How to shoot the film "The Circus"

• How to shoot the film "The Circus"

This film was released over 80 years ago and has long since become classics of Soviet cinema. Role in "Circus" turned actress Lyubov Orlova in a real movie star, although this success was not easy to her. During the filming took place a lot of curiosities, and after one of them was the actress even in the hospital.

Circus movie poster * *

Director Grigory Alexandrov decided to remove this farce after he saw the play "Under the big top," staged at the Moscow Music Hall. He suggested Ilya Ilf and Yevgeny Petrov - author of the play - to create the film version. However, their partnership was short-lived - during the filming of a disagreement, because of which the writers left the project, prohibiting even indicate their names in the credits. The director's interpretation of the story was not satisfied, but Alexander was not ready to make concessions. They were not going to denounce imperialism and the world have seen his work home satirical comedy, and director, according to them, spoiled his plan revisions ideological nature. As a result, Alexandrov had to finish work on the script together with Isaac Babel, who agreed to add some of the dialog.

The main character in the play named Alina, but Alexander changed its name to the Marion Dixon - it was a reference to Marlene Dietrich, his favorite foreign actress. That role went to Lyubov Orlova, who brilliantly coped with the tasks assigned to it. To assess the level of professionalism, it suffices to recall one episode during the filming of choreographic numbers on the gun she had to dance on a glass floor over the muzzle of the gun, which was mounted spotlight. Glass is extremely high, and the scenario the actress had to sit down after the dance performance, while continuing to sing. Orlov sat down on the red-hot glass, without batting an eye, but after the filming had to call "ambulance." At the hospital, she was diagnosed with third-degree burns.

Jim Patterson in the film * Circus * 1936

Little black actor who played the role of the son of the main character, was the mother of the actress in real life. Lyubov Orlova and after shooting with her husband Jim Patterson visited in Riga, where he studied, and when he came to Moscow, often stayed with the couple at their dacha in Vnukovo. He gave his actress unrealized maternal tenderness, once said: "Why is it I do not have children? I have my kinosyn - Jim. "

The film premiered at the end of May 1936 in the Green Theater of Gorky Park. Gorky. Then collect as many viewers, that order is maintained in the room had to watch outfits mounted police, specially called for this case. After the film has become a star Lyubov Orlova №1, not only in the USSR, but also abroad. Together with her husband they were Soviet films at film festivals in Cannes, Venice, Rome, Berlin and Paris. These films always enjoyed great success: in 1937 "Circus" was awarded the Grand Prix at the International Exhibition in Paris, and in 1941 - the Stalin Prize of the first degree. "Circus" for many years to become the leader of the Soviet film distribution.

The author of the music for the film was the composer Isaac Dunaevskii. His "Song of the Motherland" ( "Broad is my native land") has become one of the most popular and recognizable Soviet songs. At the end of the 1930s. she even discussed among the options the USSR anthem. As a result, the song became an unofficial anthem - her introductory chords used as call-Union radio, it sounded at all the celebrations and parades. One of the songs written for this comedy, then rejected, and she was later used in another movie - "Children of Captain Grant". This was the song "Come on song we propyl, cheerful wind."

Some comedy scenes were repeatedly subjected to editing: in the 1950s. remade the final shots during a performance of "Song of the Motherland", in 1960. the film was redubbed. First excised, and then returned to the frame, in which the actor Mikhoels one of the couplets performed Yiddish.

Dream Grigory Alexandrov remove color comedy was realized only in 2011, when she was released kolorizovannaya version of the film. At that time, color film was too expensive, and the director at the studio isolated black and white.