NEVSKIYE MELODII (THE NEVA TUNES)

The picture features a young designer embarking on composing a merry musical revue with some friends of his, and the results of his efforts.

Winter. At a tiny railway station where inter-city trains pause for no more than a couple of minutes, the old horse driver Marushkin meets Lyusya Krechetova, the new agronomist fresh from the institute. At first she curiously takes in the new people and the new environment, but in no time at all she becomes irritated by such small things as the lights going out, the missing supply of water...

She doesn't notice the intensity of work displayed by her new acquaintances: the young postwoman, her co-student gardener in love with her, the new Collective Farm Chairman, the old man Marushkin who feels in charge of the district.

Thinking and caring of nothing but her personal well-being, which is not going to be achieved here, Lyusya abandons everything and leaves.

Where to?

501 POVEST O MOLODOZHONAKH (A STORY OF NEWLYWEDS)

1959, 82 min., color

Melodrama

Director: Sergey Sidelev, screenplay: Alexander Khazin, camera: Mikhail Magid, Lev Sokolsky, production designer: Yevgeny Yeney, misic: Vasily Solovyev-Sedoy, sound: Lev Valter

Cast: Vera Pashennaya, Tatyana Peltser, Kyunna Ignatova, Svetlana Zhgun, Anatoly Kuznetsov, Yevgeny Leonov, Alisa Freindlich, Kirill Lavrov, Sergey Yursky

The building on the Neva bank forever remains home for all who grew up there. It is the annual meeting place of the former charges of the orphanage. One of them, coming to meet the headmistress Olga Nikolaievna, is Shura, accompanied by her husband. Her long-time friends gave the newlyweds a warm welcome and wished them happiness. Yet, in a short while a silly quarrel drove the young couple apart. One couldn't be sure of the outcome, but luckily Shura came to see her friends in the building on the Neva.

Based on a novel of the same title by Mikhail Sholokhov.

Victor Tuz was crazy about art and loved to sing, but for the lack of other candidates the Collective Farm Chairman Trofimov sent him to be trained as a mechanic. Trofimov's own daughter Liza doesn't like rural life, dreaming of the city. Kostya Lastochkin is an excellent mechanic, but he comes home only on vacations, still due to complete his term in the Army. Everyone in Lukashi welcomes the young lieutenant who is clever with his hands. The nice modest girl Katya is especially appreciative of his visits.

The picture features the life story of the prominent 19th century Osset poet Kosta Khetagurov.

Aunt Lusha has been holding the position of Collective Farm Chairman for a dozen years. She has done a lot for her co-villagers. It is harvest season, but the driver wants to quit and go to work at the Machine/Tractor Maintenance Shop, the district authorities won't allocate a thrasher, and it is time to get the animal farm ready for winter. All the decisions pending are urgent and cannot be delayed. Thus, in caring about her work and about other people, has Lusha's youth slipped away. Perhaps it is time to think of herself? Especially since Aunt Lusha's old age is still quite a long way off....

Loosely based on a short story of the same title by Sergey Antonov.

506 CHOLPON-UTRENNYAYA ZVEZDA (CHOLPON — THE MORNING STAR)

1959, 76 min., color

Filmed ballet

Director: Roman Tikhomirov, screenplay: Isaac Menaker, Nurdin Tugelov, Apollinary Dudko, Roman Tikhomirov, camera: Apollinary Dudko, production designer: Alexander Black, misic: Mikhail Rauhverger, sound: Yevgeny Nesterov

Cast: Reyna Chokoyeva, Uran Sarbagishev, Nurdin Tugelov, Bibisara Beyshenaliyeva, Sapar Abduzhalilov

A filmed ballet starring actors of the Kirghiz State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Both the ballet and the picture are based on a Kirghiz folk legend.

507 SHINEL (THE GREATCOAT)

1959, 75 min., color

Drama

Director: Alexei Batalov, screenplay: Leonid Solovyev, camera: Heinrich Marandzhyan, production designer: Bella Manevich, misic: Nikolai Sidelnikov, sound: Arnold Shargorodsky

Cast: Rolan Bykov, Yuri Tolubeyev, A. Yezhkina, Yelena Ponsova, Georgy Teikh, Nina Urgant, Alexander Sokolov

Based on a story of the same title by Nikolai Gogol filmed to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the writer's birth.

Based on a short story by Alexander Kuprin

Based on a novel by Nikolai Chukovsky dealing with the heroic battle for Leningrad besieged by the Nazis during the days of World War II.

Story of a hairdresser Gushchak who after long wanderings around the world returns to his native village. At first, he finds it difficult to

adapt to the new situation. But as time passes Gushchak feels the

kindness and care of people around him, and he becomes a full and equal member of the community.

Based on a short story by Anton Chekhov.

• 
  The film was awarded the Special Premium for Humanism of the International Film Festival in Cannes, France (1960).
  
• 
  The actress Iya Savvina was honored the Special Premium of the International Film Festival in Cannes, France (1960).
  

The young heroine of the film is deceived by the man she loves and has lost faith in people's decency. But the warm and loving care of her teacher allows her to regain faith in people.

After five months of work on a trawler in the ocean, Stepan Lezhnev

decides to spend his leave in his native village. After gathering

with friends and relatives, participating in solving the small and

major problems of the collective farm, Stepan wants to stay in the

village forever.

Professor Severtsev, a talented surgeon, looses both legs in an accident in order to save the life of a child. It seems that he will never again be able to work as a surgeon. However, his friends, ex-patients, and the love of a faithful and devoted woman allow him to regain confidence in himself and return to his work.

Based on a novel of the same title by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

A young working girl falls into the hands of a religious sect. Only the timely help and support of her friends allow the girl to return back to normal life.

Screen version of Arthur Miller's play “Death of a Salesman”.

Willy Loman had been working for the company for more than thirty years. He is over sixty. The young owner of “Wagner and Co.” fires the old salesman who can no longer carry out his work well. The two sons of the hero do not live up to his expectations, they do not want to support their father and mother who are getting old. The hero of the film believes that life has no meaning any longer, and the only one way out of this situation is to collect the life insurance money by taking his own life.

518 OSTOROZHNO, BABUSHKA! (BEWARE OF GRANDMOTHER!)

1960, 80 min., color

Comedy

Director: Nadezhda Kosheverova, screenplay: Konstantin Isayev, camera: Semyon Ivanov, production designers: Yevgeny Yeney, Mikhail Ivanov, misic: Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi, sound: Ilya Volk

Cast: Faina Ranevskaya, Ariadna Shengelaya, Lyudmila Markeliya, Svetlana Kharitonova, Nina Urgant, Yuly Panich, Leonid Bykov, Sergei Filippov

Lena is the director of the new municipal cultural center. The construction of the center is still under way, but amateur theatrical companies have already began their rehearsals. Local bureaucrats do not see much use in the project and suspend the construction. Lena's grandmother finds out about her granddaughter's troubles and energetically takes the matter in her hands. She summons old men and women from all over the town and soon the construction work is in full swing.

Adaptation of Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s opera based on a novel by Alexander Pushkin

Screen version of a story by A. Chuzhmir

A renowned sportsman, champion in skating, Alexei Streshnev, realizes that his time is gone and it would be better to leave the ice track before he suffers a defeat. His fellow sportsmen and his wife are against this decision and, most important, he is the main rival of his ex-pupil, a promising young athlete Vasily Kurbatov. Streshnev sacrifices his reputation of an undefeated champion and helps a young sportsman to set a new record.

Film version of a theatrical production based on Henry Fielding's Comedy

Two friends Valya and Slava invent an exciting game for children from their neighborhood. They pretend to be the crew on 'battleship' which is in fact an old deserted barn. Children are eager to do something really useful. One day they get a letter from their older friend. He is participating in the cultivation of virgin farm land and complains that there are not enough good tractors. The children now find a serious occupation for themselves.They start collecting scrap metal which can be used for building a new tractor. They make use of everything — even the long forgotten sunk barge.

Ballet miniatures performed by ballet dancers of Leningrad theatres.

Among his friends and colleagues Ivan Kondakov has the reputation of a crazy fanatic, always inventing fantastic machines and gadgets. A local newspaper mocks him in a satiric story. Caricatures on him are posted on the bulletin board at the mine where he works.

Colleagues react to his latest project, which is a mining combine, with ironic smiles. Only Nina, a new worker at the mine, supports Ivan. Her confidence in his creative power allows Ivan to overcome all the obstacles and to become a success.

526 CHUZHAYA BEDA (SOMEONE ELSE'S TROUBLE)

1960, 84 min., color

Drama

Director: Jan Frid, screenplay: Grigory Baklanov, camera: Veniamin Levitin, production designer: Nikolai Suvorov, music: Dmitry Tolstoy, sound: Vladimir Yakovlev

Cast: Mikhail Kuznetsov, Liliya Gritsenko, Dzidra Ritenbergs, Viktor Khokhryakov, Arkady Trusov, Pavel Kalashnikov

Something has changed in the life of Fyodor Denisov, the chairman of the collective farm. He is not getting along with people. People are saying that he wants to have things his way, that he does not discuss collective farm affairs with other people, and that he does not care about other people's troubles. His family life collapses. He falls for another woman, Alexandra. He deserts his family and leaves his job. But one day there is a knock at the door. Trouble has come! Now it is not the time to remember old offences.

Screen version of the well-known play “ The Fox and the Grapes” by G. Figeiredo produced by the Gorky Bolshoy Drama Theatre.

The test pilot, Kazantsev, perishes during the flight of a experimental aircraft-lab called “Cyclone”. Before he crashed he several times reported a strange phenomenon — a luminescent object flying at high altitude and at high speed. However, tracking devices did not record the phenomenon, and the flight command center regarded it as an illusion of the pilot.

After the tragic death of Kazantsev, his friend and colleague, Baikalov, takes the decision to continue testing the aircraft.

And again the flight command center is getting information about the strange phenomenon…