Oleg Ivanovich Dal (russian: Олег Иванович Даль; 25 May 1941 – 3 March 1981) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor.
He acted in films, from classics of drama to fairy tales and adventures. His most popular works included ''
Zhenya, Zhenechka and Katyusha
''Zhenya, Zhenechka and "Katyusha"'' (russian: Женя, Женечка и «Катюша», Zhenya, Zhenechka i "Katyusha") is a 1967 Soviet war comedy film directed by Vladimir Motyl.
The film is set during the Great Patriotic War and tells a ...
'' (1967), ''
Chronicles of a Dive Bomber
''Chronicles of a Dive Bomber'' (russian: Хроника пикирующего бомбардировщика, Khronika pikiruyuschego bombardirovschika) is a 1967 Soviet war film directed by Naum Birman based on the novel of the same name by Vl ...
'' (1967), ''
An Old, Old Tale'' (1970), ''
King Lear'' (1971), ''On Thursday and Never Again'' (1977), ''September Vacation'' (1979). Dal played his last cinema role in ''Uninvited Friend'' by
Leonid Maryagin in 1981.
He worked in the
Sovremennik Theatre
Moscow Sovremennik Theatre (russian: Московский театр «Современник») is a theatre company in Moscow founded in 1956. "Sovremennik" means "Contemporary". (1963–1971, 1973–1975) and in the Malaia Bronnaia Theatre (1975–1978).
Early life and education
Oleg Dal was born on 25 May 1941 in Lyublino,
Moscow Oblast (presently Moscow
Lyublino District
Lyublino (russian: Люблино) is a district of South-Eastern Administrative Okrug of the federal city of Moscow, Russia. Population: The district's area is , making it the ninth biggest district in Moscow.
History
In the mid-16th century ...
). His father, Ivan Zinovyevich Zherko (Иван Зиновьевич Жерко), was an engineer, and mother, Praskovya Petrovna, was a teacher.
Zherko changed his surname to Dal (Даль). In 1959, Oleg Dal graduated from high school and entered the
Mikhail Shchepkin Higher Theatre School at the State Academic Maly Theater (course of
Nikolay Annenkov
Nikolay Aleksandrovich Annenkov (russian: Никола́й Алекса́ндрович А́нненков; , Kalugino, Tambov Governorate – 30 September 1999, Moscow) was the longest-lived People's Artist of the USSR before Igor Moiseyev ...
), from which he graduated in 1963.
Acting career
Theatre
After graduation, he was invited to the
Sovremennik Theatre
Moscow Sovremennik Theatre (russian: Московский театр «Современник») is a theatre company in Moscow founded in 1956. "Sovremennik" means "Contemporary". , where he worked on and off until 1976.
During the first five years, Dal played only minor roles: Henry in ''The Naked King'', Mishka in ''Eternally Living'', Cyril in ''The Elder Sister'', Dwarf Thursday in ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' (all the performances were staged in 1963), Marquis Brisail in ''
Cyrano de Bergerac
Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist.
A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...
'' (1964), Igor in ''Always on Sale'' (1965), Pospelov in ''Ordinary History'' (1966), episode in ''The Decembrists'' (1967).
Over the years, Dal's position in the theater did not improve, roles became fewer. Soon he left the Sovremennik, but then came back again and received the first significant role – Vaska Ashes in
Maxim Gorky
Alexei Maximovich Peshkov (russian: link=no, Алексе́й Макси́мович Пешко́в; – 18 June 1936), popularly known as Maxim Gorky (russian: Макси́м Го́рький, link=no), was a Russian writer and social ...
's ''The Lower Depths'' (the premiere of the performance took place in 1968).
In 1971, after leaving the troupe of the Sovremennik Theater again, he left for
Leningrad
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, where he entered the
Lenkom Theatre
Lenkom Theatre, formerly known as Lenin’s Komsomol Moscow Theatre or Moscow Leninist Komsomol Theatre is the official name of what was once known as the Moscow State Theatre named after Komsomol, a Communist youth league set up by Vladimir Leni ...
and for two seasons played Dvoinikov in the play ''Choice'' based on
Aleksei Arbuzov's play.
In mid-1973, he left the Leningrad Lenkom troupe and agreed to return to Sovremennik, where he received the roles of Balalaikin in ''Balalaikin'' and K. Gusev in ''Valentin and Valentina'', Kamaev in ''Provincial Anecdotes'', and others.
In March 1976 Dal was fired from Sovremennik for systematic violations of labor discipline. After leaving Sovremennik, the actor decided to devote himself to directing and entered the
High Courses for Scriptwriters and Film Directors at the
VGIK in the studio of
Iosif Kheifits, but did not finish them.
In 1976, Dal came to the Theater headed by
Anatoly Efros
Anatoly Vasilievich Efros (russian: Анатолий Васильевич Эфрос; July 3, 1925, Kharkiv — January 13, 1987, Moscow) was a Soviet theatre and film director. He was a leading interpreter of Russian classics during the Era of St ...
on Malaya Bronnaya. In this team he worked only two years, playing two roles there – Belyaev in the play ''A Month in the Country'' and an investigator in the play ''Veranda in the Forest''. In the autumn of 1978, he left the theater in Malaya Bronnaya and joined the Maly Theater troupe, where he was introduced to the role of Alex in the play "The Coast" by
Yuri Bondarev
Yuri Vasilyevich Bondarev (russian: link=no, Юрий Васильевич Бондарев, 15 March 1924 — 29 March 2020) was a Soviet and Russian writer and screenwriter. He was best known for co-authoring the script for the serial film fran ...
. In early 1981, Dal actively rehearsed the role of Yezhov in the production of the Maly Theater ''Foma Gordeev''.
Between 1980 and 1981 Dal taught acting at VGIK.
Film
Dal became widely popular with his roles in film. His cinematic debut took place in 1962, when he was still a student. He played one of the main roles in the film directed by Alexander Zarkhi ''My Younger brother'', based on
Vasily Aksyonov
Vasily Pavlovich Aksyonov ( rus, Васи́лий Па́влович Аксёнов, p=vɐˈsʲilʲɪj ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ ɐˈksʲɵnəf; August 20, 1932 – July 6, 2009) was a Soviet and Russian novelist. He became known in the West as the aut ...
's novel ''Star Ticket''.
Then there were the films ''The First Trolleybus'' (Sanya, 1963), ''
Zhenya, Zhenechka and Katyusha
''Zhenya, Zhenechka and "Katyusha"'' (russian: Женя, Женечка и «Катюша», Zhenya, Zhenechka i "Katyusha") is a 1967 Soviet war comedy film directed by Vladimir Motyl.
The film is set during the Great Patriotic War and tells a ...
'' (Zhenya Kolyshkin, 1967), ''
Chronicles of a Dive Bomber
''Chronicles of a Dive Bomber'' (russian: Хроника пикирующего бомбардировщика, Khronika pikiruyuschego bombardirovschika) is a 1967 Soviet war film directed by Naum Birman based on the novel of the same name by Vl ...
'' (Eugene Sobolevsky), ''
An Old, Old Tale'' (soldier and puppeteer), ''
King Lear'' (Jester, 1970), ''Shadow'' (Christian Theodore and his shadow, 1971), ''Bad Good Man'' (Ivan Laevsky, 1973), ''
The Land of Sannikov'' (Yevgeny Krestovsky), ''Omega'' (Scorin / Paul Krieger), ''
It Can't Be!
''It Can't Be!'' (russian: Не может быть!, Ne mozhet byt'!) is a 1975 Soviet comedy film directed by Leonid Gaidai. It consists of three short stories, based on the works of Mikhail Zoshchenko: ''Crime and Punishment'', ''Fun Adventure ...
'' (Barygin-Amursky), ''Alternative'', ''Ordinary Arctic'' (Anton Semenovich, 1976), ''Personal Happiness'' (Kanavkin, 1977), ''Holidays in September'' ( Zilov, 1979), ''
'' (Prince Florizel, 1980), ''Uninvited Friend'' (Victor Sviridov, 1981) and others.
He starred in Anatoly Efros's television productions: ''On the pages of the Pechorin magazine'' (Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin) and ''Islands in the ocean'' (messenger).
Death
Dal died from a
heart attack, on 3 March 1981, in his hotel room in
Kyiv, apparently in his sleep. He was buried in
Vagankovo Cemetery
Vagankovo Cemetery (russian: Ваганьковское кладбище, Vagan'kovskoye kladbishche), established in 1771, is located in the Presnya district of Moscow. It started in the aftermath of the Moscow plague riot of 1771 outside the c ...
in
Moscow.
In 1987, at the XII
All-Union Film Festival The All-Union Film Festival (russian: Всесоюзный кинофестиваль; tr.:''Vsesoyuznyy kinofestival'', also known as ВКФ; ''VKF'') was one of the most important film festivals of the Soviet Union. It was founded in 1958 and hel ...
Dal was awarded posthumously Prize for the best performance of the role in the film ''Holidays in September''.
Personal life
Dal was married three times: his first wife was actress
Nina Doroshina, the second was actress Tatyana Lavrova, and the third was Elizabeth Eichenbaum. He met Eichenbaum on the set of the film ''
King Lear'', where she worked as an editor.
Dal wrote verses that were put down and preserved in his diaries and personal correspondence.
Filmography
*''Moy mladshiy brat'' (1962) as Alik Kramer
*''Pervyy trolleybus'' (1963) as Senya
*''Chelovek, kotoryy somnevaetsya'' (1963) as Boris Dulenko
*''Ot semi do dvenadtsati'' (1965) as Shurik
*''Stroitsya most'' (1966) as Yulian
*''
Zhenya, Zhenechka and Katyusha
''Zhenya, Zhenechka and "Katyusha"'' (russian: Женя, Женечка и «Катюша», Zhenya, Zhenechka i "Katyusha") is a 1967 Soviet war comedy film directed by Vladimir Motyl.
The film is set during the Great Patriotic War and tells a ...
'' (1967) as Zhenya Kolyshkin
*''
Chronicles of a Dive Bomber
''Chronicles of a Dive Bomber'' (russian: Хроника пикирующего бомбардировщика, Khronika pikiruyuschego bombardirovschika) is a 1967 Soviet war film directed by Naum Birman based on the novel of the same name by Vl ...
'' (1968) as Yevgeni Sobolevski
*''
An Old, Old Tale'' (1968) as Soldat i kukolnik
*''
King Lear'' (1970–1971) as jester of the king Lear
*''Ten'' (1971) as Scientist / His Shadow
*''
The Land of Sannikov'' (1973) as Yevgeny Krestovsky
*''
The Bad Good Man'' (1973) as Layevski
*''
Variant «Omega»'' (1975, TV Mini-Series) as Sergey Nikolayevich Skorin
*''
It Can't Be!
''It Can't Be!'' (russian: Не может быть!, Ne mozhet byt'!) is a 1975 Soviet comedy film directed by Leonid Gaidai. It consists of three short stories, based on the works of Mikhail Zoshchenko: ''Crime and Punishment'', ''Fun Adventure ...
'' (1975) as Anatoly (Anatole) Barygin-Amurskiy
*''
The Captivating Star of Happiness
''The Captivating Star of Happiness'' (russian: Звезда пленительного счастья, Zvezda plenitelnogo schastya, The Star of Fascinating Happiness) is a 1975 Soviet historical drama. The title is an allusion to a line from a p ...
'' (1975) as nachalnik karaula v Petropavlovskoy kreposti
*''Gorozhane'' (1976) as Passazhir-polyarnik
*''
How Ivanushka the Fool Travelled in Search of Wonder'' (1977) as Ivanushka, durachok
*''Zolotaya mina'' (1978) as Kosov
*''
On Thursday and Never Again'' (1978) as Sergey
*''
September Vacation'' (1979) as Anrei Andreyevich
*''
'' (1979, TV Movie) as Prince Florisel
*''My smerti smotreli v litso'' (1980) as Boris Korbut
*''Nezvanyy drug'' (1981) as Viktor Sviridov (final film role)
References
External links
Biography of Oleg DalWebsite dedicated to Oleg Dal
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dahl, Oleg
1941 births
1981 deaths
20th-century Russian dramatists and playwrights
20th-century Russian male actors
Male actors from Moscow
Russian male dramatists and playwrights
Russian male film actors
Russian male stage actors
Russian male voice actors
Soviet dramatists and playwrights
Soviet male film actors
Soviet male stage actors
Soviet male voice actors
Burials at Vagankovo Cemetery