What asked Coward from Balbes and Experienced, reading the Criminal Code

For the sixth decade of spectators in our country and far beyond its borders, three characters will laugh: Trus, Balbes and Experienced. They were coined by director Leonid Gayday in the late fifties after his film "The Groom from the Other World" could not stand the ideological censorship. The storyline of the new short film was put a humorous novel by Stepan Oleinik about unlucky poachers.

"The Dog Barbos and the unusual cross" was the first part of a whole film epic, but at the time of the script's approval, on the very eve of the new 1961, the director himself did not know how many films about the Coward, the Balbes and the Battledong he had to film.

"Silent" comedies

In the first two short shorts, short stories that fit within the framework of the movie anecdotes, the characters did not speak. In the best traditions of silent cinema, all the soundtrack was limited to gay or comically-tragic music. The exception was a song about the moonshine, composed by the actors Morgunov and Vitsin, whom their heroes glorified illegal and unlikely business, that is, in modern terms, counterfeit production of alcohol, and indicated their awareness of the possible legal consequences of their actions. The whole humor of the "Unusual Cross" and "Self-Insiders" consisted of ridiculous episodes that arose during the pursuit (first from the dog, then after her) and other gags. Comic looks like the calculation of the amount of sugar on the logarithmic ruler, the unexpected result of the unraveling of the trunks rolling into the curtain, the two-way detour of the tree by his skis and many other episodes. But the heroes certainly had to talk, especially since the short format was replaced by full-featured feature films.

Operation "Y" and Shurik

In 1962, Leonid Gaidai screened several stories by O. Henry. In the movie "Business people" they played Witsin and Nikulin, they showed themselves to be excellent actors outside the format set by "Unusual Cross" and "The Sneakers", but the director decided to use them in the next comedy, the main character of which was the student Shurik. Three characters, previously almost dumb, spoke in the operation "Y". Their role has not changed, Coward, Klebes and Bystalny aspired to earn money not in a very fair way, but without committing grave crimes. Their criminal aspirations are still limited to offenses punishable by administrative order or by short terms.

Legal Issues for the Coward

Acquaintance with the Criminal Code of the RSFSR demonstrates the character of Vicin, he holds this book in his hands, and unlike the other two heroes, obviously, he studies it so far only in theory. "What does it mean to" neutralize "?" - that's what Trus asked from Goebbes and received a gesture in response, which means some physical effect on the watchman. "The second clause of Article 193" (slight bodily harm, beatings and so forth in relation to officials) - immediately qualifies him possibly the imminent punishment (up to 3 years), but the client calms him: the elderly "grandmother-god dandelion".

"Burglary or without burglary?" This is what Trus asked. In Balbes this question did not arise, he is an experienced man.

The coward on the plan had to ask an unexpected question to the watchman to divert his attention from the task of protecting the base. First he tries to find out the location of the library at 2 o'clock in the morning, but the director criticizes it (and in vain, it would be unexpected). Ultimately, the "neutralizer" stops at the phrase "How many degrees are below zero now?" - that's what Trus asked from Goebbes during the training "run-in" of the raid.

Psychological portraits

Unlike the previous films of Gaidai, filmed with the participation of Nikulin, Morgunov and Vicin, "The Caucasian captive" is a full-length film with a single story from beginning to end. Scammers - "guest performers" who came to one of the Caucasian republics of the USSR in search of easy money, suddenly receive a large order. Instead of training local youth for twist and simultaneous dominoes, they will have to steal a bride for the big chief of the district level of Comrade Saakhov. In this film, the crime, for all its comical motive, is quite serious. This is kidnapping a person.

More clearly than in previous comedies, psychological portraits of characters are designated. The experienced is not taciturn, Balbes likes to joke and even sing, and Trus is cunning. He may well, taking advantage of the opportunity, to appropriate himself a part of the total extraction, as in the case of a ten-ruble adhered to his sole. This "feint with his ears" he succeeded. "Whose shoe?" - everything that Trus asked from Balbes and the Experienced after they threw a boot at him.

Gaydayevsky comedies with the "trinity"

In total, there were four comedies: "The Dog Barbos and the unusual cross" and "The Moonshiners" went to the wide screen in 1961, then with a four-year break "Operation" Y "and other adventures of Shurik", and then the last picture with the famous and beloved trinity "The Caucasian Captive, or The New Adventures of Shurik" (1966). All the films were extremely successful, the ensemble of three actors, composed by Yuri Nikulin, Yevgeny Morgunov and Georgy Vitsin, exuded a lively folk humor that sets the general atmosphere on the set, which affected the result. The whole country repeated the aphorisms - "pearls", which spoke from the screen of Comrade Saakhov, the head of the base Petukhov and other heroes of the time, including Coward, Ballbes and Experienced. Discussion of production and personal issues in smoking rooms and in kitchens could not do without the phrases "everything is stolen up to us", "you are apolitical about reasoning", "but it's good to live even better". The attendance of the cinemas, in which comedies were shown with the participation of a cheerful three, beat all records. The charm of anti-heroes often outweighed the educational meaning implicit in the script.