Jolly Fellows (1934)

6.996 minDirector: Grigori Aleksandrov

1934 film by Grigori Aleksandrov

Jolly Fellows (Russian: Весёлые ребята, romanized: Vesyolye rebyata), also translated as Happy-Go-Lucky Guys, Moscow Laughs and Jazz Comedy, is a 1934 Soviet musical film, directed by Grigori Aleksandrov and starring his wife Lyubov Orlova, a gifted singer and the first recognized star of Soviet cinema.

The script was written by Aleksandrov, Vladimir Mass, and Nikolai Erdman (whose father briefly appears on screen as a German music teacher). It features several songs which instantly became classics across the Soviet Union. The most famous song — "Kak mnogo devushek khoroshikh" (Such a lot of nice girls) — enjoyed international fame, covered as "Serdtse" (Heart) by Pyotr Leshchenko. Music was by Isaak Dunayevsky, the lyrics were written by the Soviet poet Vasily Lebedev-Kumach.

Both Orlova and her co-star, the jazz singer and comic actor Leonid Utyosov, were propelled to stardom after this movie.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is Jolly Fellows about?
Jolly Fellows (1934) — Merry Fellows was the first Soviet musical comedy. Set in Odessa and Moscow in the 1930's. Shepherd Kostya Potekhin (Utyosov) is mistaken for an international concert star. He falls in love with Anyuta (Orlova) and plays the "star" for her. In a cascade of comic musical numbers h
Is Jolly Fellows based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is Jolly Fellows scary?
Content rating: . See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.