The case was elevated all the way to the Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, who decreed "acceptable to perform, but not too often". Frenkel was the prototype for Gena the Crocodile, a fictional, friendly crocodile in the series of popular animation films Gena the Crocodile, Cheburashka and Shapoklyak. Selected filmographyAdventures of the Yellow Suitcase (1970)The Crown of the Russian Empire, or Once Again the Elusive Avengers (1971)Incorrigible Liar'' (1973) References External links Yan Frenkel's tomb Sources The original version of this page was translated from the corresponding page in the Russian language Wikipedia Yan Frenkel (fansite in Russian) 1920 births 1989 deaths Musicians from Kyiv Ukrainian Jews Jewish classical composers Soviet male composers 20th-century classical composers Male classical composers People's Artists of the USSR People's Artists of the RSFSR Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples Recipients of the USSR State Prize Soviet Jews Deaths from lung cancer 20th-century male musicians