Table of contents:
- Beware of the Car, 1966
- The Diamond Arm, 1969
- "12 chairs", 1976
- "An Ordinary Miracle", 1979
- "The Incredible Adventures of Italians in Russia", 1974
- "The Man from Boulevard des Capucines", 1987
Video: Why did they want to cut Andrei Mironov from the movie "An Ordinary Miracle" and other little-known facts about the 6 best roles of the actor
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
We recently celebrated another anniversary of the wonderful Soviet actor Andrei Mironov. In each of his roles, he brought a piece of his soul, because he sincerely believed that his creativity gives people moments of happiness. “When a person smiles, laughs, admires or compassions, he becomes cleaner and better,” the actor shared his thoughts. However, not every viewer knows that some of the roles played by their favorite artist could have received a completely different embodiment, and some films might not have reached us at all.
Beware of the Car, 1966
The great director Eldar Ryazanov invited Mironov to play the role of an enterprising second-hand shop assistant almost immediately. After all, the script, written with the participation of screenwriter E. Braginsky, described Dima Semitsvetov in a simplified way, and creative revision was required. Recalling, Eldar Alexandrovich said: "An actor was needed … who would enrich the role with his personality, invention, skill." However, there was a fear that Mironov's candidacy might not be accepted by the higher authorities.
In those days, there was a tough directive: if an actor once played a positive political figure, then it is ideologically wrong to entrust him to play a rogue movie hero. Most recently, Andrei Mironov brought to life the role of one of the ideologists of the world revolution, Friedrich Engels, in the film A Year as Life (1966), and such a role could play a cruel joke in the subsequent career of an actor. However, the candidacy of Smoktunovsky for the same reason had to be defended by the principle art council - the future "noble thief" by the time of filming the comedy had managed to play the role of the leader of the October Revolution.
The Diamond Arm, 1969
Several actors claimed the role of Kozodoev in the comedy, beloved by the audience, but the main competition flared up between Andrei Mironov and Georgy Vitsin. Ultimately, the role went to Mironov. His creative find was the inimitable gesture of his hero - a modern fashionable dandy with aristocratic manners - a slight arrogant head nod with thrown back bangs.
After cutting off some minor scenes, the film was received by the artistic council with unanimous enthusiasm. However, the threat to be sent to the regiment appeared from a completely unexpected side. After the preliminary screening, the “competent authorities” received a letter from “a group of Leningrad residents”. It emphasized anti-Soviet propaganda, satire on the life of modern society, etc. "Well-wishers" wrote that in the film, with the help of a "clever joke", the creators are trying to erase all the achievements of Soviet ideological education. “But this film, where popular artists play, will be watched by working youth, students, warriors,” they wrote. Fortunately for us, the good comedy has been preserved.
"12 chairs", 1976
The main role of the artist in Mark Zakharov's film "12 Chairs" was perhaps the brightest in Mironov's career. The great schemer in his performance is an artist who needs neither money nor chairs without an audience. In every life situation, he is different - he can be a dreamy loner, and a talented rationalist, and of course, everyone's favorite. As Andrei Mironov described his hero in an interview with reporters, “his whole trouble is that he does not find a worthy use for his talent, his energy and imagination are wasted generously, but ultimately pointlessly. And that is why Ostap is a dramatic figure."
However, this point of view was not at all shared by another author-director of the story, I. Ilf and E. Petrov. Gaidai called the film version, shot by Zakharov, "a criminal offense." In his decision, Ostap Bender had a lighter and more adventurous character of a real adventurer. Perhaps that is why Andrei Mironov did not pass the selection for this role in his film.
"An Ordinary Miracle", 1979
In the musical television film by Mark Zakharov, Mironov got the role of the minister-administrator. Although in the theatrical production of the play by Yevgeny Schwartz, this role was played by a completely different actor. Perhaps Mironov's artistry and vocal abilities played a role, because in this musical he performed as many as three compositions - more than anyone else. However, a funny embarrassment happened to one of them. The strict artistic advice found in the song “It's good to have a woman” a very obvious sexual connotation.
Officials misinterpreted some phrases: “A butterfly with its wings Byak-byak-byak-byak”, “He is her, my dear, shmyak-shmyak-shmyak-shmyak”, etc. Of course, in the days of Soviet songs, the meaning of the songs was usually very straightforward, but here there is some kind of ambiguity. This musical number with the actor was almost cut out of the picture. So the scriptwriter and director Mark Zakharov had to prove for a long time that the chorus of the song simply tells about a little sparrow who had the usual desire to eat a butterfly. After some thought, the frivolous song was allowed to be included in the film.
"The Incredible Adventures of Italians in Russia", 1974
The script for this film would have been gathering dust on the shelves of the Mosfilm studio, if not for a fluke. The fact is that the Italian company led by producer Dino De Laurentiis found itself in financial debt after filming the joint film Waterloo. And since no one wanted to give the money, the parties agreed to come up with a new project. A script was found under the working title "Spaghetti in Russian" by Braginsky and Ryazanov.
However, the Italians demanded more expression, and the story with the lion was supplemented with chase scenes and spectacular stunts. The role of the police captain was written specifically for Andrei Mironov. As the actor recalled, the international team of artists and film crew inspired him to play more selflessly - "in their eyes, I did not want to lose the prestige of Soviet cinema." Therefore, the actor performed many of the stunts himself. So, for the sake of a close-up, he hung on a bridge at a height of 30 meters, descended on a carpet from the 6th floor of the Astoria Hotel and contacted a live lion.
"The Man from Boulevard des Capucines", 1987
And again a scenario that could not find a worthy embodiment. The idea seemed interesting to everyone, but only Alla Surikova decided to start filming a real American western. And the first thing she did was secure the consent of Andrei Mironov. The actor found the role of the noble Mr. Johnny Fest to be pretty, but he didn't like the script, and he refused. Alla Ilyinichna had to arrange a real siege until, in the end, she managed to move the actor.
She lamented that this story is about a selfless man who decided to rebuild the world with the help of "cinema", and will continue to gather dust on the shelf, since she does not see anyone else but Mironov in the lead role. And the actor gave up. As a result, the magazine "Soviet Screen" for the role of Festa recognized Andrei Alexandrovich as the best in 1987.
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