Born into poverty, Aleynikov lost his family at an early age, forcing him to street-life before transitioning to an orphanage in the early 1920s.  He discovered a love of movies when a local film projectionist began training him in the craft.  Following time in a Russian labor compound, Aleinikov studied drama in Leningrad and made his film debut in the 1932 film “Counter”.  His talent for music and comedy led him to numerous roles of varying degree of local fame that grew as World War II intens...