It is difficult to imagine a person who has never heard of the film “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!”. One of the best Soviet comedies, a recognized role model, and also a frequent television guest to this day. The picture gathered a record number of viewers - over 250 million people, including those who watched it in numerous repetitions and on large screens.
What is New Year without a movie?
It so happened that the “Irony of Fate ...” has become a traditional symbol of any New Year's holiday. Having first appeared on January 1, 1976 on the central channel, the film always finds its place in the broadcast network.
Parodies and humorous scenes have been put on the original more than once. The replicas became catchphrases, the images of the main characters are close to each viewer, and the actors of “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” instantly gained popularity.
“Irony ...” has its own story
It is now easy to talk about the tape as a fait accompli. And then, in 1975, when shooting was in full swing in two Russian capitals, no one knew what success would be. But he, like the effect of an exploding bomb, instantly proved that Soviet cinema can create high-quality work, and Ryazanov is one of its best creators. Only the director himself believed in victory. He placed his hopes on the first persons of the film, and the actors of “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” managed to realize all his ideas.
Screen pets
Nowadays, when the film is thoroughly studied, it is difficult to imagine someone else in place of Zhenya or Nadia. The director could not decide which actors he needed. For a long time he looked for textured faces, actors of “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” were the key moment for Ryazanov. But he made a very interesting choice.
The peculiarity was that the main performers were not newcomers. Preference for the role of Zhenya Lukashin, who by mistake is not in that, but very similar to his apartment, was given to a native of Leningrad, a famous theater and film actor Andrei Myagkov.
He began his work with the image of a dentist Chesnokov from the comedy “The Dentist's Adventures,” which was immediately warmly praised by critics. We can say that the actor had a good start. His next works were the tapes “Brothers Karamazov” and “Unexpected guest”. Before playing in “The Irony of Fate ...”, he starred in more than ten films, and at the time of filming already gained popularity among the audience.
It was this film that assigned him the role of a comedian. Many film critics, however, are not inclined to such an idea, because in the filmography of Myagkov there are plenty of dramatic roles. “The irony of fate ...” became for him the beginning of a long collaboration with Eldar Ryazanov. As you know, he does not forget his favorites. Soon the masters met again on the site of “Office Romance”, “Garage” and “Cruel Romance”.
If you recall how the actors of “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” Were selected, you can not help but say about the search for the main female prototype that faced the director.
To the surprise of many, Ryazanov chose Barbara Brylsk. Despite the fact that the samples were held by the most promising actresses of that time: Olga Volkova, Antonina Shuranova, Svetlana Nemolyaeva and Lyudmila Gurchenko, who had already shot Ryazanov in Carnival Night.
Little was known to the Russian audience about the native of Poland. For the sake of the role of Nadia Sheveleva, she moved to Moscow, and before that she played in more than forty films, most of which were shot in their native expanses. Rightfully called an international actress, Barbara collaborated with Bulgarian and Czechoslovak directors. Her important appearance took place in the film “Their Weekday”. In the film adaptation of Boleslav Prus “Pharaoh”, she played a priestess named Kama, and the image of Eve from “Anatomy of Love” (like the picture itself) grew over with a veil of scandal.
Not only key actors in the film “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” aroused spectator interest. Minor characters were no less colorful. Yuri Yakovlev, with whom he worked on the film “Watch Out for the Car,” took on the role of the bridegroom of Nadi — Hippolytus — Ryazanov. Friends of Zhenya were played by Alexander Shirvindt, George Burkov and Alexander Belyavsky, and Lia Akhedzhakova and Valentina Talyzina embodied Nadia's friends and colleagues. The close-knit acting team managed to create a harmonious and memorable atmosphere in the frame.
It is also noteworthy that after shooting the picture was completely re-sounded. The Polish accent of Nadi Sheveleva was replaced by the voice of Valentina Talyzina, and Alla Pugacheva performed the musical compositions for her. Eugene Lukashin himself did not sing songs, Sergey Nikitin did it for him.
Total success to this day
In 2007, a sequel was released under the symbolic title “Continuation”. Andrei Myagkov and Barbara Brylska reappeared in the frame. Despite the many roles played after “Irony ...” and the ensuing long break in her career, Barbara returned to Russian screens in the 2001 film “Down House”. In 2008, she embodied the key image of Rosa Karlovna in the military-historical film “Admiral” by Andrei Kravchuk.
The further career of Andrei Myagkov was no less successful. He appeared in many different paintings. With the beginning of the new decade, the actor began to act less often, preferring a quieter, secluded family atmosphere. He also rarely gives interviews and practically does not appear at social events.
Since the release of “The Irony of Fate ...” a long procession on television screens, and many years of spectator love awaited. The picture was recognized as the best film of 1976. The film “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” (actors and roles including) received all-Russian recognition, becoming a favorite for more than one generation. The characters continue to be close and dear, as they were several decades ago.