Jolly Fellows
Весёлые ребята
Synopsis
Merry Fellows was the first Soviet musical comedy. Set in Odessa and Moscow in the 1930s. Shepherd Kostya Potekhin is mistaken for an international concert star. He falls in love with Anyuta and plays the "star" for her. In a cascade of comic musical numbers he becomes the leader of a Jazz-Band and gives a hilarious show at the Odessa Music Hall. Now he is destined to perform at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
Top Cast
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Leonid Utyosov
Kostya Potekhin
Lyubov Orlova
Anyuta, the housemaid
Mariya Strelkova
Yelena, child of the Foreign Trade Union
Fyodor Kurikhin
Mortician
Emmanuil Geller
Music-hall audience member (uncredited)
Yelena Tyapkina
Anyuta's stepmother
Niki Otto
Musician, fight instigator
Arnold Arnold
Fraschini, the conductor from Paraguay
Robert Erdman
German music teacher
Release History & Theatrical Window
March 24, 1935
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Grigori Aleksandrov
- Screenplay & Story
- Grigori Aleksandrov, Vladimir Mass, Nikolay Erdman, Vasilii Lebedev-Kumach
- Original Score
- Isaak Dunayevsky
- Original Title
- Весёлые ребята
- Country of Origin
- Soviet Union
- Spoken Languages
- Russian
- Runtime
- 1h 36m
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Grigori Aleksandrov
Grigori Aleksandrov, Vladimir Mass, Nikolay Erdman, Vasilii Lebedev-Kumach
Isaak Dunayevsky
Vladimir Nilsen
Esfir Tobak
Isaak Zayonts
Department Leadership Roster
Grigori Aleksandrov
Director
Grigori Aleksandrov
Writer
Vladimir Mass
Writer
Nikolay Erdman
Writer
Esfir Tobak
Editor
Vladimir Nilsen
Director of Photography
Isaak Dunayevsky
Original Music Composer
Aleksei Utkin
Production Design
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Jolly Fellows.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Jolly Fellows.
Soviet Movies With English Subtitles
Musicals
Every film Wikidata tags as a musical film.
Mosfilm
Every film Wikidata credits to Mosfilm, 1924 to present.
MovieLens[20K:30K]
Russian Guild of Film Critics's Best 100 Russian Films
100 Best Russian Films: Empire Russia's Readers' Choice
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Frequently Asked Questions About Jolly Fellows
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Jolly Fellows about?
Merry Fellows was the first Soviet musical comedy. Set in Odessa and Moscow in the 1930s. Shepherd Kostya Potekhin is mistaken for an international concert star. He falls in love with Anyuta and plays the "star" for her. In a cascade of comic musical numbers he becomes the leader of a Jazz-Band and gives a hilarious show at the Odessa Music Hall. Now he is destined to perform at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
Who directed Jolly Fellows?
Jolly Fellows was directed by Grigori Aleksandrov.
Who stars in Jolly Fellows?
The principal cast of Jolly Fellows includes Leonid Utyosov, Lyubov Orlova, Mariya Strelkova, Fyodor Kurikhin, Emmanuil Geller.
When was Jolly Fellows released and how long is it?
Jolly Fellows was released in 1934 with a total runtime of 1h 36m.
Who composed the musical score for Jolly Fellows?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Jolly Fellows was composed by Isaak Dunayevsky.