In 1964, one of the best films about the incredible friendship between man and dog, "Come, Mukhtar," was released. It's about a German shepherd who was willing to commit selfless acts to show his love for his owner and best friend, police lieutenant Glazychev. But few people know some interesting facts about this dog.
Three shaggy actors at once
The role of Lieutenant Glazychev's four-legged friend, played by Yuri Nikulin, was given to three dogs. The German shepherds were of different ages and played out different periods in the protagonist's life.
Ural and Baikal were trained "officers" of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs. The third dog, Deik, was cast shortly before filming began. He was young, playful, and inexperienced, so he only played parts that required showing the young Mukhtar. The adult shepherds played the character, who had already become a real service dog.
Just like in life
The main four-legged hero, Mukhtar, is not fictional. In real life, he had a historical prototype – a police dog named Sultan. He distinguished himself during the war, during the siege of Leningrad, apprehending criminals and recovering stolen property worth millions of rubles. During his service, the dog was wounded several times, and when he was completely unable to continue his duties, he found refuge with Major Pyotr Bushmin.
The writer Israel Metter, a dog lover, learned the life story of Sultan's dog after meeting the major. This led to the story "Mukhtar," which later became a film script.
The choice of Yuri Nikulin was not random.
Since Nikulin had worked in the circus, interacting with animals came naturally to him. To bond with his new acting partner, Nikulin adjusted his schedule.
Early in the morning, the actor would visit the kennel, groom the dogs, and then head off to work at the circus. After work, he would return to the kennel and walk his furry friends. He did all this to develop a better understanding with the dog on set.
An incident on the set
Despite the fact that all the dogs were already trained, animal instincts prevailed over training and coaching, which led to a dangerous situation on the set.
Lev Durov, who played a repeat offender named Ryba, was unlucky. According to the plot, he was supposed to be apprehended by Mukhtar, played by Baikal in this scene. He had a stern disposition and once, during an arrest, seriously mauled the actor. The dog mistook Durov for a real criminal and began to use his skills.
Baikal knocked the actor down and began dragging him along the ground, moving toward his throat. When Durov attempted to defend himself with a special sleeve, the dog didn't react as it had been trained for filming, but instead began acting unpredictably. It all happened in mere seconds, but when the dog was pulled away, Durov, according to his recollection, was left with only "underpants and felt boots" and a scar on his leg—a memento of the shoot.
Gresta
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