"Gentlemen of Fortune": film director and story of creation

One of the most popular comedies of the Soviet period is the film "Gentlemen of Fortune." Director of this picture for his entire career has shot five tapes. But only "Gentlemen of Fortune" received such recognition. What is this film about and what is the story of its creation?

"Gentlemen of Fortune". Director: Gray Alexander Ivanovich

Alexander Gray - that's who took the legendary comedy about the thieves-thieves. He is the director of "Gentlemen of Fortune." Gaidai has nothing to do with this film, although many viewers mistakenly classify the painting as a series of his works.

As for the persona of Alexander Gray, he went for quite a long time to the director's profession. He was born in the Voronezh Region in 1927. His youth fell on the war years. After school, Alexander chose a mundane profession as an engineer. After graduating from the Moscow Aviation Institute, he worked several years in the specialty at various enterprises.

In 1958, the future creator of the "Gentlemen of Fortune" dramatically changes the scope of activity: he graduates higher directing courses at the Mosfilm studio and starts working there as an assistant to the director. However, with Alexander Gray there is an unfortunate misunderstanding: because of a fight with his wife's lover, he was imprisoned.

Alexander Ivanovich managed to get out ahead of schedule and return to directing activities. Soon the screens are "Gentlemen of Fortune." Apparently, no other director could not reflect the everyday life of criminals like the one who had some time to live among them.

How did the film "Gentlemen of Fortune" shoot the director? 1971 is the year of the premiere. History of the creation of comedy

Not only some of the knowledge of Alexander Gray about criminal cases helped to remove a wonderful comedy film about criminals. The popularity of the tape is also a great merit of the writers who wrote the script for the picture "Gentlemen of Fortune."

Director AI Seryi collaborated this time with another well-known director and concurrently screenwriter Georgi Danelia. Together they studied at the director's courses "Mosfilm" and kept friendly relations, despite the imprisonment of Alexander.

Danelia - a kind of master of the comedy genre: as a director, he shot "Mimino", "I'm walking around Moscow" and many other worthy films. George always himself wrote scripts for his tapes, so it was not worth it to help a friend and write a good screenplay for his criminal comedy. A. Gray, in turn, provided him with a detailed account of the life of the prisoners and the jargon they speak. Also in the writing of the script took part Victoria Tokareva, who also worked on the story line of the film "Mimino".

A short plot of the picture

The director of the movie "Gentlemen of Fortune" gave his best this time, and he got a rich picture full of funny dialogues and events.

This story begins with the fact that archaeologists have found in the deserts of Central Asia a valuable artifact - the helmet of Alexander the Great. But this thing never entered the museum, because it was stolen by the legendary thief Docent with his accomplices. When the militia arranges a round-up on a gang, it is possible to seize only Kosoy and Khmyrya. The docent with the helmet is out of sight.

Almost at the same time in Moscow, Yevgeny Troshkin, a student in the nursery school, is attacked by Professor Maltsev, who was first mistaken for a madman. Maltsev requires Troshkin to return the helmet, the latter, of course, does not understand anything. A little later it turns out that Troshkin as two drops of water is similar to the Associate Professor. Then the workers of the police are born with a brilliant plan: to introduce Evgenie under the pretext of a thief-recidivist in the gang of Khmyrev and Kosoy, so that he could find out from them where the ill-fated helmet is.

Evgeny Leonov as Troshkin / Associate Professor

The director of the movie "Gentlemen of Fortune" on the main roles chose actors not by himself. The process was controlled by George Danelia, who in fact was the artistic director of the project.

After long auditions, it became clear that Evgeny Leonov would do the best job in a dual way: he was equally good at playing both the good-natured Troshkin and the embittered dangerous Associate.

Yevgeny Leonov at that time was quite a popular artist. He was filmed since 1948, but for the first time he became widely known after the release of the "Striped Flight" by Vladimir Fetin. This picture even in the Soviet times has become a classic of cinema. It was filled with not only fair humor, but also dangerous tricks with the participation of predatory animals.

Then there was the role of Shibalok in the "Don story", the funny King Eric in the fairy tale "The Snow Queen" and the role of photographer Oreshkin in "Zigzag luck". But only the film by Alexander Gray and Georgy Danelia turned the actor into a star of the first magnitude.

Georgiy Vitsin in the role of Khmyrev

George Vitsin began to act in films around the same period as Leonov. He belonged to the actors of the "old guard," who carefully worked out every role, even if it was episodic.

The main roles of Vicin really did not spoil. In the beginning of his career, he played only Vasya Vesnushkina in "The Spare Player" and Kanrayu Kanareikina in "She Loves You". But the actor remarkably succeeded in the roles of the second plan, especially when it was necessary to fit into some colorful company. For example, in "Twelfth Night" he played a stupid Sir Andrew, who believed that the cause of his stupidity was beef. Also, George Vitsin in several films appeared in the image of the Coward, who was an invariable member of the colorful trio (Experienced, Coward and Kneeling).

In the film "Gentlemen of Fortune" the actor got the role of Gavrila Petrovich Sheremetyev, who in the gang of the Associate Professor has the nickname Khmyri. The hero of Vicin is sullen and suspicious. His throat always hurts, and he sizzles more than he says.

Saveliy Kramarov as Sloth

The director, who shot "Gentlemen of Fortune", was not mistaken with the choice of the actor for the role of the Scythe.

Scythe - the most stupid member of the gang, who constantly makes some ridiculous actions. His thoughts, he also poses quite chaotically: what's the scene, where he explains the taxi driver, what tree saw near the monument.

Saveliy Kramarov, who played this character, played the role of fools and durals in his life. In life, he was a fairly intelligent person, enlightened, who just liked to fool around.

The first notable role in the cinema for Kramarov was the image of the bandit Ilyukh of the "Elusive Avengers." In 1968, in the musical comedy "Trembita" Kramarov again acted as the first fool in the village named Petro.

In the filmography of the actor are also listed films "12 chairs", "Big change" and "Ivan Vasilievich changes his profession."

Radner Muratov as Vasily Alibabaevich

There was also a hero with oriental colors in the picture "Gentlemen of Fortune." The director for the role of a gas station employee who diluted petrol with donkey urine, looked for the performer the longest.

Initially, it was assumed that Vasily Alibabaevich from Zhambul would be played by Frunzik Mkrtchyan ("Vanity of vanities", "Caucasian captive"). But the artist could not take part in the project, so this role was audited by Vladimir Etush, Ilya Rutberg and other actors.

Radner Muratov initially auditioned for the film "Gentlemen of Fortune" for the role of the prison governor. Then the actor expressed a desire to pass tests for the role of Vasily Alibabaevich. To the surprise of the entire film crew, he perfectly fitted into the image of the thief-clumsy.

Vasily Alibabaevich was tied to the gang of the Associated Professor by chance and, one might say, without an invitation. Because of his good nature, this character turned into a "servant" of criminals: he cleaned the house, washed and cooked food. The phrase of Vasily Alibayevich "Sit down to eat, please!" Still quotes different generations of viewers.

Other performers of roles

The director of the film "Gentlemen of Fortune" (1971) invited several other celebrities of Soviet cinema to his project.

Anatoly Papanov, known for the films "Diamond Arm" and "12 chairs", appeared in the frame as an unsuccessful chess player who lost all his clothes and razor to Hmyry.

Beauty Natalia Fateeva played the role of the second plan - the daughter of Professor Maltsev, who unexpectedly came to the cottage where the criminals were hiding. Natalia can also be seen in the films "3 + 2", "Rally" and "Man from the Boulevard des Capucines."

No less spectacular actor Oleg Vidov received this time the role of a police officer. He was a coherent and adviser for the deceased agent Troshkin. The most outstanding role of Oleg Vidov in the cinema is participation in the western "The Horseman without a Head".

Criticism reviews

What can be said about critics' reviews of the film "Gentlemen of Fortune"? Director of photography, who produced a picture in the Soviet era at the studio "Mosfilm", he listened to all criticism at the stage of preparation for the shootings. Everywhere there was strict censorship, so first of all, George Danelia had to defend every line of the script on the artistic council, and then the cast could only be approved with the consent of the studio management.

After the film was filmed, the comedy was not released until the Brezhnev acquainted with it. However, the leader liked the material. He did not object to criminal jargon and other controversial points.

When the picture is approved by Brezhnev himself, no one has the right to criticize it. The next question is, will she like the viewer?

Viewers' comments

The audience seriously and permanently fell in love with the comedy "Gentlemen of Fortune." Director A. Seryi and the whole film crew were praised even by the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Shchelokov.

As for a simple audience, the top of recognition is considered when the movie is sorted into quotes. This is what happened with the comedy of Gray. Especially widely used is the phrase "to eat. Sit down to eat, please! "According to the results of the Komsomolskaya Pravda poll, this proposal turned into an aphorism and is on the eighth line of the rating of the main quotes of Soviet and Russian cinema.

Also the comedy "Gentlemen of Fortune" is the leader of the hire in 1972. At a cost of 400 thousand rubles, it earned 30 million rubles. The picture is included in the list of recommended films for viewing according to the version of the VGIK professors.

Remake of the film

Modern directors decided once again to return to the story, which was once invented by George Danelia. In 2012, the production center of Timur Bekmambetov released a remake of the favorite picture. The director, who shot the film "Gentlemen, good luck!" - Alexander Baranov, who also made films "Land" and "Gromovs."