in the comedy need? - quite reasonably asked censors.

- Have you forgotten about the complicated international situation? - the director threw his arms. - Imperialism brandishes the nuclear club! As a result of the explosion cut, everything else left.

But, of course, not everyone was able to save politicians from the scissors. For example, "Prisoner of the Caucasus" in the original version does not open personnel riding on a donkey Shurik, a stage on which the commission members grabbed their heads and charged with disorderly conduct crew.

That's what Gaidai wrote a couple Nikulin. Craven is coming to the wooden fence and, looking around, he draws a chalk the letter "X". Follow the Goonies and adds "I". Who saw this mess policeman whistles that is urine, but Goonies, not a loss, appends: "... dozhestvenny film."

On the set Gaidai not only not opposed to the original ideas of the artists, but also encouraged them. On the set of "The Caucasian captive" of invented jokes he gave champagne. As a result, Nikulin earned 24 bottles (for example, he suggested stabbing a sleeping pill Experienced no ordinary syringe and a hefty, himself and got hold of the circus), Morgunov - 18 and Vitsin only one, and that he gave his comrades - he was a staunch teetotaler.

By the way, "Prisoner of the Caucasus" is not by chance was the last film in which appeared the legendary trio. Toward the end of filming, Morgunov said at the preview footage tipsy girls in the company, and even began to talk back to the director. Gaidai threw him out, and in the remaining scenes were shot understudy.

If Gaidai believe that we need to show integrity, then I do not hesitate. Auditioned for the role of Ostap Bender for the movies were painfully "12 chairs". Do not come Mironov, Evstigneev, Gaft ... Took Alexander Bielawski, but it soon became clear that the brilliant schemer of it comes out. And then it dawned assistants: "Maybe call Vladimir Vysotsky? Here will be a success! "Gaidai jumped at the idea. Vladimir Semenovich in the samples was great, and it approved. But on the first day of shooting, he did not come to the site - spree. Then Gaidai declared: "Vysotsky will not shoot" - and the role went to Gomiashvili.

Sometimes and so that the image of one of the heroes Gaidai seen a certain actor. Sometimes I had this actor or by crook to persuade. From an interview with Nina Grebeshkova, widow Leonid Iovicha: "To me, this woman of" Brilliant hands "seemed so proper and boring, as many teeth reduces (Grebeshkova plays in the film Gorbunkova wife - Ed.).. I put her - I will not play. Leonid said that he had found another actress, and went on shooting. Suddenly calls from Sochi: sick, you need to go urgently othazhivat. Of course I came, his health was undermined with the youth. And it turned out that his wife Gorbunkova still including me. Okay, she said, will play. "

Maybe that's enough for today stories about Gaidai, and so overdone. Leonid Iovich'm not fond of the hype around him, even on the day of birth is extremely rare arranged lush festivities. For all his genius, he was a humble man. There is now enough.