"Golden calf". Actors of the masterpiece by Mikhail Schweitzer

The two-part domestic comedy “Golden Calf” (actors: S. Yursky, Z. Gerdt, L. Kuravlev, S. Starikova, E. Evstigneev) was released at the beginning of the first winter month of 1968, although the idea of ​​creating a film that became a classic came to the author back in 1962. Almost five-year-olds went to the stage director Mikhail Schweitzer to obtain permission to create a film version of the novel by Ilf and Petrov. This time was enough for the director to develop the concept of a future masterpiece and write a draft script. And now, 6 years later, on the blue screens of the USSR, the Golden Calf started its solemn procession (film, 1968). Actors immediately after the premiere woke up in the rank of national favorites.

Great combinator

During the casting of the film, both the master of the stage and the beginning, little-known actors claimed the main role. The “Golden Calf” (1968) attracted the attention of Vladimir Vysotsky, Nikolai Gubenko, Alexander Porokhovschikov, Vladimir Basov, Zinovy ​​Vysokovsky - all of them wanted to embody the image of the “great combinator” on the screen. In addition, the director personally invited the charming Archil Gomiashvili to audition, but the artist at that time could not arrive in Moscow. Although he still played the role of Ostap Bender, but later - in Leonid Gaidai’s “12 Chairs” project.

Son of a Turkish citizen

As a result, the director for the main male role in the film “The Golden Calf” (actors, colleagues on the shop approved the choice of the director) invited Sergei Yursky, with whom he worked before during the filming of the film “Time, Go!”. The choice of Mikhail Schweitzer was perfect, according to the majority of film critics and the audience, Jurassic is the best cinematic embodiment of Ostap Bender. It turned out that he became the first cinematic of a Turkish citizen in Schweitzer’s film, although for the first time on the Soviet blue screens the image of the “great combinator” was embodied by the equally talented artist of his time Yevgeny Vesnik. This was 10 years before the release of Schweitzer’s picture in the television play Golden Calf. The actors involved in the television show did not become famous, although they were no less talented.

Creative torment

After the filming process of the film "Golden Calf" was completed, the actors experienced significant disappointment. The fact is that censorship Goskino repeatedly returned the film "for revision." The authors were at a loss, trying to maintain the general atmosphere of the tape, while removing significant episodes from the timing. So, for example, the episode under the code name "Crow's Sloboda" with the character Vasisualiy Lokhankin performed by Anatoly Papanov was completely deleted . According to the ubiquitous censors, he too tightened the plot. The film with this episode did not sink into oblivion, it was carefully preserved by Nadezhda Yuryevna Karataeva, the widow of Papanov. It was first broadcast on television in 1992 at an evening in memory of the great artist. Also, the final episode was completely re-shot and the voice acting of the speaker-speaker in the gas shelter was replaced. The actors of the film "Golden Calf" strongly supported the director, not allowing his inspiration to go out.

Acting Ensemble

Rolan Bykov and Georgy Vitsin claimed the role of Panikovsky, but the character went to Zinovy ​​Gerdt. The actor, while working on the image, tried in every possible way to humanize it. The literary hero of Ilf and Petrov is ugly and ridiculous, Gerdt wanted to show him to others - touching and funny. He considered Panikovsky completely unsuitable for life and terribly lonely man, vulnerable, not causing any serious harm to anyone. The actor presented his hero to the audience’s court as a mediocre crazy, absurd old man.

Leonid Kuravlev, acting in the Golden Calf, simultaneously played the role of Homa Brut in Viy, which was shot in a nearby pavilion, so he was often late for shooting one and the other film.

Among other applicants for the role of Shura Balaganov was Vyacheslav Nevinniy himself, and Evgeny Leonov claimed the role of A. I. Koreyko.

Author's concept

The "Golden Calf" (film, 1968) was remembered by the actors who took part in the filming because of the unconventional directorial concept. According to Mikhail Abramovich himself, he absolutely did not want to stigmatize and expose his protagonist in an unsightly light. On the contrary, the author showed Ostap smart, charming, energetic and charismatic, evoking the sympathy of the audience. It was such a hero who fascinated the beholder, inviting him to go all the way with him and make sure that a dead end awaited him at the end. Only in this way did the viewer understand that the hero’s life was wasted - and this is the main tragedy. The censors of the Arts Council did not appreciate such an author’s find, demanding that the film be retaken in order to more fully emphasize Bender’s moral collapse and his defeat in a clash with Soviet society. The director was indignant, but was forced to partially obey, certain scenes were indeed re-shot, but deliberately poorly, intentionally false.