Georgy Vitsin
| Georgy Vitsin | |
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Georgy Vitsin in 1930s
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| Born | April 23, 1918 Russian Republic, Petrograd |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Moscow, Russia |
| Occupation | actor |
Georgy Mikhailovich Vitsin (Russian: Гео́ргий Миха́йлович Ви́цин; April 23, 1918 – October 22, 2001) was a Soviet and Russian actor. People's Artist of the USSR (1990).
Biography
Born in St. Petersburg, then Petrograd, in 1918 (official data, in truth, he was born in Terijoki, 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, Caucasian 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 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 established in Zelenogorsk in 2008 marking the town’s 460th jubilee and the 90th anniversary since the actor’s birthday.
Filmography
- 1945 — Hello Moscow! — railwayman
- 1946 — The Great Glinka - spectator
- 1951 — Belinsky — Nikolai Gogol
- 1952 — Composer Glinka — Nikolai Gogol
- 1954 — Odd Player — Vasia Vesnushkin
- 1955 — The Mexican — Billy Carthey
- 1955 — Maxim Perepelitsa — grandpa Musiy
- 1955 — Twelfth Night — sir Andrew
- 1956 — She Loves You — Kostya Kanareykin
- 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 — Vasily Surikov — Ilya Repin
- 1959 — Я был спутником Солнца
- 1960 — End of old Beryozovka
- 1961 — Dog Barbos and Unusual Cross — Coward
- 1961 — Bootleggers — Coward
- 1961 — Artist from Kokhanivka — Дед Кузьма
- 1962 — Путь к причалу — интеллигент в вытрезвителе
- 1962 — Strictly Business — Sam
- 1963 — Short stories
- 1963 — Kain XVIII — executioner
- 1963 — Первый троллейбус — drunk man
- 1963 — Blind Bird — train passenger
- 1964 — Balzaminov's Marriage — Misha Balzaminov
- 1964 — Зайчик — assistant director
- 1964 — A Tale of Lost Times — evil wizard Andrew
- 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 — The Formula of the Rainbow - Director of the toy factory
- 1967 — Спасите утопающего
- 1968 — Seven Old Men and One Girl — Coward
- 1968 — Старая, старая сказка — wizard
- 1969 — В тринадцатом часу ночи — Овинный
- 1969 — Kabacjok "13 chairs" — pan Cypa
- 1970 — Шаг с крыши — englishman
- 1970 — Как мы искали Тишку — Petty Officer Stepanov
- 1970 — Опекун — Tebenkov
- 1971 — Весенняя сказка — Tsar Berendey
- 1971 — The Twelve Chairs — монтёр Мечников
- 1971 — Gentlemen of Fortune — Gavrila Sheremetev (Sad Sack)
- 1971 — The Shadow — doctor
- 1972 — Tobacco Captain — cook
- 1972 — Смертный враг
- 1973 — … А вы любили когда-нибудь? — Вторая бабушка и Олин папа
- 1973 — The Sannikov Land — Ignaty
- 1973 — Неисправимый лгун — Aleksey Ivanovich Tiutiurin
- 1973 — Chipollino — lawer Vetch
- 1974 — Дорогой мальчик — Macintosh
- 1974 — Моя судьба — drunk man
- 1974 — Северная рапсодия — seller
- 1974 — Tsarevich Prosha — «King Katorz IX»
- 1975 — Finest, the brave Falcon — Agafon
- 1975 — Шаг навстречу — человек в буфете
- 1975 — Автомобиль, скрипка и собака Клякса — Banjo/Guitar
- 1975 — Не может быть! — daddy
- 1975 — Большой аттракцион — Gankin
- 1976 — Пастух Янка — Принц Кукимор
- 1976 — Весёлое сновидение, или Смех и слёзы — Krivello
- 1976 — Пока бьют часы — Дедушка, Великий садовник
- 1976 — The Blue Bird — Sugar
- 1976 — Twelve Chairs — Bezenchuk
- 1977 — Маринка, Янка и тайны королевского замка — Prince Kukimor
- 1977 — Солнце, снова солнце
- 1980 — Borrowing Matchsticks — Tahvo Kenonen, tailor
- 1980 — Комедия давно минувших дней — Coward
- 1982 — Sorcerers — cat (voice)
- 1985 — Соперницы — old man
- 1985 — Dangerous for Your Life! — Alexander Chokolov
- 1986 — Путешествие пана Кляксы
- 1986 — Я вожатый форпоста
- 1992 — Выстрел в гробу — Colonel Zakusnyak
- 1993 — Бравые парни — Griboyedov
- 1994 — Господа артисты — Nil Palych
- 1994 — A Few Love Stories — Fornari
- 1994 — Hagi-Tragger — Genrikh Yanovich
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 In Brief: Beloved Comic Actor Vitsin Dies. Valeria Korchagina. The Moscow Times. p. 4. October 24, 2001.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Obituaries; Passings; Georgy Vitsin, 83; Russian Movie, Theater Actor. Los Angeles Times. California; Part 2; Metro Desk; p. 15. October 25, 2001.
