The coming year marks the 65th anniversary of the first Soviet New Year musical "Carnival Night", which immediately became the leader of the Soviet film distribution in 1956 with a total of 48.64 million tickets sold, and was instantly dismantled by viewers for quotes.
The success of the sparkling comedy was ensured by a whole constellation of brilliant talents, among which were already famous Igor Ilyinsky, Vladimir Zeldin, Sergey Filippov, and future stars, first of all, Lyudmila Gurchenko, for whom the role of Lenochka Krylova became the second after her debut in the film "The Road of Truth".
For director Eldar Ryazanov, Carnival Night was the first independent feature film to be released on the big screen. It is interesting that young Ryazanov, who dreamed of dramas and tragedies, for a long time refused to shoot a frivolous comedy. Fortunately, "Mosfilm" was then directed by Ivan Pyriev, who helped the novice filmmaker in every possible way and did not let him leave the project. Pyryev also personally supervised the creation of songs for Carnival Night.
Lyudmila Gurchenko was not immediately approved for the main role in the film. At first, she failed her tests due to the fault of an inexperienced operator who picked up her clothes incorrectly and turned on the light. As a result, the artistic council approved the candidacy of actress Lyudmila Kasyanova for the role of Lenochka Krylova.
But already on the third day of filming, Eldar Ryazanov and Ivan Pyryev realized that Kasyanov was not suitable for this role. By chance, Pyriev caught sight of Gurchenko in the corridors of Mosfilm, and he immediately brought her to the set, where this time they again conducted a professional test, which allowed the actress to be approved.
In general, the future main star of "Carnival Night" Lyudmila Gurchenko Ryazanov considered "too mannered", and Pyryev - too "grimacing": they were only dissuaded by the wild success that the leading actress brought to the picture.
The soundtrack of "Carnival Night" includes several wonderful songs, of which the composition "Five Minutes", under which the film ends, became a New Year's hit. The lyrics of the song were written by Vladimir Livshits, and the music was composed by the composer Anatols Liepinsh (in the credits he is named Anatoly Lepin), the author of the anthem of the Latvian SSR and several hundred other works.
The history of the creation of the famous song is another interesting fact associated with "Carnival Night". First, the director, composer and poet came up with a theme for the song and decided to describe in the text what can be done in five minutes. Then the idea arose to start a concert number five minutes before the beginning of the New Year, after which they naturally came up with the idea that the song should last five minutes and end with the chimes.
Professionals Liepinsh (Lepin) and Livshits quickly brought the music and lyrics in line with their plans, and Ryazanov and the artists decided to make the scenery in the form of a giant alarm clock, showing at five to twelve at the beginning of the song. The musicians of the Eddie Rosner Orchestra were on the dial, the famous drummer Boris Matveev was on the bell button, and Gurchenko came out of the clock and performed this song in the hall, among the audience. By the way, the musicians of Rosner, who played the song in the film, did not like the work at all at first - it seemed to them too old-fashioned.
But later, "Five Minutes" or "A Song of Five Minutes" became an invariable soundtrack for New Year's celebrations, and after Lyudmila Gurchenko, dozens of performers recorded cover versions of the composition. To this day, the legendary film "Carnival Night", along with "The Irony of Fate", is the most important attribute of New Year's holidays in the post-Soviet space.
And one more interesting fact: 50 years later, in 2007, Eldar Ryazanov filmed a sequel – “Carnival Night 2, or 50 years later” where Lyudmila Gurchenko and Vladimir Zeldin took part.
Lyudmila Gurchenko was not immediately approved for the main role in the film. At first, she failed her tests due to the fault of an inexperienced operator who picked up her clothes incorrectly and turned on the light. As a result, the artistic council approved the candidacy of actress Lyudmila Kasyanova for the role of Lenochka Krylova.
But already on the third day of filming, Eldar Ryazanov and Ivan Pyryev realized that Kasyanov was not suitable for this role. By chance, Pyriev caught sight of Gurchenko in the corridors of Mosfilm, and he immediately brought her to the set, where this time they again conducted a professional test, which allowed the actress to be approved.
In general, the future main star of "Carnival Night" Lyudmila Gurchenko Ryazanov considered "too mannered", and Pyryev - too "grimacing": they were only dissuaded by the wild success that the leading actress brought to the picture.
The soundtrack of "Carnival Night" includes several wonderful songs, of which the composition "Five Minutes", under which the film ends, became a New Year's hit. The lyrics of the song were written by Vladimir Livshits, and the music was composed by the composer Anatols Liepinsh (in the credits he is named Anatoly Lepin), the author of the anthem of the Latvian SSR and several hundred other works.
The history of the creation of the famous song is another interesting fact associated with "Carnival Night". First, the director, composer and poet came up with a theme for the song and decided to describe in the text what can be done in five minutes. Then the idea arose to start a concert number five minutes before the beginning of the New Year, after which they naturally came up with the idea that the song should last five minutes and end with the chimes.
Professionals Liepinsh (Lepin) and Livshits quickly brought the music and lyrics in line with their plans, and Ryazanov and the artists decided to make the scenery in the form of a giant alarm clock, showing at five to twelve at the beginning of the song. The musicians of the Eddie Rosner Orchestra were on the dial, the famous drummer Boris Matveev was on the bell button, and Gurchenko came out of the clock and performed this song in the hall, among the audience. By the way, the musicians of Rosner, who played the song in the film, did not like the work at all at first - it seemed to them too old-fashioned.
But later, "Five Minutes" or "A Song of Five Minutes" became an invariable soundtrack for New Year's celebrations, and after Lyudmila Gurchenko, dozens of performers recorded cover versions of the composition. To this day, the legendary film "Carnival Night", along with "The Irony of Fate", is the most important attribute of New Year's holidays in the post-Soviet space.
And one more interesting fact: 50 years later, in 2007, Eldar Ryazanov filmed a sequel – “Carnival Night 2, or 50 years later” where Lyudmila Gurchenko and Vladimir Zeldin took part.
