How Eldar Ryazanov changed the fate of Olga Aroseva

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The famous actress has played many roles in theater and cinema, winning all-Union fame and love of the audience. For more than half a century, she served at the Moscow Theater of Satire, hosted television programs and acted in films almost until her departure. However, if not for the intervention of director Eldar Ryazanov, Olga Aroseva's acting career could have developed in a completely different way.

Conflict with the artistic director

In 1950, Olga Aroseva came from Leningrad, where she served at the Comedy Theater, to Moscow. In the capital, she was accepted into the Theater of Satire, and for the time being, her theatrical career was quite successful. But in 1957, the Theater of Satire was headed by Valentin Pluchek, and at first there were no conflicts between the artistic director and Olga Aroseva.

But, apparently, the actress was not entirely satisfied with the creative approach and style of leadership of Valentin Pluchek, because during the theater tour in Saratov it was she who provoked the scandal. Olga Aroseva always happily joined the noisy acting companies, could sit at the table all night, but at the same time in the morning she went to the rehearsal completely ready to work without a shadow of fatigue or hectic pastime on her face.

One evening in a Saratov hotel, a sincere company gathered in the actress's room: Evgeny Vesnik, Anatoly Papanov with his wife Nadezhda Karataeva and, in fact, Olga Aroseva herself. Papanov's wife was worried that he would not take alcohol more than the norm, and therefore constantly offered to complete the feast and go to their rooms.

But Olga Alexandrovna, although she was not very drunk, suddenly broke up and started talking about the position of Evgeny Vesnik in the theater. For some reason, she began to say that it was he who could become an artistic director, and not be content with only work on stage. The actress spoke loudly and very emotionally. Everything would be fine if Vesnik's objections she had not uttered a phrase that played a fatal role in her acting destiny: “Why are you all looking into this Pluchek’s mouth?”

Perhaps the case could have ended with that same nightly conversation and had no consequences. But, unfortunately for the actress, all her words scattered through the open window across the courtyard of the hotel, and they could be heard by everyone whose windows overlooked the courtyard. Unfortunately, the window of Valentin Pluchek's room was located right under Olga Aroseva's window. Naturally, he perfectly heard not only the words, but also the intonation with which they were pronounced.

Already in the morning of the next day, the artistic director of the Theater of Satire gathered a troupe and recounted what was happening in Aroseva's room the day before. In the end, he added: he cannot fire the actress, but she will no longer play in the theater. Yevgeny Vesnik immediately after the incident wrote a letter of resignation, and Olga Aroseva found herself in an idle state. She was not introduced to new performances, but was removed from most of the old ones. She tried to get a job in other theaters, but no one wanted to take her.

In the theatrical environment, the actress had a reputation as a person with a complex character. She always defended her point of view, even when she was not quite right. Some of Olga Aroseva's colleagues were even afraid, she was too sharp on her tongue. In the movie, the actress at that time was already filming, but exclusively in episodes.

A gift of fate

At times, the actress despaired, believing that she would not be able to achieve anything either in life or in her profession. But then fate presented her with a truly royal gift in the person of Eldar Ryazanov. By that time he had already managed to release on the screens "Carnival Night", "Girl without an Address" "Hussar Ballad", and shooting at Ryazanov could be considered a success for any actor.

Eldar Alexandrovich invited Olga Aroseva to audition for the film "Beware of the Car", which became a lucky ticket for the actress. The director immediately set a condition for Aroseva: she would be removed from him only if she learned to drive a trolleybus. And the actress went to the courses, got a driver's license and could actually drive public transport. True, she was very worried when in the scene where Yuri Detochkin rushes to the trolleybus with his beloved at the wheel, the real passengers entered the salon. Nevertheless, she coped with the task, although the scene was re-shot many times.

After the release of the picture on the screens, Olga Aroseva woke up famous. Later she was invited to the "Zucchini" 13 chairs ", and the popularity of the actress has increased many times. Valentin Pluchek still did not give her significant roles in the theater, but even when Olga Aroseva appeared in a small scene in the play, she was greeted as a prima donna.

The long-term disgrace of the actress in the theater ended thanks to Anatoly Papanov, who came to the artistic director and asked to forgive Olga Alexandrovna. However, Valentin Pluchek was not a vindictive person, and when Papanov proposed to remove the disgrace and give the actress the main role in the new production, the director did not mind.

The brilliant Mrs. Monica from "The Zucchini" 13 Chairs "was a trendsetter for women in the Soviet Union. The trolleybus driver Luda from "Beware of the Car" has become a symbol of devotion and loyalty - one can endlessly enumerate the roles of Olga Aroseva. It seemed that fate itself was destined for her to be happy. But Olga Aroseva, who conquered the hearts of men with just one glance, spoke briefly about her personal life: “It didn't work out”.