''Wish upon a Pike'', also known as ''The Magic Fish'' (russian: По щучьему веленью, Po shchuchemu veleniyu), is a 1938 fantasy film directed by Alexander Rowe, which was his debut and filmed at Soyuzdetfilm. It is adapted from a play by Yelizaveta Tarakhovskaya, itself based on '' At the Pike's Behest'' and other tales from

Slavic folklore Slavic folklore encompasses the folklore of the Slavic peoples from their earliest records until today. Folklorists have published a variety of works focused specifically on the topic over the years.See, for example, Kononenko 2007. See also * ...

. At the time it was made, it was seen as controversial in the Soviet Union to direct films based on fairy tales due to government censorship. The film tells the story of Yemelya the fool who catches a magical pike that grants him wishes in exchange for its life.

Plot

In the dead of winter, the poor farmer's son Yemelya is not able to cut wood and then drive back home to his mother's hut because the last horse was taken from him by the Tsar. Thus he goes to get some water and ends up catching a magical pike, but decides to spare its life. Out of gratitude, the magic fish promises him that all his wishes should come true. Meanwhile, the Tsar sends his heralds in all four directions to find a man who can make his always ill-tempered princess laugh; he announces that to this man he would give her in marriage. One of the heralds sees Yemelya and observes him as he wishes that the wood-laden sled would be able to drive home without a pulling horse. He demands that Yemelya accompany him to the Tsar, but the latter refuses – the Tsar should come to him instead. At the Tsar's court, none of the suitors have managed to make the princess laugh, the herald returns and tells his master about the miracle he saw. Immediately, the Tsar sends his general and some soldiers to bring Yemelya. The unwilling one at first forces them to dance using a wish, but then declares himself ready to visit the tsar's court. Followed by the soldiers, he drives through the country singing and making music on a hearth, and when he arrives at the court, with his entertainment he succeeds in making the princess dance and laugh. The Tsar, however, refuses to marry off his daughter to a peasant, therefore Yemelya and princess leave the court. The Tsar angrily orders his soldier to pursue Yemelya and bring him back to the court alive or dead. The attempt to catch up Emelya was unsuccessful. The newly in-love couple manages to shake off the pursuers and settle in a distant place together with Yemelya's mother and honorable people. The magic fish bids goodbye to Yemelya.

Cast

* Pyotr Savin as Yemelya * Maria Kravchunovskaya as Yemelya's mother *

Georgy Millyar Georgy Frantsevich Millyar, sometimes spelled Milliar (russian: Георгий Францевич Милляр; 7 November 1903 in Moscow – 4 June 1993 in Moscow), was a Soviet and Russian actor, best known for playing evil spirits in Soviet fa ...

as Tsar Gorokh * Sofia Terenteva as Princess Who Never Smiled * Lev Potyomkin as General One-Two *

Ivan Moskvin Ivan Mikhailovich Moskvin (russian: Иван Михайлович Москвин; 18 June 1874, in Moscow – 16 February 1946, in Moscow) was a Russian and Soviet actor and theater director. People's Artist of the USSR (1936). He became director ...

as deaf boyar * Aleksandr Zhukov as Herald *

Andrei Fajt Andrei Andreyevich Fajt (russian: Андрей Андреевич Файт; 29 August 1903 – 17 January 1976) was a Soviet film actor. He appeared in 44 films between 1925 and 1976. He was born in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia and died in Moscow ...

as Mohammed Aha * Tatyana Strukova as nurse * Lidiya Ryumina as nurse *

Vladimir Lepko Vladimir Lepko (russian: Влади́мир Алексе́евич Лепко́; 1898–1963) was a Soviet and Russian actor. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1954). He died 19 October 1963 and is buried at Novodevichy Cemetery. Selected filmography ...

as cook

References

External links

* (English subtitles) * 1938 films Russian children's fantasy films Soviet fantasy films Soviet fantasy comedy films Films based on Russian folklore Films based on Slavic mythology Films directed by Aleksandr Rou 1930s children's fantasy films 1938 comedy films Soviet black-and-white films Russian black-and-white films Films based on fairy tales Soviet children's films {{fantasy-film-stub