Boris Babochkin: biography and filmography

According to Oleg Efremov, Stanislavsky created his immortal system from such people as Boris Babochkin. The biography of this actor, born in 1904, is as if divided by the role of Chapaev, played by him in 1934, into two parts: "before" and "after".

Youth

Boris Andreevich Babochkin was born in Saratov on January 18, 1904 in the family of a railwayman. The boy's mother was a teacher in a rural school, where he received a secondary education. Like all peers, at the age of 13, Borya became a Komsomol member. At the age of 15 he had already gone into adulthood - he was drafted on the Eastern Front of the Civil War, where he served in the political department of the 4th Army.

However, the young guy was more attracted to the theater than the service. He successfully passed the exams at the Saratov Theater Studio, after reading an excerpt from the poem "The Fairy" by Maxim Gorky. The young man was immediately taken to the senior course. And the head of the studio Alexander Kanin, having examined his talent within a month, sent Boris to Moscow with a letter of recommendation to Nemirovich-Danchenko.

Becoming an actor

In Moscow, the guy went, but did not take advantage of the protection. Instead, I went to study at the theatrical studio "Young Masters" from Illarion Pevtsov and the studio of Mikhail Chekhov. It was the first, in the opinion of the actor himself, that laid the foundation for his theatrical formation. And Illarion Pevtsov considered Boris Andreevich as his teacher. Later, for 6 years (since 1921) Boris Babochkin played his roles (and there were more than 200) in theaters in Voronezh, Kostroma, Mogilev, and Samarkand. This period he called becoming.

Maturity came in 1927, when the actor played in the Leningrad Theater of Satire. Internally, it was already that multi-faceted man of creativity, who had super-task on his shoulder. Babochkin played, was a director, acted in film, taught, wrote articles for theatrical publications.

In a favorable year for himself, Boris Babochkin married. The personal life of the one-man actor did not at all resemble the equation with many unknowns. Everything was done when he fell in love with the ballerina Katya, who soon became Babochkina. Then they had a daughter, Tatiana. The Babochkin family was small but friendly. The spouses loved each other, the daughter appreciated and respected them.

Adaptation to the cinema

Since 1931, while playing at the Pushkin Drama Theater (then called the Drama Theater of the People's House), Boris Babochkin in the theater and cinema has become an even more prominent figure. According to critics, the role played by Sysoyev from the play "The First Horse" by V. Vishnevsky aroused admiration. He showed the audience a noble fighter, rebel and patriot, defender of the Fatherland and a revolutionary. Theatrical critics were unanimous: the best Petersburg actor was ready to play really large epic roles.

Before the main work of art in his life, the actor, like the will of fate, had several roles, as if preparing him for a future serious role.

Theatrical actor with the specificity of cinema was hard at work. The first for him was the image of battalion commander Karavaev in the movie "The Rebellion." The filmmakers tried to limit the creative self-expression of Babochkin as much as possible with the rigid algorithm imposed by the rigid algorithm. He rebelled, did not accept such a film. But his next work - the role of Makar Bobrik (film "The First Platoon" directed by Sablin-Korsha) showed that the theatrical actor was able to master the film specialism, deeply and systematically revealing the image of his character.

Proposal of the directors Vasilievs to play in the film "Chapayev"

Famous for the whole country this actor made the image of Chapaev. However, there was a whole chain of accidents, which led to the fact that the actor Boris Andreevich Babochkin received the role of the then not yet legendary commander.

This tape deserves a separate short commentary. It is not widely known that the creators of the script Chapaev, Vasilyev's directors, in spite of widespread delusion, are not brothers, they are just namesakes. One of them, Georgy Vasiliev, the viewer of the film, which became a classic, can see in the scene a whiteguard psychological attack, he marches with a stack, smoking a cigarette. Also we can see the wife of the second director. The wife of Sergei Vasiliev actress Varvara Myasnikova played the role of the Anki-machine gunner.

Readiness of Babochkin to embody Chapaev

Initially, Boris Babochkin was taken for the role of orderly Vasily Ivanovich - Petka. The role of Chapaev was taken by a completely different actor - Nikolai Batalov, but he had tuberculosis during the filming.

At that time, Boris Andreevich had an impressive creative potential. All of his previous acting career was, in essence, a movement forward in the development of talent. Babochkin perfected his ability to reincarnation. His admirers were more and more admired by the idol. It seemed that he was testing himself in eroding the boundaries of creativity.

The scenario of the film about the commander touched the actor to the depths of his soul, because his personal life was such that Boris Babochkin himself fought in the Civil War in the same army with his hero: the zappolit served in the neighborhood with the 25th Cavalry Division. Moreover, the political instructor Babochkin dealt with the guiding link: the commander of the army Avksentiev, the chief of staff, Makarov, knew personally all the army commanders ... except for Chapaev. With Vasily Ivanovich, ironically, he was not a sign and never saw him.

Boris Babochkin knew first-hand the intricacies of the rank-and-file service. He himself, being an experienced cavalryman, knew how to prance on a horse, wear a uniform with army chic, cuffed his cap in such a way that she held herself in some incomprehensible way, from personal impressions, represented the vocabulary and manner of behavior of the soldiers.

This gave him the opportunity to realize the script of the film not as a heroic myth, but animatedly, to find those magic threads, those pathways that lead to the heart of the viewer.

From the orderly to the commander

Perhaps that's why, trying to play Petka in his own way, the actor (whom his colleagues called corrosive for the ability to split the role into the smallest parts and thoroughly study each one) made endless adjustments to the image of the orderly. Vasilievs argued with him until he was hoarse.

The forces were unequal: two directors against one actor. Boris Babochkin disagreed. He stood on his own: play should be different. In one of such creative debates he suddenly turned around abruptly and silently went to his dressing room.

The Vasilievs exchanged glances and sighed, considering the dispute won, but that was not the case. To them in a couple of minutes quite unexpectedly came the rash actor, but already in Chapaev's makeup. Directors only gasped at the portrait and characteristic resemblance. Bewitching plastic movements Babochkin-Chapaeva, his spirituality. The actor made some improvised phrases - it was more than convincing.

Briefly on the significance of the work of Babochkin in "Chapaev"

The role of Petka was immediately conveyed to the actor Yakov Gudkin, who was later replaced by Leonid Kmit. After that, according to the recognition of the directors, "the cards are laid perfectly."

It seems that this is his first step towards Chapaev - impulsive drawing of a makeup and instant transformation into a commander - Boris Babochkin stepped into eternity. The actor at first remained in the image of Vasily Ivanovich for the whole film. Then this role left a mark on his whole life. And in the end - the history of all Soviet cinema.

About the fusion of personalities Chapaeva and Babochkin

The image of the commander was determined by the scale of reincarnation and creative self-giving of the actor.

In the role of Chapaev, he found the opportunity to cast away kinoshnye stamps of silent cinema, where the actor was a puppet of the director, where external credibility was preferred to acting.

A real miracle of creativity happened: the image of Chapaev revived, touched millions of hearts, filled with the content that breathed into it Babochkin. Would this commander be so well known today if it were not for the actor's game? It would sound on the lips of the audience the name of Babochkin, if not for Vasily Ivanovich?

The destinies of these two people were inextricably merged. A brilliant reincarnation created a miracle. An epic legend was created by the great Russian actor Boris Babochkin. Photo of the actor in Chapaev's makeup, even former fighters of the 25th cavalry division, personally acquainted with Vasily Ivanovich, were called identical to the original.

The power of art was fully manifested: the actor brought his narrative not to depersonalized valor and glory, but to a living person who has a real, God-given talent - to be a commander. Chapaev Babochkina, a commander, who grew up in rank, sometimes steep, fearless, wise. Sometimes he is humanly mistaken

But these are all human weaknesses understood by the subordinate commander. And they forgive them for him, as they would forgive their father for his own. After all, they know that Chapayev never betrays them, will not leave them on the battlefield. They believe him as an ingenious tactician, who understands the specifics of the cavalry battle. They, if necessary, without hesitation, will close it with their body from a stray bullet, since Chapaev is ready to die for them too.

All this was able to embody the role of Babochkin.

Influence of Chapaev's role on the creative life of actor Babochkin

The film "Chapaev" entered the first hundred of the world's best film works. On Marshal Voroshilov, the game of Boris Andreevich made the impression that he gave the actor an apartment in Moscow. The daughter of Boris Babochkin remembers the great popular love that spilled over to her father. Actor really created a real masterpiece. Forty years later the genius director Tarkovsky called Babochkin-Chapaev "a fascinating diamond, in which each side contrasts with the neighboring ones, forming a monolithic character."

Thanks to this film work, Babochkin became in 1935 the youngest People's Artist of Russia.

"Chapaev" gave the actor an original indulgence: he, a person who is direct and open, who does not know how to adapt and who often speaks impartial things, did not touch the organs of the NKVD. At that time, much depended on the review of the Main, and it was given. Envious men, whose lack of Boris Andreevich never was, bit their tongue ...

Boris Babochkin in the theater and cinema after "Chapaev"

During the Great Patriotic War, the actor filmed a lot. June 22, 1941 he was in Riga on the set of the film "The Dead Loop", telling about the pilot S. Utochkine. His people loved him. The actor with his film image inspired people to rebuff the fascists, he understood this, working fanatically, for 16 hours a day. Boris Babochkin played many major films, his filmography during the war was full: "Invincible", "Front", "Defense of Tsaritsyn," "Native Fields." The last of these films became his first work as a film director.

However, if the filmmaking of Babochkin had positive reviews, then his theatrical work came under attack. He was hated for his luck, for his talent. But if for the envious the film "Chapaev" was an untouchable sacred cow, Babushkin's work as a theatrical director was met with hostility. The decisions were taken by cell, artistic advice, weighed down with ideological dogmas and templates. The situation was paradoxical: the Leningrad audience enthusiastically perceived the sold-out performances "Tsar Potap", "Kuban", "Wolf", "Summerers" (Boris Babochkin - director), and the press spread them to pieces.

By the way, Boris Andreyevich considered his play "Tsar Potap" his best work. He could not stand this organized by anybody and, writing a statement of resignation, left Leningrad for Moscow. Then this step he will call the greatest mistake in his life. He was closer to the city on the Neva in spirit.

The persecution of the director in the theater. Pushkin

The Leningrader in his mentality, Babochkin changed many of Moscow's theaters. First he played in the First Studio of the Moscow Art Theater, then at the Vakhtangov Theater. From 1949 to 1951, Boris Andreevich was an actor and director of the Moscow Art Theater, the Moscow Drama Theater. Pushkin. Work in the latter was fruitful.

Babochkin staged a spectacle that brought full faces - "Shadows" (based on Saltykov-Shchedrin). The Leningrad situation was repeated. On him, the director, a tart, undeserved, humiliating criticism fell. For the success achieved, for talent. Babochkin after this had the first heart attack, he went to the hospital. Then for three whole years he had to be unemployed. The actor knew where the threads from the puppet critics stretched, but he was forced to ask to see the Minister of Culture Furtseva ... Soon he got a job at the Maly Theater.

Work in Moscow Art Theater

And here the situation repeated itself: the butterfly play "Ivanov" collected full halls, and bloodthirsty criticism (figuratively speaking) tore him with his teeth. "Error" Babochkin was ideological: he always put Man on Ideology, Feeling of Vernal loyalty, Conscience over Party Need. And he openly called the director of the theater Tsareva Judah for libel to the genius director Meyerhold, which caused the arrest of the genius. It was for that reason that they were trampling Boris Andreevich.

After the envious people announced the play he was staging "Forest" unscheduled, Boris Babochkin could not stand the humiliation and left the Maly Theater.

He went to teach at VGIK. His students, in particular the actress Natalia Bohunova, spoke with admiration of Babochkin's unspent creative potential. According to her, he could "replay" the whole troupe.

Instead of concluding

Babochkin, teaching at VGIK, suddenly realized what the problem of the Soviet theater was: in departing from the classics, in substituting formalism for feelings. He was painfully wounded by the emasculation of the human, acting, artistic principle in the roles.

Boris Andreevich was suddenly seized with a desire to put the Seagull of the immortal Chekhov. He wrote his own unique director's script. 07/17/1975 Babochkin arrived in his car to the Little Theater, having entered the building, agreed with Igor Ilyinsky to play the role of Sorin. On the way back, he suddenly felt sick. A heart. He stopped the car. Began to look for pills. They were not at hand ...