Strictly Business (1962)

Plot Summary: A Soviet anthology film featuring three comedic stories that explore morality, deception, and irony, adapted from O. Henry’s works. Each tale brings characters into humorous and thought-provoking situations, showcasing human nature through a lens of wit and satire.

Director: Leonid Gaidai
Producers: Mosfilm
Screenplay: Vladimir Vladimirov

Starring:
Vladlen Paulus as "Shark" Dodson (voiced by Oleg Dal)
Aleksandr Shvorin as Bob Tidball
Rostislav Plyatt as landlord
Yuri Nikulin as thief
Georgy Vitsin as Sam, adventurer
Aleksei Smirnov as Bill Driscoll
Sergei Tikhonov as Johnny Dorset (voiced by Margarita Korabelnikova, in some scenes speaks in his own voice)

 

***SPOILER ALERT***

Story 1: "The Roads We Take"

Today, we took a little break from Frank Oz's filmography and watched a Soviet movie by the very popular director of that time, Leonid Gaidai, often described as the king of Soviet comedy. The film consists of three adaptations of O. Henry's short stories.

The first story takes place in the Wild West, where a group of bandits robs a train. I’ll admit, I wasn’t paying much attention at first because I was still trying to find my spot on the couch among my daughter and wife, who refused to share the blanket. (It’s really cold in our house!) The story introduces a saying, “Bolivar can’t take two,” meaning that when forced to choose between friendship and personal gain, you go with the latter. One of the villains, whose horse is named Bolivar, betrays his gang to take all the loot for himself. The twist? This is all a man’s dream, and somehow it ties back to stock investments. I admit I wasn’t the most attentive viewer during this one.

Story 2: "Makes the Whole World Kin"

The second story was my favorite. It features Soviet actor Yuri Nikulin, who I’ve seen in other films, and his performance didn’t disappoint. The plot revolves around a house robber who becomes sympathetic toward his victim after discovering they share the same rheumatic pain in their arms. What follows is a humorous conversation about remedies for their condition, leading to the robber actually paying for the drinks they share. The story had its funny moments, but nothing overly spectacular. Still, Nikulin’s charm made this segment enjoyable.

Story 3: "The Ransom of Red Chief"

The final story is perhaps the most well-known of O. Henry’s works. “The Ransom of Red Chief” tells the tale of two kidnappers who abduct a mischievous child with the hope of extorting ransom money from his father. However, the boy is so chaotic and impossible to handle that the villains end up paying the father to take his son back. The slapstick comedy delivered a few laughs, and the characters were memorable, but I didn’t find myself laughing out loud. The music—particularly the overuse of trumpets—felt a bit grating on my ears. A curious (and tragic) tidbit: Sergey Tikhonov, who played Johnny, was struck by a train in 1972 and passed away at just 22 years old. Crazy stuff, right?

Black-and-white movies really need strong dialogue and compelling stories to keep me engaged, or else the lack of color tends to make me sleepy. While I wasn’t totally bored thanks to the anthology format, I found myself curious about O. Henry’s works and how literal the Russian adaptations appeared to be. Since YouTube allows it, I’m uploading the three full stories for anyone who wants to watch them!

🎥 Cinematography (6/10):

Functional.

📖 Story (6/10):

Intriguing adaptations. Third story is too big, breaks the balance.

🎬 Direction (7/10):

Gaidai's signature charm is evident.

👥 Characters (7/10):

For the last episode - memorable and well-acted.

💥 Visual Effects (N/A):

That guy falling from the train :I

🎭 Acting (6/10):

Ok.

💬 Dialogue (6/10):

Engaging, probably groundbreaking in the 60's.

🌍 Setting/Atmosphere (4/10):

Lacks visual flair.

🎵 Music (4/10):

Trumpets were overbearing, but make sense.

😄 Entertainment Value (5/10):

Anthology kept it lively.

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