Georgy Frantsevich Millyar, sometimes spelled Milliar (Russian: Георгий Францевич Милляр; 7 November 1903 in Moscow – 4 June 1993 in Moscow), was a Soviet and Russian actor, best known for playing evil spirits in Soviet fairy tale films, including the witch Baba Yaga in films such as Vasilisa the Beautiful, Jack Frost, Fire, Water, and Brass Pipes and The Golden Horns.[1]
Georgy Millyar was born into a wealthy family of Franz de Milieu, a French bridge builder working in Russia, and Elizaveta Zhuravlyova, a daughter of an Irkutsk goldminer. Millyar's father died when he was almost three. Before the outbreak of World War I, he and his widowed mother had moved from Moscow to Gelendzhik. After the October Revolution, Millyar's family was left without relatives and means of living, their apartment in Moscow and a house in Gelendzhik were soon nationalized by the Bolsheviks. Millyar's mother was prudent enough to remove the "de" particle from her and her son's last name to conceal their French origin and then change it to Millyar. Even though Georgy Millyar was able to speak fluent French and German, he never mentioned this fact in any official documents.[2]
After the October Revolution, Georgy Millyar worked as a props man at a Gelendzhik theater. He always dreamed of becoming a professional actor and memorized all the roles played at his theater. In 1920, Millyar made his first incidental appearance on stage when one of the actors fell suddenly ill. His debut was a success, and from then on he was asked to substitute on a regular basis. In 1924, Georgy Millyar, already a well-known provincial actor, entered an Acting School for Juniors at Moscow Theater of the Revolution (today's Mayakovsky Theater).[2] Subsequently, he played different roles in numerous stage plays.[1]
Prominent Soviet film director Aleksandr Rou played an important part in Georgy Millyar's acting career. He invited Millyar to star in a film adaptation of a Russian fairy tale, Wish upon a Pike (1938). From that moment on, their cinematographic partnership and friendship lasted for over 30 years. Millyar acted in all Rou's films. Among his roles are Kashei the Deathless, Baba-Yaga, king Goroh, king Chudo-Yudo, a demon etc. Throughout his career, Georgy Millyar played thirty major roles, took part in the dubbing of seventy movies, and voiced over a hundred cartoons.[3] He died in 1993, 2 years after the Dissolution of the Soviet Union.
| Year | English Title | Original Title | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | Marionettes | Марионетки | bold official (uncredited) | |
| 1938 | Wish upon a Pike | По щучьему веленью | Tsar Gorokh | |
| 1939 | Vasilisa the Beautiful | Василиса Прекрасная | Baba Yaga
| |
| 1940 | Siberians | Сибиряки | Grandfather Jakov | |
| 1940 | Salavat Yulayev | Салават Юлаев | mine manager | |
| 1941 | The Humpbacked Horse | Конёк-Горбунок | Chikhir; gusli musician; robber | |
| 1943 | We from the Urals | Мы с Урала | grandfather Tomakurov | |
| 1944 | Kashchey the Immortal | Кащей Бессмертный | Kashchey
| |
| 1947 | The Humpbacked Horse (animation) | Конёк-Горбунок | Tsar (voice) | |
| 1950 | Brave People | Смелые люди | German soldier with harmonica (uncredited) | |
| 1952 | May Nights | Майская ночь, или Утопленница | scribe | |
| 1954 | (animation) | Царевна-Лягушка | Baba Yaga (voice) | |
| 1955 | The White Poodle | Белый пудель | Ivan the servant | |
| The Gadfly | Овод | beggar | ||
| The Enchanted Boy (animation) | Заколдованный мальчик | goose (voice) | ||
| 1958 | Sampo | Сампо | sorcerer | |
| Beloved Beauty (animation) | Краса ненаглядная | Kashchey (voice) | ||
| New Adventures of Puss in Boots | Новые похождения Кота в сапогах | court jester; witch | ||
| 1959 | The Magic Weaver | Марья-искусница | Croak | |
| Fate of a Man | Судьба человека | drunken German soldier (uncredited) | ||
| 1960 | It Was I Who Drew the Little Man (animation) | Человечка нарисовал я | Gerasim the painter; beggar (voices) | |
| 1961 | The Night Before Christmas | Вечера на хуторе близ Диканьки | devil; gossip girl | |
| Dog Barbos and Unusual Cross | Пёс Барбос и необычный кросс | fish inspector | ||
| 1962 | Strictly Business | Деловые люди | Ebenezer Dorset (uncredited) | |
| 1963 | Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors | Королевство кривых зеркал | The Grandest Master of Ceremonies; widow queen; carter | |
| 1964 | Jack Frost | Морозко | Baba Yaga
| |
| An Ordinary Miracle | Обыкновенное чудо | executioner | ||
| 1966 | Kidnapping, Caucasian Style | Кавказская пленница, или Новые приключения Шурика | domino player | |
| Aladdin's Magic Lamp | Волшебная лампа Аладдина | the wisest advisor | ||
| 1967 | War and Peace | Война и мир | Morel the captive French soldier | |
| Fire, Water, and Brass Pipes | Огонь, вода и... медные трубы | Kashchey
| ||
| 1969 | Barbara the Fair with the Silken Hair | Варвара-краса, длинная коса | Chudo-Yudo | |
| Caliph Stork | Калиф-аист | Selim | ||
| 1971 | Property of the Republic | Достояние республики | old railroad worker | |
| Goya or the Hard Way to Enlightenment | Гойя, или Тяжкий путь познания | messenger (uncredited) | ||
| 1972 | The Golden Horns | Золотые рога | Baba Yaga
| |
| 1975 | Finist, the brave Falcon | Финист — Ясный сокол | Kastryuk | |
| 1981 | The Sixth | Шестой | old chess player | |
| 1983 | Crazy Day of Engineer Barkasov | Безумный день инженера Баркасова | neighbor | |
| Mary Poppins, Goodbye | Мэри Поппинс, до свидания | raven; parrot Sir Tomas (voices) | ||
| 1985 | After the Rain, on Thursday | После дождичка в четверг | Babadur's vizier | |
| 1991 | Act, Manya! | Действуй, Маня! | Ivan Akimovich |