The fact that Leonid Iovich Gaidai was a genius of Comedy, nobody does not need to prove. Time decided, the people decided so. Movies Leonid Gaidai for many years in the top 10 comedies in many polls the audience. During the life of Leonid Gaidai about his films, wrote a lot, and about him — almost nothing. This was fine with a Director who disliked the noise surrounding his person. Now especially valuable every detail of his biography…
Born in a Free
Leonid Iovich Gaidai was born January 30, 1923 in the city Free the Amur region. Father – Iov Isidorovich Gaidai, a railroad employee, a Ukrainian born in the Poltava region, was a man of athletic build and possess a good sense of humor.
Mother – Maria Ivanovna, was a native of Ryazan region. This sweet, kind hearted woman, constantly busy with endless household chores and, just like her husband, possessed a good sense of humor. The family had three children – Alexander, the daughter of Augustus and his younger son Leonid.
Soon the family moved to Chita, where he lived for some time, and then in Irkutsk, more precisely, in the suburb of Irkutsk, priamurskiy train village Eye. It was almost a village, and each house had a small garden, where the residents tried to keep chickens, cat, dog. For more substantial animals little one was missing possibilities.
Leonid Gaidai studied at the Irkutsk school №42. In his childhood he was very fond of cinema, especially the films of Chaplin. On Sunday, when they showed Chaplin, Leon came to the first session.
At the end of the film, he lay on the floor between the rows, crawling under the seats and hiding, waited out the break between sessions to re-watch a favorite movie. Sometimes he did this number several times a day.
The years of war.
18 June 1941, Leonid Gaidai graduated from high school. 23 Jun 1941, along with all of his classmates, he went to enlist in the army, but the army, but in the military they said they have to wait a bit.
Gaidai arranged a stagehand in Irkutsk theatre, where he toured the Moscow theatre of satire. At this time, it worked such masters as Henkin, lapco, Paul, Doronin, Slonova, Maybe.
In connection with the war Theatre of Satire remains in Irkutsk, the evacuation. Gaidai worked with the theater of satire, watched all their performances, traveled with him on tour. At the same time, was engaged in a theatrical Studio at the House of culture of railwaymen and played there in several productions, in particular, the “Wedding” and “the Bear” by Chekhov.
In 1942, Leonid Gaidai drafted into the army. Initially, his service was held in Mongolia, where he rode horses destined for the front. Tall and thin, a small change on the squat Mongolian horses looked comical, but with his cowboy would successfully.
He, like others of his peers rushed to the front. Located in a peaceful Mongolia, they considered shameful. In addition, new recruits often forget to feed and they are terribly hungry.
When the Commissar came to take away the completion to the army, every question the officer, Gaidai said, “I am”. “Who’s in the artillery?” “I”, “In the cavalry?” “I,” “the Navy?” “I”, “intelligence?” “I” – which caused the dissatisfaction of the chief.
“Yes, you wait, Gaidai, – said the Commissar – Give announce the entire list. From this case, many years later was born an episode of the film “Operation “y””.
Gaidai sent to the Kalinin front. “When I heard about the Kalinin front, I thought that we definitely provezut through Moscow. I thought live in Moscow only, beautiful people, and really wanted to see her.
We really was driven through Moscow, but crossed it at night underground in the subway. Train soldiers went, not stopping at any stations, and I of Moscow did not see”. The story of this episode will go in the night the passage through the deserted dimly lit subway stations.
Hayday was in the platoon of the pedestrian investigation, repeatedly went into the enemy rear to take the language, was awarded several medals.
In 1943, returning from a mission, Leonid Gaidai was undermined on an antipersonnel mine, having received a severe wound in the leg. Spent about a year in hospitals, endured 5 operations. He was threatened with amputation, but he refused it. “One-legged actors do not happen,” he said.
The consequences of this injury haunted him all his life. From time to time the wound was opened, leaving shards of bone inflamed and these tortures lasted for years. He was crippled, though never told anyone about it. Extraneous about it not only knew, but had no idea, because Leonid Iovich could not stand to show their disease or illness. He was a real male character.
Cinematography.
Hayday from his youth dreamed of the stage. He wanted to be an actor, although it would seem – some of it could be the actor. He was a humble and shy since childhood not reprimanding the letter “R” and “l”. However, after returning from the front, the young man came to the Irkutsk regional drama theatre, came to the Studio, from which he graduated in 1947.
Two years he played in performances of the drama. He was a good actor and enjoyed a fair success. But Leonid quite soberly regarded his success and understood that he had a peculiar appearance, and his repertoire is limited. He was not satisfied with only acting job.
He attended all the rehearsals, even when they were not busy, look to the work of the Directors. In his spare time, he sometimes told his friends-actors as he played a particular scene. He increasingly began to think about directing.
In 1949, Gaidai went to Moscow. He enrolled at the VGIK (workshop of G. Alexandrov).
Hayday compared to other students was probably one of the most notable. He was surprised by his talent recognized masters as an actor. The film Barnet on the views of his student works have slipped out of his chair laughing.
Once hayday with a friend came out of the Institute, and a young employee of the Institute of Cinematography, afraid to go through the dark streets, followed them. After a few minutes, Leonid stopped suddenly and, trying to talk as tough as possible and swagger, turned to the girl: “well, take off your coat!.. Did I not clearly said? Or can I help you?”
When she, having become puzzled, began to undress, the students laughed. However, the teachers of the Institute similar jokes somehow didn’t like the first course, aspiring filmmaker was expelled for… incompetent.
Realizing the injustice of this decision, the Embassy began to pester the bosses ‘ offices and was soon restored at the Institute of Cinematography, although with a trial period.
Wife is for life.
In those years, Leonid Gaidai found a woman with whom he lived all his life.
Says the actress, Nina Grebeshkova: “We graduated from the same University on the same course. He came after the war – wounded, long, thin. Can’t say that fell for him immediately… Here rehearsing. Sit with your back to the door. Guys come (we have studied and Kulidzhanov and the Horde) – one, two…
Nothing seems to be happening. And Gaidai – I feel like it’s just skin. Generally I shy. Was afraid to say something stupid. He’s older by eight years, held the front. I was 17 years…
The wedding was modest, at home, in our communal apartment. Came relatives, friends, and students. We rented a room. Leon was a Stalinist fellow, he received 800 rubles. And I’ve already played, I had my own money. As the actress have already been claimed. By the way, Leon is very offended when I refused to take his name. Because become Gaidai… Not man, not woman.”
The couple have a daughter, Oksana.
Acting debut in the movie.
While still a student, Gaidai worked as a Director-trainee and as an actor he appeared in the Comedy Barnet “Liang”. In 1958 Gaidai starred in one film – in optimistic drama “Wind”.
It was his last work as an actor in other people’s movies. Since the mid 50-ies Leonid Iovich turned to directing, and from then on the screen appeared only occasionally in small roles in his own films.
,,Liang,, 1955
Directorial debut in the movie.
From 1955 Gaidai – Director of the film Studio “Mosfilm”. The first film “Long walk” (1956, together with VI Nevzorov) Gaidai put on the Siberian stories Korolenko, thus paying tribute to its far Eastern origin.
Despite the fact that it was not a Comedy, Mikhail Romm saw in the young Director’s talent as a playwright and advised him to work in this direction.
In the Studio Romm was born the first hilarious film Gaidai’s “groom from the world” and Vicinum and Platcom in the lead roles.
However, to enjoy the success of the Director was not necessary. The painting was met with hostility in 1958 satirical depiction of bureaucracy is unlikely to please the officials of the Ministry of culture. As a result, the film is cursed, has reduced and let the second screen.
Leonid Gaidai has experienced severe emotional distress. His next film came two years later and had to Comedy any relationship. The film is “Thrice resurrected” (1960), decided in the genre of the heroic film story with a clear ideological fervor, is considered to be forced in the works Gaidai, which was still alien to politics. The picture failed miserably, and aspiring Director was in despair, not knowing what to remove.
The turn of fate.
Gaidai went to her parents in Irkutsk, where there was a decisive turn in his life. In the attic of a wooden house he found the issue of “Truth” with a skit in verse “Mongrel Dog” of Stepan Oleynik. The skit was extremely fond of him.
He immediately told the story to his wife (actress Nina Pectinate): “Ninok, just listen it’s funny! Running Dog – 2 meters of film, followed by Veteran – 3 meters over 1.5 meters. The overall plan – all run…”
Native only shook shoulders: “Three fools running around the dog with explosives, which they themselves have abandoned. What’s so funny?” But the wise Grebeshkova, who knows the nature of man, quietly sighed and said, “Awesome!”.
As it turned out, she was right. 9-minute film “Dog Mongrel and unusual cross” was a huge success, he was immediately sent to the embassies.
In the invisible transferring in time, to focus on the satirical-comic art 1920-ies of both Soviet and American (Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd), Gaidai found a real “gold mine”. Techniques and even eccentric American Comedy has gained him a purely Russian and Soviet quite sound.
This unpretentious short has spawned a unique phenomenon of the three super popular heroes masks Soviet cinema – Goonies, Coward and Experienced, which then was involved in the following short film “Bootleggers” (1962), in the third novel of the Comedy “Operation “y” and other adventures Shurik” (1965) and “Caucasian captive” (1966).
The last two named paintings and “the diamond arm” (1968), awarded the State prize in 1970, form a kind of comic trilogy of 1960-ies.
All of these films are also the most cash – only 15 months of rental have a look 222,8 million viewers, almost the entire population of the USSR.
In General, the audience in Soviet cinemas the films Gaidai made (excluding re-rolled), about 600 million people (e.g. Steven Spielberg in the U.S. the audience was a half times less). That is, according to very rough estimates, box-office takings could be in the amount of 200 million rubles in prices until 1991.
We can say that “the diamond arm” was the Gaidai. In America would be during the life of a multimillionaire, we lived modestly, as, for example, semen Semenovich Gorbunkov of “Brilliant hands”.
It is no coincidence that the Comedy in 1995 in a survey of viewers RTR has been recognized as the best.
“Comedy should be as few words as possible, and those that are, are required to be concise, precise, hitting right on target,” said hayday. And were true to their passions.
Tricks sprinkled in his films, from the horn of plenty, installation was fierce, the pace did not let the audience take a breath, and words and phrases have been living their own lives.
A recognized master of Comedy.
In 1971 on the screens out Comedy “12 chairs”. The Leonid Iovich has admitted that this is one of his favorite paintings.
To film the novel by Ilf and Petrov, the Director decided in 1967, to his famous “the Diamond hand”. However, the leaders of the state told him to wait until Michael Schweitzer will deliver the “Golden calf”. In the survey only began in 1970.
The biggest challenge was to find an actor for the role of Ostap. Gaidai tried 22 of the artist, among whom was Vladimir Basov , Vladimir Vysotsky , Andrei Batalov , O. Borisov , E. Evstigneev , A. Mironov , and did not stop until on or who the unknown Archili Gomiashvili .
The played in this movie a cameo role Korobeynikova.
,, 12 chairs, the, V. Korobeynikov.
In 70-e years the Embassy has put two more comedies, included in the Golden Fund of Russian movie “Ivan Vasilyevich changes profession” (1973) and “can’t be!” (1975).
The song “Suddenly, like magic, the door creaked…” from the film “Ivan Vasilyevich…” became the hallmark of all restaurants in the country 70-80 years. And the film became one of leaders of hire in that year.
In the early 80’s on the screens out Comedy “Behind matches” and “Sportloto-82”. These paintings were the last who had great success with the audience. First of all, it refers to the film “Sportloto-82”, where so great was played by Michael Pugovkin.
The perestroika period.
Later, perestroika already working Gaidai: “danger!” (1985), “Private detective, or Operation “Cooperation” (1989) and “good weather In Deribasovskaya, or Brighton beach again it rains” (1992) was already much weaker.
In the changed situation, the former Gaidauskas manner of combinations of tricks with the satirical comedies charge action and sharply drawn the characters now turned into a toothless social critique of reality and merely external comicvine heroes.
To find out whether he was still of interest to people created comedies, Leonid Iovich specially go to the cinema. “Ninok! Imagine, laughing in the same places,” he said then his wife.
The secret of family happiness.
Having lived with Nina Pectinate 40 years, in the end, Gaidai said: “I’m really lucky to have you… no matter What I do, you like everything.”
The secret of family happiness was simple – it seems that even in his younger years, Nina p. was distinguished by extraordinary women’s wisdom. She never asked her husband, he shot her in his films. But if offered, I refused.
There was a case at the Kyiv film Studio was offered a major role, and the husband just started the shooting of “Caucasian captive”, where Nina Pavlovna had to play nothing at all – a psychiatrist. What she chose, known. About the Ukrainian film know probably only the creators.
“How was Leon? Look at Shurik, and all will become clear”, – says now Nina Grebeshkova. With a poem by Yaroslav Smelyakov “About a girl Lida”, which Demyanenko read Selezneva, the moment he entered the film Institute.
Taking care of the future wife, as the Shura, told me a lot about the front, the native of Irkutsk. They walked from the Institute to Gagarin lane, where she lived, Nina (the name and character of Comedy), he has consistently been late for the last train, and when a few days later Grebeshkova told him about the stale shirt, Gaidai didn’t have to propose to her.
And she married him – not handsome, illness, thin. Even the neighbor in the communal apartment, the drunk aunt Nastya, Gaidai liked. “What is terrible is not it?” – I could not resist it. Mum warned: “Look, Nina, from osinki will not be born of oranges”.
Leonid Iovich was a big naive child, completely unadapted to life. It seemed that he was not a luxury apartment, nor the car – it always drove Nina Pavlovna. To earn a co-operative, was shot in Alma-ATA Studio, there were paid more.
She then did the repairs. “Why? – inquired the husband. – At us and so all is well!.. Well, do you need? Do it!” And she ran to the store for paint and Wallpaper. “Ninok! Have you got a bulb has burned out” – he asked the Embassy to his wife, referring to a table lamp on… your desktop. “Ninok! In my opinion, in your car something’s dripping” – he said on “the Zhiguli”. And so for 40 years.
With my daughter
Oksana. Mom became an actress in 1956 year
N. Grebeshkova: “Indifferent to rank, he had them all up to the people of the USSR. I remember when he gave another order, he came and said, “Hey, I again recorded some tchotchke”.
He didn’t understand why the artist is actually the title. How can they be asking? And it got me in some measure raised. If deserved, then give. And I plead won’t… Why? I’m neither better nor worse don’t…”.
The last years of his life.
About the last years of life Gaidai says Nina Grebeshkova, “the Last years of his hard work. He was not bedridden sick, but suffered leg wound opened plus emphysema. And he smoked.
But he was a happy man – he lived only what he was interested in. For example, loved to play cards, or “one-armed bandits.” He lost a huge amount of money.
– Leon! So nobody lives! – I tried to stop him.
– Like no? I live it.
To fight was useless. Besides, I always worked by myself, and I have found your money… In 93-m to year Volovich and Yining wrote for him the Comedy screenplay about a submarine. But suddenly he said, “Guys, I’m probably not going to…”
At age 70, he had pneumonia… it was bad – in the lungs accumulated fluid. Then he has a better feel. I visited him in the hospital every day, even spent the night.
And on the 19th of November 1993. It was dark… I was with him. He sighed. Ran the doctors, wearing a mask… All to no avail. He left. Pulmonary embolism – a clot. There was a blockage. Besides, he suffered from cardiac arrhythmias. To save him was impossible.”
Hardly anyone noticed the death of Gaidai at the age of 70 seemed to have summed up the sad result of his career in recent years.
Almost immediately after this care began the revaluation creative Director, belatedly recognized the undisputed classic, unique and eccentric master of the Soviet satirical Comedy.
Leonid Gaidai was distinguished for intelligence and modesty. He fully devoted himself to cinema, his life was not places of public squabbles and scandals. People who know and remember the Director, speak of him only with respect.
The Grave Of Leonid I. Gaidai.
