The famous cheerful trinity: Vitsin, Morgunov and Nikulin (19 photos)

Category: Stars, Famous people, Nostalgia, PEGI 0+

5 October 2015

Coward, Experienced and Dunce.

“Dog Barbos and the unusual cross” and “Moonshiners” (1961-1962)

The trio first appears in the short films “Barbos the Dog and the Unusual Cross” and “Moonshiners.” Here the trio engages in poaching and moonshine. In both cases, friends fail, and the dog Barbos contributes to this.

The short film “Barbos the Dog and the Unusual Cross” was included as the fifth film in the film almanac “Quite Seriously.” However, it was she who brought success to the entire film and, moreover, took on an independent life. It gave birth to the unique eccentric phenomenon of three masked heroes of Soviet cinema - the Goonie, the Coward and the Seasoned, bringing real fame to both Leonid Gaidai and the famous trinity: Nikulin - Vitsin - Morgunov.

A few months after the completion of the filming of “Barbos the Dog,” Leonid Gaidai again used them in his new short film, which was called “Moonshiners.” And the idea for this film was given to Gaidai by Yuri Nikulin. The fact is that in the circus the duet Nikulin - Shuidin performed an interlude with the same name. The director liked the idea, and he and Konstantin Brovin sat down to write the script.

The film "Moonshiners" was released in 1961 and was a huge success. The Trinity gradually turned into an iconic symbol of Soviet cinema.

Give me a book of complaints (1964).

Film by Eldar Ryazanov. Coward, Dunce and Experienced appear in a cameo role in a restaurant, having managed to become participants in a fight, and also in an outerwear store as salespeople (Coward and Dunce).

Operation "Y" and other adventures of Shurik (1965).

In the third part of a series of short short stories, Coward, Dunce and Experienced come into battle with another character of Gaidai, student Shurik. Hired by a thieving warehouse manager, they try to stage a robbery. Shurik, guarding the warehouse, takes them seriously and puts up armed resistance. The robbery turns out to be unsuccessful, and the trio, sedated with their own chloroform, are handed over to the police.

New Year's calendar (1965).

At the Blue Light, Coward, Dunce and Experienced appeared in the form of violinists who amused people.

Tales of the Russian Forest (1966).

New Year's musical film in which Coward, Dunce and Experienced played poachers.

Captive of the Caucasus, or New Adventures of Shurik (1966).

Coward, Dunce and Experienced earn extra money through petty scams in the Caucasus. They are hired by a local functionary Saakhov and his driver Dzhabrail to kidnap the girl Nina, Dzhabrail’s niece, who they want to forcefully marry Saakhov. The inevitable fate of the trinity, student Shurik, is in love with the girl, with whom the characters will again have to fight and lose. This is the only film that shows the trial of the gang.

It is interesting that Gaidai unexpectedly encountered difficulties with “Prisoner of the Caucasus.” And the reason for this was... Yuri Nikulin. The actor did not like the script, and he categorically refused to act. It took a lot of work for the director to persuade him to change his decision. The decisive moment was that Gaidai promised Nikulin that there would be a lot of improvisation on the set and little would remain from the original script. As a result, “Prisoner of the Caucasus” became the best comedy, starring the trio Nikulin-Vitsin-Morgunov.

Seven Old Men and One Girl (1968).

A film by Evgeniy Karelov, in which Coward, Dunce and Experienced appear in the cameo role of robbers: they steal money from a collector.

These incredible musicians, or Shurik's New Dreams (1977).

In this concert film, Trus and Experienced starred as musicians; they portrayed either violinists or vocalists. Experienced played the accordion, balalaika and violin.

Comedy of days gone by (1980).

Coward and Experienced confront Kisa Vorobyaninov and Ostap Bender in search of treasure. This is the last time the gang appeared in the guise of the original actors, and without the Goonie - Nikulin refused to participate, considering the image “washed out.”

Cartoons.

Images

The Coward, the Dunce and the Experienced were transferred to the cartoons “The Bremen Town Musicians”, “In the Footsteps of the Bremen Town Musicians” and “The New Bremen Town Musicians”, where the trio appear as highwaymen. The Atamansha becomes their leader here. The Coward, the Dunce and the Experienced are depicted in exotic headdresses (hat, turban and skullcap), which were worn in “Prisoner of the Caucasus”.

Sound performances. “Incident in the country of Multi-Multi.”

Coward, Dunce and Experienced became one of the main characters in the children's musical fairy tale “An Incident in the Country of Multi-Pulti” (directed by L. Shimelov, recorded in 1981, released on gramophone in 1982). The roles were voiced by original actors - Georgy Vitsin, Yuri Nikulin and Evgeny Morgunov, respectively.

After Gaidaev’s comedies, an incredible avalanche of fame fell on the trio of actors “Nikulin-Vitsin-Morgunov”. Morgunov became not just a recognizable person, he almost became a national hero. I entered the stadium without a ticket. Seeing him, the controllers smiled, forgetting about their duties. And Morgunov will also nod at his comrade, casually throwing: “This one is with me.”

Friendly in the movies, the famous trinity was not like that in life. At first, the “accomplices” themselves became serious friends and even went on vacation together. Morgunov sincerely loved Georgy Vitsin and admired his talent, which, in his opinion, was not appreciated. But he was dissatisfied with Yuri Nikulin when, after “Prisoner of the Caucasus,” he, forgetting about him and Vitsin, took up his own career. After that, they even seriously quarreled.

It was like this: before the start of one of the regular performances at the circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, Evgeny Morgunov approached the main entrance with a deputy badge on the lapel of his jacket and told all passing spectators that to solve all their housing problems they could contact the director of the circus. After the number of petitioners exceeded one and a half dozen, Yuri Nikulin sent his assistant to find out what was the matter. After finding out all the details, Nikulin ordered not to let Evgeny Morgunov into his circus: “We have enough of our own clowns! »

So the famous trinity broke up. They no longer acted in films together, and did not communicate in life...

Evgeny Aleksandrovich Morgunov (April 27, 1927 - June 25, 1999).