Melnikov Alexander is a popular Soviet actor. The audience was remembered thanks to the courageous, heroic images of revolutionaries, soldiers and sailors. His most famous paintings were released in the 30s of the last century. We are talking about such tapes as "The soldier was coming from the front," "The Deputy of the Baltic Sea" and "The sail turns white."
Actor Biography
Melnikov Alexander was born in 1906. He was born in St. Petersburg. He began his career by going to the factory as an ordinary turner. But soon the magic of cinema, which at that time was gaining more and more popularity, captured him.
In 1925, he entered as a student at the Factory of an Eccentric Actor. So originally educational institutions for future artists were called at that time. His teachers and mentors were People's Artist of the USSR Grigory Kozintsev and People's Artist of the RSFSR Leonid Trauberg.
He finished his studies at the College of Performing Arts after the merger of two educational institutions into one. He made his debut on the screen in the film of young Soviet directors Alexander Zarha and Joseph Heifits, who in 1930 shot the film “Wind in the Face”. It was a film about the struggle of modern Soviet youth against the bourgeois life that it hated. Melnikov Alexander and his film partner Oleg Zhakov immediately became popular.
Then followed the shooting of the film "Midday", which talked about Soviet collectivization. Critics and viewers considered the film itself extremely unsuccessful, noting only the brilliant play of the actors.
Over time, Alexander Melnikov became one of the most sought-after artists of Soviet cinema of that time. In just five years, he starred in two dozen films. True, not all works reached the Soviet audience. The film "My Homeland", dedicated to the conflict on the Sino-Eastern Railway, was banned for screening. According to one version - by personal order of Stalin. And another version says that party officials were unable to determine what modern military equipment can be demonstrated on the screen.
With the beginning of World War II, Melnikov went to the front as a volunteer. And after the victory he returned to Lenfilm. But it turned out that he was no longer in demand. His type is no longer interesting to anyone.
In 1947, he again went to military service, and resigned as senior lieutenant. Next was work on Lenfilm as an assistant director. And after retirement, our hero was a guide at the museum.
He died in St. Petersburg at the age of 97. It happened in 2004.
"Member of the Baltic"
After the release of the historical and revolutionary film “Baltic Deputy” (Alexander Zarha and Joseph Kheifits), Alexander Melnikov became very popular. The actor played the role of Kupriyanov.
This is a picture about the revolution in Petrograd. Students are passionate about politics, but most teachers are wary of the new government. Only the main character, Professor Polezhaev, openly supports the Bolsheviks. His prototype in real life was Timiryazev.
Our hero played the role of one of the revolutionaries.
"Lone sail whitens"
Alexander Melnikov, whose biography was associated with the roles of revolutionaries, in 1937 played in the historical and adventure film of Vladimir Legoshin - “The Lone Sail Whitens” (according to the novel by Valentin Kataev).
In this picture, he got the role of Rodion Zhukov. The film tells about the situation in Odessa in 1905, in the first days after the brutal suppression of the uprising on the battleship "Potemkin". All historical events are shown from the point of view of two characters - little boys (Gavrika and Petit).
"There was a soldier from the front"
In 1939, in the drama by Vladimir Legoshin, "The Soldier was Walking from the Front," Melnikov played the main role - the artilleryman Semyon Kotko. He returns home from the First World War in 1918.
After the revolution, the native village changes beyond recognition. Even before the war, Semyon married the daughter of his fellow villager Tkachenko, who at the front was his commander. Then Tkachenko drove him away, and now he has lost his influence and gave the green light to the union of the young.
After the German army arrives in Ukraine, Semyon goes to the woods as a partisan.