10+ iconic movie scenes that we wouldn’t have seen if the actors hadn’t decided to get a little weird

While some directors do not accept any improvisation and demand that actors strictly follow the script, others encourage the creative impulses of artists with all their might. After all, sometimes such spontaneous decisions become almost the most striking scenes in the film. For example, what cool episodes we would have been deprived of if the creators had not allowed the actors to improvise.

Vladimir Menshov did not limit the freedom of action of the actors during the filming of the film “Love and Doves.” Most of the spontaneous scenes were played by Natalya Tenyakova (Baba Shura) and Sergei Yursky (Uncle Mitya). Yes, and respectfully all their dialogues were improvised. Just look at Uncle Mitya’s phrases: “Micardial infarction! This is such a scar!” and “Sorry for stopping you from hiding the money.”

Lyudmila Gurchenko also improvised with all her might. For example, once the actress was in a restaurant and observed the following picture: an unfamiliar man walked towards a dancing girl, and she said to him: “Fuck you!” And she continued to dance and make eyes at someone. Lyudmila Markovna liked this scene so much that she decided to reproduce it on the set of the film “Love and Doves.”

Gurchenko also improvised during the filming of the bathing scene. Raisa Zakharovna says: “Careful, comrade! You splashed me. I’m already wet from head to toe.” This remark was invented by Gurchenko. Actor Alexander Mikhailov admitted that if it were not for Lyudmila Markovna’s creative initiatives, her character would have turned out completely faded and would not have been remembered by the audience.

Quite by accident, in the film “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession,” a scene appeared in which Yuri Yakovlev quite expressively listens to the song of Vladimir Vysotsky coming from the tape recorder. The actor rested during breaks between filming and listened to Vysotsky dressed as a king. Leonid Gaidai liked his emotional response to the music so much that he decided to film this moment and later reproduce it for the film.

The film “Prisoner of the Caucasus, or Shurik’s New Adventures” is rich in expressions that eventually became catchphrases. For example, Coward (Georgy Vitsin), taking a sip of a fresh drink, says the legendary: “Life, as they say, is good!” But no one expected that Dunce (Yuri Nikulin) would pick up his colleague’s remark and continue: “And living well is even better!”

On Ryazanov’s set, good acting improvisation was welcomed. This is what Alisa Freindlich took advantage of while working on “Cruel Romance.” Everyone remembers the scene when her heroine deceives Alexei Petrenko’s character, inviting him to fork out supposedly for a brooch for Larisa, but in fact she intended to pay off the debts of her eldest daughter’s husband. Having received what she wanted, Kharita Ignatievna quietly says: “Forgive me, Lord, I’m not trying for myself.” The actress admitted that this phrase came to her mind suddenly; it was not in the script. And Ryazanov included it in the film.

The scene with exercises in the cold can be called one of the funniest in “Gentlemen of Fortune.” It was planned that the actors would simply exercise outdoors. But Savely Kramarov decided to play a prank on Radner Muratov and suddenly began to rub him with snow for everyone. He screamed in surprise, and these shots were left in the feed.

The final scene in the film “Beware of the Car” turned out to be quite memorable. In fact, Innokenty Smoktunovsky simply did not hear the command of director Eldar Ryazanov, but he was not confused and continued the game. As a result, an episode appeared in which Yuri Detochkin takes off his hat and, smiling, looks piercingly through the windshield of a trolleybus at his bride Lyuba.

A large number of improvisations in the film “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” belongs to Yuri Yakovlev. So, sitting at Nadya’s table, the artist suddenly said: “What disgusting… How disgusting this jellied fish of yours is.” The treat was indeed not of very good quality, so the actor was not lying at all. And when, standing in the shower, Yakovlev said: “It’s warm!”, he was really surprised by the hot water, because the filming took place in a film studio pavilion.

Ivan Bortnik, who brilliantly played the role of a bandit nicknamed Blotter, did not have much screen time in the film, however, he also managed to make his “improvisational” contribution. Almost all the phrases he utters there are the result of the actor’s resourcefulness. He deviated from the script and at the moment of his “detention” by the police – then Bortnik suddenly burst out into a thieves’ song.

Larisa Udovichenko also distinguished herself in the interrogation scene. The actress didn’t actually know how to spell the word “bond” and accidentally said it out loud. Vladimir Vysotsky played along, resulting in a memorable episode.

Among the most striking episodes of the film “Mimino” is the scene where the hero Frunzik Mkrtchyan testifies in the courtroom. So, the artist came up with almost all the phrases on the fly. The following brilliant statements belong to him: “I’ll tell you one smart thing, but don’t be offended”, “I laughed so hard!”, “You and she are not two pairs in a boot.”

Only one dance sequence in the film was prepared in advance and properly rehearsed. In most scenes, the characters’ dances were pure improvisation. Andreichenko danced so diligently that she injured her leg. An attentive viewer may even notice that in some scenes the restless nanny limps.

And from these materials you can find out which Western actors and actresses improvised with might and main on the set: