April 28, 1968
55 years ago, Leonid Gaidai's comedy hit the big screen. "The Diamond Arm"In the first year alone, it was watched by more than 76 million viewers.
I'm not a coward. But I'm afraid. If a person is an idiot, then it will last a long time. Our people don't take taxis to the bakery! May you live on one salary!
After "Kidnapping, Caucasian Style", filmed in 1967, Gaidai I decided to move away from the eccentric comedy genre. I wanted to work on a film adaptation of a literary classic. But negotiations with Goskino reached an impasse. A colleague saved me from this creative slump. Yakov Kostyukovsky — I found a note in the magazine “Abroad” about swindlers who smuggled jewelry around Europe, hiding it in plaster casts at the sites of imaginary fractures.
Gaidai found the idea, set in the Soviet Union, intriguing. The script pitch was submitted to Mosfilm under the title "Smugglers." To justify the criminals' "unhealthy interest" in smuggling gold and diamonds into the Soviet Union, the pitch included arguments from economic publications about the strengthening of the ruble on the international stage. The pitch was approved.
The image of Semyon Semyonovich Gorbunkov was written immediately under Yuri NikulinThere was a competition for the remaining roles: Georgy Vitsin could have played Gesha, Mikhail Pugovkin could have played Lelik, and Klara Luchko could have played the house manager.
Filming began in April 1968. Baku was substituted for Istanbul, while other scenes were shot in Moscow, Sochi, Adler, and near Smolensk. During filming, they showed off their creativity—for example, walking on water was made possible by a board anchored in the depths, and the glowing halo over the head of the boy (played by Nikulin's son) was made from wire and broken Christmas tree ornaments.
A mannequin in the likeness of Yuri Nikulin, intended to fall out of the trunk of a flying car, startled a cleaning lady at an Adler hotel. She stumbled upon the figure, which had been stashed in a props closet. Rumors of the actor's death subsequently circulated.
We look for the funny everywhere. <…> True, there are surprises – laughter where I didn’t expect it (Leonid Gaidai)
Critics reacted to the film in mixed reviews. But the public's love was unanimous.