A kind and magical Soviet fairy tale about the boy Volka and the unusual sorcerer came out back in 1956. And immediately became one of the most loved by small (and not only) viewers. Indeed, the film “Old Man Hottabych”, whose actors were instantly remembered by everyone, was watched not only by children, but also by their parents.
Story line
There was everything in this picture: a talented play of actors, beautiful music, and special effects that were amazing at the time. Thanks to this, the tale became the leader of the genre in the Soviet Union. What is she talking about?
So, what is the film “Old Man Hottabych” about? The actors who starred in it tried to maximally embody on the screen the idea of Lazarus Lagin, who once wrote a book about an old wizard.
One fine spring day, the pioneer Volka catches an ancient vessel in the Moscow River. At home, he opens it, and it turns out that a fairy genie is sealed inside with a strange name for a schoolchild of the fifties - Gassan Abdurrahman ibn Khottab.
According to the old Eastern rule, since Volka freed him from imprisonment, in which the wizard was two thousand years old, the boy became his master, who had the opportunity to wish anything. Old man Hottabych (the actors who played in the film for several months plunged into a fabulous atmosphere) now sincerely considers himself a faithful servant of the pioneer. He really wants to thank him the way he can, that is, constantly give him a variety of gifts. These include: a caravan of camels, a real palace and many treasures.
But Volka is a real Soviet boy, brought up in the spirit of pioneering. Therefore, he does not need what the wizard tried to present to him. He and Hottabych become real friends.
How did you look for pioneer boys?
The film “The Old Man Hottabych”, whose actors and roles have been familiar to many viewers for many years, began with the search for guys who would play the main roles - Volka Kostylkova, Zhenya Bogorad and Gogi. After the assistants announced the start of the tests at the studio, queues of mothers and their children lined up. These students were invited to the film studio, because it was necessary to figure out which of them could do what would be necessary in the picture, and who would play the three boys.
The children were asked to read poems and play a sketch according to the given parameters (for example, the boys were walking in the forest and it started to rain). The schoolchildren had to imagine all this, because in reality there was no rain, no wet clothes on them, no baskets with mushrooms ... They should have a good imagination, not only to imagine the situation, but also play a role.
Those pioneers who coped with this task were approved for the shoot. They were Alyosha Litvinov (gullible Volka), Gene Khudyakov (judicious Zhenya) and Leva Kovalchuk (cunning Goga). The guys were diligent students, their behavior was good, so none of the teachers objected to their filming.
The only thing that confused was Alyosha's hair color. According to the director’s idea, Volka was supposed to be blonde, and Litvinov had beautiful black hair on his head. But a solution was found: the boy was dyed his hair with hydrogen peroxide every week.
The same genie
A truly magical tale was the film "The Old Man Hottabych." The actors and roles played in it were remembered many years later. Everyone loved how the shooting went. This was especially liked by the then boys. In addition, they believed a little that a real genie came to the site with them.
The competition for the role of the oriental sage was huge. Even George Vitsin and Evgeny Lebedev tried. The actor, approved for this role, was Nikolai Volkov (1902-1985). When he was made up for a fabulous old man, the director realized in an instant that it was him.
But it turned out quite by accident. Nicholas then worked in the Odessa Theater, did not act in films for a long time, leaving only on the stage. During the selection of actors, the director watched a small fragment of an old picture in which Volkov played the role of an oriental old man - the astrologer Hussein-Gusliya. When the actor was offered the role of Gassan Abdurrahman, he instantly agreed.
Perhaps few of the viewers know that Nikolai played in other films that were loved by the viewers: “Striped Flight”, “Twelve Months”, “The Head of Chukotka”. He worked until the end of his life, but did not have time to see his last film: he came out after the death of the actor.
Mom Wolves
The actors of the film “Old Man Hottabych” became, as it were, family members of many Soviet children. Who played the mother of the protagonist?
Maya Blinova, young actress of the Miniature Theater of A. Raikin, chose the role of mom Volka (1926-2013). This picture was not fateful for her. She was invited to shoot in films both earlier and later. True, the roles were mainly mothers, grandmothers, wives and passengers. Blinova gained great fame as an understudy of foreign paintings. On her account more than two hundred voiced paintings. She passed away at a respectable age - at 83 years old.
Best friend
The film "The Old Man Hottabych", whose actors became real favorites of viewers, was the second in the creative biography of Gennady Khudyakov (1943-2013). He already had cinematic experience in the comedy Alyosha Ptitsyn Develops a Character, which was filmed three years before. The role of Zhenya was given to him without difficulty, but in the future his life was in no way connected with the cinema.
The boy was no longer invited to the shooting. He worked as a research fellow at the Television Research Institute. Upon retirement, he became the founder of his own fund to help veterans of the Second World War, made documentaries. His life ended due to a heart attack. Khudyakov was only 69 years old.