AN HOUR WITH CHEKHOV (1929) Mikhail Tarkhanov, Mariya Strelkova & N. Shcherbakov |Comedy|Retro Movie

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An Hour with Chekhov (Russian: Чины и люди, romanized: Chini i lyudi, English: Ranks and People) is a 1929 Soviet anthology film directed by Yakov Protazanov and Mikhail Doller based on three short stories written by Anton Chekhov; "Anna on the Neck", "The Death of a Government Clerk", "The Chameleon" and dedicated to the 25th anniversary of his death.

Synopsis:

The first novella of the anthology – "Anna on the Neck" – is the story of Anna Petrovna (Maria Strelkova), who has at a young age become the wife of middle-aged venerable official Modest Alexeyevich (Michael Tarhanov). By marrying, the heroine hopes to be able to financially support her father and brothers, but soon learns that her virtuous spouse does not want to help the drunken relative and his sons. Life in the house of her husband seems dull and monotonous to Anna. The situation changes after a charity ball, where the wife of Modest Alexeyevich causes a sensation. Anna eagerly accepts courtship of the governor, and the wealthy landowner Artynov. At the end of the novella the young woman rides with a suitor in a carriage by her father's house, not realizing that furniture is being removed from the house.

The second part of the anthology – "Death of a Government Clerk" – is an episode from the life of a county court bailiff Chervyakov (Ivan Moskvin), who, when sneezing during a theatrical performance sprays General Bryzgalov (Vladimir Ershov), who is sitting in front of him. He apologizes to the "victim" during the play and then in the intermission, Chervyakov is upset all night because of the embarrassment which has occurred. In the morning he goes to meet Bryzgalov to ask for forgiveness again. The general's words – "What nonsense ... I've already forgotten" (individual lines of the characters are reproduced in the intertitles) do not reduce the suffering of the clerk. After another attempt to explain the indeliberate nature of his act, Chervyakov hears: "Beat it!". Returning home, he lies down on the sofa and dies.

The action of the third story – "Chameleon" takes place in summer on the market. After drinking vodka, artisan Khriukin (Vladimir Popov) tries to play with a small dog. The game ends with him getting his finger bit. The commotion raised by the victim, makes the police inspector Ochumelov and policeman Eldyrin, who happen to be strolling through the area, to start looking for the dog's owner. Attitude to it ranges from anger to tenderness which varies depending on the assumptions heard in the crowd regarding the identity of the owner. After a report that the dog belongs to the brother of General Zhigalov, Ochumelov declares the artisan as the guilty party.

Cast & Crew:

Anna on the Neck:

Mikhail Tarkhanov as Modest Alekseievitch
Mariya Strelkova as Anna Petrovna
Andrey Petrovsky as Governor
N. Shcherbakov as Anna's father
Viktor Stanitsyn as Artynov

The Death of a Government Clerk:

Ivan Moskvin as Cherviakov, the bureaucrat
Vladimir Yershov as General Brizzhalov

The Chameleon

Daniil Vvedenskiy as Kommissar Yeldyrin
Vladimir Popov as Khriukin

Directed by: Yakov Protazanov, Mikhail Doller
Written by: Anton Chekhov, Oleg Leonidov, Yakov Protazanov
Cinematography: Konstantin Kuznetsov
Release Date: 1929
Running Time: 65 minutes
Country: Soviet Union
Language: Russian