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MOSCOW, 9 Mar. Alexander Zatsepin admitted that Leonid Gaidai did not like the «Song of the Bears» for the film «Prisoner of the Caucasus, or Shurik's New Adventures».
“At first he didn’t believe in this song. I wrote several melodies and advised her exactly. He replied:“ I will invite Arno Babajanyan. ”I wrote a statement and wanted to leave the picture,” the composer shared in the program “Life and Fate”.
In addition, he added that the head of the comedy department, Ivan Pyryev, did not accept his refusal to work in the film.
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"We went to Pyryev, he then led the comedy department. He tore up the statement. Then the trinity (Georgy Vitsin, Evgeny Morgunov, Yuri Nikulin — Approx. Ed.) Said to Gaidai: «We remembered the melody from the first time.» He replied: “You are artists, not people. I need people to remember. Gaidai slammed the door. He has such moods,” the musician said.
According to the composer, only the screenwriters of the film, Maurice Slobodskoy and Yakov Kostyukovsky, could influence the director’s opinion.
“The next day we were saved by Slobodskoy and Kostyukovsky. Gaidai said: “Well, let Derbenev write poetry,” Zatsepin admitted.
However, he added that Gaidai never praised his composition.
«He must have been uncomfortable. And then our song sounded in the «Diamond Hand». That was his recognition of the song. He sang it himself,» the composer concluded.
Earlier, Natalya Varley said that Zatsepin immediately decided to make Aida Vedischeva the performer of «The Song of the Bears». However, the composer said that he had decided in favor of the singer after recording the artists.