Georgy Vitsin
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| Georgy Vitsin | |
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 Georgy Vitsin |
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| Born | April 23, 1918 Russian Republic, Petrograd |
| Died | October 22, 2001 (aged 84) Moscow, Russia |
| Occupation | actor |
Georgy Mikhailovich Vitsin (Russian: Гео́ргий Миха́йлович Ви́цин; April 23, 1918 – October 22, 2001) was a Soviet and Russian actor.
Biography
Born in St. Petersburg, then Petrograd, in 1918 (official data, but, as a matter of fact, he was born in Terioki, former Finland, now Zelenogorsk near St. Petersburg, Russia), Vitsin enjoyed a long acting career and continued performing until close to the end of his life. Apart from playing with Nikulin and Morgunov, he appeared in dozens of films that earned him the adoration of millions.[1]
Modest and sympathetic characters played by Vitsin evoked kindly feelings of viewers. At the same time the actor played in detective, historical and lyrical feature films.
His first film roles date to the 1940s.[2] He gained nationwide popularity in the former Soviet Union with the emergence of a series of 1960s comedies by director Leonid Gaidai.[2] He played the role of the Coward among a trio of colorful, scheming characters in such Gaidai movies as Bootleggers (1962), Operation Y and Other Adventures of Shurik (1965), and Kidnapping, Caucasus Style (1967). The last two subsequently beat the Soviet all time record of ticket sales. The trio of actors, including the late Yuri Nikulin and Yevgeny Morgunov, was "the most popular ensemble in the history of the national cinema."[2] In 1990, he was awarded the top artistic title of the Soviet era, that of People's Artist of the Soviet Union.[2]
In spite of the plenty of his characters Vitsin’s talent deserved something greater and he never played the major role of his life. “Vitsin is awfully gifted and both of us together are not worth his finger”, his partners Nikulin and Morgunov said about him.
According to an Oscar-winning film director Nikita Mikhalkov, Vitsin was "was one of those rare people and actors whom upon meeting, you immediately feel as if they must know just as much about you as you know about them."[1] According to Mikhalkov, Vitsin was also rare in that his popularity did not affect his personality. He was modest to the point that even in the years leading up to his death, when his financial circumstances were abysmal, he never asked for help. [1] Russian media reported that Vitsin had declined into alcoholism and vagrancy but these reports were false.
During the last seven years of his life Georgi Vitsin did not act in films and appeared only in comic concerts of the Theatre of Film Actor.
On October 22, 2001 at 4:30 p.m. the People’s Artist of the Soviet Union died. Georgy Vitsin was buried at Vagankovo Cemetery, Moscow.
A monument to Georgi Vitsin was set up in Zelenogorsk in 2008 marking the town’s 460th jubilee and the 90th anniversary since the actor’s birthday.
Filmography
- 1951 — Belinsky — Nikolai Gogol
- 1952 — Man of Music — Nikolai Gogol
- 1954 — The Reserve — Vasia Vesnushkin
- 1955 — Мексиканец
- 1955 — Maxim Perepelitsa — дед Мусий
- 1955 — Twelfth Night — sir Andrew
- 1956 — She loves you — Kostya Canareykin
- 1956 — Murder on Dante Street — Pitu
- 1957 — Борец и клоун — Enrico
- 1957 — Don Quixote — Sanson Carrasco
- 1957 — Новый аттракцион — Semion Iljich
- 1958 — Жених с того света — Ficusov
- 1958 — Девушка с гитарой — buyer
- 1959 — Василий Суриков — Ilya Repin
- 1959 — Я был спутником Солнца
- 1960 — Конец старой Берёзовки
- 1961 — Пёс Барбос и необычный кросс — Coward
- 1961 — Bootleggers — Coward
- 1961 — Артист из Кохановки — Дед Кузьма
- 1962 — Путь к причалу — интеллигент в вытрезвителе
- 1963 — Short stories
- 1963 — Kain XVIII — executioner
- 1963 — Деловые люди — Sam
- 1963 — Первый троллейбус — drunk man
- 1963 — Слепая птица — Эпизод
- 1964 — Balzaminov's Marriage — Misha Balzaminov
- 1964 — Зайчик — помощник режисс`ра
- 1964 — Сказка о потерянном времени — злой волшебник Андрей Андреевич
- 1964 — Весенние хлопоты — Дядя Пудя
- 1965 — Дайте жалобную книгу — Coward
- 1965 — Operation Y and Other Adventures of Shurik — Coward
- 1965 — Дорога к морю
- 1966 — Кто придумал колесо?
- 1966 — Kidnapping, Caucasian Style — Coward
- 1966 — Формула радуги
- 1967 — Спасите утопающего
- 1968 — Семь стариков и одна девушка — Coward
- 1968 — Старая, старая сказка — wizard
- 1969 — В тринадцатом часу ночи — Овинный
- 1969 — Кабачок «13 стульев» — pan Cypa
- 1970 — Шаг с крыши — englishman
- 1970 — Как мы искали Тишку — Старшина Степанов
- 1970 — Опекун — Тебеньков
- 1971 — Весенняя сказка — Tsar Berendey
- 1971 — 12 стульев — монтёр Мечников
- 1971 — Gentlemen of Fortune — Gavrila Sheremetev (Sad Sack)
- 1971 — Тень — doctor
- 1972 — Табачный капитан — cook
- 1972 — Смертный враг
- 1973 — … А вы любили когда-нибудь? — Вторая бабушка и Олин папа
- 1973 — The Sannikov Land — Ignaty
- 1973 — Неисправимый лгун — Алексей Иванович Тютюрин
- 1973 — Chipollino — lawer Vetch
- 1974 — Дорогой мальчик — Macintosh
- 1974 — Моя судьба — пьяный
- 1974 — Северная рапсодия — Продавец
- 1974 — Tsarevich Prosha — «King Katorz IX»
- 1975 — Finist - Yasnyy sokol — Agafon
- 1975 — Шаг навстречу — человек в буфете
- 1975 — Автомобиль, скрипка и собака Клякса — Banjo/Guitar
- 1975 — Не может быть! — папаша
- 1975 — Большой аттракцион — Gankin
- 1976 — Пастух Янка — Принц Кукимор
- 1976 — Весёлое сновидение, или Смех и слёзы — Кривелло
- 1976 — Пока бьют часы — Дедушка, Великий садовник
- 1976 — The Blue Bird — Sugar
- 1976 — Twelve Chairs — Bezenchuk
- 1977 — Маринка, Янка и тайны королевского замка — Принц Кукимор
- 1977 — Солнце, снова солнце
- 1980 — Borrowing Matchsticks — Tahvo Kenonen, tailor
- 1980 — Комедия давно минувших дней — Coward
- 1982 — Чародеи — cat's voice
- 1985 — Соперницы — Дедушка
- 1985 — Dangerous for Your Life! — Alexander Chokolov
- 1986 — Путешествие пана Кляксы
- 1986 — Я вожатый форпоста
- 1992 — Выстрел в гробу — полковник Закусняк
- 1993 — Бравые парни — Griboyedov
- 1994 — Господа артисты — Neil Palych
- 1994 — A Few Love Stories — Форнари
- 1994 — Hagi-Tragger — Genrikh Yanovich
References
- ^ a b c In Brief: Beloved Comic Actor Vitsin Dies. Valeria Korchagina. The Moscow Times. p. 4. October 24, 2001.
- ^ a b c d Obituaries; Passings; Georgy Vitsin, 83; Russian Movie, Theater Actor. Los Angeles Times. California; Part 2; Metro Desk; p. 15. October 25, 2001.
