April 27, 1927
Yevgeny Morgunov was born. He was a theater and film actor and one of Gaidai's famous "experienced" trio.
Everything is already stolen before us!
His mother raised her son alone. During the war, 14-year-old Morgunov went to work at a factory, turning shell blanks. One day, his mother brought home a pack of butter. Her son couldn't resist and ate it all without any bread. The teenager was revived, but his metabolism was disrupted, which later led to diabetes. In 1943, Morgunov, who was not allowed to leave the factory to study, wrote a letter to Stalin:
"Dear Joseph Vissarionovich, accept me into art. I'm a worker at the Sokolniki SVARZ wagon repair plant, a dummy, and I want to be in art... But the director of our plant is blocking this aspiration. I want to be like Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko."
The factory received a reply: Morgunov was to be sent to the Tairov Theater as a supporting actor. A year later, Morgunov transferred to VGIK.
I am a modest person. Despite my decency
Morgunov gained fame in 1948 after his role as the traitor Stakhovich in the film "Young Guard." The portrayal was convincing, and one day the actor was beaten up in the street.
This is not a lezginka, but a twist!
In the 1960s, Morgunov gained national acclaim for his role as Byvaliy in Gaidai's comedies. However, the trio's adventures ended much sooner than they might have: while filming Kidnapping, Caucasian Style, Morgunov had a falling out with Gaidai. He brought friends to a private screening and responded sharply to the director's remark. The director refused to film him.
You won’t be able to carry me out of here feet first, because I’m unbearable!
He loved practical jokes: once, he donned a deputy's badge, went to the circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, and told passersby that the circus director was ready to solve their housing problems. Nikulin, who was approached by petitioners, didn't appreciate the joke: "Don't let Morgunov into the circus; we have enough clowns of our own."
— Write a comedy in verse, like Griboyedov!
- He came to a bad end!
In his final years, he acted and performed on stage only in slippers—his feet hurt. He completely lost his health after the death of his son in a car accident. He died a year later, in June 1999.
