Leonid Gaidai
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Leonid Iovich Gaidai (russian: Леонид Иович Гайдай; 30 January 1923 – 19 November 1993) was a Soviet and Russian
comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
director, screenwriter and actor who enjoyed immense popularity and broad public recognition in the former
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. His films broke theatre attendance records and were some of the top-selling
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
s in Russia. He has been described as "the king of Soviet comedy".Prokhorova, Elena, "The Man Who Made Them Laugh: Leonid Gaidai, the King of Soviet Comedy", in Beumers, Birgit (2008) ''A History of Russian Cinema'', Berg Publishers, , pp. 519–542


Early life and first success

Gaidai was born on 30 January 1923 in Svobodny, Amur Oblast,Rollberg, Peter (2010) ''The A to Z of Russian and Soviet Cinema'', The Scarecrow Press, Inc., , pp. 235–8 where he is commemorated by a statue. His father Iov Isidorovich Gaidai came from a
Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...
family of
serfs Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which developed ...
of the
Poltava Governorate The Poltava Governorate (russian: Полтавская губерния, Poltavskaya guberniya; ua, Полтавська Губернія, translit=Poltavska huberniia) or Poltavshchyna was a Governorate (Russia), gubernia (also called a provin ...
. At the age of 22 he was sentenced to several years of
katorga Katorga ( rus, ка́торга, p=ˈkatərɡə; from medieval and modern Greek: ''katergon, κάτεργον'', "galley") was a system of penal labor in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union (see Katorga labor in the Soviet Union). Prisoner ...
for revolutionary activity and sent to the
Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The ter ...
to work at the railway. Leonid's mother Maria Ivanovna Lubimova was born in the
Ryazan Oblast Ryazan Oblast ( rus, Рязанская область, r=Ryazanskaya oblast, p=rʲɪˈzanskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities ...
to
Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
parents. She met her Iove through her brother Egor, also a katorga worker who sent her a photo of his friend along with a marriage proposal. After Gaidai's term expired, they settled down in the Amur Oblast where Gaidai continued working at the railway building site. Leonid was the third child in the family. His elder brother Aleksandr (1919–1994) was a well-known poet and a war correspondent. Leonid took part in
amateur dramatics An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, self-taught, user-generated, DIY, and hobbyist. History Hist ...
from a young age. He graduated from school on 20 June 1941. Just two days after, the
Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Poland and other Allies, which encompassed Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northeast Europe (Baltics), and Sout ...
started. In February 1942, he was enrolled in the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
. He first served in
Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
, then finished
sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
courses, becoming a
squad leader ''Squad Leader'' is a tactical level board war game originally published by Avalon Hill in 1977. It was designed by John Hill and simulates on infantry combat in Europe during World War II. One of the most complex war games of its time, ''Squa ...
. He worked in the
military intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a ...
. On 20 December 1942, Gaidai was awarded the
Medal "For Battle Merit" The Medal "For Battle Merit" (russian: Медаль «За боевые заслуги») was a Soviet military medal awarded for " combat action resulting in a military success", "courageous defense of the state borders", or "successful military ...
for killing three Nazi soldiers and taking hostages during the battle for Yenkino village. On 20 March 1943, he was heavily injured after stepping on a
land mine A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
. He spent nine months in military hospitals. In January 1944, he was sent home as war-disabled. In 1945, he joined the Communist Party. Gaidai studied at the Irkutsk District Drama Theatre's studio school, and after graduating in 1947 acted in theatre productions. He subsequently attended the Moscow Institute of Cinematography,
Grigori Aleksandrov Grigori Vasilyevich Aleksandrov or Alexandrov (russian: Григо́рий Васи́льевич Алекса́ндров; original family name was Мормоненко or Mormonenko; 23 January 1903 – 16 December 1983) was a prominent Soviet ...
workshop, completing his studies in 1955. He married the actress
Nina Grebeshkova Nina Pavlovna Grebeshkova (russian: Нина Павловна Гребешкова; born 29 November 1930) is a Russian actress. Since 1953 she has performed in more than thirty films. She was married to film director Leonid Gaidai. In 1954 gradu ...
, who played minor roles in his future films. He initially worked as an assistant to director
Boris Barnet Boris Vasilyevich Barnet (russian: Бори́с Васи́льевич Ба́рнет; 18 June 1902 – 8 January 1965) was a Soviet film director, actor and screenwriter of British heritage. He directed 27 films between 1927 and 1963. Barne ...
on the 1955 film ''
Liana A liana is a long- stemmed, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word ''liana'' does not refer to a ta ...
'', before directing the first of his own films in 1956 (the historical drama ''The Long Path''). His 1958 comedy ''The Dead Affair'' was described by Minister of Culture Nikolai Mikhailov as "a lampooning of Soviet Reality" and was cut to 47 minutes by censors as a result, and released as ''
A Groom from the Other World ''A Groom from the Other World'' or (russian: Жених с того света, Zhenikh s togo sveta) is a 1958 Soviet comedy film directed by Leonid Gaidai. Plot Head of "BORE" (Bush Oversight of Resort Establishments), Semyon Danilovich Petukho ...
''.Gillespie, David (2002) ''Russian Cinema'', Routledge, , p. 49 He subsequently avoided overtly political themes. His first success came six years after graduation, with a segment of the
short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
collection ''
Absolutely Seriously ''Absolutely Seriously'' (russian: Совершенно серьёзно) is a 1961 Soviet Comedy film, comedy anthology film directed by Eldar Ryazanov, Naum Trakhtenberg, Eduard Zmoiro, Vladimir Semakov and Leonid Gaidai. Plot The film is a co ...
'' (1961), which instantly became highly popular. In this film, Gaidai first introduced a comic trio of crooks –
Georgy Vitsin Georgy Mikhailovich Vitsin (russian: Георгий Михайлович Вицин; 18 April 1917 – 22 October 2001) was a Soviet and Russian actor. People's Artist of the USSR (1990). Biography Vitsin was born in Terijoki, former Finla ...
,
Yuri Nikulin Yuri Vladimirovich Nikulin (russian: Юрий Владимирович Никулин; 18 December 1921 – 21 August 1997) was a Soviet and Russian actor and clown who starred in many popular films. He is best known for his roles in Leonid ...
, and
Yevgeny Morgunov Yevgeny Alexandrovich Morgunov (russian: Евге́ний Алекса́ндрович Моргуно́в; April 27, 1927 – June 25, 1999) was a Soviet and Russian actor, film director, and script writer, Merited Artist of Russian SFSR (1978 ...
(aka 'ViNiMor', playing the characters Coward, Fool, and Pro), who later appeared in several of his other films. After his characters and directing style won the public's love, his name gained massive selling power in USSR's cinemas.Новицкий Е. И. Леонид Гайдай / Евгений Новицкий. — М.: Молодая гвардия, 2017. — 413 с.: ил. — (Жизнь замечательных людей: сер. биогр.; вып. 1682). ISBN 978-5-235-04043-4. ''In Russian''


Genre brilliance

Between 1961 and 1975, Gaidai directed a number of top-selling films, each one a huge financial success and becoming wildly popular in the Soviet Union. During these years, he filmed new adventures of the mischievous trio in ''
Bootleggers Bootleg or bootlegging most often refers to: * Bootleg recording, an audio or video recording released unofficially * Rum-running, the illegal business of transporting and trading in alcoholic beverages, hence: ** Moonshine, or illicitly made ...
'' (1961), a film adaptation of
O. Henry William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer known primarily for his short stories, though he also wrote poetry and non-fiction. His works include "The Gift of the M ...
's short stories, '' Strictly Business'' (1962), ''
Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures ''Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures'' (russian: Операция „Ы“ и другие приключения Шурика, Operatsiya „Yery“ i drugie priklyucheniya Shurika) is a 1965 Soviet slapstick film, slapstick comedy film di ...
'' (1965), and ''
Kidnapping, Caucasian Style ''Kidnapping, Caucasian Style'' (russian: link=no, Кавказская пленница, или Новые приключения Шурика) is a 1967 Soviet comedy film dealing with a humorous plot revolving around bride kidnapping, an old t ...
'' (1966). Following his break with Morgunov, Gaidai disbanded the trio, while casting Nikulin in what was to become the most popular Soviet comedy ever made, ''
The Diamond Arm ''The Diamond Arm'' (russian: Бриллиантовая рука ''Brilliantovaya ruka'') is a Soviet crime comedy film made by Mosfilm and first released in 1969. The film was directed by director Leonid Gaidai and starred several famous Soviet ...
'' (1968). In the 1970s, Gaidai worked primarily with the comedians from his own studio group, which included Vitsin, Kuravlyov, Pugovkin, Kramarov, Seleznyova, Krachkovskaya, and his wife
Nina Grebeshkova Nina Pavlovna Grebeshkova (russian: Нина Павловна Гребешкова; born 29 November 1930) is a Russian actress. Since 1953 she has performed in more than thirty films. She was married to film director Leonid Gaidai. In 1954 gradu ...
. All this cast was featured in his film adaptation of
Mikhail Zoshchenko Mikhail Mikhailovich Zoshchenko (russian: Михаи́л Миха́йлович Зо́щенко; – 22 July 1958) was a Soviet and Russian writer and satirist. Biography Zoshchenko was born in 1894, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, according to h ...
's short stories, ''
It Can't Be! ''It Can't Be!'' (russian: Не может быть!, Ne mozhet byt'!) is a 1975 Soviet comedy film directed by Leonid Gaidai. It consists of three short stories, based on the works of Mikhail Zoshchenko: ''Crime and Punishment'', ''Fun Adventure' ...
'' (1975). He also filmed a play by
Mikhail Bulgakov Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐfɐˈnasʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bʊlˈɡakəf; – 10 March 1940) was a Soviet writer, medical doctor, and playwright active in the fir ...
, '' Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future'' (1973),
Ilf and Petrov Ilya Ilf (Ilya Arnoldovich Feinsilberg or russian: Илья Арнольдович Файнзильберг, 1897–1937) and Yevgeny Petrov (Yevgeniy Petrovich Katayev or russian: Евгений Петрович Катаев, 1902–1942 ...
's ''
The Twelve Chairs ''The Twelve Chairs'' ( rus, Двенадцать стульев, Dvenadtsat stulyev) is a classic satirical novel by the Odesan Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov, published in 1928. Its plot follows characters attempting to obtain jewelry hidden ...
'' (1971),
Nikolai Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; uk, link=no, Мико́ла Васи́льович Го́голь, translit=Mykola Vasyliovych Hohol; (russian: Яновский; uk, Яновський, translit=Yanovskyi) ( – ) was a Russian novelist, ...
's ''
Incognito from St. Petersburg ''Incognito from St. Petersburg'' (russian: Инкогнито из Петербурга, Inkognito iz Peterburga) is a 1977 Soviet comedy film directed by Leonid Gaidai, based upon the play by Nikolai Gogol's play, ''The Government Inspector''. P ...
'' (1977), and ''
Borrowing Matchsticks ''Borrowing Matchsticks'' (russian: За спичками, Za spichkami, fi, Tulitikkuja lainaamassa) is a Soviet–Finnish comedy film produced by Mosfilm and Suomifilm in 1980. Film based on the novel by Algot Untola. Plot Antti Ihalainen ( ...
'' (1980), a story by the Finnish author
Maiju Lassila Algot Untola (28 November 1868 – 21 May 1918) was a Finnish writer and journalist. Untola was born in Tohmajärvi, to the ''Tietäväinen'' family, and his real name was ''Algoth'', but he changed the name to ''Algot Untola''. Untola had many ...
.


Commercial success

Gaidai's top-grossing film ''
The Diamond Arm ''The Diamond Arm'' (russian: Бриллиантовая рука ''Brilliantovaya ruka'') is a Soviet crime comedy film made by Mosfilm and first released in 1969. The film was directed by director Leonid Gaidai and starred several famous Soviet ...
'' sold 76.7 million tickets in the Soviet Union alone, becoming the third highest-grossing Soviet film.. In a 1995 survey by
RTR RTR may refer to: Media * Radiotelevisiun Svizra Rumantscha (previously Radio e Televisiun Rumantscha), a Swiss broadcasting company * ''Reformed Theological Review'', an Australian Protestant theological journal * Return to Ravnica, a ''Magic the ...
, it was voted the best comedy ever made. It was followed closely by Gaidai's other comedy films — ''
Kidnapping, Caucasian Style ''Kidnapping, Caucasian Style'' (russian: link=no, Кавказская пленница, или Новые приключения Шурика) is a 1967 Soviet comedy film dealing with a humorous plot revolving around bride kidnapping, an old t ...
'' (fourth place with 76.5 million viewers), ''
Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures ''Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures'' (russian: Операция „Ы“ и другие приключения Шурика, Operatsiya „Yery“ i drugie priklyucheniya Shurika) is a 1965 Soviet slapstick comedy film directed by Leonid ...
'' (seventh place with 69.6 million viewers) and '' Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future'' (17th place with 60.7 million viewers).


Later years

After 1975, Gaidai went into a period of significant decline; his only other notable work was a joint Soviet-
Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...
film ''Borrowing Matchsticks'' (russian: За спичками; fi, Tulitikkuja lainaamassa), completed in 1980. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he directed only one more film, capitalizing on the early
perestroika ''Perestroika'' (; russian: links=no, перестройка, p=pʲɪrʲɪˈstrojkə, a=ru-perestroika.ogg) was a political movement for reform within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) during the late 1980s widely associated wit ...
business activities and starring
Dmitry Kharatyan Dmitry Vadimovich Kharatyan (born 21 January 1960) is a Soviet and Russian actor of Armenian descent, People's Artist of Russia. Was born in Olmaliq, Uzbek SSR on 21 January 1960. His debut as an actor came in Vladimir Menshov's ''Practical Jok ...
. Gaidai has a cameo in the final one, ''There's Good Weather in Deribasovskaya'', where he plays an old gambler who tries to beat the one-armed bandit. In real life, Gaidai was addicted to gambling. These proved the most popular of his works filmed after 1975 but lacked the success of his earlier work. Gaidai was made a
People's Artist of the RSFSR People's Artist of the RSFSR (russian: Народный артист РСФСР, ''Narodnyj artist RSFSR'') was an honorary title granted to Soviet Union artists, including theatre and film directors, choreographers, music performers, and orchest ...
in 1974,
People's Artist of the USSR People's Artist of the USSR ( rus, Народный артист СССР, Narodny artist SSSR), also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union. Nomenclature and significan ...
in 1989, and died in
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
on Friday 19 November 1993. He was buried at the
Kuntsevo Cemetery The Kuntsevo Cemetery (russian: Ку́нцевское кла́дбище, kúntsevkoye kládbishche) is a cemetery servicing Kuntsevo, Moscow. It is located on the bank of the Setun River, to the south of the Mozhaisk Highway (the continuation o ...
.


Style

Gaidai's comedies have a very visual style of comedy, utilizing
slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such a ...
and physical humor, with dialogue that has been described as "pithy, aphoristic, or nonsensical". He was a master of fast-paced comedy, his style and rhythm somewhat similar to
Stanley Kramer Stanley Earl Kramer (September 29, 1913February 19, 2001) was an American film director and producer, responsible for making many of Hollywood's most famous "message picture, message films" (he would call his movies ''heavy dramas'') and a libera ...
's ''
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer with a story and screenplay by William Rose and Tania Rose. The film, starring Spencer Tracy with an all-star cast of comedians, is a ...
''. While his films on the surface portray socialist ideals, there are subversive elements and satire. He continued to suffer interference from censors, and said of his films "We will use the means of satire to fight the flaws which still sometimes hinder the lives of Soviet people".


Assessment

Gaidai remains most famous for the outstanding string of comedies he directed between 1961 and 1975, when nine of the ten films he made became Russian classics, selling between 20 and 76 million film tickets each, and becoming box office champions for several years in a row. He is less known outside of the former Soviet Union, due to the specific nature of his comedies, intrinsically tied to Soviet culture and lifestyle – unlike the motives of the characters of Kramer's "Mad World" being easily understood by the Russian public, living in the highly materialistic world of late Soviet Union. Gaidai's international recognition included a nomination for best short film at the
1961 Cannes Film Festival The 14th Cannes Film Festival was held from 3 to 18 May 1961. The Palme d'Or went to the ''Une aussi longue absence'', directed by Henri Colpi and ''Viridiana'', directed by Luis Buñuel. The festival opened with ''Che gioia vivere'', directed by ...
for ''
Dog Barbos and Unusual Cross ''Dog Barbos and Unusual Cross'' or (russian: Пёс Барбос и необычный кросс, Pyos Barbos i neobychnij kross) is a 1961 Soviet short comedy film directed by Leonid Gaidai. Plot A trio of petty criminals – The Coward, The ...
''. and the Grand Prix Wawel Silver Dragon at the Kraków Film Festival (Poland) in 1965 for the novel "Déjà vu" in the film "Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures".


Filmography


References


External links

* *
Maestro of Russian Comedy: Leonid Gaidai

Islands. Leonid Gaidai
documentary on
Russia-K Russia-K (russian: Россия Культура, translit=Rossiya Kul'tura "Russia - Culture") is a Russian nationwide not-for-profit television channel that broadcasts shows regarding arts and culture. It belongs to the state-controlled VGTRK ...
, 2002 (in Russian)
Legends of the World Cinema. Leonid Gaidai
documentary on
Russia-K Russia-K (russian: Россия Культура, translit=Rossiya Kul'tura "Russia - Culture") is a Russian nationwide not-for-profit television channel that broadcasts shows regarding arts and culture. It belongs to the state-controlled VGTRK ...
, 2011 (in Russian)
Big Family. Leonid Gaidai
talk show on
Russia-K Russia-K (russian: Россия Культура, translit=Rossiya Kul'tura "Russia - Culture") is a Russian nationwide not-for-profit television channel that broadcasts shows regarding arts and culture. It belongs to the state-controlled VGTRK ...
, 2013 (in Russian) {{DEFAULTSORT:Gaidai, Leonid 1923 births 1993 deaths 20th-century Russian male actors 20th-century Russian screenwriters People from Svobodny, Amur Oblast Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography alumni People's Artists of the RSFSR People's Artists of the USSR Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples Recipients of the Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR Comedy film directors Russian people of Ukrainian descent Male screenwriters Russian film directors Russian male film actors Russian screenwriters Soviet film directors Soviet male film actors Soviet military personnel of World War II Soviet screenwriters World War II spies for the Soviet Union Deaths from pulmonary embolism Burials at Kuntsevo Cemetery