''Private Ivan'' (russian: Солдат Иван Бровкин, Soldat Ivan Brovkin) is a 1955 Soviet
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
directed by Ivan Lukinsky. The picture was seen by 40 million viewers in the USSR.
The film was followed by the sequel ''
Ivan Brovkin on the State Farm
''Ivan Brovkin on the State Farm'' (russian: Иван Бровкин на целине, Ivan Brovkin na tseline) is a 1959 Soviet comedy film directed by Ivan Lukinsky, sequel to the film Private Ivan. The film was a box-office success, it was seen ...
'' in 1959.
Plot
Hapless country boy Ivan Brovkin does not fit into the
kolkhoz
A kolkhoz ( rus, колхо́з, a=ru-kolkhoz.ogg, p=kɐlˈxos) was a form of collective farm in the Soviet Union. Kolkhozes existed along with state farms or sovkhoz., a contraction of советское хозяйство, soviet ownership or ...
life. Anything which he attempts goes awry. When assigned by the chairman of the collective farm into the care and rehabilitation of the head of the garage Zahar Silcha, he even manages to drown the new kolkhoz car
GAZ-51
The GAZ-51 (nickname ''Gazon'') was a Soviet truck manufactured by GAZ. Its first prototypes were produced before the end of World War II and has been influenced by Studebaker US6. The mass production started in 1946.
A 2.5 ton 4×2 standard vari ...
.
And as soon as Ivan sinks the car he and three other kolkhoz guys receive a summons to the army.
In the first period of life, Ivan Brovkin manifests himself just like on the farm: does not know military discipline and lags in physical training. However, after discussion in the squad, he changes, starting to make progress in service, in handicrafts, gets the title of a
Gefreiter
Gefreiter (, abbr. Gefr.; plural ''Gefreite'') is a German, Swiss and Austrian military rank that has existed since the 16th century. It is usually the second rank or grade to which an enlisted soldier, airman or sailor could be promoted.Duden; D ...
, and in the end as a reward gets a ten-day home leave.
All the time Brovkin served he wrote letters to his lover - Lyubasha. But the letters were intercepted by accountant of the collective farm, Samohvalov, who wants to marry her. Lyubasha is vexed at Ivan because she does not know what he wrote to her. Arrived Brovkin calls Lyubasha from her home with a contingent nightingale whistle, as he used to before the army. Everything gets cleared up.
Cast
*
Leonid Kharitonov - Ivan Romanovich Brovkin
* Sergey Blinnikov - Timothy Kondratievich Koroteev
*
Tatyana Pelttser
Tatyana Ivanovna Pelttser (russian: Татья́на Ива́новна Пе́льтцер; german: Tatjana Peltzer; June 6, 1904 in Moscow – July 16, 1992 in Moscow), was a Soviet and Russian theater and film actress. People's Artist of t ...
- Evdokia Makarovna Brovkina, Ivan's mother
* Anna Kolomiytseva - Elizabeth Nikitichna, Koroteev's wife
* Daya Smirnova - Lyubasha, daughter of Koroteev
*
Vera Orlova - Polina Kuzminichna Grebeshkova, barmaid
*
Mikhail Pugovkin
Mikhail Ivanovich Pugovkin (russian: Михаи́л Ива́нович Пу́говкин; July 13, 1923, Rameshki, Chukhlomsky District of Kostroma Oblast — July 25, 2008, Moscow) (aged 85) was a Soviet and Russian comic actor named a People' ...
- Zahar Silich Peryoshkin, manager of the garage
* Yevgeny Shutov - Apollinaris Samohvalov Petrovich, collective farm accountant
* Tanat Zhaylibekov - Mukhtar Abaev, Ivan's friend, Corporal
* Boris Tolmazov - Nikolai Petrovich, commander of the battery
Production
Kharitonov first starred in cinema in the year 1954, and his first role in the film "School of Courage" brought all-union fame to the student. The role of Ivan Brovkin came in third in the filmography of Kharitonov, who after the film's release became a superstar of Soviet cinema. During filming in the summer of 1955 in Sukhumi, Leonid Kharitonov was delayed by the military patrol on the street. The actor was in uniform preparing for his role, but was not dressed according to the ordinance, and entered into a dispute with a senior officer. He was taken to the office where the officer recognized him as the protagonist of "School of Courage."
When he was readying for filming, Kharitonov did combat training, learned to drive a tractor and a motorcycle. All the songs in the film he performed himself. During the filming Leonid Kharitonov suffered from an ulcer which manifested in him during the
siege of Leningrad
The siege of Leningrad (russian: links=no, translit=Blokada Leningrada, Блокада Ленинграда; german: links=no, Leningrader Blockade; ) was a prolonged military blockade undertaken by the Axis powers against the Soviet city of L ...
, where he suffered from undernourishment and consumed soap.
Shooting of the military garrison occurred on the territory of the Chernyshevsky barracks in Moscow.
Rural nature was filmed in the village of Slobodka Savinova at
Kalininsky (now
Tver
Tver ( rus, Тверь, p=tvʲerʲ) is a city and the administrative centre of Tver Oblast, Russia. It is northwest of Moscow. Population:
Tver was formerly the capital of a powerful medieval state and a model provincial town in the Russian ...
). Scenes set in summer were shot in fall and Kharitonov with Pugovkin had to swim in an icy river, and set designers had to tint the yellow foliage into green.
The movie script was allegedly plagiarized from the extremely similar comedy film "
Maksim Perepelitsa
''Maksim Perepelitsa'' (russian: Максим Перепелица) is a 1955 comedy film directed by Anatoly Granik. The song "Let's Go" (known in Russian as "V Put") was written for this film.
Synopsis
Maxime Perepelitsa is a cheerful and quick- ...
" starring
Leonid Bykov
Leonid Fedorovich Bykov (russian: Леонид Фёдорович Быков, uk, Леонід Федорович Биков; 11 December 1928, in Znamenka village, Artemivsk Okruha of Ukrainian SSR – 11 April 1979, in Kyiv Oblast of Ukraine, U ...
, which was made in the same year.
Ivan Stadnyuk
Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulgari ...
, the author of the original novel and scriptwriter for "Perepelitsa" movie later said that Georgi Mdivani, the "Private Ivan" scriptwriter, admitted to plagiarism in a private discussion with him.
See also
*''
Maksim Perepelitsa
''Maksim Perepelitsa'' (russian: Максим Перепелица) is a 1955 comedy film directed by Anatoly Granik. The song "Let's Go" (known in Russian as "V Put") was written for this film.
Synopsis
Maxime Perepelitsa is a cheerful and quick- ...
''
References
External links
{{IMDb title, tt0048639
Soviet musical comedy films
1955 musical comedy films
1955 films
Military humor in film
Gorky Film Studio films