Original subtitles

MOSFILM

Attention, everybody! Ready for shooting!

Silence!

Ready for take. Start sound!

Rolling.

Camera!

Stop! Camera is choked.

Camera down.

- What's wrong? - The usual technical trouble.

Five minutes break for actors!

Come on, Vanya.

Camera ready.

- Ready. - All set.

- Let's get going. - All set. Ready for take.

Start sound!

Rolling!

- Camera! - Camera rolling.

Scene one, take one.

WINTER EVENING IN GAGRY

Starring

Beglov - Yevgeny YEVSTIGNEYEV

Young Beglov - Arkady NASYROV

Arkady Grachyov - Alexander PANKRATOV-CHYORNY

Melnikova - Natalya GUNDAREVA

Choreographer ~ Sergey NIKONENKO Administrator ~ Pyotr SHCHERBAKOV

Beglov's Daughter - Svetlana AMANOVA, Anya IVANOVA

With

Georgy BURKOV Alexander SHIRVINDT

Moscow Chamber Ballet, Soloists L. SABITOVA, A. KLOKOV

Tap Dancers Ye. ZERNOV, V. KIRSANOV

I. FEDOTKIN O. FEDOTKIN, V. IVANOV

What is a variety show?

Some say it's entertainment.

Others say that Variety should educate.

Still others think nothing of it.

And for me, Variety is my life.

And the last banal question: What are your new plans?

The program we're working on now

is about variety shows.

About our life.

It is called 'IBM' (Electronic Calculating Machine).

- Sorry, I don't get you. - That's what I thought.

Really, what can IBM and Variety have in common?

IBM is an image of the tendencies we come across every day,

such as machines programming, standardization.

So we decided to knock IBM and Variety together

and see what the result will be.

Good luck! Thank you.

No smoking here! Not allowed.

- Hi, Lyosha. - Hi.

You watched TV yesterday?

No.

The 'Man and the Law' show was about a director of a big store.

They nabbed him with diamonds and gold worth a hundred thousand.

That should get him 10 years in prison, for sure.

Or maybe even 15.

I just can't get over it. How impudent can a fellow get?

You bet.

Kozlov, that's no way to do a battement!

You're wooden. It's a battement, you see?

Come on, do a real battement.

- Hello. Have you had a class? - Yes, sir.

Hello.

Hello.

Let's do the whole thing once again.

Repeat the first part. Chaos and the birth of IBM.

Let's have music.

Music on!

If you need me, I'm out for a smoke.

Yes, Lyosha, only don't leave.

Wait.

I need cigarettes.

- Here. - Thanks.

- Hi, Fyodor. - Hi.

What drinks do you have?

Pepsi, Fanta, mineral water, beer.

Make it mineral water, or maybe Fanta?

How old is the beer?

What difference does it make to you? How many, one or two?

One.

- Did you watch TV last night? - No.

You should have. It was 'Man and the Law' program.

About how they caught a barman.

With gold and diamonds worth a hundred thousand rubles.

And?

What d'you mean, and? He got 20 years, with everything confiscated.

Why do you have to pester me?

Whoever told you to come here?

Why is he after me?!

I had two heart attacks! I'm forever in the Intensive Care Unit!

I keep awake till 4 a.m., thinking and thinking, and he works me up!

Why is he doing that?

Are you Beglov?

Yes.

I'm Arkady Grachyov.

You see, Alexei Ivanovich, it's like this.

I made inquiries

and found out that you were once a tap dancer.

And, except you, no one else knows that art.

That's right.

Only I know it now.

- Can you teach me tap dancing? - Where do you dance?

I don't dance, I work in a circus.

What turn do you do?

Well it's no turn

I clean up the cages.

Fetch the trainers sodas.

What do you need the step for?

What step?

That's what tap dance is called.

I want to perform on the stage. No one does tap dance now.

I can get famous overnight.

I'm afraid I won't be able to help you.

I've never given private lessons.

And I'm very busy now. A lot of work, you know

It's really far too much. Doing this, doing that.

You see, Alexei Ivanovich, I have great abilities.

I can become such a great artist that no one has seen yet.

I come from Vorkuta, where one clever man told me:

'Arkady, you're something special.

You can become such a great artist as no one has ever been.

You must go on the stage. Don't waste your talent.'

So I left my home, came to Moscow, doing all kind of odd jobs.

But I know I have to be an actor.

Time goes on, but I got a talent.

I can see you're a very good boy.

And possibly you do possess the abilities.

Yet you should understand that I'm a very busy man.

I got so much work, it just makes me crazy.

I have to be everywhere at once, very important business.

Doing this, doing that. What can I do?

I will pay you.

I'll pay you 5 rubles per lesson. It's good money.

Money won't hurt you.

Of course, I do need money.

I've seen a sofa in a second-hand shop that I want to buy.

A very good sofa, 60 rubles. They don't make such things now.

With that kind of money you can buy anything you want.

You like a thing, you have money, you buy it.

I have everything, but I need a sofa.

Go and buy it! What the heck!

I don't know

I feel at a loss.

You're a funny fellow. Money's coming into your hands.

It is one of those rare chances, and you're at a loss. Why?

All right, let's give it a try.

Come today at 5 to the pavilion. You know where we work?

Look, since we've already agreed,

you might pay me some advance?

How much?

Well I don't know.

Five rubles, if it's not too much?

Here you are.

See you at 5.

Dear friends, it is my honor to present to you our charming star,

Irina Melnikova!

I'm sure you'll agree with me

that Irina'll bring new luster to our program.

We must thank Irina for having accepted

our invitation to appear in our program.

Show me your walk.

Enough.

Now do this: toe and heel, heel and toe.

Try it.

The beat! The beat is the main thing.

Like a drummer, but instead of sticks, use your feet.

Once again.

And your toe? Pick up your toe, my boy.

I can't. My leg was broken in two places.

Oh, I see.

- What? - Nothing.

But I do have a good ear.

For a tap dancer, the main thing is the feeling for rhythm. Let's test it.

Repeat it.

It was too fast. Should do it like this.

Nothing wrong with your head?

No. Why?

Only a nut would want to learn the step

with such a sense of rhythm, broken bones and a walk like this.

I'm paying you for teaching me. So, you teach.

How can I teach a man like you?

You think I can't make it at all?

I could make even a baboon dance.

- You can? So do it. - You can go to hell

I won't teach you.

- You won't? - I won't.

Return the five rubles, then.

- What five rubles? - The advance.

Here. The rest 4 I'll pay later.

- Give me all five right now. - I don't have them now.

Then teach me! What were you saying?

Heel-toe, toe-heel. Is it so?

Damn you! You'll go places.

Okay, no nonsense. Teach.

No hip waggling. No hip waggling. Idiot.

Misha, my coat, please.

Next time I'll throw your coat in the trashcan.

All right, all right.

You people hang about here all day, and I wait like a prisoner.

You could've worked on a thesis here, you'd be a scholar now.

In America, a prisoner, who spent his time writing,

won a Nobel Prize.

- My salary is enough for me. - I didn't mean that.

What? Tired?

Why do you torment yourself in vain? It's quite useless.

- It's none of your concern. - You're right, it isn't.

You know why it's useless? You don't have it.

Pacing, rhythm, feet, all that is rubbish.

What you need in tap dance is the spirit.

When you know that you can do tap dance, and that's it.

As though you can't live without it.

You should feel as though you must tap-dance now, or perish!

That's how it should feel! It is even terrifying.

You don't understand?

For example, you suddenly feel an urge to do something.

Well, I don't know. Whatever you wish to shout.

Here you sit, all alone. And you feel like shouting.

Come on, shout! Now!

It's because you're empty like a drum.

I have a daughter.

She was only 3 years old, but she had the spirit.

And she did the step like nobody.

I wanted to do a number with her and show it on the stage.

She was such a clever kid.

When she saw I was angry, she did the step.

She knew my weakness.

And did you do the number?

No. My wife and I got divorced.

She took my daughter.

She's a bright young lady now!

Studies in a college, being trained to be a diplomat.

And my ex happens to be a People's Artist of the USSR, by the way.

An opera singer. Soboleva. Know her?

No, I don't.

So you mean she walked out on you?

You stupid. Irreconcilable differences.

With a People's Artist of the Soviet Union?

- Believe it or not. - I believe it.

All right, I got to go. See you Wednesday.

He believes it!

- He's excellent! - Yes.

Who's he?

That's Lyosha Beglov.

He was a craze in his time, around the '50s.

A wonderful dancer. Let's devise a program on him.

We'll play this video and invite Beglov.

It can't be done, he died.

When?

About 10 years ago, I had just come back from Holland.

It was my first trip to Holland.

My wife said I'd been called to go to his funeral.

He was a fine fellow. I knew him well.

He would've been quite young then?

Let me see, I'm now Yes, about 40.

Forty?

Yes, forty. So sad, famous fellow, casual relationships, heart attack.

And the man is no more.

We might play the video and you tell his story.

Interesting idea.

Friends, how about making it

a regular monthly item, 'Forgotten Names'?

And begin with Lyosha Beglov.

Great idea.

Yes, he certainly deserves it.

Good work.

Now they do it cheaply.

Just chipboard, some glue, and they call it 'sofa'.

Nobody puts in real work.

Sergey, don't you sell it to anybody, this sofa.

- Who would want it? - Don't say that.

Just put it away, hide it in some corner.

One day I'll buy it and I'm going to tip you, as I told you.

Listen, Beglov, you'd better not potter around the shop.

Come on, Sergey, I'm just looking around.

I'll go home now. Bye.

I'm leaving going straight home. That's it. Goodbye.

Your good luck seems so tangible and real,

But suddenly it proves but ephemeral.

It proves but ephemeral.

It rushes away in a cloud of glitter and dust,

And we just stay behind, the outcasts.

Just stay behind, the outcasts.

Good fortune, good fortune, you make us much richer,

But if fate would rather decide to ditch it,

We'll kiss you goodbye and sing nevertheless,

There's time for a flop and time for a success.

We're dancing out of sync.

Perhaps with luck it can be no other way,

Now it's in your hands, now it slips away.

Now it slips away.

The sudden good fortune, it goes to our head,

And in feverish heat we lose all that we had.

We lose all that we had.

What happened?

I don't like that hat.

Hello, Lyosha, hello.

Do you call them hats?

You really think you can make me wear one of these?

You do all night I don't know what and bring me this trash in the morning?

I'm Irina Melnikova, not some Tyutkina.

I'm not going on the stage dressed like a scarecrow because of you!

Get out! Get lost, I say!

Shut up.

What? Who are you talking to?

You.

- Me? - Yes, you.

Who is he?

He's our dance coach, Irina Pavlovna.

Ah, a dance coach.

Then you'd better decide whom you need more, the dance coach or me.

Now look here, Alexei Ivanovich.

I'm sorry, but I must ask you to resign.

Make it on personal grounds.

You shouldn't have. Irina Pavlovna always shouts,

but makes it up later by showering gifts.

- Alexei Ivanovich. - Goodbye.

- Goodbye. - All the best.

Alexei Ivanovich.

Hello. Here I am for my lesson.

What lesson? My boss just kicked me out.

Kicked you out? What for?

You know Melnikova? Our program's star?

She shouted at the costume girl. I told her to keep quiet, and was fired.

- Who made you do that silly thing? - No one.

No use crying over spilt milk. You'll find another job.

Thank God, it's not a capitalist system we're living in.

Of course I'll find a job.

But all my life I've worked in variety. What else can I do?

- Apologize to the big star. - No.

All right, shall I fix it for you?

How'll you fix it?

Where does she live?

I don't know.

- Who do you want? - Irina Melnikova.

I shall ask her.

Name please?

Celentano.

Irina Pavlovna, there's a Celentano to see you.

- Who? - Celentano.

- What Celentano? - Adriano.

Adriano.

Irina, we love you!

Alexei Ivanovich!

Alexei Ivanovich, come on up!

Come in.

Come in.

Wipe your feet.

Give me your coat. Everything's all right.

Actually, she's a nice dame. She called Fomenko

and gave him a bit of her mind about his arbitrary decision.

When she learnt you were a tap dancer, she was delighted.

- She wants you to turn out something. - Turn out what?

Dance. She's got company, very decent people.

This is Alexei Ivanovich Beglov.

- Good evening. - Good evening.

Hello. Celentano told us how beautifully you do the step.

Yes, you'll see now.

Come on in.

Pianist ~ Adriano Celentano!

Your choice, Alexei Ivanovich?

Do you care for a drink?

I don't drink. I had a heart attack.

- What's wrong? - Nothing.

Why did you leave? What happened?

Nothing happened.

- Something you didn't like? - I liked everything.

No, something put you off.

Nothing put me off.

Only I'm not a performing monkey.

You mean I'm a monkey?

You're a monkey.

And who are you?!

Putting on airs.

- Why did he leave? - Well, forget him

It's just outrageous!

Where's the dancer, Celentano?

He's gone.

Then you dance.

What's so funny?

Let's have it. Dance.

Stop that, Igor.

Stop what? Why's he here, then?

I'm here because I'm your friend.

Oleg is the designer who dresses you.

Mila is his girl.

And Chika no one knows him, yet he's always around.

He is just taken for granted. But who is he?

Why are you so difficult today?

I just want to know who he is and what he's doing here?

Or maybe he's a candidate for your

Stop it now!

Yet, who are you?

He's Celentano.

What's your name, by the way?

Adriano.

Ready, everybody?

Ready, everybody?

Start.

Stop! That was very nice.

That'll be all for today. Thanks, everybody.

- What time tomorrow? - Like today.

Let's begin.

You been drinking?

Beglov, you must teach me tap dancing.

I can't teach you when you're drunk.

Teach me, I beg you.

I'm no monkey!

Get up, you drunkard!

You just wait!

How did I get here?

A stork brought you.

What a pig you are! Seeking solace in drink. Shame on you!

No sermons please. My head is bursting.

So you do have a head!

Listen, who needs to learn the step? You or I?

I know the tricks of the trade, thank God.

And what kind of philosophy is that?

Is this the normal attitude to work of today's young folk?

I, for example remember myself at your age.

I worked day and night.

A job in the day and doing the step at night like crazy. Hence the result.

Young men today prefer it the easy way.

Work less and get more.

Besides, he began to drink. That's a real disaster.

Remember:

art and drink are completely incompatible.

What's the matter with you? Are you addressing a meeting?

I still don't understand.

Tell me, are you really like that or just putting it on?

- Like what? - Like that, indifferent.

Listen, lay off. I feel sick and tired as it is.

And why are you so tired?

Have you been working on the Dnieper Electric Station?

Or dug the Karakum Canal?

Or built the Moscow University?

Just look at this tired man! He didn't lift a finger.

Oh, but he's tired.

That's why they make you run errands for them, your employers,

and you keep running, and will do it all your life.

Go to hell

Just look at him.

He doesn't like it.

We move on to present our new program,

starting this week.

It's called 'Forgotten Names', bringing to you

great artists of the past.

My God! It's me.

Dear friends, you've just seen a rare video

showing the wonderful art

of a great tap dancer,

Alexei Ivanovich Beglov.

The TV viewers belonging to the older generation

will surely remember this legendary artist,

who was the idol, I would say, of the fifties.

Unfortunately,

Alexei Ivanovich left this world

in the prime of his life.

And with that this great art

of tap dancing came to a sudden end

What? What d'you mean left this world?

What are you saying?!

And now our next item, 'Popular Names'.

Play the video, please.

Hey, wait!

We all are dreaming to see wonder,

But there's no more wondrous thing

Than our earth that spreads heavens under,

Where I live in an old house wing

Hello?

Hello.

Good evening. May I speak to Tatiana Sergeyevna?

She's in the theatre. Who's calling?

Her former husband, Beglov.

Good evening, Alexei Ivanovich. I'm her husband. Any message for her?

No.

Just now the television showed a program on me.

- Really? - Yes. They announced that I'm dead.

Really? On what channel?

- On first. - So they'll repeat it tomorrow.

We'll definitely watch it.

No, don't.

You see, I'm alive.

I understand. What shall we do?

Don't do anything. I just want you to know that I'm safe and sound.

Okay, I'll tell her that.

- Arkady, did you watch the TV? - No.

They just announced that I'm dead.

Are you a member of the Government to announce your death?

I swear they announced I'm dead. Can you imagine?

It's not impossible.

- What d'you mean? - Just that.

You worked on Dnieper Station, dug the Karakum and built the university.

That's enough to kill a man. What's so strange?

No jokes, please. What shall I do now?

Set up a memorial. A stele of pink tuff. How about it?

I swear. You just left,

and they ran this program, 'Forgotten Names'.

They showed me and said that, unfortunately, I was no longer alive.

Maybe you've gone crazy because of your megalomania?

What mania? What shall I do?

I want to see all those who presented the last 'Musical Panorama'.

A scandalous incident. It has never happened before.

We'll take most strict action. I'm sure it'll never happen again.

What about him?

- What about him? - What d'you mean, what?

You pronounced the man dead, and he's alive.

Comrade Beglov, please accept our most sincere apologies.

In our next program we'll say there was a misunderstanding,

that Comrade Beglov is alive and well.

I'm sure it'll make everybody happy.

Alexei Ivanovich, you'll live a long life.

There's a belief that anyone buried before his time is sure to live long.

Thank you.

- Which way now, Arkady? - Homeward.

Let's go and celebrate my rebirth.

You're like a chameleon, aren't you?

First you brand me a drunkard, now you invite me for a drink.

Hello?

- Hello, Lena. - Who's this? Oh, hi, Dad.

- How's life? - Normal.

Remember we did tap dancing together?

Of course I remember.

Let's meet and do it again?

- Are you crazy, Dad? - Why?

I've my exam tomorrow.

Well, sorry. How's your mom? Is she home?

They're at the dacha.

Have you been watching television lately?

No. Why?

Nothing special. Only you must know I'm alive and well.

That's good, Dad.

- Yes well, bye. - Bye.

Kolya! The Sphinx! To the right! Move it.

Valera, what kind of capers are these?

How long must I go on?

As long as is necessary.

Once again from the beginning. Take your places.

- Alexei Ivanovich? - Yes.

What is it they're saying about you?

- What? - Look, it's Beglov!

Yesterday they said on TV that you were dead.

We pooled in the money for a handsome wreath.

It was a mistake. They promised to announce that I'm alive.

Now that sure is good news.

You'll live long now!

I know, that's what people say.

What shall we do with the money?

Let's buy Alexei Ivanovich a present.

- Okay, now back to work. - Enough, girls, get to work.

- So, you're quite a celebrity. - Well, I was.

I liked your number very much.

I thought we could revive it and include in our program.

What d'you say?

- Who will dance it? - Who?

We'll find somebody. Who is a good tap dancer today?

No one.

- Is there really no one? - No.

Too bad.

What a nice number it'd be. Retro! Well, then.

All right, let's do it from the beginning.

Valera, Olga, Ira! This is no fish market. Calm down, will you?

Come on, guys

Attention! Attention!

Let's work, if you want to go on tour.

We're not going anywhere. We're not the Bolshoi Theatre.

You're wrong.

A decision's been taken today to send our troupe to Rumania.

So, back to work. Valera! Valera!

Begin from where you left off, with jumps.

Come on, jump!

- Am I going, too? - Of course.

How did it go?

Hello, Arkady.

Hi.

Can you spare a minute?

- Hi, Arkady! - Hi!

- It's an important matter. - What is it?

Our choreographer wants to revive my number 'Gaucho, the tap dancer'.

I'd like you to do it.

Didn't you want to be a tap dancer?

- Yes, but no longer. - Why not?

Well I gave up on the step.

Why did you decide to give it up?

You just surprise me.

You told me I'll never make a tap dancer.

I said you had a bad manner of walking.

Sense of rhythm was lacking. But I didn't say you couldn't make it.

- And you didn't mention the spirit? - Yes, I did say that.

Well, I simply don't have that spirit.

It will come.

- Oh, come on now! - Are you going to learn?

Leave me alone!

- You must learn the step. - I won't.

- You will! - What's that?!

You will!

You're like a small child.

Beglov!

Alexei Ivanovich!

In the broad strips of light and air,

The bee sought some kind of gold,

Visiting flower after flower, for

The nectar they might hold.

And a worm crawling in the grass,

Looked at it, and said 'Alas,

In my wildest dreams I cannot

Fly around like that.'

Yet, in agony, he cried out,

And to the bee he said:

'O lift me from the grass, o bee,

So I can be with thee.'

- Lena? - Hello, Dad.

- I woke you up, did I? - No, come in.

It's a nice surprise.

Come on in. One second.

I had come to see you last night.

Yes, I was out.

You see, I was tidying up a bit.

- Will you have breakfast with me? - No, I must go.

What d'you mean 'must go'? You come so rarely. No.

- You must stay for breakfast. - Some other time, Dad.

I'm getting married.

Getting married? To whom?

He's a journalist. You'll meet him soon.

Why get married?

What d'you find so strange about it? Girls usually do get married.

Oh yes, I just meant

Is he a good man?

How can I tell? I haven't lived with him yet.

- Do you love the man? - I like him.

What do you mean? Do you love him or not?

- I love him. - Congratulations, then.

When's the wedding?

That's what I wanted to talk to you about.

Don't worry, I'll do everything for my daughter.

It's not that, Dad.

You see, there's one thing, I don't even know how to say it.

Go on.

Well Don't come to the marriage ceremony.

Why not?

It'll be so awkward. Dmitri Vasilyevich and you.

He brought me up, you see.

They'll drink to the parents' health and he'll be called my father.

Please Dad.

Igor and I will come to meet you the next day.

We'll go somewhere, spend the day together.

Dad, you don't mind, do you?

No, no, not at all.

In fact, I won't be able to come anyway.

Of course, I can't. We're off to Rumania on a tour.

How could I forget about Rumania?

Then we'll meet when you come back.

Yes, of course.

Now, may I go?

Yes, certainly.

Bye.

- My love to all. - Of course.

This machine is the greatest invention of our time.

You feed into it just any melody.

You want Tchaikovsky, you have it, or you may compose your own music.

Then you make up a program.

You want a symphonic work, please do. You want jazz? Press a button.

It can arrange everything itself and play it.

Let's take for example 'Moscow Nights'.

And assume you want saxophone.

In the style of jazz.

Well? Or something from your program.

Say, it is 'rock'.

Smart! Who invented this monster?

The Japanese. Mitsubishi.

The devils! That's some invention!

You need no one. No orchestra, no arrangers.

Only you and the machine. Pure creativity.

Lyosha, I've been told to buy you a present.

But I don't know what you need.

So, keep the money and buy whatever you want.

Your attention, comrades! That's all for today.

Please wait a while. A few minutes, guys!

What is it? Is it your birthday?

No birthday. I just want to give you a treat.

It won't take long, just 5 minutes.

It's only apple cider, bubbly. Make yourselves paper glasses.

Well then, comrades, here's to Alexei Ivanovich.

Guys.

I'd like to sing for you. There's an old song.

It may be not to someone's liking, but I love it.

A great song.

Well will you listen?

Play up to me, guys. Stepan, remember that song about a bee?

In the broad strips of light and air

Alexei Ivanovich, please not that cheap piece. Why do it?

It's an excellent piece! You've played it.

I played it then, it was long ago.

I liked it, too. A very good song.

In the broad strips of light and air,

The bee sought some kind of gold,

Visiting flower after flower, for

The nectar they might hold.

And a worm crawling in the grass,

Looked at it, and said, 'Alas,

In my wildest dreams I cannot

Fly around like that.'

Yet, in agony, he cried out,

And to the bee he said:

'O lift me from the grass, o bee,

So I can be with thee.'

And the worm's sighing ah and oh

In a pool of tears of his own.

Buzzing over him is the bee,

Ever full of mirth and glee.

When you, my friend, delight me so

With your gaze ingenuous and bright,

The earth and sky begin to glow

In a majestic, colorful light.

The hour of joy, the pain of separation

I'm willing to share with you, my friend.

Let us shake hands and have no hesitation

To set on the road for years without end.

We're so close, no need to mention,

To remind each other, as if it's not enough,

That our feeling and our friendship

Are more than passion, more than simply love.

The hour of joy will be ours, rather,

You will come back, and only then

We'll give a promise to each other

To be together and never part again.

Best of luck, Alexei Ivanovich!

Sergey, I'm buying the sofa.

Why are you staring?

They said you were dead.

Nonsense. I'll buy that sofa.

You see, the sofa's gone.

- What d'you mean, gone? - Sold.

Sold? Is it some kind of joke?

You promised me. We have agreed.

They said you have died, and a customer came along.

So we sold it to him.

What do you need that junk for? You can have this dressing table.

Look at this beautiful table. Or this.

This sofa, nineteenth century.

Beglov.

Beglov!

Beglov, are you all right? What happened? What's wrong?

Wait! Wait a minute! Beglov, please come back!

In the broad strips of light and air

GAGRY

Dad, look, that's you.

Welcome, Comrade Beglov. Who's this lovely young lady?

- What's your name? - Vasya.

What? Vasya? Vasya! Come in, please.

Lena, will you come with me to the concert, or stay here?

Dad, may I dance today as a partner with you?

Dad, you said yourself that I dance very well.

Please, Dad.

- Hello. - Hello.

Hello, Vladimir Karlovich.

- Hi. - Oh, it's you.

- How do you feel? - Normal.

I came to say goodbye. I'm leaving tonight.

- Going home? - Yes, home, to Vorkuta.

I've brought you something to keep you company.

A TV set.

I don't like television.

Thanks, all the same. I prefer to read a book.

You can watch soccer games,

films, 'Movie Panorama'.

So the ability to stay for a long time under water

depends on the volume of blood flow?

That's quite right.

This fact was discovered by Bern.

A duck is able to store twice as much oxygen as a chicken.

Very interesting.

Unfortunately, the time of our program is running short.

We'll see you again, dear friends.

You must see now what's coming.

MUSICAL PANORAMA

I'm especially happy today to present to you our program.

I think you'll understand why.

In our last program 'Forgotten Names' we featured

a wonderful tap dancer of the '50s, Alexei Beglov.

Heaps of letters have come

saying you all remember and love Beglov.

You'll be happy to know, friends, that Alexei Ivanovich is alive

and in excellent health.

And now he's busy passing on his art to up and coming artists of today.

In our next program we'll meet Alexei Ivanovich

and talk with him, as they say, live.

And now please watch a filmstrip

shot 25 years ago.

A number by Alexei Beglov.

I must say, Alexei Ivanovich,

you danced top class.

Yes, I was a top-class tap dancer.

You know, I've lived a pretty satisfying life.

I loved dancing, and I danced.

There were many people whom I loved.

My fans loved me. I had name, fame, money.

Yet I now remember one night.

Only one night in my life.

It happened many years ago, in winter, in Gagry.

The stage was very small.

Season ending, the audience was very thin.

I danced with my little girl.

She made me make her my dancing partner.

Never in my life did I dance so well.

Never in my life.

And you know

If only I could bring back that wonderful evening

I'd be willing to give everything

every last minute of my life.

Screenplay by

Alexander BORODYANSKY Karen SHAKHNAZAROV

Directed by Karen SHAKHNAZAROV

Director of Photography Vladimir SHEVTSIK

Production Designer Valery FILIPPOV

Music by Anatoly KROLL