This wonderful series was shown on television dozens of times. However, a careful look at his scenes discovered new interesting nuances. Sometimes downright conspiratorial. For example, in one episode slips a clear allusion to today’s life circumstances related to the need due to the rampant viral infections to keep a safe social distance.
And they warned us! – In the period of universal koreaphobia one of the fascinating occupations of the citizens at leisure was to find in the old Soviet films are any indication of the current epidemics-quarantine-shumoizolyatsionnye realities.
for Example, shortly after there was an order of the city authorities the city without extreme necessity not to leave their homes, in the social networks posted a review with the corresponding fragment from gaydaevskih Comedy “Ivan Vasilyevich changes occupation”. – Tsar Ivan the terrible transferred the time machine in the home of the inventor Timofeev and remaining there for a time alone, looking out of the apartment, and he immediately grabbed lurking at the front door of the police.
Another clear allusion to the current requirements keeping a significant distance between people is found in pre-war film “Volga-Volga”. There’s a scene where the postman Arrow (played by Lyubov Orlova), find themselves in stuck in the middle of the river the ferry, loudly reads the contents of urgent telegrams to comrade Byvalov ashore.
the Resourceful audience turned to predictors of the current epidemiological situation and the other heroes of old Soviet Comedy – “Business people”. In one of the novels two bandits Rob Express mail, covering his face with scarves, masks.
the Correspondent of “MK” joined this game to find “coronavirus prophecy” in the frames of the film serial “the adventures of Prince Florizel”, filmed over 40 years ago.
this series is very difficult fate, and many moments in the history of its creation deserve special mention.
to Begin with the title. In the original version of the picture was called “Club of suicides, or adventures of the titled person”. However, such a “criminal” designation strongly like cinematic superiors and “guardians” of the Central Committee of the CPSU. As a result, the film was released under the much more neutral “filename” – “the adventures of Prince Florizel”. Titles with the original name was returned in the post.
But relevant for today another caveat associated with this film.
In our present “Kovalevskoy” a situation where the phrase “keeping social distance” became a kind of mantra for residents of Moscow and many other cities around the world, its��brosnam prophecy is one of the episodes, filmed in the late 1970s.
we are Talking about the scene at the beginning of the 3-series. Prince Florizel (actor Oleg Dahl) and his faithful companion master of the horse, Colonel Geraldine (Igor Dmitriev), continuing the search for the President of the suicide Club, made his way to Paris. They have dinner “in field conditions” in the hotel “Charles IV”.
On the screen shows a luxurious hall in the middle of which is a huge, five meters long, dining table. On both ends it served the place for the Prince and the Colonel. As a result, they are eating, being at so great a distance from each other that even have to raise your voice to be heard.
of Course, the film’s Director Yevgeny Tatarsky came up with this “image” to a bit of a joke, poernichat over his noble character. However, in the current 2020 this joke looks very different: the two main characters of the film over dinner “in a public place” carefully “observe a safe social distance”!
Thanks to the memoirs of Eugene Markovich Tatar and other crew members can clarify some more offscreen shooting this “antiepidemical” scene.
it Turns out that the role of the Parisian luxury hotel was selected as one of the pre-revolutionary palaces in the seaside resort town of Gagra, on the territory of Abkhazia. Tatar and art Director of the movie Isaac Kaplan was impressed by the interiors of the Palace ceremonial hall, designed in the art Nouveau style.
During the work on the mise-EN-scene, there was a funny incident, which is later recalled Igor Dmitriev.
“We shot the scene with Oleg dal “eight”. This is when the dialogue is removed from behind first one and then the other actor. We’ve got Oleg’s and started me over his shoulder.
I turn to him: “Prince, I must avenge the death of his brother”.
And he is when the camera tells me: “Igor, you have bought us something for dinner? And then the shooting ends, we will have nothing to eat!”
“Stop! Wonderful!” – the Director said.
“What’s wonderful? You didn’t hear what Oleg had said?” I asked.
“Igor, you have a surprise so flashed eyes, you otherwise would never have played” – slyly said Further…”
a few curious moments connected with the creation of “the adventures of Prince Florizel”.
In his memoirs, Director Yevgeny Tatarsky described, which began work on this series.
“I went to the editor TV enterprises to play chess. Rearrange shapes and lying next to some scenario. I say: “by the Way, take read. Suggested one Director, but his script didn’t like”. I got very carried away. Removed tests which also nthe ikoma did not like, though removed those actors, who later played in the film. Kinoyalta said that Dahl’s empty eyes, and Igor Dmitriev was tired. However, about Banionis didn’t say anything, he was already a folk artist, a member of Parliament. I said, “If you know who to shoot, then take and remove themselves”. And I’ve had a couple of successes: for the short film I got the prize at the international festival in Munich, out the film “gold mine”, which was critically acclaimed. The upshot was that I was allowed to shoot…”
In the script combined the two to hold the famous pistes R. L. Stevenson, “the suicide Club” and “the Rajah’s Diamond”. However, at the behest of the filmmakers had made some pretty major adjustments.
Stevenson was Florizel Prince of Bohemia. Such a state once existed in Europe, and in the last century it was part of Czechoslovakia. However, not to “tease the geese” and “not to cast a shadow” on the friendly to the USSR a socialist country, showing extremely bizarre behavior of the crown Prince, E. Tatar replaced the real Bohemia fictional Bacardee (allegedly, this name was borrowed by them from the once very popular among the Moscow youth of Cuban rum “Bacardi”).
Director Yevgeny Tatarsky, and written by Edgar Dubrovsky and even made an “age castling” of the main characters. From Stevenson’s Prince Florizel is an overweight man very Mature age. But his partner on the adventure of Geraldine – a young man of 25. In the film all the way around.
the Action of the series takes place abroad – in England, in France, in America. Of course, no foreign business trips for the crew in those years and could not dream. So the whole “saharnica” filmed in the Soviet Union. – In Leningrad, Adler, Kaunas, Odessa… And the perfect surroundings for the residence and greenhouses of Prince found at Sochi arboretum.
For a little episode with a legal office in the middle of the American Prairie the filmmakers liked the nature in the vicinity of Pitsunda. Here, however, Tatar was waiting for unexpected difficulties. To the “filmmakers” was raided by the KGB and demanded to leave immediately off: turns, close to the popular they are heavily guarded government residence. It was necessary to conduct long negotiations with the KGB, which still was a success.
there were Many difficulties with the necessary props. For example, the master had a lot of trouble before they managed to manufacture of ordinary glass huge diamond “the Eye of light”, which is so fascinating shimmering faces in the frame.
a Very “tasty” addition to the stories of Robert Louis Stevenson did the filmmakers include in its series of events related to the identification of the Chair in his portrait, Mr.napisannomu in the style of cubism: “It’s Cellular – Nick Nicholson!” Portrait in which, with all the abstract images of recognizable performer of Donatas Banionis, was written by the art Director of the movie Isaac Kaplan. His authorship belong and a few “avant-garde” paintings that adorn the interiors Studio of one of the episodic characters of the film – artist Perkins, in which scenario come Florizel and Geraldine. As defined by meticulous “movie rassmatrivali”, seven years later, these paintings saved by prop studios was used for the filming of another cult film. – In one of a series about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson “the twentieth century begins” Kaplan paintings adorn the interiors of the house of the Lord Trelawney hope and his wife.
a ready-made series about Prince Florizel and his exciting adventures around the year not released on the screen. According to “top” for this there was good reason – and of a political nature. One of them was already mentioned in the beginning: the “wrong” name. However, after replacing “good” for the new film Yevgeny Tatarsky did not give. The wording was “churning”: “Picture cannot be displayed publicly due to the fact that the image of Prince Florizel artist Dale relishes the monarchical tradition.”
had to Evgeny Markovich of its titular main character slightly “debunk” with a narration containing humorous remarks. The text was written by the Director in the same breath – just a couple of hours. And to read it is the voice-over narration, according to Tatar, was out of his character by another lead role in the series – Igor Dmitriev.
the tactic worked. Claims in excess “of monarchical” could not get out, and “the adventures of Prince Florizel” finally saw the audience. It happened in January 1981.
