Soyuzmultfilm 1954
After the short story by A.P. Chekhov
At a Summer Villa
written & directed by Grigoriy Lomidze
art directors Leonid Aristov, O. Novozonov composer Nikita Bogoslovskiy
camera Iosif Golomb sound Georgiy Martynyuk assistant director A. Vasilyeva
assistant art V. Grohotov assistant camera B. Kotov montage L. Sazonova
puppets & decor. Head artist: Roman Gurov others: N. Solntsev, V. Kuranov, V. Cherkinskaya, Oleg Masainov, Ye. Kolcheva,
L. Zhukova, E. Kalyazina, A. Filasov, G. Lyutinskiy, Ye. Pastushkova, K. Rusanova, Ye. Zhukov, Z. Zaks,
production director B. Burlakov
puppet animators: V. Kusov (Pavel Ivanovich) V. Shiyan (his Wife), V. Poprykin (Mitya) In episodes: A. Mironova, S. Kudrin
[The Petersburg Paper]
[How to Pickle Cucumbers]
"I love you! You are my life, my happiness — everything to me!
Forgive the avowal, but I have not the strength to suffer and be silent.
Be at the old arbour at eight o'clock this evening.
I am young, nice-looking!!.."
Oh! What devilry is this?
A silly letter.
"I love you...", huh...
Huh! A nice boy she has pitched on!
I got over all such romances and fleurs d'amour years ago, my girl...
Well, these women are a set!
What a whirligig — God forgive us!
— she must be to write a letter like that to a stranger,
and a married man, too!
The girl must be extremely young and romantic
- Pavel Ivanovich! - Ah?
Pavel Ivanovich!
[July 7, Wednesday]
You're not asleep?
No.
What are you thinking about?
Oh... my head aches a little...
- It aches? - Yes.
To tell the truth, honestly
I am not so old and plain...
...that no one could fall in love with me.
But yet it would be interesting to know
who wrote it,
Beginning two days ago, while walking among the summer villas,
I have several times been met by a fair young lady
in a light blue dress.
She...
Oh, no. It can't be...
But then...
I daresay she is expecting me to come!
How silly!
I shan't go, though...
Bother her!
If I weren't married it would be all right...
Though... for once in my life, it would do no harm to have the experience.
And my wife?
What will it matter to her?
Thank God, I've had 8 years of irreproachable duty!
Enough of her!
It's positively vexatious...
I'm ready to go to spite her!
Cuckoo!
Is it...
Is it you?
Yes.
It is I.
Likewise.
Excuse me, mister,
but might I ask you to leave me alone?
I am thinking over the dissertation for my degree...
...and the presence of anybody else prevents my thinking.
You had better go somewhere in a dark avenue...
It's easier to think in the open air.
And, besides... er...
I should like to have a little sleep here on this seat...
It's not so hot here.
You, mister,
want to sleep,
but it's a question of my dissertation...
The dissertation is more important.
Mitya!
Come, I beg you, Mitya!
You are younger and ought to consider me...
Go! Go away!
I don't know why you keep on so!
I've said I won't go, and I won't.
She is gone!...
She saw that blackguard and fled!
It's all spoilt!
You're a beast, a low brute and a blackguard! Phooey!
Once in a lifetime such a chance has turned up, and then it's been prevented!
The floors have already been scrubbed,
Huh? What floors are these?
What floors are these?!! Huh?!
It's only silly fools who laugh for nothing!
We had to scrub the rooms out this evening,
and how could we get you out of the house?
I didn't want you to be dull in the arbour,
so I sent the same letter to Mitya too!
Tss!
Wipe your feet!
The End Translation by Constance Garnett, subs by Lemicnor, Eus, Niffiwan (2015/2022)