The popular actor Vladimir Sergeevich Volodin became a legend of Soviet art not only thanks to his numerous theatrical works and film roles, but also as one of the founders of the Moscow Operetta Theater.
Childhood and youth
There are many mysteries in the biography of the famous comedian Vladimir Volodin. For example, in the metric, the year of his birth is 1896, according to other sources - 1891. The real surname that the artist received at birth is Ivanov, but he chose a different name for the stage. Volodya was born and raised in Moscow. The family was prosperous, the father inherited a tavern and a shop. Being educated, he gave a worthy upbringing to all his five children.
By the decision of his father, Vladimir entered the land school, but very soon left his studies. As a 14-year-old teenager, he came to the circus to hire a carpet, but he was invited to conduct children's matinees. Having matured a little, the young man decided to get a job as a theatrical props. During the performances from behind the curtains, he closely followed the work of the artists. Ivan Peltzer saw him and arranged an audition. The renowned actor and director immediately saw talent in the young man and decided that he didn't even need to study. Soon Volodin took the stage with the Bat cabaret theater.
Theatre
The artist possessed extraordinary musicality and comic talent. His voice could not be called strong, but he acted magically on the audience. The artist skillfully balanced between conversations and music, skillfully selected his colors for this each time.
In 1927, Volodin was at the forefront of the creation of the capital's operetta theater and played in the first Soviet work in this genre called "The Grooms". Vladimir Sergeevich traveled a lot around the country, performed on the stages of the Hermitage, Alcazar, in Ukrainian and Far Eastern theaters. At the Moscow Operetta Theater, he owns a whole gallery of unique images. Each time going on stage, the artist surprised the audience with something new.
Movie
Volodin made his screen debut in the film "Circus" (1936), where he played the director of the circus, Ludwig Ostapovich. This was followed by the roles of the old pilot in the film "Volga-Volga" (1938), the commandant in the comedy "The Light Path" (1940) and the trainer in the tape "The First Glove" (1946). For shooting in these and a number of other films, the actor received the high title of People's Artist of the RSFSR. The image of the caretaker Anton Mudretsov, created by the artist in the film "Kuban Cossacks" (1949), was awarded the Stalin Prize. All the heroes of Volodin are kind and sometimes unlucky, but among them there is not a single villain, he did not succeed in negative roles. In the 50s, a new facet of the actor's creativity opened up - he began to sound cartoons for children.
Last years
Vladimir Sergeevich's career in the theater continued as long as his health allowed. He began to lose his hearing and memory, sometimes there were significant failures. Coming on stage, I was closer to the edge to hear the prompter. After the next performance, when Volodin realized that he was no longer able to play, he buried himself in the wings and began to cry. The artist died in 1958.
The operetta star made a great contribution to Soviet art, two dozen films with his participation have long become classics of Russian cinema.
