The great Russian actor Mikhail Semenovich Schepkin said: "There are no small roles, there are small actors!" This statement does not apply in any way to the episode master Emanuel Geller. Even voicing, according to the role, a single phrase, the actor put so many emotions and charisma into his role that she did not go unnoticed by the audience.
Actor's childhood
On August 8, 1898, in Yekaterinoslav, a baby named Emanuel was born in the family of Khavkin servants. A diligent Jewish boy from childhood was very inquisitive. Studying at school was easy for him. But, despite this, little Emanuel had another interest - he loved to speak to 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, Emanuel Khavkin decided to listen to the dictates of his heart and enter the service of the Terevsat revolutionary satire theater in Yekaterinburg. Having played on the stage of his hometown for a year, the young man decides to go to Moscow and enter the A.V. State Theater College Lunacharsky. The idea was a success for him, and the actor was enrolled in the course of improvisation of Vakhtang Mcheledov. Subsequently, the ability to control his facial expressions more than once helped out the master of the episode.
Carier start
In 1925, immediately after the end of GITIS, the young artist enters the service at 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 acutely political events.
In 1927, the artist Havkin moved to the Moscow Theater of Satire. Around the same time, he takes the pseudonym Emanuel Geller, under which he spoke 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 Theater of Review, 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 actor Emanuel Geller in the film "Graceful Life" in 1932. The debut was so successful that success predetermined the comedian's further place in art. Since then, the artist has starred in 87 episodes. And although not one major role was credited to his asset, Emanuel Geller was remembered for his eccentricity and emotionality.
An interesting fact is that, as a Jew by nationality, the artist was often chosen to play hot Caucasians. This was facilitated by the original appearance of Geller and his lively facial expressions. The audience remembered his visitor to the barbecue in "12 chairs" Mark Zakharov or barbecue in the "Caucasian captive or other adventures of Shurik" Leonid Gaidai.
The images of the eastern sages (The Magic Lamp of Aladdin, The Incorrigible Liar), foreigners (Greeks, Persians, etc.) were also not alien to him. But most clearly the actor was able to play the role of late passengers and grandfathers.
The complete filmography of Emanuel Geller-Havkin
During his long career, the actor managed to play more than 87 roles in the movie. He was also invited to sharp episodes in the newsreels "Jumble", "Wick", etc. The vivid and memorable roles of the comedian were the images in the films “Hearts of Four”, “Two Fighters”, “Nassredin in Bukhara”, “Koshchei the Immortal”. His Café from Miklouho-Maclay, the circus administrator from The Adventures of the Yellow Suitcase, Marlagram from June 31, a neighbor from Pokrovsky Gates, was forever loved by the viewer.
Among the legendary films in which Emanuel Geller had to play, one can name such as “Volga-Volga”, “Funny Guys”, “Circus”, “Doctor Aibolit”, “Alexander Parkhomenko”, “Two Fighters”. He equally brilliantly managed the roles of pirates, anarchist sailors, conductors, photojournalists and ordinary spectators in the concert hall.
The episode master did not have any 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 perfected over time to the ideal, Emanuel Savelievich, starting a new episode, was always worried, as for the first time.
A few words about personal life
Fussy anemone in the movie, in the life of Emanuel Geller was monogamous. Having met once young Olga Sokolova, he fell in love with her almost at first sight. It is not known how a girl who was 11 years younger than her chosen one attracted an actor. There were so many dazzling beauties around! But Geller gave preference to the modest, young and unknown to Olenka with a soft enveloping look and a quiet penetrating voice. Their marriage lasted quite a long time. Together, the couple experienced many joys and troubles and until the end of the days remained not only husband and wife, but also faithful comrades.
Life after the war
At the beginning of World War II, Emanuel Savelievich Geller, along with other artists, was evacuated to Tashkent. There he continued to actively star in films ("Two Fighters", "Hearts of Four"). Also, the actor raised the morale of the army, speaking in hospitals in front of the soldiers.
In 1944, returning from evacuation to Moscow, Geller entered the acting staff of the Soyuzdetfilm film studio.
A year later, he was transferred to the troupe of the State Theater of the Film Actor, renamed in 1948 the Theater Studio of the film actor. Here, the master of the episode was lucky to play in such performances as "Angelo" (V. Hugo), "Dowry" (A.N. Ostrovsky), "Jumper" (A.P. Chekhov). Small roles, as always, the actor fulfilled brilliantly. Any of them was the main thing for him.
