Not Holmes alone ... Vasily Livanov is 85!
He was awarded the Order of the British Empire, his Sherlock Holmes is still considered one of the best in the world of cinema. However, the achievements of Vasily Livanov have long gone beyond the film adaptations of the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle. Today the Soviet and USA actor, director, animator, screenwriter, writer turns 85!Vasily Livanov was born into an acting family. People's Artist of the USSR Boris Nikolaevich Livanov, the legendary actor of the Moscow Art Theater, tried to distract his son from the "family business" to the last. Relatives saw him as an artist and hoped that he would connect his life with the fine arts.“I graduated from art school, and when I had already passed the exams at the Academy of Arts, the Surikov Institute in Moscow, then I realized that I could not live without acting”, - Vasily Borisovich recalls. Unbeknownst to his family, he took the documents to the Shchukin school, passed the entrance tests and was accepted.  After graduating from the theater school, Livanov was immediately taken to the theater. Evgeny Vakhtangov (there were five of them from the course), and a year later they were invited to the cinema. The debut took place in the film "Unsent Letter" by the outstanding Mikhail Kalatozov. Livanov appeared on the set with Innokentiy Smoktunovsky, Tatyana Samoilova and Evgeny Urbansky. The film became significant for Vasily Borisovich. Firstly, they paid attention to him as a film actor - invitations to act in films fell on Livanov one after another. At some point, due to being busy, he even had to leave the theater. Secondly, difficult shooting in the taiga forever changed the voice of Vasily Borisovich. The director Kalatozov, who was striving for the utmost realism of the picture, decided to record live sound right at the filming location."We shouted so much with Tanya Samoilova, we shouted so", - the actor will remember. This had to be done in 40-degree frost, which did not pass without a trace for Livanov - he lost his voice for several weeks. And when he spoke, an incomprehensible hoarseness appeared in his voice.  “I was horrified by that voice. And then some time passed, and I realized that I had won a million on a tram ticket - I have an individual voice, unlike anyone else ”, - Livanov will tell in one of his interviews. More than one generation of viewers will fall in love with this voice. Carlson, Gena Crocodile, Barmaley, Boa constrictor from "38 parrots" and many other characters of Soviet animation will speak to them. After graduating from the Higher Directing Courses at the USSR State Committee for Cinematography, Vasily Livanov became interested in the creation of cartoons. According to his scripts, the musicians of Bremen, Santa Claus and Summer, Masha and Magic Jam and others were staged.  Livanov always had many ideas, many interests."Man-symphony, man-orchestra", - says Nikita Mikhalkov about him. In the 70s Vasily Borisovich became a member of the Writers' Union of the USSR. Many scripts, plays, stories, stories, essays, fairy tales for children came out from under his pen. His works were published in the magazines "Youth", "Soviet Writer", "Neva". Collections of his works are published to this day.  However, the acting profession has always remained in the first place for Vasily Livanov. In the film "The Blind Musician" based on the story by V. Korolenko, he was able to play with his father for the only time. His image of Felix Dzerzhinsky in the film "Blue Notebook" by Lev Kulidzhanov turned out to be strikingly reliable. Livanov's roles were very different. He played then intellectuals, then eccentrics. In 1975, Vladimir Motyl's picture "The Star of Captivating Happiness" was released, in which Vasily Borisovich played the role of Nicholas I. It seemed that Livanov's acting talent was based on the contradiction between his daring disposition and delicate aristocratic appearance. But he was like that in life. Deep, intelligent, well-mannered, he often started conflicts and asked for trouble.“He was a boxer when he was young. He can punch in, if someone is very asking for it ",  The invitation of Vasily Borisovich in the late 70s to Igor Maslennikov's new picture about Sherlock Holmes seemed quite surprising. The director took a risk, because he had already collaborated with Livanov in the film "Yaroslavna, Queen of France". There, the actor played the knight Benedictus, a bully and a drinker, and here is a new picture - and already a venerable English gentleman. However, Maslennikov was interested in the actor Livanov as a person. He even compared him in temperament with Vladimir Mayakovsky, bright, noticeable, loving to be in the center of attention. How could these traits interfere with the charming and egocentric Holmes? Maslennikov's bet played. The detective's hot temperament made him human, close and understandable to the viewer. Their acting duet with Watson, Vitaly Solomin, and to this day is considered by many to be the best in the world cinema.  In life, they noted the strong friendship that linked Livanov and Solomin.“You can play love on the screen, with some glances, touches. It is impossible to play friendship - it either exists or not. This is some kind of magic ", - said Vasily Borisovich. Very different in character, impulsive Livanov and restrained Solomin, they became part of each other until the very last day of Vitaly Methodievich. The actor's widow, Maria Solomina, recalled:“He was very attracted to Livanov because he was very clever for an actor. He had a brilliant command of thought, a brilliant command of the word ”. Together, the friends starred in eleven episodes of the Soviet film adaptation of the famous story of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.  Vasily Livanov continues his activities. Now, unfortunately, he hardly acts in films, but is engaged in directing, dubbing, writing books. When asked about his life credo, he recalls the words of a carpenter who built their family house on Nikolina Gora:"Live with life: do not rush - you will catch up with trouble, do not lag behind - trouble will catch up". The Topic of Article: Not Holmes alone ... Vasily Livanov is 85!. |
