The great Russian actor Mikhail Semyonovich Shchepkin said: "There are no small roles, there are small actors!". This statement does not apply in any way to the master of the episode, Emmanuel Geller. Even voicing, according to the role, a single phrase, the actor put so many emotions and charisma into his role that it did not go unnoticed by the audience.
Childhood of an actor
August 8, 1898 in Yekaterinoslav, a baby was born in the Khavkin family of employees, named Emmanuel. A diligent Jewish boy from childhood was very inquisitive. Studying at school was easy for him. But, despite this, little Emmanuel had another interest - he was very fond of performing in front of the audience.
After graduating from high school, the young man was drafted into the army, from where he was demobilized in 1920.
Study
Returning from the army, Emmanuil Khavkin decided to listen to the dictates of his heart and join the Terevsat theater of revolutionary satire in Yekaterinburg. Having played on the stage of his native city for a year, a young mandecides to go to Moscow and enter the State Theater College named after A. V. Lunacharsky. He succeeded in the idea, and the actor was enrolled in the improvisation course of Vakhtang Mcheledov. Subsequently, the ability to control his facial expressions more than once rescued the master of the episode.
Career start
In 1925, immediately after graduating from GITIS, the young artist entered the service of the Blue Blouse Theater. For two years (from 1925 to 1927), the campaign team reflected a variety of social situations - from simple everyday events to sharply political events.
In 1927, the artist Khavkin moved to the Moscow Theater of Satire. Around the same time, he takes on the pseudonym Emanuel Geller, under which he performed until the end of his days.
From 1929 to 1936, the scenes on which the actor had to create changed several times. For example, in 1929 he moved to the Review Theater, and from 1932 to 1936 Geller was on the staff of the Moscow Music Hall.
Movie debut
The first role happened in the biography of the actor Emanuel Geller in the film "Graceful Life" in 1932. The debut was so successful that success predetermined the future place of the comedian in art. Since then, the artist has appeared in 87 episodes. And although not a single main role was credited to his asset, Emmanuel Geller was remembered for his eccentricity and emotionality.
It is interesting that, being Jewish, the artist was often chosen to play hot Caucasians. This was facilitated by the original appearance of Geller and his lively facial expressions. The viewer remembered his visitor to the barbecue in "12 chairs" MarkZakharov or a barbecue man in Leonid Gaidai's Prisoner of the Caucasus or Other Adventures of Shurik.
The images of oriental sages ("Aladdin's Magic Lamp", "The Incorrigible Liar"), foreigners (Greeks, Persians, etc.) were not alien to him either. But most of all, the actor succeeded in the roles of late passengers and grandfathers.
Full filmography of Emmanuil Geller-Khavkin
During his long career, the actor managed to play more than 87 film roles. He was also invited to acute episodes in the film magazines Yeralash, Wick, etc. The bright and memorable roles of the comedian were the images in the films "Hearts of Four", "Two Fighters", "Nasredin in Bukhara", "Koschey the Immortal". His Kafa from "Miklukho-Maklai", the circus administrator from "The Adventure of the Yellow Suitcase", Marlagram from "June 31", a neighbor from "Pokrovsky Gates" forever fell in love with the viewer.
Among the legendary films in which Emanuel Geller had to play, one can name such as "Volga-Volga", "Merry Fellows", "Circus", "Dr.. He equally brilliantly succeeded in the role of pirates, anarchist sailors, conductors, photojournalists and ordinary spectators in the concert hall.
The episode master had no favorite or least favorite roles. Geller approached each of them with special attention and carefully rehearsed before entering the frame. And although his professionalism was honed to the ideal over time, Emmanuil Savelyevich, starting a new episode, was always worried, like for the first time.
A few wordsabout personal life
Fussy anemone in the movies, in life Emmanuel Geller was monogamous. Having once met a young Olga Sokolova, he fell in love with her almost at first sight. It is not known why the girl, who was 11 years younger than her chosen one, attracted the actor. There were so many dazzling beauties around! But Geller preferred the modest, young and unknown Olenka with a soft, enveloping look and a quiet, soulful voice. Their marriage lasted quite a long time. Together, the couple experienced many joys and troubles and until the end of their days remained not only husband and wife, but also faithful comrades.
Life after the war
At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Emanuil Savelievich Geller, along with other artists, was evacuated to Tashkent. There he continued to actively act in films ("Two Soldiers", "Hearts of Four"). The actor also raised the morale of the army, speaking in hospitals in front of the soldiers.
In 1944, returning from evacuation to Moscow, Geller joined the acting staff of the Soyuzdetfilm studio.
A year later, he was transferred to the troupe of the State Film Actor Theater, renamed in 1948 into the Film Actor Theater Studio. Here the master of the episode was lucky to play in such performances as "Angello" (V. Hugo), "Dowry" (A. N. Ostrovsky), "The Jumper" (A. P. Chekhov). Small roles, as always, the actor worked brilliantly. Any of them was the main thing for him.
The last role of the artist
In May 1964, Emanuel Geller retired. BUTten years later, in 1974, he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the USSR.
Films with Emanuel Geller will always remain in the memory of the domestic audience. The great master of the episode was filmed until the end of his days. The last role was the image of a messenger with roses in the film by Valentin Khovenko "My husband is an alien" (1990). In the same year, on May 6, the actor passed away. He was buried at the New Donskoy Cemetery. Subsequently, a whole booklet from the series "Actors of Soviet Cinema" was devoted to his work.
