Behind the scenes of the film "Hello, I'm your aunt!": How filming helped Alexander Kalyagin survive a personal tragedy

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

More than 40 years have passed since this comedy first appeared on the screens, but today it does not lose its popularity. The cast was so successful that today it is difficult to imagine other artists in these roles. The main characters made the audience cry with laughter, and they did not even suspect what tragedy Alexander Kalyagin experienced shortly before filming.

For the first time, a play based on the play by Brandon Thomas "Aunt Charlie" was staged at the Royal Theater in London back in 1892. After that it was staged with incredible success in other theaters, and in Russia the premiere of this play took place in 1894 at the Korsch Theater … The first film adaptations appeared in Italy (1911) and in the USA (1915), and then film versions were filmed in 7 more countries. After so many interpretations, it is extremely difficult to offer something new, nevertheless the film "Hello, I am your aunt!" for many viewers, it became the only known version of this plot that remains unrivaled.

Initially, the film had several working titles, one of which was Who's Who. The final version was chosen for a long time. They say it was suggested by the poet Naum Olev after hearing this phrase from Faina Ranevskaya in the film "Easy Life". In order not to repeat and avoid the clichés of previous productions, the director chose the parody-grotesque style of the eccentric comedy, within which the painted eyelashes of Donna Rosa, and the huge freckles of the heroine Tatyana Vasilyeva, and the dress of the impostor-aunt from Brazil, decorated with fringes from curtains, looked organic.

Filming lasted only three months, despite the fact that they had to work at night due to the heavy workload of the actors in the theaters. But no one complained about these conditions - the team was perfect, not only in terms of skill, but also in spirit. Armen Dzhigarkhanyan recalled: "".

The episode, in which the characters threw cakes at each other, was filmed at 4 am. And in the frame, not only was there no noticeable fatigue, but instead unrestrained fun reigned - the actors rolled with laughter and amused themselves like children, which infuriated the director. At one point, he himself took the cake in his hands to show how to behave in front of the camera, but he himself could not resist and, not having time to throw the cake, he burst out laughing.

Colonel Francis Chesney could be played by Armen Dzhigarkhanyan and Zinovy Gerdt. The first has already tried on the role of a "soldier who does not know the words of love" in the theater. But when the director asked him to do a double as a judge of the Kriegs, no one was left in doubt as to which way he looks more convincing. And when they were going to approve Gerdt for the role, his theater went on tour abroad, and the actor had to go with the troupe. As a result, Mikhail Kozakov brilliantly played the lame colonel.

For Alexander Kalyagin, the main role in this comedy was a real success and finest hour. He starred in films since 1967, but the roles were mostly episodic. Until 1975, he could not be called a popular and sought-after film actor. Nevertheless, he managed to bypass Oleg Tabakov, Vladimir Etush and Yevgeny Leonov on the samples. This work became for Kalyagin not only a professional victory, but also a salvation from personal grief. Shortly before filming, his first wife Tatiana died of cancer, and the actor was left alone with his little daughter. In the comedy role, the actor was so organic that many colleagues did not even suspect that the work was a way of oblivion for him. Later, the actor admitted that only during the filming he could then, at least for a while, escape from heavy thoughts.

Kalyagin told about his work on the image: "". This role not only helped Alexander Kalyagin survive his personal drama, but also became his hallmark for many years. He always performed the song "Love and Poverty" at creative meetings with the audience.

Critics greeted the comedy very coolly - in their opinion, the action was too long, the script was unfunny and boring. Armen Dzhigarkhanyan was asked: "" Fortunately, the reaction of millions of viewers was exactly the opposite, and for 43 years the comedy has enjoyed unchanged success.

The fate of the actress, who played the role of a real aunt from Brazil, was dramatic: Why Tamara Nosova, beloved by millions of viewers, was forgotten by everyone.