This week we also got to celebrate the 104th birthday of Soviet-Russian actor Zalman Efraimovich Khrapinovich, known as Zinoviy Gerdt. Named a People’s Artist of the USSR, Gerdt was already an accomplished artist and the leading actor in the world-famous Obraztsov Puppet Theatre of Moscow when he transitioned to film. Already in his forties, he almost instantly became a household name as the star of the “The Magician” or Фокусник and a tragic-comic trickster in “The Golden Calf” or Золотой телёнок. The second film is more well-known today (I’ve written about it a few times too), and in it, Gerdt makes one of my favourite character entrances of all time. Small-time conmen Bender and Shura have each having failed in their scheme claiming to be a son of revolutionary hero Lieutenant Schmidt, when they sight the sublimely named Panikovsky (Gerdt) on his way to the council building to try out the same game: a slim, compact older man, rather harassed-looking under a battered old straw hat, limping along with deliberate Chaplinesque dignity, in contrast to the laughing klezmer theme accompanying him on his way to failure. Later, they find Panikovsky on the run from angry townspeople again, this time clutching a white, mildly concerned-looking goose (the only thing he could manage to hold on to) before they save him. Can’t explain it, but it’s the highlight of the whole film for me haha. It represents just a tiny bit of Gerdt’s twinkling talent; he often amused his fellow soldiers in WWII before returning home to entertain audiences all over Russia, and there are countless wonderful little anecdotes that portray a man of great culture, intellect, and immense charm (nothing like Panikovsky in real life, except for his limp). But I think the delight of diminutive Gerdt with his goose summons so much of his off-kilter humour, that I hope he didn’t mind being remembered for it – so happy heavenly birthday, Zyama :’) Xo
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