10 Soviet musical films the whole country sang along to (VIDEO)
These soundtracks are still often played on Russian radio stations and the movies themselves are watched over and over, even by those who never lived in the USSR.
1. ‘Jolly Fellows’, 1934
The USSR's first musical comedy and a triumph for Soviet cinema diva Lyubov Orlova, the film directed by Grigori Aleksandrov is about the adventures of a shepherd named Kostya (Leonid Utesov), who becomes the conductor of a jazz orchestra, and Anna (Lyubov Orlova), a servant girl, who becomes a singer.
Songs from the movie are even taught in music lessons at school.
2. ‘Carnival Night’, 1956
It's impossible to imagine New Year's Eve in Russia without Eldar Ryazanov's comedy 'Carnival Night' starring Lyudmila Gurchenko.
The employees of a House of Culture are preparing a varied program for a New Year's Eve party, including dancing, singing, magic tricks and stand-up comedians. But, the director wants to turn the party into a serious event with lectures by scientists. The young employees, however, have other ideas…
3. ‘Heavenly Swallows’, 1976
The musical comedy by Leonid Kvinikhidze was adapted from 'Mam'zelle Nitouche', an 1883 French vaudeville-operetta. Girls from the Heavenly Swallows boarding school are taught good manners under the supervision of nuns. The main heroine, Denise (Iya Ninidze), dreams about a stage career. She learns that the singing teacher at the school (Andrei Mironov) leads a double life: In his free time, he composes music for lighthearted theater productions and his favorite actress, Korina (Lyudmila Gurchenko).
One day, Denise receives a letter from her parents who expect her to come to Paris to be married off. The teacher is entrusted with accompanying the girl on the train. And then adventures await them at every turn.
4. ‘Ma-ma’ (Rock'n'Roll Wolf), 1976
You may have heard of the fairy tale about the wolf and the young goats. The mother goat goes out, telling her seven kids not to open the door to the wolf. However, the wolf changes his voice, pretending to be a goat.
In the Soviet-Romanian-French co-production of 'Ma-ma', the fairy tale was turned into a real musical with singing and dancing. The role of the mother goat was brilliantly played by Lyudmila Gurchenko, while Mikhail Boyarsky starred as the wolf.
5. ‘Oh, Vaudeville, Vaudeville’, 1979
A song about a fortune teller who will always "find at least one customer" became popular, thanks to this musical movie by director Georgi Yungvald-Khilkevich. The film tells the story of the daughter of a theater actor, who wants to marry her off against her will. She, however, also wants to star on the stage! And, in order to fool her potential spouse, she changes her appearance all the time.
Her dream eventually comes true and she becomes an actress. Many years later, her daughter wants to follow in her footsteps, but she tries to persuade her to choose a different vocation.
6. ‘Higher than Rainbow’, 1980
A musical fairy tale about a Soviet schoolboy, who writes verses and songs and dreams of being better than everyone else at the high jump in gym class. It's a fairy tale, because a sorceress named Sirena appears and makes his wish come true, but on condition that he never tells a lie.
The songs from the film are familiar even to those who have never even seen it. The widely celebrated musical performers Vladimir Presnyakov Jr., Mikhail Boyarsky and Alla Pugacheva all sing in the film. And these songs are popular even today!
7. ‘Carnival’, 1981
A musical film about a girl from the sticks (played by Irina Muravyova), who dreams of "training to be a performer" and leaves to conquer Moscow. She fails her exams, but stays on to try to be accepted the following year. Meanwhile, she has to spend the whole year looking for ways to maintain herself. Her dream comes a little closer when she gets a job in a variety theater. One day, she goes on stage in a walk-on part to replace someone who is ill, but her performance is a disaster.
In the film, scenes from her difficult real life alternate with dreams of her singing and members of the audience rapturously applauding and, by the end, it is difficult to know whether she really did become a performer or whether it's all just her imagination.
8. ‘Sorcerers’, 1982
A fantasy musical film written by the Strugatsky brothers. The story begins a couple of days before New Year at a research institute devoted to the study of magic. The staff are developing a magic wand and are expecting the arrival of a certification committee that is to approve the wand's production for the public. A New Year banquet with songs and dancing is being organized for the committee, but a "love plot" suddenly takes center stage. In a fit of jealousy, one of the female workers turns a co-worker into a witch with a "cold heart". Only a beloved's kiss can lift the spell. And naturally a New Year miracle is bound to happen. Meanwhile, the committee turns up…
9. ‘Mary Poppins, Goodbye’, 1983
Another made-for-TV movie by Leonid Kvinikhidze that became a real musical classic. It was inspired by the Pamela Travers books about the famous nanny Mary Poppins (played in the film by Natalya Andreychenko). The music was written by Maksim Dunayevsky, one of the most eminent Soviet composers, and the songs are played on radio stations up and down the country to this day!
10. ‘We are from Jazz’, 1983
The film is set in the early days of the Soviet Union, in the mid-1920s. It was a time when jazz was reverberating around the world. Young Komsomol member Kostya Ivanov from Odessa also dreams of setting up his own jazz band. He sets off for Moscow along with several other musicians. But just when they achieve fame, the USSR bans jazz. The film ends with a meeting of the old friends several decades later.
It was one of the most successful movies of its period. In a single year, more than 17 million watched it and, eventually, it went on to be screened in 46 countries!
