Ljubinka Bobić


Ljubinka Bobic was a Serbian actress. She appeared in more than fifteen films from 1951 to 1975.

Biography

She was born in Kruševac in a poor family with five children. Her brother Miroljub Bobić, a teacher, is one of 1300 Corporals and a holder of Alban memorial. Her father, Vladislav, a cobbler, was from Srem, and her mother Jelisaveta was from Macedonia. They moved to Topčider hill where Ljubinka grew up. Theatre attracted her and with her persistence she becomes a member of National theatre and dedicates her life to acting.. "…she didn’t acknowledge old age, so she often lied about her actual age. She didn’t care about being acknowledged, not even for big ones she received. She captivated everyone with her charisma, pleasant figure and, if needed, pleasant diction, and she scared everyone with her sharp tongue and the fact she could bring someone down to earth without any qualms. She often swore, and while this was true, her friends often admitted that swear words uttered by her sound charming. Like a true boem, she was a drinker and a smoker. She refused to allow her life be made into a book, because she claimed it would be "a biography to laugh and cry at, so it would appear more as an anti-biography". She never got married. She had affairs with the director of "Politika" newspaper Vlada Ribnikar, writer Miloš Crnjanski and Rade Drainac. She was buried in the Alley of deserving citizens on the New Graveyard in Belgrade. A stamp with her silhouette was published in 2003. "Ljubinka Bobić" award was established in 2006.

Theatrical career

Her talent was discovered by Branislav Nušić while she was casting wistful looks in the direction of the theatre during the Big war in 1915 in Skoplje where she was sent by her family to live with her relatives. Thanks to him, she started out as an intern in National theatre of Skoplje. When her relatives informed her parents of this, her parents returned her to Belgrade where she continues the attendance of Women’s worker school. Fate made her cross paths with Nušić again, from whom she asks a recommendation for Zagreb theatre. Still, she chooses the National theatre in Belgrade, a member of which she becomes in 1920 and remains a member until she retires. She didn't act only during Second world war because she refused to make the audience laugh while her country was occupied. In the beginning, she acted as sentimental girls and mischievous boys. Her first big achievement was the role of Puck in "Midsummer Night’s Dream", followed by role of Fema in "Pokondirena tikva", Mrs. Mica in "Authority", Marica in "Suspicious person", son Raka of lady Minister, who was interpreted by Žanka Stokić. Except in comedies, she interpreted the characters of Kata in "Koštana", Hedviga in Ibsen’s "Wild duck", Madlen Petrovna in Krleža’s drama "In agony" and others. Along with Žanka Stokić, she made a phenomenal interpretation of Živka in "Minister lady" written by Branislav Nušić, which she acted out 265 times during her career – first time in 1964 when she was 67 and was retired, and last time when she was 81 on 8 November in 1978, less than a month before her death.

Selected filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1975Devil’s ladder, TV show old woman
1975Pavle Pavlović, drama disco house director
1973Accident, TV movie
1972Živka Popović
1971My all, mini TV show
1969Cross Country grandmother
1966The Climberowner
1964National representative, movie Spirinica-
1962Koštana
1962Dr. Mrs. Draga
1961First citizen of little city, drama a magician
1960Zeppelin of dreams Sara Padavicki
1957Priests Ćira and Spira Sida
1954Legends of Anika Jelenka
1951Major Boggart grandmother

Literary work

When she got bored of charchter acting of "classy" fashionable ladies, she wrote a few popular humoristic satirical pieces:
All of them appeared on the scene and had a big success. She also wrote two pieces for children "Rista Robinson" and "Rista the sportsman", which premiered in children’s theatre "Roda". It consisted of five images with ballet and singing. Adaptation of this play was the comic book of the same name, for which Ljubinka together with Mića Dimitrijević wrote the text and Momčilo Moma Marković made the illustrations. The first continuation of this comic was published on 28 February 1939 in the first number of "Politikin zabavnik" and the last in the 17th number on 25 April 1939.

Awards

A street is named after her in New Belgrade, Bežanija, as well in Jakovo and Lazarice near Kruševac. Prominent theatre acting award, Ljubinka Bobić Award is given in her honour.

Literature