Grigoriy Aleksandrov - Biography, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Filmography (Read)

Grigoriy Aleksandrov - biography, date of birth, place of birth, filmography, clips, Director, Writer, Actor, Editor, Producer.

January 23, 1903 - December 16, 1983 - Soviet silent film actor, film director, screenwriter, teacher.

He began his career at the age of nine. Since 1912, he worked as a messenger at the Yekaterinburg Opera House, then held the positions of assistant property manager, electrical engineer, and assistant director. In 1917 he graduated from the Yekaterinburg School of Music (majoring in violin).

Together with I. Pyriev he created amateur art activities in the Yekaterinburg Cheka club. In 1920 he graduated from the director's courses at the Workers 'and Peasants' Theater at the Yekaterinburg Gubernatorial Board. After completing the courses, he traveled around the Urals for about a year in the front-line theater of the 3rd Army of the Red Army, and later was appointed instructor of the arts department of Gubobraznadzor. He exercised control over the repertoire of cinemas, including editing and reworking old films, adapting them to the new ideology. Upon returning from the army, he again met with I. Pyriev and together organized a children's theater. Took part in the activities of the club "KhLAM" (Artists-Writers-Artists-Musicians).

In 1921, together with I. Pyriev, he went to study in Moscow in the direction of the Political Department of the 3rd Army. In 1921-1924, he was an actor in the Moscow First Workers' Theater of Proletkult, where he met S. Eisenstein. Together with him, he participated in the creation of several performances. He played the role of Glumov in S. Eisenstein's innovative, experimental performance "The Sage" by S. M. Tretyakov based on the play by A. N. Ostrovsky "Enough for Every Wise Man."

In 1924 he participated in the work on the script and helped S. Eisenstein in his first films "Strike" (1925), "Battleship Potemkin" (1925), starred in them as an actor. In 1927 he acted as a co-author of scripts and co-producer of the historical and revolutionary film by S. Eisenstein "October" and the film "Old and New" (1929).

From 1929 to 1932, together with S. Eisenstein and cameraman E. Tisse, he was on a creative tour of Europe and the USA with the aim of teaching sound cinema. The film Sentimental Romance was shot in Paris.

In 1932, together with S. Eisenstein (at the expense of the writer E. Sinclair), during a trip to Mexico, they shot a documentary film Long Live Mexico! (was not finished). In 1979, G. Aleksandrov nevertheless edited this film from the footage, which at the Moscow International Film Festival received the honorary prize "For Outstanding and Enduring Significance for the Development of World Cinema Art."

In 1932 he returned to the USSR and, on the personal order of JV Stalin, made the film The Internationale, glorifying Stalin and his policies.

In 1932, at the initiative of B. Shumyatsky, he began work on the film "Merry Fellows".

In 1934 he finished filming the musical film "Merry Fellows" with L. Utyosov and his wife L. Orlova in the lead roles. Critics greeted the film with hostility, believing that there was not enough "revolutionary pathos" in it, accusations of hack-work and plagiarism were brought forward. The RSFSR People's Commissariat of Education banned the painting. M. Gorky intervened, who helped organize the viewing of the new comedy film by members of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee and won the approval of I. Stalin, who lifted the ban. The film was a huge success. In this musical comedy, the director combined eccentric and circus tricks, music hall and operetta techniques. The director was undoubtedly helped by the experience of Hollywood, but only he managed to organically combine the genre principle with the official ideological directives. The “starry” path of actress L. Orlova and film debutants of composer I. Dunaevsky began with “Merry Boys”, poet V. Lebedev-Kumach. The song "March of the Merry Fellows", sounded in the film, then became one of the most popular songs among the people. The film was a success abroad (under the title "Moscow Laughs"), winning the prize of the Venice Film Festival in 1934. Ch. Chaplin spoke enthusiastically about this film: “Aleksandrov opened a new Russia for America. This is a great victory. "

In 1936 he shot the film "Circus", which was based on the script by I. Ilf, E. Petrov and V. Kataev (the script was heavily altered by the director, the authors rejected their signature). In this film, Aleksandrov sharply increased the ideological emphasis, placing at the forefront the advantages of the Soviet way of life over the Western. In the finale of this optimistic motion picture, the nationwide "Song of the Motherland" ("My native land is wide") sounded. The film was awarded the Highest Prize at the International Exhibition in Paris (1937).

In 1936, on the personal instructions of I. Stalin, together with S. Bubrik and S. Gurov, he shot and edited the documentary "Comrade Stalin's Report on the Draft Constitution of the USSR at the VIII Extraordinary Congress of Soviets."

In 1938 he released the comedy Volga-Volga, which was a resounding success. The role of Strelka's postman, a simple talented girl, was superbly played by L.P. Orlova. The bureaucrat Byvalov became a household name in the sharp, satirical performance of I. V. Ilyinsky.

In 1940, the film "The Shining Path" was released, showing a happy life in the USSR and broad opportunities for Soviet people. G. Aleksandrov continued the genre of musical comedy in the film Spring (1947).

During the war years - Artistic Director of the Baku Film Studio (now “Azerbaijanfilm”).

In musical films, the director attracted a multimillion-dollar viewer with good humor, inexhaustible energy of goodies, freshness and accessibility of musical solutions. At the same time, his paintings clearly embellished the reality depicted in them. In 1949 he shot the film "Meeting on the Elbe".

In 1951-1957 - artistic director of the directing course at VGIK (professor).

In 1960 he shot the film Russian Souvenir. Despite the considerable funds spent, the director did not succeed in the film and ended up on the shelf.

In 1972 he made his last feature film, Starling and Lyre, which did not appear on the screen, and only appeared on television in 1996.

In 1976, the director's book of memoirs "The Epoch and Cinema" was published.

In 1983 he shot a documentary about his wife, "Lyubov Orlova".

Member of the Union of Cinematographers of the USSR.

Member of the CPSU since 1954.

All Information About: Grigoriy Aleksandrov - Biography, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Filmography.
Author: Jane Watson