''Lyotchiki'' (russian: Лётчики, Lyotchiki: ) (aka ''Men on Wings'' and ''The Pilots'') is a 1935 Soviet drama film directed by Yuli Raizman and Grigori Levkoyev. Maxim Gorky called him among the best Soviet filmmakers of that time.

Plot

School Commander Nikolai Rogachyov ( Boris Shchukin) and famous aerobatic pilot, is in charge of a civilian flying school in Russia. Pilot Sergei Belyaev (

Ivan Koval-Samborsky Ivan Koval-Samborsky ( Ukrainian: Іван Коваль-Самборський; 16 September 1893 – 10 January 1962) was a Ukrainian stage and film actor. After establishing himself in the Soviet film industry in the 1920s, he briefly went to w ...

), showing recklessness trying to emulate the test pilot Valery Chkalov), crashes the aircraft assigned to him. Student flight school Galya Bystrova (Yevgenia Melnikova), who likes Belyaev, unfortunately, seeks to imitate him in the air. Commander Rogachyov falls for young student pilot Gayla, but their difference in age prevents him from declaring his love. Rogachyov teaches that discipline in the air is necessary to survive as a pilot. Finally, that message begins to make sense to Sergei and Gayla.

Cast

as Student Commander Sergei Belyaev *

Yevgenia Melnikova Evgenia, Evgeniya, Yevgenia or Yevgeniya is a feminine given name which may refer to: Evgenia or Evgeniya * Evgeniya Augustinas (born 1988), Russian racing cyclist * Evgeniya Belyakova (born 1986), Russian basketball player in the Women's National ...

as Flight School Student Galya Bystrova * Aleksandr Chistyakov as Senior Mechanic Ivan Matveyevich Khrushchev * Boris Shchukin as Flight School Commander Nikolai Rogachyov * Grigori Levkoyev as Doctor at airfield (uncredited) *

Inna Fyodorova Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu (born 16 October 1986), known professionally as Inna (stylized in all caps), is a Romanian singer. Born in Mangalia and raised in Neptun, she studied political science at Ovidius University before meeting the Roma ...

as Medical attendant (uncredited) * Zoya Fyodorova as Nurse (uncredited) * Nikolai Khryashchikov as Appearing (uncredited) * Maria Klyuchareva as Sanitary (uncredited) *

Ivan Kobozev 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 ...

as Pilot Kobozev (uncredited)

Production

Principal photography for ''Lyotchiki'' took place in 1935 on the outskirts of Voronezh, on the airfield (now Holzunov Street in the Northern residential area).

Reception

Under the title, ''The Pilots'', ''Lyotchiki'' was released worldwide, while in the United States, it was re-titled ''Men on Wings''. Aviation film historian James H, Farmer in ''Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation'' (1984) described the film's "poor production values."Farmer 1984, p. 320. Aviation film historian Stephen Pendo in ''Aviation in the Cinema'' (1985) had a similar opinion, noting, "unexciting flying scenes." in the Soviet films of the time, ''Lyotchiki'' was considered a classic.Firsova, Katrin
"Что смотреть у советских режиссёров. (ru); What to watch from Soviet directors."
''the-village.ru'', 22 October 2015. Retrieved: 14 July 2019.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Farmer, James H. ''Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation''. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: Tab Books Inc., 1984. . * Kherson, Chrysanth. ''Boris Shchukin: The Path of the Actor''. 1954. * Pendo, Stephen. ''Aviation in the Cinema''. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. .

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pilots 1935 films Russian aviation films 1930s Russian-language films Soviet drama films Mosfilm films Films about aviators Soviet black-and-white films 1935 drama films Russian black-and-white films