If films were people, then the first big hit of Eldar Ryazanov in the coming 2016 should be prepared for retirement. According to the glorious Soviet tradition, he would have been invited to the conference hall, in which an impressive audience had gathered, and the hero of the day would have had the last opportunity to enjoy eulogies. Fortunately or unfortunately, films are not yet written off to some closet after reaching a certain age, but you can always evaluate them, known to everyone, in a new way. Sometimes sad circumstances contribute to this. Igor Ilyinsky, Yuri Belov, Lyudmila Gurchenko are no longer with us, and last year he took with him the main creator of the popularly beloved comedy. Ryazanov's death sadly anticipated the sixtieth anniversary of Carnival Night. Naturally, no one will accrue a pension for the New Year's picture, but once again make sure eternal youth cinematic wealth as easy as shelling pears.
He was the first to leave us - overweight, excessively "serious" and desperately cowardly careerist comrade Ogurtsov. In the hands of Igor Ilyinsky, a couple of especially dusty curtains are asking for, with which it would be very convenient to curtain "frivolous" artists objectionable to him. Watching for the tenth time his grotesque condemnations of youth for sincere fun and the desire to give it to the audience, you come to the conclusion that the leadership of the Lenin mausoleum would be much more suitable for a stocky bureaucrat. Of course, in a naive Soviet comedy there cannot be an unconditional villain, which is why, through the efforts of Lena Krylova and her friends, Ogurtsov appears simply as a narrow-minded type, incapable of even truly serious intrigues. Acting art of Ilyinsky manifested itself both in stone grimaces with eternally piercing eyes, and in categorical phrases, which are the funnier the more absurd they are. In fact, “isolate the legs”, remove the make-up, do not ridicule the frivolous attitude towards marriage everything is clear, as in the state plan of the USSR. Ironically, Ogurtsov could indeed make a strong leader, it’s not for nothing that Ryazanov will “make” him Kutuzov a few years later, but the fabulous “bears” are good for something besides creating turmoil. Without the designated enemy, there would be no overcoming obstacles, and therefore, a magnificent organization of the celebration.
The collapse of the unfinished Soviet communism quietly and imperceptibly flunked Grisha Koltsov, who once beamed with a broad smile. One of the main beauties of his era, Yuri Belov hardly realized at least half of his remarkable potential. Always recognizable, he knew how to not only smile exquisitely. A beautiful-hearted romantic, switching the switch in time, shamelessly infects with optimism. Grisha at first appears as a kind of mumbler who cannot communicate with the girl, but when the time comes for decisive action, he is replaced by a man with a rod. The episode with Koltsov dressing up as an alleged grandfather reveals the depth of a real feeling, in which, next to boyish dreams, there is certainly a place for experiences. It is likely that a simple electrician would never again have a chance to confer, but natural ingenuity, harmoniously combined with a sense of humor, creates genuine miracles. On the stage, as they would say now, “a star lights up”, and therefore it has such a native brilliance that in the midst of general fun it will always find the opportunity to turn its eyes to the barmaids, whose singing is not inferior to the actresses.
Who exactly did not look for a place in the center of fame, so this is the modest Lenochka Krylova. Surely the expression "to be under the spotlight", which is good, would have seemed vulgar to her. Then in the 56th, it’s not Lyudmila Markovna, but just Lucy, with her charm disperses anxiety so simply that confrontation with an extravagant boss looks like familiar fun. Phenomenally quickly, Lena changes outfits, and now she is already on stage performing a song, under which it is customary to make wishes. It was enough for the artist from God to perform her “Five Minutes” to take pride of place among the main symbols of the Soviet screen. Gurchenko most difficult of all from the ensemble "Carnival Night" was to free himself from the New Year's fetters of his heroine. The fact that over the years she has created many no less vivid images, speaks of her ability to believe the words own song O good mood. Life is not like a holiday, and Krylova had a hard time defending her numbers, but the reward turned out to be truly royal.
The event, which was in danger of falling apart due to all sorts of speakers and boring lecturers, was watched by a pair of eyes of a person on whom everything really depended. At the time of the creation of "Carnival Night" Ryazanov did not yet have the habit of a cameo, otherwise he would certainly have flashed behind one of holiday tables. The wise Eldar Alexandrovich calmly perceived that the title of the main New Year's picture twenty years later flowed away to his own "Irony of Fate". It is not worth comparing two holiday hits, these are two absolutely different stories taken in different time. A noticeable imprint on the general lightness and airiness of the production was made by a general feeling of liberation from the Stalinist grip. Ryazanov, without further ado, deftly sent his thaw into history, in which there was a place for a whirlwind of wonderful jokes, a hilarious grotesque, juicy images and subtly presented romance. Two generations of actors came to film set ready to learn and follow the talent of the director, who was well aware of the rare value of the material he got. It’s embarrassing to talk about the results of inspired joint work once again “ carnival night“It’s not time to kick her out of retirement, but to calculate what kind of youth she is going through. For infinity, its own sign was invented, it is not drawn in the credits, but it remains in thoughts after each viewing of your favorite comedy.
Young Ryazanov, an unknown documentary filmmaker and son of a political prisoner, then finished his first film. The future master saw himself only as a drama director and has already set his sights on the next shooting of a complex movie with a deep plot. He voiced his idea to the head of Mosfilm, Ivan Pyryev, but he, understanding the abilities of Eldar Alexandrovich, objected.
Pyryev put before the director the script for the New Year's comedy film by Laskin and Polyakov, which Ryazanov categorically did not like. He considered it simply incomplete and found a lot of inconsistencies in the plot of the story.
But what to do - the boss demands, it is necessary to fulfill. Ryazanov sat down to develop the director's script, scolding the text of the film for not matching the genre - Eldar Aleksandrovich had a variety review in his hands, and not a full-fledged film, in order to make it a more or less watchable picture, he had to give dynamics to the action.
Ogurtsov
In parallel with the director's grumblings and proofreading of the script, it was necessary to look at the artists. Someone suggested sophomore Lyusya Gurchenko, a beauty with a charming smile and a thin waist. Filmed, gave the director a tape. But on it Ryazanov saw some kind of articulated doll, completely unwilling to come to life. Gurchenko was rejected.
In the meantime, another main role was also empty - the official Ogurtsov. Ryazanov tried Pyotr Konstantinov on her, but in the end he came to the conclusion that he was too strict and not at all funny official, who rather frightened the viewer than made him laugh.
Pyryev came to the rescue and ordered Igor Ilyinsky to be tried. Ryazanov was thrown into a fever: a very young director was simply afraid to take a back seat in the presence of a titled master twice his age. And again - what to do? Management ordered...
Ryazanov later recalled in his book that on the eve of negotiations with the actor, he developed a special tactic for talking with the star. And he was sincerely discouraged when Ilyinsky turned out to be the most intelligent person and treated the novice director and his idea with respect and warmth.
“Not Gurchenko!”
From Igor Vladimirovich came the brilliant Ogurtsov. During filming, the director took care of him as best he could. When, according to the script, the hero of Ilyinsky received a well-deserved kick in the ass, Ryazanov grabbed his head and shouted from the spot: “Be careful! This is a folk artist!
And here is the main female role was still unoccupied. The head of Mosfilm intervened here too. He met Gurchenko in the corridor, passed by, and then called out. Examined the actress, literally turned in his hands. "Come on, don't make a fuss!" - he said to the grimacing beauty, who was walking with friends from the course. "Let's go," he says.
When Pyryev brought that very rejected doll into the pavilion, Ryazanov almost recoiled, fortunately he managed to pull himself together. “Only not Gurchenko!” he said on the eve of Pyryev, and here you are!"Will play!", - snapped the leader.
Later, looking at the tapes from the samples, Ryazanov found a mistake: the role, of course, was Lyusina, only because of the cameraman, who somehow worked on the samples, considering them unimportant, Gurchenko appeared somehow inanimate.
In truth, the role of Lena Krylova was not spelled out as the main one. The actress was required to have the beauty and youth of a typical Soviet girl. And only the talent of Gurchenko embellished the usual image so that the role turned out to be paramount.
After the release of the comedy on the screen, it was the young actress Lucy who began to be considered the standard female beauty . Soviet women of fashion immediately pulled into corsets to discover thin waist, and also stormed hairdressers - they curled their hair with “light chemistry”, which he wears in “ New Year's Eve» Gurchenko. Well, then one could only dream of a neat white fur muff. She was “gotten” by pull and worn with special chic only by metropolitan beauties from wealthy families.
Many things were first...
So writes Gurchenko in his book of memoirs. It turns out that before the "Carnival Night" actresses did not sing in the frame. They worked to the soundtrack of the singers, but Lyudmila Markovna opened new page in cinema.
There is a lot of music in Carnival Night. Each composition chosen by Ryazanov was carefully inspected by Pyriev. Gurchenko was taken with them - to composers and songwriters. Those showed her songs, she immediately tried to sing them. Something was rejected, others were taken to work.
The first such large-scale work of Ryazanov, of course, was not easy for him. Much had to be re-shot, something did not work. In the middle of filming, the management was even indignant: the money allocated for the project was already running out, the director was busy with every frame, and the film was only half ready. “This boring and incompetent material” - this is how the masters spoke about it, they already planned to finish it as soon as possible, hand it over, get their bumps for poor work and forget it.
However, it was here that Ryazanov realized that improvisation could be used - then the director would often insert random phrases of artists and tales of screenwriters into films right in the course of filming. But this is the first time he has experienced this.
Having learned, for example, that fraudulent societies appeared in the USSR, ready to give pseudoscientific lectures for hours, if only they would pay money, he entered into the script the hero Sergei Filippov, the lecturer, whose speech was most of all taken into quotes. It was he who did not know if there was life on Mars, and also recommended five stars to everyone.
Spurred on by bad reviews and the stern looks of the masters who rejected the film, Ryazanov first delayed for a long time, and then, after a record period of five months, he suddenly presented the finished full-length film. At the first viewing, in addition to the director, there was also Ilyinsky and Gurchenko. The artist leaned over to his young colleague: “I feel, Lucy, after this film you will be popular for a long time.”
Exit
Cinema, considered bad job, not announced or advertised in any way. After lying on the shelves for three whole years, the film was released on December 28, 1956 and immediately broke all records. For the next three years, there were long queues in the cold for tickets to Carnival Night. The movie was a hit in 1957. Then it was watched by more than 50 million people.
The directors, who then rejected the work, shrugged their shoulders, critics enthusiastically praised both the artists who could both sing and dance, and the director, who subtly calculated when it was time to finish the next number and change the frame.
The film "Carnival Night" was released back in 1956, but fans are still wondering how the fate of the actors who played the roles in it turned out. The director's film was very popular, the dialogues and songs of the picture were disassembled into quotes, including the compositions "Tanya", "Five Minutes" and others.
In 2006, the second part of the film "Carnival Night-2" was released. How the fate of the actors of the original film turned out, their photos and frames from the tape - in the editorial material.
Igor Ilyinsky (1901-1987)
The film "Carnival Night": actor Igor Ilyinsky in the role of Serafim Ogurtsov - then and in last yearsThe popular actor played the role of Serafim Ivanovich Ogurtsov, the acting director of the House of Culture. Ilyinsky's filmography is not too extensive, as he preferred to play in the theater. In addition, he performed with solo concerts like a master artistic word and tried himself as a film director.
The artist taught at VGIK and performed on stage until recent years. He died on January 13, 1987 in Moscow.
Ludmila Gurchenko (1935-2011)
The film "Carnival Night": actress Lyudmila Gurchenko as Lenochka Krylova - then and in recent years In "Carnival Night" she played Lenochka Krylova, and this role brought her all-Union fame and glory, which did not subside until her death. The actress was married seven times, starred in films, played in the theater and sang songs on the stage. The star was very popular in her years, but her fate was sad.
Unfortunately, now the actress is no longer alive, she died on March 30, 2011 due to complications after hip surgery. During her lifetime, the singer said that she wanted to be buried next to her parents at the Vagankovsky cemetery, but the relatives did not fulfill Gurchenko's desire and buried her next to other actors.
Yuri Belov (1930-1991)
The film "Carnival Night": actor Yuri Belov as Grisha Koltsov - then and in recent years The Soviet film actor played the role of Grisha Koltsov. During his career, Belov played many roles, the most popular - in the film "Carnival Night". After 1972, he became unclaimed, which caused problems with alcohol and health. The artist was forced to work as a taxi driver.
The actor got married when he was over 40 years old. Later, his wife Svetlana Shvaiko gave birth to a son. When Belov's son was 15 years old, the actor died. In 2015, the series "Lyudmila Gurchenko" was released, in which the role of Belov was played by actor Pavel Vashchilin.
Georgy Kulikov (1924-1995)
The film "Carnival Night": actor Georgy Kulikov as Serezha Usikov - then and in recent years Georgy Kulikov played the role of Serezha Usikov in Carnival Night. The filmography of the actor is large, for long life the man has achieved success in the acting industry. According to Kulikov's son, the actor died of cancer in 1995. When the moment of the artist's death came, his relatives did not know that he had cancer. This became known after death.
Tamara Nosova (1927-2007)
The film "Carnival Night": actress Tamara Nosova as Tosya Burygina - then and in recent years People's Artist Russia played the role of Tosya Burygina. In the 50s and 60s, the woman was one of the most popular actresses in the USSR. She was married three times and had no children.
In the last years of her life, a woman ate in a canteen for the poor, it was hard to live on a pension. The star died in poverty in 2007. The ashes of Tamara Nosova are buried in the columbarium of the Vagankovsky cemetery.
Andrey Tutyshkin (1910-1971)
The film "Carnival Night": actor Andrei Tutyshkin as Fyodor Mironov - then and in recent years Andrey Tutyshkin played the role of Fyodor Mironov. The actor has many roles on his account, he was loved and loved so far. Tutyshkin was not only an actor, but also a director. The man died on October 30, 1971. He was buried in Moscow at the Golovinsky cemetery. Nearby is the grave of the father of Peter Tutyshkin, who worked as a professor during his lifetime.
Sergei Filippov (1912-1990)
The film "Carnival Night": actor Sergei Filippov as a lecturer - then and in recent years After the film "Carnival Night", who played a lecturer from the "distribution society", he also starred in such popular films as "The Girl with No Address", "", "" and others.
During the filming of the film "12 Chairs" the artist was already sick with cancer and after that he underwent successful treatment. The complication appeared 20 years later, and Sergei Filippov died of oncology in April 1990 alone. He was courted by actress Lyubov Tishchenko.
As soon as it appeared, this film was immediately disassembled into quotes ... And today, after five decades, it remains one of the most famous and beloved comedies by the audience. "Carnival Night" revealed to the world the talent of the young Lyudmila Gurchenko and the novice director Eldar Ryazanov, who was destined to become a classic of the comic genre.
After finishing in 1955 work on musical picture"Voices of Spring", young director Eldar Ryazanov applied for the production of the film "Meetings in Kamchatka".
Eldar Ryazanov
However, the director of Mosfilm, Ivan Aleksandrovich Pyryev, suggested that he make a comedy based on the script by B. Laskin and V. Polyakov. Ryazanov wanted to devote himself to drama and refused. But the leader was persistent.
Ivan Alexandrovich Pyryev
Scenario Laskin - Polyakov did not cause much enthusiasm in Ryazanov. In essence, it was a variety film review. Instead of living people, the scenario was inhabited by masks. Resigned, Ryazanov proceeds to develop a director's script, although this could not save the situation. Eldar Alexandrovich will say later:
“I had to give the action such a rapid pace that the viewer would not notice the plot and all sorts of other inconsistencies and inconsistencies.”
Ryazanov considered the bureaucrat Serafim Ivanovich Ogurtsov to be the most important figure. It was this image that made it possible to give the film a satirical, topical orientation. For this role, Ryazanov tried many artists until he settled on the candidacy of Peter Konstantinov. But Pyryev, having seen Konstantinov’s sample, rejected it categorically: “Igor Ilyinsky should play the role of Ogurtsov!”
And while Igor Vladimirovich read the script, Ryazanov prayed in his heart:
“It would be nice to refuse!” “On the eve of the meeting with the actor, I developed a program - how to behave with a celebrity,” Eldar Alexandrovich writes in his book. “To my deep amazement, Ilyinsky behaved unusually delicately, modestly, without showing his superiority in any way.”
A man of rare intelligence, Ilyinsky treated the young director with genuine respect. They immediately found mutual language. The role of Ogurtsov was completed together, during rehearsals and filming.
The role of Ogurtsov in "Carnival Night" is a sharply satirical role, in many respects close to the famous Byvalov from "Volga-Volga". Ilyinsky was afraid of self-repetition.
Ryazanov invited Igor Vladimirovich to play a bureaucrat of a new formation:
“Ogurtsov is unlike other bosses who have grown into an easy chair. He is enterprising... open, simple... democratic without familiarity and familiarity. It has all the qualities that we demand from goodie. But for all that, Ogurtsov is a complete fool.
Igor Ilyinsky did an excellent job with the role of Ogurtsov. But the audience took it as main character and Lena Krylov - Lyudmila Gurchenko. This is all the more surprising given that this role is dramatically lackluster in the script.
When, in the spring of 1956, 20-year-old student of the Institute of Cinematography Lyudmila Gurchenko auditioned for the role of Lena Krylova, her task was to create an attractive image modern girl. She sang the Lolita Torres song from the movie Age of Love. The actresses who auditioned for the role did not sing themselves, but opened their mouths to someone else's soundtrack. Gurchenko sang herself. But in those days, the main thing was the appearance of the actress. Lyudmila was filmed by one of the assistants of the chief cameraman, and filmed unsuccessfully. The costume is random, hastily tested. Gurchenko's candidacy was not even considered at the artistic council.
However, intervened Lucky case in the face of the same Pyryev. They collided in the production building of Mosfilm. Along the corridor, rustling with numerous skirts (there was such a fashion in those days - a lower skirt was worn under the upper skirt), a young lady was skipping. Delight was written on her face, she built incredible faces to herself and those around her, grimaced and laughed when someone tried to grab her incredibly thin waist with two fingers. Walking towards her most main man at the studio, Ivan Alexandrovich Pyryev involuntarily stopped, watching this miracle.
After waiting until the miracle nearly knocked him down, he stopped the girl, turned her around to face him, looked carefully into her eyes and said: “Don’t bother with your face!” And asked where he could see her. Gurchenko, forgetting about the reduction of vowels and consonants, which she was taught at the institute, gave out with a Kharkov accent: “That sho is there! On samples at Ryazanov! "Come with me!" - said Pyryev. Bouncing with delight, a young student of VGIK ran after him. “What are you all spinning about! Calm down!"
Pyryev brought Gurchenko to the pavilion where the film was being shot and asked the experienced cameraman A. Kaltsaty to shoot her better: "Work on the portrait - and there will be a person." So Lyudmila Gurchenko got into Carnival Night. After Carnival Night, Gurchenko became the "standard of the USSR girl." Waist - 48 centimeters, light perm. And then every Soviet fashionista dreamed of this fashionable attribute - a clutch.
When filming began, Pyryev watched each episode and, if it seemed unsuccessful, forced to reshoot. So "Ogurtsov's office" - the first meeting with a bureaucrat - was re-shot three times, until the result satisfied the director of Mosfilm. If Pyryev liked the episode, he was not afraid to praise the director.
“Gradually, I began to apply my favorite tactics to Pyryev,” says Ryazanov. - When he directively advised what I had not to my stomach, I pretended to agree. He did not dare to object - he was afraid of Pyryev. Then he went to the pavilion or editing room and did it his own way. But Ivan Alexandrovich was not one of those who could be fooled. He soon figured out my maneuvers and, calling me "quiet stubborn", continued to persevere and get his way.
Pyryev gave important tips about the rhythm and tempo of the comedy, he himself listened to the music of Anatoly Lepin. In Pyryev's office, the composer showed his songs, and Gurchenko sang them. Anatoly Yakovlevich wrote such a wonderful love song! But Pyryev listened to it and said: “The song is very good, but not for this film. And don’t quit music, use it.” The theme of this song is heard in the musical number "Dance with Umbrellas".
“Many things happened for the first time,” writes L. Gurchenko in his book. - Sound engineer Viktor Zorin recorded me in the "Song of a Good Mood" separately from the orchestra. All the workers of the sound department came running to watch. In the tonnala, Eddie Rosner conducted the orchestra, and I sang with a simple earphone, listening to the orchestra, and supported me and inspired me music editor Raisa Aleksandrovna Lukina.
Eldar Ryazanov and the Eddie Rosner Orchestra on the set of the film Carnival Night.
Together with the artists K. Efimov and O. Grosse, the young director approached the organization of the shooting space in a new way. The picture was shot in the interiors, not in the pavilion. It was summer. The theaters went on tour. And a good half of the film was made in the corridors and foyer of the theater of the Soviet Army.
Many of the imaginative solutions were born in the process of shooting, improvisationally. For example, an episode with an unfortunate astronomy lecturer: "Is there life on Mars, is there life on Mars - this is unknown to science, science is not yet up to date." Then the Society for the Dissemination of Scientific and Political Knowledge expanded its activities. Among the lecturers there were quite a few hacks who were ready to play anywhere, as long as they were paid money. So the figure of a man with a briefcase arose in Carnival Night, one might say, from life. Sergey Filippov was invited to the role of lecturer. He immediately agreed to act.
Many scenes had to be re-shot, because the production was at the same time a school for Ryazanov.
Tamara Nosova and Eldar Ryazanov on the set musical comedy"Carnival Night" (1956)
Ryazanov showed the masters excerpts from Carnival Night. Dear directors were unanimous in their assessment: the material is boring and mediocre. The conclusion of the artistic council was as follows: the only thing left is to finish shooting as soon as possible and forget about this film as a nightmare. But Pyriev still believed in young director and largely thanks to his support, Ryazanov was not removed from the production.
"Carnival Night" was completed in a record time for those times - in five months. In a small viewing room of the studio, the material was shown almost in its entirety. filmed. There were three people in the hall: Ilyinsky, Ryazanov and Gurchenko. At the end of the evening, Igor Vladimirovich said to Gurchenko: “I feel ... After this picture, you will be very popular. So get ready…”
"Carnival Night" was not expected by anyone, it was not advertised. Just came out December 28, 1956 - under New Year. The picture could not but please the audience. New Year's celebration, a cascade of music, dances, songs ... Charming young actors L. Gurchenko and Yu. Belov. Constellation famous comedians- S. Filippov, A. Tutyshkin, T. Nosova, V. Zeldin. Excellent acting youth who can do everything - sing, dance, behave naturally, at ease. Light music A. Lepin. Good songs. At the same time, as critics noted, the young director showed a wonderful sense of proportion. As soon as there was a danger that the audience would get tired of the actual concert number, it was immediately replaced by the misadventures of Ogurtsov or a lyrical insert. The funny met the sad, humor met satire, and all this went back to the feeling of "common joy", which, according to Neya Zorka's apt remark, "as if bursting out of the picture."
Critics and journalists did not skimp on praise not only to the actors, but also to Ryazanov. A director appeared, whom fate itself obliges to make a comedy movie. Carnival Night was filmed in a record five months. Despite the fact that the film was not announced, it became a hit in the next 57th year. Then it was watched by 50 million viewers. However, despite its considerable age, the film still continues to gather millions of fans.
For more than half a century, this film has been called a cult Soviet comedy. Then the film launched Eldar Ryazanov and Lyudmila Gurchenko into orbit, and the picture itself was immediately disassembled into quotes.
The premiere of the film "Carnival Night" was all-Union. In all major cities three days before the New Year. The success was overwhelming. To get to the session, the audience had to stand in line for several hours.
However, no one expected such a sensation. After all, the director of the film - Eldar Ryazanov - was an unknown documentary filmmaker, the son of a political prisoner. And in leading role- VGIK sophomore with Kharkov dialect - Lyuda Gurchenko. The script for the musical comedy has been collecting dust on the shelves of Mosfilm for three years. The young director dreamed of a drama, and flatly refused to work on a comedy, but the director of the film studio insisted on his own.
