Ila Schütz would have been eighty years old on January 5.
Moreover, not only did he not find happiness in his private life, but he also felt that he did not get back as much from his theater career as he had put into it:
I carry tragic heroines in me. I try to convey something of this even when I go on stage as a comedian. As an amateur, I mainly played heroines. István Keleti told me not to go professional, because I need a situation in which I can gasp with enthusiasm, and for that I need a team. In the team, however, I am unable to blend in with the »crowd«. I always stick out and have to be on top of the team. Ever since I was young, I have longed for masterpieces and catharsis. I don't get that in the professional world. In the absence of this, I make a tragedy out of my own life, I make a series of bad decisions.
- he declared to Új Szó four years before his death, in January 1998.
But the theater was his destiny
Ila Schütz was born in Budapest in 1944. After finishing school, she worked for a while as an administrator at the Margit Hospital, later she studied tailoring, and then she was employed as a meos, i.e. a receiving inspector, at the Folk Art Institute. His first auditions on stage can be linked to the acting circle there.
Ila Schütz, called "forever a clown" by her friends, found her true destiny here.
From 1965, he attended the College of Theater and Film, where he obtained a degree, while also playing on the University Stage, and also graduated from MAFILM's Academy of Film Actors, MTI writes about him.
As a graduate actor, he spent one season at the Mikróskók Színpad led by János Komlós, but he wanted other tasks besides the role of a comedian, so he signed a contract with the Madách Theatre.
Next year, with you, in the same place - and everywhere
He was a member of the troupe for 22 years and was given more and more beautiful tasks. In 1993, he signed a contract with the József Attila Theater, of which he remained a member until his death. In 1974, he received the Jászai Mari Award, in 1981 he received the honorary title of Merited Artist, the Déryné Award in 1997, and the Outstanding Artist Award in 1999.
Among his most famous roles are Hungarian and foreign, serious and humorous characters. Without claiming to be exhaustive: Zsigmond Móricz's Viola in Bégy yó mindhálál, Kamilla Szigligeti's Ede in Liliomfi, Federico García Lorca's Bernarda Alba's title character, Bernarda, was Natasa in Chekhov's Three Sisters, Eugénia Molnár's Olympia. On November 5, 1995, 24 Óra wrote about the latter's performance as follows:
Ila Schütz, for example, in the role of Princess Olympia's mother, is both classy and everyday ordinary - both a majestic princess and an emotional mother, both harsh and cruel - but secretly an understanding woman who could even make a love sacrifice if she were specifically asked to... So she is almost perfect.
It is not known how much this almost word boosted his credibility, but it was certainly a good review and the audience loved it.
The legendary Aunt Terka
You can choose from his famous films for hours, Silence and Shout, Beautiful girls, don't cry!, Haha, the sea!, The Legend of Pendragon. One of her last episodic roles was as a cleaning lady in the movie Something Amerika, in which she once again impressed the audience as a comedian.
In the series of television productions, he made a lasting impression in the drama adaptations A talpsimogató, Tisztújítás, Az ördög cymboráá, A medicus, Régimódi storije, Villámfényél and Eklézsia-meggleszät, among others. But the many successes and popularity seemed to have been suddenly cut off, and at the end of his life he was no longer sought after with roles.
That crazy private life
The private life of the Jászai Mari award-winning actress was accompanied by a series of misfortunes. He was married three times (Mihály Halász, István Dégi, Tamás Török), all of them died after the dissolution of their marriage. She met her first husband, cameraman Mihály Halász, while still at college. Their marriage lasted three years, the man died after the divorce.
The tragedies that befell the actress made her lonely, even though she was really loved by a country. Among her countless stage roles, the most memorable was Doris in Slade's Jövő, with you, right here! his play, which he performed 500 times as a partner of István Sztankay.
Ila Schütz died under unclear circumstances at the age of fifty-eight on December 11, 2002. His grave is located in the Farkasrét cemetery. Twelve years later, the nation's actor, István Sztankay, was laid to rest not far from him.
Let's remember Ila Schütz, born eighty years ago, with what she said about herself:
I was ridiculous, a very honest, naive child. I took everything terribly seriously and was laughed at a lot. I'm vain, I've learned that it's better if they laugh when I want them to. It's such a pleasant, warming feeling to make someone laugh. Something flows back into me from their joy. I never intentionally hurt anyone, even though I have vitriol under my tongue. I tend to notice the good, and it feels good when I feel the other person's heart beating.
Featured Image Credit: DFP
