Seven Chekhov stories walk into a Soviet bar and nobody leaves sober.
Satirical comedy based on the notebooks and short stories by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov: "Romance with Double-Bass","On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco", "Misery", "Grateful", "Polinka", "The Cynic", "The Ninny".
Acting
Evgeni Leonov's tobacco monologue is masterclass pathetic.
Writing
Chekhov's dialogue sharpened to Soviet satirical edge.
Director
Mikhail Shveitser
Vladimir Basov
Smychkov
Natalya Vorobyova
Bibulova
Evgeni Leonov
Nyukhin
Ivan Lapikov
Iona
Pavel Pavlenko
Ivan Petrovich
Valentina Titova
Mariya Semyonovna
Viktor Sergachyov
Misha Bobov
Yelena Korolyova
Polinka
Leonid Kuravlyov
Nikolai Timofeyevich
Yuri Volyntsev
Syusin
Nikolai Sergeyev
Conductor
Igor Kashintsev
Writer
Vyacheslav Tikhonov
Head of the house
Zhanna Bolotova
Yuliya Vasilyevna
Viktor Kolpakov
Musician
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Evgeni Leonov performed his famous tobacco monologue in over 400 stage productions before filming it here.
The film was banned briefly for 'insufficient optimism'—classic Chekhov problem.
SU
