Lyotchiki

Lyotchiki (Russian: Лётчики, romanized: Lyotchiki: ) (aka Men on Wings and The Pilots) is a 1935 Soviet drama film directed by Yuli Raizman and Grigori Levkoyev.[1] Maxim Gorky called him among the best Soviet filmmakers of that time.[2]

The Pilots
Film poster
Russian: Лётчики
Directed by
Written byAleksandr Macheret
Starring
CinematographyLeonid Kosmatov
Music byNikolai Kryukov
Production
company
Distributed byMosfilm
Release dates
  • 24 April 1935 (1935-04-24) (Russia)
  • 10 May 1935 (1935-05-10) (USA)
Running time
80 min.
CountrySoviet Union
LanguageRussian

Plot

School Commander Nikolai Rogachyov (Boris Shchukin) and famous aerobatic pilot, is in charge of a civilian flying school in Russia. Pilot Sergei Belyaev (Ivan Koval-Samborsky), showing recklessness trying to emulate the test pilot Valery Chkalov), crashes the aircraft assigned to him.

Student flight school Galya Bystrova (Yevgenia Melnikova), who likes Belyaev, unfortunately, seeks to imitate him in the air. Commander Rogachyov falls for young student pilot Gayla, but their difference in age prevents him from declaring his love.

Rogachyov teaches that discipline in the air is necessary to survive as a pilot. Finally, that message begins to make sense to Sergei and Gayla.

Cast
  • Ivan Koval-Samborsky as Student Commander Sergei Belyaev
  • Yevgenia Melnikova as Flight School Student Galya Bystrova
  • Aleksandr Chistyakov as Senior Mechanic Ivan Matveyevich Khrushchev
  • Boris Shchukin as Flight School Commander Nikolai Rogachyov
  • Grigori Levkoyev as Doctor at airfield (uncredited)
  • Inna Fyodorova as Medical attendant (uncredited)
  • Zoya Fyodorova as Nurse (uncredited)
  • Nikolai Khryashchikov as Appearing (uncredited)
  • Maria Klyuchareva as Sanitary (uncredited)
  • Ivan Kobozev as Pilot Kobozev (uncredited)[3]

Production

Principal photography for Lyotchiki took place in 1935 on the outskirts of Voronezh, on the airfield (now Holzunov Street in the Northern residential area).[4][N 1]

Reception

Under the title, The Pilots, Lyotchiki was released worldwide, while in the United States, it was re-titled Men on Wings. Aviation film historian James H, Farmer in Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation (1984) described the film's "poor production values."[5] Aviation film historian Stephen Pendo in Aviation in the Cinema (1985) had a similar opinion, noting, "unexciting flying scenes."[6]

in the Soviet films of the time, Lyotchiki was considered a classic.[7]

References

Notes
  1. Lyotchiki was a "state-sponsored export" from the Soviet Union.[5]

Citations
  1. Kherson 1954, p. 161.
  2. Ryabchikova, Natalia. "Сталин и «Великий диктатор»: "Какие фильмы нравились вождю (ru); Stalin and the “Great Dictator”: What films did the leader like?." KinoPoisk, 5 March 2018. Retrieved: 14 July 2019.
  3. Лётчики (1935) Full Cast & Crew
  4. Podyablonskaya, Tatyana. "Год кино: 25 фильмов, снятых на воронежской земле (ru); "Year of cinema: 25 films shot in Voronezh land ." Komsomolskaya Pravda, 28 June 2018. Retrieved: 14 July 2019.
  5. Farmer 1984, p. 320.
  6. Pendo 1985, p. 14.
  7. Firsova, Katrina."Что смотреть у советских режиссёров. (ru); What to watch from Soviet directors." the-village.ru, 22 October 2015. Retrieved: 14 July 2019.

Bibliography
  • Farmer, James H. Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: Tab Books Inc., 1984. ISBN 978-0-83062-374-7.
  • Kherson, Chrysanth. Boris Shchukin: The Path of the Actor. 1954.
  • Pendo, Stephen. Aviation in the Cinema. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. ISBN 0-8-1081-746-2.
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