Dvenadtsataya noch (1955)

Directors:

A. Abramov
Yan Frid

Writers:

Yan Frid (writer)
William Shakespeare (play)

Release Date:

3 March 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

William Shakespeare | Shakespeare's Twelfth Night | Shakespeare | Based On Play

Cast

Klara Luchko	...	Viola / Sebastian
Alla Larionova	...	Olivia
Vadim Medvedev	...	Duke Orsino
Mikhail Yanshin	...	Sir Toby Belch
Georgi Vitsin	...	Sir Andrew Aguecheek
Vasili Merkuryev	...	Malvolio
Bruno Frejndlikh	...	Feste
Sergei Filippov	...	Fabian
Anna Lisyanskaya	...	Maria
Nina Urgant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Aleksandr Antonov	...	Sea Captain
Sergei Lukyanov	...	Antonio

Directed by
A. Abramov
Yan Frid

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Yan Frid		writer
William Shakespeare		play "Twelfth Night"

Produced by
Yan Frid	....	producer

Original Music by
Aleksei Zhivotov		(as A. Zhivotov)

Cinematography by
Yevgeni Shapiro		(as Ye. Shapiro)

Production Design by
Semyon Malkin

Sound Department
Boris Khutoryansky	....	sound

Production Companies

• Lenfilm Studio

Distributors

• Artkino Pictures (USA) (subtitled)

Also Known As:

Twelfth Night

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Color:

Color (Magicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Lenfilm Studio

Movie Connections:

Remade as "Shakespeare: The Animated Tales: Twelfth Night (#1.6)" (1992)

The way to film Shakespeare

When I stumbled on the title in imdb.com, I was pained to see that the brilliant film was still awaiting 5 (five!) votes. It has dazzling ensemble of actors and actresses in it. To start with, as the film was made in the 50-s, the era of beauties on the screen, it stars Alla Larionova, a ravishing beauty with a cascade of golden hair, Klara Luchko, Vadim Medvedev. But though just to see such beautiful people is a feast for the eye, their participation is not the greatest attraction of the film. Yanshin, Vitsin and Merkuryev - they are the marvellous trio that is absolutely unforgettable. If they had never played another part in all their lives, after playing in this film they would have become immortal as actors. Their performance is witty, boysterous, playful. In one word, I will always see the three characters in my mind's eye the way they were played by the three great actors. The film crew managed to convey that playful irreality of Shakespeare when life is stranger than fiction, when everything is not what it seems. I think that had the film been known to the Western public it could have been given a bunch of Oscars even now. At least as a tribute to great actors.