''Strictly Business'' (alternate name ''Businessmen'', russian: Деловые люди, Delovye lyudi) is a 1962 Soviet black-and-white

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

Leonid Gaidai Leonid Iovich Gaidai (russian: Леонид Иович Гайдай; 30 January 1923 – 19 November 1993) was a Soviet and Russian comedy film director, screenwriter and actor who enjoyed immense popularity and broad public recognition in the fo ...

, based on three short stories by O. Henry: "The Roads We Take", " Makes the Whole World Kin", and "

The Ransom of Red Chief "The Ransom of Red Chief" is a short story by O. Henry first published in the July 6, 1907, issue of ''The Saturday Evening Post''. It follows two men who kidnap and demand a ransom for a wealthy Alabamian's son. Eventually, the men are driven c ...

". The film's title is borrowed from the book of short stories by O. Henry titled ''Strictly Business'' (1910, ''Деловые люди'' in Russian translation), but none of the short stories it includes were adapted for the screen.

Cast

; "The Roads We Take" * Vladlen Paulus as "Shark" Dodson (voiced by Oleg Dal) * Aleksandr Shvorin as Bob Tidball * Viktor Gromov as Mr Williams * Vladimir Pitsek as machinist (uncredited) * Viktor Uralsky as fireman (uncredited) * Lev Lobov as conductor of the coach (uncredited) *

Yuri Chulyukin Yuri Stepanovich Chulyukin (russian: Юрий Степанович Чулюкин; 9 November 1929 — 7 March 1987) was a Soviet film director, screenwriter, actor and songwriter best known for comedy movies. He became a People's Artist of the RS ...

as Peabody, clerk (uncredited) ; "Makes the Whole World Kin" *

Rostislav Plyatt Rostislav Yanovich Plyatt (russian: Ростислав Янович Плятт; — 30 June 1989) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor. He was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1961 and awarded the USSR State Prize in 1982. Biograph ...

as landlord *

Yuri Nikulin Yuri Vladimirovich Nikulin (russian: Юрий Владимирович Никулин; 18 December 1921 – 21 August 1997) was a Soviet and Russian actor and clown who starred in many popular films. He is best known for his roles in Leonid ...

as thief ; "The Ransom of Red Chief" * Georgy Vitsin as Sam, adventurer * Aleksei Smirnov as Bill Driscoll *Sergei Tikhonov as Johnny Dorset (voiced by Margarita Korabelnikova, in some scenes speaks in his own voice) *

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 Ebenezer Dorset, Johnny's father (uncredited) *

Yevgeny Yevstigneyev Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Yevstigneyev (russian: Евгений Александрович Евстигнеев; 9 October 1926 — 4 March 1992) was a prominent Soviet and Russian stage and film actor, theatre pedagogue, one of the founders of the ...

as citizen (voice, uncredited)

Sources

* *
Strictly Business (1962) (English subtitles)

Деловые люди
1962 comedy films 1962 films 1960s Western (genre) comedy films Adaptations of works by O. Henry Films based on multiple works Films based on short fiction Films directed by Leonid Gaidai Films shot in Crimea Films shot in Moscow Films shot in Ukraine Mosfilm films Ostern films Russian anthology films Russian comedy films Soviet black-and-white films Soviet comedy films Soviet anthology films Russian black-and-white films {{1960s-comedy-film-stub