Imre Olvasztó, the child actor of Indul a Bakterház, died tragically, he would have been 58 years old today.
The name of Imre Olvasztó is intertwined with the timeless humor of the movie Indul a bakterház, yet few people know the painful story behind the child actor. She started her life as an orphan and always pursued a dream that she could never achieve.
The Hungarian film industry discovered a new star in 1979, the name of Imre Olvasztó became known in one fell swoop when he won the hearts of viewers as Regős Bendegúz in the film Indul a bakterház. According to the memories of the director, Sándor Mihályfi, Imre stood out from thousands of applicants with his natural charm. At the director's request to prove how cool he is, Imre flipped him on his bottom without hesitation. This moment determined that he would become Bendegúz, the film's lovable but constantly troubled protagonist.
During the filming, Imre's exceptional talent quickly became apparent. He could play with actors such as Teri Horváth, Róbert Koltai and Péter Haumann. Koltai later remembered it like this:
"He didn't play Bendegúz, he was himself. He played it with such naturalness that I haven't seen anything close to it since then."
Although at that time Imre would have much preferred to spend his summer vacation fishing on the river bank rather than shooting a film on the border between Ócsán and Szalkszentmárton, his performance has remained memorable to this day.
For his role, he received twenty thousand forints in the form of a savings account, which he only had access to when he was 18 years old.
In an interview later, he also said that, to his greatest regret, his salary was much less than when he played the role.
However, the start of a promising career did not continue. Despite the success of the film, Imre Olvasztó did not stay in the acting field. Instead, he found a job in the printing industry, where he worked as a screen printer and graphic designer. Although the limelight faded, Imre was still able to express his creative passion in his work.
One of the most defining parts of Imre Olvastó's life was his childhood, which cast a shadow over his entire life due to orphanhood and the lack of parental love. He never got to know his parents, and the lack of close family ties accompanied him throughout his life. This emotional foundation probably defined his personality and intense desire to create his own happy family as an adult. In an interview, he later said:
"The most important thing in life is family. This is the only sure point worth fighting for.”
He had three children from his first wife. However, the family idyll did not last long, their relationship deteriorated and they divorced. From his second marriage, he had a son, Bendegúz, whom Imre especially adored. However, after the dissolution of the second marriage, Imre fell into a deep depression.
On July 13, 2013, at the age of 46, Imre Olvasztó ended his life by hanging himself from a tree. They found it in the wooded area between Fót and Csomád. It is known that his son noticed his father's car standing in the bushes from a bus, after which the police found the body of Imre Olvasztó.
The name of Imre Olvasztó has been preserved for generations in connection with the film "Indul a bakterház". As Bendegúz, he not only played a character, but also brought to life the snarky but lovable being of a little boy. His tragic fate is a reminder of how deep pain can often be hidden behind talent and fame.
Featured image: Imre Regős Olvasztó in the role of Bendegúz in a scene from the TV movie Indul a bakterház (Photo: National Photo Gallery)
