Creative association Ecran (Screen)
What an Absent-Minded Person (Children's poem, S. Marshak, 1930)
written by Vladimir Golovanov directed by Marianna Novogrudskaya music Aleksey Rybnikov
art director Galina Beda cameraman Ernest Gaman
Sound O. Solomonov Editor G. Drobinina
Workers on the film: A.Zyablikova, V.Shulenin, M.Zolova, I.Degtyareva, I.Mednik, N.Alehina, G.Fyodorova O.Pryanishnikova, V.Medzhibobskiy, A.Timofeyevskiy
Narrators: Aleksandr Livshits, Aleksandr Levenbuk
There lived an absent-minded person
on Basseyenaya Street.
In the morning he sat on the bed,
and began putting on his shirt,
put the arms into the sleeves -
they turned out to be trousers.
When he wanted to put on a coat
they told him: "Wrong one!"
When he wanted to squeeze into gaiters
They said: "These are someone else's!"
Instead of a cap, while walking,
He put a skillet on his head.
Instead of felt boots he squeezed on gloves
over his heels.
What an absent minded person
from Basseyenaya Street!
One day on the streetcar
he was going to the station
and, as he opened the doors,
said to the driver:
"My most dearest
wagondriv-earest!
Wagon-dearest.
most driv-earest!
Whatever else might happen,
I must get off right here.
Isn't it possible to stop the
straincar at the steention?"
The driver was most baffled -
and the street car stopped.
What an absent minded person
from Basseyenaya Street!
He went to the bar
to buy a ticket for himself.
And then ran to the ticket booth
to buy a bottle of kvass.
What an absent-minded person
from Basseyenaya Street!
He ran onto the platform
and climbed into a detached wagon,
brought his bags and suitcases inside,
crammed 'em under the seats,
sat down in a corner in front of the window,
and had a quiet sleep...
"What stop is this?"
he called early in the morning
and from the platform he was told
"That is the city of Leningrad!"
He slept a bit again
and again looked out of the window,
saw a big station,
scratched his head and said:
"What stop is this -
Bologoye or Popovka?"
And from the platform he was told:
"This is the city of Leningrad."
He slept a bit again
and again looked out of the window,
saw a big station,
stretched, and said:
"What station is this -
Dibuny or Yamskaya?"
and from the platform he was told
"This is the city of Leningrad."
He shouted: "What kind of joke is this?!
I've traveled for two days already
and have come back here,
back to Leningrad?!"
MOSCOW / LENINGRAD
What an absent minded person
from Basseyenaya Street!
The End Translated by NatBrown, ed. by Niffiwan, original timings by Eus