It is always interesting to watch how actors of different nationalities work in the frame. “Mimino” is a Soviet comedy in which a truly international performing staff was selected. Bright color, an abundance of apt and ridiculous expressions - that's what the audience love this immortal film of George Danelia. Who starred in the famous film and how it was met in the Soviet Union?
Short story
Mimino actors tell the viewer a straightforward story about the adventures of a Georgian pilot in Moscow. Valiko Mizandari, whom close friends call Mimino, arrives at the Mother See in order to make a career in the "big" aviation. This step was pushed by the woman he liked - the stewardess of International Airlines Larisa Ivanovna.
However, in Moscow, everything went wrong with Mimino from the very beginning: Larisa Ivanovna ignored the pilot, in the hotel they annoyed an annoying Armenian in his room, and then put them both out on the street. Mimino and his companion Rubik do not have money either, since they spent it the day before in a restaurant. As luck would have it, in huge Moscow Valiko manages to meet his long-standing enemy and fight with him, for which he ends up in a pre-trial detention center.
Having gone through a series of adventures and trials, Valiko still manages to fulfill his dream. But in the end, he refuses everything and returns to his native Georgia, which he longs for.
Vakhtang Kikabidze as Mimino
Actors "Mimino" became famous throughout the Soviet Union after the film was released. True, many of them starred in films even before participating in Mimino. But after the success of this picture, many artists began to receive the main roles more often.
The actor who played Mimino is a real Georgian Vakhtang Kikabidze, who is also a famous singer and director. Kikabidze began acting in films in 1966. His debut was the role of Gia in the comedy “Meeting in the Mountains” by Nikolai Sanishvili.
In the same year, young Kikabidze appeared in a cameo role in Gaidai’s comedy “The Captive of the Caucasus”. Vakhtang played the very policeman who tells Shurik: "You will fry this" bride ", do not forget to invite." Then there were roles in many Soviet films, but Kikabidze really became famous after Mimino.
For the role of Valiko Mizandari, the actor received the USSR State Prize. He also performed the title track for the film, Chito-Gvrito.
Mimino Actors: Frunzik Mkrtchyan
Frunzik Mkrtchyan in the film "Mimino" played the annoying Armenian - the driver Rubik Khachikyan - who was hooked to Mimino's room.
Historically, Georgians and Armenians are not very friendly. So the main actors of the film "Mimino", or rather their characters, at the beginning of the picture are constantly quarreling and competing with each other. But in the end it turns out that purely human relations are more important than interethnic prejudices. When Valiko Mizandari begins to have one problem after another, Rubik Khachikyan, who is not even his friend, tries to sincerely help Mimino: he tries to shield him at the trial, is ready to sell the wheel from his own transport, so that the Georgians can buy a ticket and return home. In the final of the film, the Armenian and the Georgians still parted friends.
Frunzik Mkrtchyan after Mimino played many more main roles: in Alla Surikova’s film “Vanity of Vanities”, in the lyrical comedy “Big Win”, in the film adaptation “Slap in the Face” and many others.
Mimino: actors and roles. Elena Proklova
Elena Proklova began to play the main roles from childhood: at age 12 she appeared in the form of Tanya Nechaeva in the film “They Call, Open the Door”, then the girl played Gerda in the fairy tale “The Snow Queen”, Olya Alekseeva in the children's film “Adolescent Age”. And at the age of 19 there was a film “Mimino”.
Actors and roles in such a picture cannot be "unimportant", because "Mimino" is more like a comedy of manners. So the performer of the role of a stewardess of International Airlines was to fully comply with the image prescribed by the scriptwriter. Elena Proklova with her "cold" beauty suited perfectly.
After Mimino, the actress played many more roles in various films: Marcel in the musical film Dog in the Hay, Masha in The Captain's Daughter, Natasha in the adventure film Seek the Wind.
Evgeny Leonov
Evgeny Leonov in the comedy of George Danelia got the episodic role of a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, whom Valiko Mizandari meets at the Moscow airport after all his adventures. Mimino does not even dream of fulfilling his dream and becoming a pilot of International Airlines. But the character of Yevgeny Leonov mistakenly takes him for the son of his comrade in arms and in a matter of days resolves his issue.
Leonov in the picture of Danelia appeared already as a guest star, because on his account there were main roles in such famous films as “Gentlemen of Fortune”, “Belorussky Train Station” and “Burn, Burn My Star”. After “Mimino”, one of the best works of Yevgeny Pavlovich can be considered the films “An Ordinary Miracle” by Mark Zakharov, “Behind the Matches” by Leonid Gaidai and “Kin-Dza-Dza” by Georgy Danelia.
Kote Daushvili
In Mimino, the main actor is, of course, Vakhtang Kikabidze. His character gave the film a name. But Mimino’s grandfather was played by the famous Georgian actor Kote Daushvili.
Kote’s film career began back in 1932 with the painting “Desert”. In 1933, he played a cameo role in the drama The Last Crusaders. Then there were the films “Gloomy Valley”, “Beyond the River”, “Homeland” - and all the productions of Georgia. So we can say that the actor stood at the origins of Georgian cinema.
Kote Daushvili was also a leading actor at the Tbilisi Academic Theater named after K. Mardzhanishvili.
Other role performers
The comedy "Mimino" starred as well-known stars of Soviet cinema, as well as little-known actors.
The role of the head of the Telavi airport was played by Ruslan Mikaberidze, who also starred in the films Tehran-43 and Sibiriada.
Marina Dyuzheva, who later became famous for her roles in the films “For Family Circumstances” and “Tavern on Pyatnitskaya”, played the lawyer Valiko Mizandari in “Mimino”.
Archil Gomiashvili, known for his role as Ostap Bender in the comedy “12 Chairs”, appeared in front of the audience in the image of Valiko's long-standing enemy with whom he had a fight. Also in the frame appeared such celebrities as Vladimir Basov (“The Queen of the Circus”), Valentina Titova (“Days of the Turbins”), Borislav Brondukov (“A Man from Kapucinov Boulevard”), Leonid Kuravlev (“Afonya”) and Savely Kramarov (“Gentlemen” good luck ").
Reviews
Mimino was praised not only by the audience, but also by critics: the picture is on the list of 100 best films, according to VGIK, in the rating of best films, according to Livejournal. He also held 17th position among the leaders of the Soviet hire in 1978 and became the laureate of the main award of the Moscow Film Festival.
As for the audience, they fell in love with the film not because of some incredibly exciting plot (it simply doesn’t exist), but for those colorful images created by the actors and funny phrases skillfully woven into the script. Who doesn’t remember Mimino’s famous saying: “I want Larisa Ivanovna”?
Also, the viewer likes the overall positive and friendly attitude of the picture. You can even say that it has a conciliatory character, because in the story the Armenians and Georgians become real friends. If we turn to realities of life, then Georgians have the most jokes about Armenians, and Armenians like to make fun of Georgians. Valiko and Rubik also did not get along at first, often arguing about where it is better to live - in Georgia or in Armenia. But then they forgot which of them is Georgian, who is Armenian, and simply became good friends.