“That’s why I have (points to my heart) such a deadly inflammation that it’s already hissing!” - a quote from a cult painting, which everyone who loves it knows for sure, despite its age, - because it has a folk soul and sincere Ukrainian humor. “Chasing Two Hares” is a Ukrainian feature comedy film based on the comedy play of the same name by Mikhail Staritsky - a bright dynamic spectacle with elements of satirical grotesque.
Exactly 62 years ago, on December 21, 1961, it premiered on the big screen and today we are happy to present it to the attention of viewers on the official channel of the Odessa Film Studio. The literary masterpiece became a cinema classic from the hand of the outstanding director Viktor Ivanov and the film was staged at the Kyiv Feature Film Studio named after Alexander Dovzhenko. It ranks 17th in the list of the 100 best films in the history of Ukrainian cinema.
This comedy story took place in Kyiv with Golokhvastov, who had an unprofitable hairdressing salon. He loved chic and beautiful outfits, making an impression and amaze with his gallantry. However, in fact, Svirid Petrovich was nothing but a liar and a bankrupt. In order to pay the creditors, he decided to profitably marry the simple-minded and vain Prona, whose parents promised a substantial dowry.
Film crew:
Scriptwriter and director: Viktor Ivanov;
Director of photography: Vadim Ilyenko;
Production designer: Joseph Yutsevich;
Composer: Vadim Gomolyaka;
Lyrics: Evgeny Kravchenko;
Sound engineer: Rostislav Maksimtsov;
The music for the film was recorded by the Ukrainian Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Veniamin Tolba.
Cast:
Oleg Borisov - Svirid Petrovich Golokhvosty (he calls himself “Golokhvastov”);
Margarita Krinitsyna - Pronya Prokopovna Serkovna (“Priska Prokopivna”);
Nikolai Yakovchenko - Prokopiy Sviridovich Sirko, Priska's father;
Anna Kushnirenko - Evdokia Filippovna Serchikha, Priska’s mother;
Nonna Koperzhinskaya - Sekla Pilipovna Lymarikha, sister of Evdokia Filippovna;
Natalya Naum - Galya, daughter of Sekleta;
Anatoly Yurchenko - Stepan;
Konstantin Ershov - Bottle;
Taisiya Litvinenko - Khimka, maid in Sirk;
Olga Wiklandt - Mlle Ninon;
Lyudmila Alfimova - nun Meronia;
In the episodes: Nina Antonova, Alexey Bykov, Valentin Grudinin, Sofia Karamash, V. Kostyrenko, Nikolai Talura, R. Shablovskaya.
The USSR State Cinema Committee assigned the film a second category, which provided for limited release only on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR, mainly in cultural centers and factory clubs. However, success with the audience led to her further fame; the film was re-dubbed in Russian and released into the All-Union. The original Ukrainian-language version of the film was considered lost for almost half a century. At the beginning of July 2013, Ivan Kozlenko, deputy general director of the Alexander Dovzhenko National Center, reported that the center’s restorers managed to find the original Ukrainian soundtrack of the film in the Mariupol Film Fund.
The film was filmed in the pavilion of the Dovzhenko Film Studio, where scenes were filmed in the houses of Sirkov and Sekleta Limerihi, in an illusion, a hairdresser, and some episodes of the characters walking through the streets of the city. At the same time, most of the location filming was carried out on the streets of Kyiv Podol, in fact, in the same places where the on-screen action takes place, or nearby. Since the filming of the film partially took place in Kyiv, a monument to the main characters of the film was erected on Andreevsky Spusk in 1999, designed by the architect Vladimir Skulsky.
In Cherkassy, near the central market, in 2009, the owners of the local Fashion House erected a monument to Svirid and Pronya. The film has been a classic and a treasure of Ukrainian cinema for more than sixty years, and we are happy to present it to your attention.
Share your favorite quote in the comments and write why you love this film.
Help to Ukraine - u24.gov.ua
Telegram channel of the Odesa Film Studio - t.me/odesafilmstudio
#ViktorIvanov #OlegBorisov #MargaritaKrinitsyna