Drama by Radner Muratov: What Ruined the Life of Vasily Alibabaevich from the Comedy "Gentlemen of Fortune"

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

Since childhood, he dreamed of becoming a pilot and even graduated from the Air Force school in Kazan. But his further fate was determined by chance, and Radner Muratov became an actor. He will forever remain in the memory of the audience in the image of the hapless Vasily Alibabaevich in "Gentlemen of Fortune". However, neither the family nor the huge popularity of the actor could make him happy. His life was difficult, and its ending was actually tragic.

Lucky case

He got the name thanks to the commitment of his father, Zinyat Muratov, to the bright ideals of communism. Zinyat Ibyatovich decided to name his son Radner - "rejoice in the new era." When the boy grew up, he began to introduce himself as Radik, almost never using his full name.

He really could have become a pilot, but the accidentally seen announcement of recruitment at VGIK changed his whole future life. Radik Muratov, who graduated from the flight school, passed the competition to the prestigious institute quite easily and soon saw his name on the lists of students.

In 1951 he received a diploma and was enrolled in the Theater of the Film Actor, where he worked for 37 years. Radik Muratov actively acted in films, but he got episodic roles. He starred in eighty films, but the truly significant roles can be counted on one hand.

When he was invited to star in "Gentlemen of Fortune" by Alexander Sery, Radner Ziyatovich, unexpectedly for everyone, refused. He was supposed to play the warden of the prison, but the role seemed so uninteresting to him that he decided to refuse it, informing the director: he could play only Vasily Alibabaevich in his film. But this role has already been given to Frunzik Mkrtchan.

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However, luck was again on the side of Radik Muratov: the famous actor by that time was busy, and the director decided to give Radik a chance. As a result, the hapless Vasily Alibabaevich became a favorite of the audience, and Radner Muratov finally became famous.

True, the popularity of the actor did not affect his creative biography in any way. He still starred in episodes, and his main income came from concerts and creative evenings in which he took part.

Twists of fate

The actor's personal life was also full of difficulties and failures. He was in love with Isolde Izvitskaya, whom he met while studying at VGIK. One of the most beautiful girls of the institute answered him in return. Radik and Isolde invariably appeared together, took very touching care of each other, lived together for several years, seriously thinking about the wedding.

But after graduating from the institute, Izolda Izvitskaya went to shoot in the film "First Echelon", from where she returned already the official wife of actor Eduard Bredun. However, fate gave the actor another chance to be happy.

Radik Muratov met Elena Dovlatbekova in 1955 during the filming of the film "Scarf for the beloved." After parting with Izvitskaya, Radik began to show signs of attention to Elena and soon was again in love and happy. The girl agreed to his proposal for marriage. It seemed that the young family had decades of cloudless happiness ahead.

They had a common profession, similar interests, their beloved son Leonid. But the marriage fell apart. Elena Petrovna refused to comment on their divorce, and Radner Ziyatovich did not let anyone into his personal life at all. The true reason for their separation became known many years later.

Pernicious passion

Over the years, Radik Muratov suffered from a painful addiction to horse racing. The salary and royalties received from the filming, he left at the hippodrome, again and again placing bets on the next race. He won sometimes fabulous sums, but immediately lost them. The actor's wife tried to fight her husband's addiction, but even an appeal to a psychiatrist did not bring the desired result. Elena Petrovna left Radner Ziyatovich with her son Leonid, but even after parting she tried to take part in his life.

But Muratov categorically refused any help, considering himself to be guilty of everything that happened to him. Only once did he share his experiences with Vladimir Protasenko, admitting that he himself had lost his life. Elena is a wonderful person, Leonid grew up, but he exchanged both of them for races.

It was difficult for a stranger to be in Radik Muratov's apartment: it was very neglected and practically empty. Of the things there were only books, and instead of a bed there was an old door lying on chairs. An old coat played the role of a blanket, and sheets were replaced by yellowed newspapers.

After suffering a stroke, he was in the hospital for a long time, and the ex-wife and son who visited him offered to put things in order in his home. Radik Muratov refused, categorically forbidding Elena Petrovna and Leonid to enter the apartment without him.

Later, when his son brought him groceries, the actor simply threw the bag against the wall. He did not want to be considered a beggar and proudly refused any help. However, after a stroke, he began to develop Alzheimer's disease. He could no longer perform with concerts, began to forget the words. In the last years of his life, he was often lost, they were looking for him with the police and returned home.

In October 2004, he disappeared again. Many days of searching did not give any result, and in December police officers found the famous actor on Preobrazhenskaya Square. True, they did not recognize the famous Vasily Alibabaevich in a sick old man, and Radner Ziyatovich ended up in a mental hospital, where Vladimir Protasenko found him in a coma. In a good clinic, where the actor was transferred, they could no longer help him. Radik Muratov passed away on December 10.

Vasily Alibabaevich became his starring role in the comedy "Gentlemen of Fortune", which immediately after its release was watched by 65 million people. In the first days after the premiere, speculators bought up all the tickets at the box office in the morning for 20 kopecks and sold them for 3 rubles. Today this comedy is the 12th most attended among all Soviet films. Few people know that many funny situations happened during the filming of the famous film.